Japanese 'Speed King' ends Munroe's world title dream
Rendall Munroe's gallant attempt to win the WBC super-bantamweight title ended in failure after the Leicester man was dominated in the second half of the fight en route to conceding a wide unanimous points loss to Japan's Toshiaki 'speed king' Nishioka at the Kokugikan in Tokyo this morning.
All three judges scored the fight 119-109 in the champion's favour and whilst the scorecards failed to reflect Munroe's brave and concerted effort, they did emphasise Nishioka's supremacy after halfway. BoxRec News had it 117-112 for Nishioka, eight rounds to three with one session even in this all-southpaw battle.
For four rounds the prospects of the Leicester binman returning home a world champion looked entirely plausible. Rendall, who was coolness personified as he entered the ring wearing sunglasses and his trademark fluorescent dustman's jacket, attacked Nishioka to head and body and claimed the centre of the ring throughout the early exchanges.
Nishioka displayed good athletism behind a snappy jab boxing in retreat but the champion's head was snapped back by a good left cross by Munroe in round two after an evenly contested opener. Munroe dropped back in the third and was picked off by some sharp left hands by the Japanese as Rendall's punches fell short.
After a disappointing third, Munroe stepped things up in the fourth and produced the relentless, bullying attacks which has seen him dominate the 8st10 lbs division in Europe for the past three years. Hooking away with both fists inside, the Leicester man followed up with some chopping lefts which had Nishioka looking troubled in what appeared as though it would prove to be a pivotal round. It was, but sadly ultimately not in Munroe's favour as the champion notably found another gear.
Munroe began the fifth in charge and some stiff jabs found their intended target as the 34-year-old Nishioka seemed to be struggling with the intensity of Munroe's workrate. The talented champion, now 37-4-3 (23), hasn't remained unbeaten for six years for nothing though and with the fight in the balance Nishioka took charge. A left hand to the side of the temple buckled Munroe's legs and the Leicester man was immediately placed under heavy siege as Nishioka let his hands fly in what were anxious moments for the challenger. Rendall, smiling through his gumshield, ducked and rolled out of harms way and eventually the storm passed but Nishioka was now the boss for the first time in the fight.
The Japanese built on his success by boxing sprightly on his toes to maintain distance between himself and Munroe in the sixth as Rendall was forced to chase the fight. Nishioka continued to outspeed, outthink and outwork Munroe and a crunching left hand to the body troubled the Leicester man in the seventh. Nishioka tried hard to further exploit this perceived weakness but Munroe wisely tucked his elbows in to ride out another turbulent period which were starting to become more frequent.
After clearly losing the last three rounds, Munroe needed to readdress the balance and I thought some decent body work was sufficient to shade him the eighth. Both men were displaying the signs of what was a grueling battle. Nishioka was knicked by the right eye whilst Munroe's right eye was swollen undernath and he had suffered some grazing to his cheekbone. Round nine was quieter but Nishioka remained one step ahead as he utilised his superior speed and footwork to produce the more eyecatching work as Rendall resolutely plodded forward.
Unlike the majority of Munroe's previous opponents, Nishioka refused to allow Munroe to dictate the terms of the fight and showed few signs of flagging down the stretch - territory which Munroe has become accustomed to thriving in. Another spiteful body shot hurt the Leicester fighter in the tenth and one sensed that the end could be near as Munroe momentarily sagged against the ropes.
Despite the fact that the fight was clearly going against him, Munroe, to his immense credit, never stopped trying and always produced a stubborn response following Nishioka's increasingly frequent flurries. Unfortunately, Munroe couldn't deal with Nishioka's nimble speed, punch variety and was being hurt to the head and body as the contest wore on.
Munroe was getting busted up and another lightening attack, consisting of a succession of lefts, had the challenger bleeding from the mouth and his face was now heavily swollen in the eleventh The Leicester man's spirit was unpenetrable though and he finished another punishing session by drilling Nishioka with a left hand of his own which proves that Munroe genuinely belongs in world class company.
With only nine stoppages in his 21 wins (against now two defeats) Munroe just doesn't have the power to complement his strength so a dramatic turnaround always seemed remote. The challenger never stopped trying however and he began the final round in the ascendancy by forcing Nishioka back to the ropes following a good attack. The champion underlined his supremacy by storming back and Munroe was again shaken by some stinging lefts as he was placed under heavy pressure by the champion once more. Given his sterling efforts, it would have been a traversty had Munroe not made it to the final bell but after a bright opening the Leicester man was well beaten in the end.
Can Munroe come again at this level? On tonight's evidence, yes, but only after a long rest and it remains to be seen if the 30 year-old will ever be the same again after he withstood some tremendous punishment in the second half of the fight. Whatever happens next, the grounded and popular Leicester binman can be supremely proud of his performance against a very impressive and seasoned world champion in Nishioka.
