Panamanian Jezreel Corrales (21-1, 8 KO) barely kept his WBA 130-pound belt via split decision over former champion Takashi Uchiyama (24-2, 20 KO) of Japan over 12 rounds in Tokyo: 115-112, 117-110 for Corrales and 114-113 for Uchiyama.
Uchiyama floored Corrales in round five, but Panamanian seemed to control the contest in earlier rounds by utilizing his hand speed. In later rounds Uchiyama maintained the pressure to the shifty opponent, but failed to catch the target and show his superior power until the end.
