Takashi Miura
When we talk about fighters who impressed up in 2013 very, very few stood out as much as Super Featherweight Takashi Miura (30-3-2, 23) [三浦 隆司] who really made a name for himself with a trio of major victories over Mexican foes, victories that have seen some dubbing him the new "Mexecutioner".
Despite 2013 being Miura's break out year it wasn't really a shock to hardcore fans who had been following the hard hitter over his career. In fact if anything the success Miura had in 2013 was long over-due and just confirmed what many already knew, he was a world class fighter with a lot heart, destructive power and ever improving skills.
Whilst it's fair to say that 2013 was a career year Miura has actually been on the boxing scene for well over a decade and that those in the know knew just how much potential Miura had to be not just a "world champion" but also one of the most must watch fighters in world boxing.
Miura began his boxing journey, like many fighters, in the unpaid ranks. It was there that many on the Japanese domestic scene started to take note of the hammer fisted fighter who, although successful as an amateur, had a very pro-ready style. He enjoyed a fight and had genuinely thunderous power. There wasn't many fighters in the amateurs who would willingly choose to go toe-to-toe with a young Miura and his power was the reason.
Although Miura had a pro-ready style he still managed to do very well in the amateurs winning 34 of 40 amateur contests and stopping 22 of his opponents. Those victories also helped Miura to claim a title as the national sports festival in 2002.
Following his victory at the sports festival in 2002 Miura decided to turn professional and linked up with Yokohama Hikari Gym. It was with Yokohama Hikari that Miura gained a B license passing his tests with flying colours.
Despite 2013 being Miura's break out year it wasn't really a shock to hardcore fans who had been following the hard hitter over his career. In fact if anything the success Miura had in 2013 was long over-due and just confirmed what many already knew, he was a world class fighter with a lot heart, destructive power and ever improving skills.
Whilst it's fair to say that 2013 was a career year Miura has actually been on the boxing scene for well over a decade and that those in the know knew just how much potential Miura had to be not just a "world champion" but also one of the most must watch fighters in world boxing.
Miura began his boxing journey, like many fighters, in the unpaid ranks. It was there that many on the Japanese domestic scene started to take note of the hammer fisted fighter who, although successful as an amateur, had a very pro-ready style. He enjoyed a fight and had genuinely thunderous power. There wasn't many fighters in the amateurs who would willingly choose to go toe-to-toe with a young Miura and his power was the reason.
Although Miura had a pro-ready style he still managed to do very well in the amateurs winning 34 of 40 amateur contests and stopping 22 of his opponents. Those victories also helped Miura to claim a title as the national sports festival in 2002.
Following his victory at the sports festival in 2002 Miura decided to turn professional and linked up with Yokohama Hikari Gym. It was with Yokohama Hikari that Miura gained a B license passing his tests with flying colours.
The professional style of and the amateur background of Miura's was obvious in his debut as he defeated Yutaka Sato via a decision in a 6 rounder. Although 6 round debuts are extremely rare in the US and the UK they are used quite frequently in Japan when a promoter has an exceptional talent on their hands, as they had in Miura.
Although Miura was taken the distance on his debut his power was evident and he stopped his following 4 opponents in a combined 8 rounds. It appeared that not only was he a hard puncher in the amateur ranks but he also hit hard in the pros. Unfortunately for Miura his power couldn't make up for a relative lack of experience and in his 6th professional contest he was held to a draw by the more experienced Akinori Suzuki. Suzuki was the first man to last more than 6 rounds with Miura and whilst the winning run of Miura's had come to an end he almost certainly learned more from this bout than his previous 5 bouts combined. The draw with Suzuki was quickly put behind Miura who reeled off 5 straight stoppage victories over the following 2 years. Whilst a number of those victories came against weak or inexperienced opponents he did score a very notable one over the very ranked Hidekazu Matsunobu, who hadn't been stopped in over 4 years with his previous stoppage falling to future world champion Lakva Sim. If it wasn't obvious that Miura hit hard previously the victory over Matsunobu surely proved that he had venom in his hands and that he had the ability to go a long way on the sport. More than anything it was this victory that planted Miura in to the national rankings and opened him up to a possible national title fight. Although Miura had to wait for his title fight he used that time to lose weight and dropped from Lightweight to Super Featherweight. It was here, at 130lbs, that Miura challenged for his first title. Unfortunately for Miura, who was then 12-0-1 (10), the opportunity had come probably a little bit too soon and he found himself being out pointed by the then Japanese champion Yusuke Kobori. Interestingly within a year of that fight Kobori would win the WBA Lightweight world title and prove that a loss to him was nothing shameful at all. Despite the loss Miura maintained his fire and ambition and strung together 3 quick victories over Thai's whilst awaiting a second title opportunity. That opportunity arose in early 2009 as he took on the newly crowned national champion Yoshimitsu Yashiro. Unfortunately for Miura the judges scored the bout a draw with many feeling Miura had done more than enough to deserve the title. Thankfully Miura was given a rematch 6 months later and this time he'd made sure the judges couldn't deny him as he forced Yashiro's corner to throw in the towel. As the Japanese champion Miura defended his title 4 times including a very hard fought contest with Seiichi Okada, who would later win the title after Miura vacated it. After the 4 defenses Miura vacated it to challenge WBA world champion, and fellow Japanese fighter, Takashi Uchiyama. Uchiyama, defending his world title for the third time, was dropped hard by Miura in round 3. The shot which put Uchiyama down looked like a fight ending punch though amazingly Uchiyama got back to his feet and then fought his way back into the fight. Unfortunately for Miura the heavy jab of Uchiyama left his eye badly swollen and he was forced to retire in his corner. The loss to Uchiyama was a big set back though Miura had shown enough in his performance to attract the attention of Teiken who later acquired the promotional rights to him. Under the Teiken banner it was obvious that Miura was going to get big opportunities in the future and after 4 low level victories, including an unexpectedly tough one with RJ Ano-os, he was given his second world title opportunity. In Miura's first world title fight under the Teiken banner he battered Mexico's Gamaliel Diaz. Diaz, who was down several times and suffering from severe facial damage, was eventually knocked out clean from a solid left hand in round 9, eventually putting Diaz out of his suffering. Having beaten a Mexican in Japan for the title Miura found himself making his first defense on enemy territory as he travelled to Mexico to fight the much feared Sergio Thompson. Thompson, although relatively unknown, was a big puncher and had scored a monster upset over Miura's Teiken stablemate Jorge Linares. Miura seemed to know that he was fighting for more than just himself but also Teiken's honour and he put on a genuinely stirring performance beating Thompson via a narrow decision in a bout that we feel was one of 2013's most outstanding contests. So good was Miura's performance against Thompson that he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal at the following Japanese boxing awards. Many fighters would have relied on the performance against Thompson and taken the rest of the year off. That wasn't in Miura's mind and just over 4 months later he was back in the ring facing a third successive Mexican. This time it was the much touted Dante Jardon who talked a big game before the fight but seemed completely unable to get going under the pressure and aggression of Miura who simply dominated the Mexican. Jardon, to his credit, proved his heart and toughness though was no match for the marauding Miura who fought as if he had a point to prove and made sure to keep his title. Sadly 2014 was mostly a write off for Miura who spent much of the year out of the ring though when he did return to action he made an impressive as he defended his title against mandatory challenger Edgar Puerta and stopped Puerta in the 6th round. Miura dropped his foe, his 4th successive Mexican foe, in the opening round before eventually stopping him in the 6th of what was a very impressive performance form the Japanese fighter who appears to really want a rematch with Uchiyama in 2015. Prior to a potential rematch with Uchiyama we saw Miura make a statement win as he destroyed Australian fighter Billy Dib in brutal fashion. This bout was an opportunity to raise Miura's profile in the west, given that Dibb had fought in the US, and that's exactly what he did with fans around the world seeing his vicious power en route to stopping the Aussie. Sadly however a potential rematch with Uchiyama was essentially scrapped after Miura's 2015 bout with Francisco Vargas, which was later awarded the FOTY. The fight saw Miura lose his title to Vargas in the 9th round of an all out war that saw Miura wobbled badly in the first, dropping Vargas in the 8th, wobbling Vargas in the 8th and then being stopped himself. Since the loss to Vargas we've seen Miura fight just once, stopping the over-matched Jimmy Borbon inside a round this past May. Their is now talk that he will be fighting Miguel Roman in a bout for the WBC "interim" Super Featherweight. |
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