Masanori Rakiishi Celebrates Dramatic, Come-From-Behind Twelfth Spherical Technical Knockout of Michael Magnesi on March 22 in Rome, Italy.
Masanori Rakiishi will always remember this street journey.
Michael Magnesi was forward on all three scorecards earlier than Rakiishi rallied to earn a dramatic Twelfth-round, technical knockout.
Rakiishi earned three knockdowns earlier than a remaining barrage of punches left the locally-based Magnesi defenseless. Referee Hector Afu known as for a stoppage with simply 26 seconds left of their ABEMA-TV aired foremost occasion Friday at Palazzetto Romboli within the Colleferro part of Rome, Italy.
Magnesi—from close by Cave—constructed an early lead as he utilized relentless presser and timed Rakiishi with proper palms. Rakiishi fought exterior of Japan for the primary time as a professional however appeared to rapidly settle into new environment. He was persistent together with his left hand, whilst Magnesi ducked and countered with energy pictures.
Rakiishi linked with straight lefts with extra regularity in spherical 4. Magnesi absorbed the pictures and unloaded with a sequence of energy pictures. Two separate flurries noticed Magnesi crash residence left uppercuts, together with a left hook excessive of Rakiishi’s guard.
A well-known sample noticed Magnesi drive Rakiishi to the ropes. Rakiishi was capable of counter with a downward left hand in opposition to his squat foe within the fifth spherical.
Rakiishi employed lateral motion in an effort to keep away from the onrushing Magnesi within the sixth. Magnesi discovered success with proper hooks excessive when he sometimes switched to southpaw. He additionally linked with a straight left hand from that stance late within the body.
The second half of the combat initially carried the identical pattern. Rakiishi boxed from the skin whereas Magnesi got here ahead in a straight line.
Rakiishi was briefly surprised from consecutive proper palms alongside the ropes in spherical seven. Magnesi drove again Rakiishi with winging proper palms within the eighth and ninth rounds as he added to his scorecard lead.
Time was known as at the beginning of the tenth as Rakiishi was paid a go to by the ringside doctor. Motion resumed because the rally started for the visiting southpaw.
Magnesi continued to stalk Rakiishi, who used many of the tenth spherical to search out his vary. A sneak proper hook by the streaking junior light-weight caught the eye of Magnesi. Rakiishi got here on robust within the remaining minute. A left hand and proper hook rocked the squat Italian, as did a round-ending barrage of energy pictures.
The late success supplied a lift of confidence for Rakiishi, who got here out swinging within the eleventh spherical. Magnesi walked right into a left hand and was staggered by a proper hook and left uppercut. Rakiishi remained poised and sought a gap for his combos.
Magnesi discovered himself in opposition to the ropes halfway via the eleventh. He shook his head as Rakiishi linked with two straight pictures upstairs. Rakiishi elevated his workrate and punched via Magnesi’s guard to attain with a left hand and proper hook.
Catastrophe struck for Magesi within the fateful twelfth and remaining spherical.
A proper hook by Rakiishi scored the bout’s first knockdown early within the body. Magnesi instantly rose to his toes however didn’t appear to completely have his colleges. A subsequent assault by Rakiishi ended with a straight lend to ship Magnesi to the canvas for a second time.
A hailstorm of energy pictures had Magnesi in hassle with barely greater than a minute to go. Time was known as as the 2 had been separated from a clinch. Magnesi was exhausted to the place he fell into the ropes and onto the ground and not using a punch being thrown. Afu issued the depend for the third knockdown of the spherical earlier than he permitted motion to renew.
Rakiishi noticed a battered foe and went in to shut the present. One remaining sequence of proper hooks and left palms left Magnesi out on his toes earlier than the combat was stopped.
The sign to finish the combat prompted Rakiishi to climb a impartial nook turnbuckle in celebration. He was quickly joined by his crew, together with promoter and former three-division titlist Koki Kameda who made the journey.
On the opposite facet of the ring, Magnesi (23-2, 13 knockouts) was consoled first by the referee after which his nook. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak and knocked him out of title competition.
In the meantime, Rakiishi was the most recent member to get pleasure from a pivotal period for Japanese boxing. He superior to 15-1 (10 KOs) with the most important win of his profession. The feat carried the WBC Silver title at stake, which is able to permit him to advance within the 130-pound rankings.
O’Shaquie Foster (22-2, 12 KOs) presently holds the WBC 130-pound belt.
Rakiishi has now received 13 straight fights after his lone profession defeat in his third professional outing. None had been extra dramatic or obligatory than what he completed Friday night on the street.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for The Ring and vice chairman of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.Observe @JakeNDaBox
