No excuses for title loss

MANILA, Philippines — Former IBF minimumweight champion Rene Mark Cuarto frittered away a chance to earn a shot at regaining the title by letting Japam’s Ginjiro Shigeoka off the hook in the early going then losing his legs due to dehydration before referee Katsuhiko Nakamura waved it off as the Zamboanga del Norte slugger wobbled from his second knockdown in the ninth round at the Yoyogi Gym in Tokyo last Sunday.

Cuarto had a fast start and floored Shigeoka twice in the first round. Nakamura ruled one of the trips a slip. A clash of heads left Cuarto with a cut under his left eye in the second frame but he stayed aggressive. Twice, Shigeoka was on the verge of falling as Cuarto landed stinging right hooks and once, his glove touched the canvas but Nakamura ignored what should’ve been a knockdown. Another accidental headbutt opened a nasty vertical cut over Cuarto’s right eye in the sixth. Cuarto began showing signs of slowing down in the seventh and dropped to a knee on a delayed reaction from a body shot. In the ninth, Cuarto had little left in his tank and was floored twice. A nine-punch barrage capped by a blow to the midsection sent Cuarto down and he barely beat the count only for Nakamura to step in.

The three judges saw Shigeoka ahead at the time of the stoppage with Filipino judge Greg Ortega scoring it 76-74, Japanese judge Michiaki Someya 78-72 and Australian judge Carl Zappia 78-72. The win set up a rematch for Shigeoka with IBF minimumweight champion Daniel Valladares. Early this year, Shigeoka and Valladares fought to a third round no-decision. Valladares had wrested the IBF crown from Cuarto via a split decision last year.

Cuarto’s coach Nonoy Neri, who worked his corner, said Valladares is tougher than Shigeoka. “Matibay si Valladares at malambot si Shigeoka,” he said. “Kung tinuloy ni Cuarto yung atake sa first round, tapos na sana. Naubos lang si Cuarto kasi bago nagsimula ng training mga two months ago, nasa 140 pounds siya. Nalibang sa pagaalaga ng babuyan niya sa farm. Nakuha pa rin ang timbang na 105 pero tataas na siya sa 108.”