Boxing, a sport that everyone knows, requires a lot of power and strength to build a reputation or to win something like a lightweight title. When a player enters the ring, we know that something is about to be cooked up. The main thing is fists and fights until one of them lands on the ground. But there is something more that makes this sport exciting, that is, the hunger and passion that players have for the game. Such players strike harder and prove to the world why their reputation matters. When it comes to the junior lightweight division, there has been a lot going on, but now, we have a winner for it.
A career built on hunger and passion
In a junior position, winning a Lightweight Title might seem basic and unserious, but boxing, like any other career path and profession, requires hunger and passion. Every sports legend climbed up that ladder, started from the bottom, and left a legacy because they saw the future and built within the present moment to aim high. Recently, young and talented boxers have changed the narrative by fully respecting their craft.
One of the things that draws the attention of people, fans, and supporters is the integrity one places in his work as a boxer. Although some moments are more than winning a Lightweight Title, they mark a new chapter for a player. It looks like an overnight success because of the continuous hard work, and that is exactly what happened with Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Núñez, who won the IBF Jr Lightweight Title.
Mexico’s “Sugar” is unforgiving — A title battle ends in a brutal round five
Eduardo Núñez did not play this time around. With so much power and effort, he defeated Masanori Rikiishi of Japan in round five and won the Vacant IBF Jr Lightweight Title. This shocked fans and supporters because it was a good fight and very strategic. All his professional career, he has lost only once and has won 26 times, and he is 27 years old. Talk about not allowing anyone to stop you.
The scorecards for the judges are 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. The bout, which was part of a doubleheader with Yoshiki Takei vs Yuttapong Tongdee for the WBO bantamweight title, was streamed live on DAZN. It was during the second round that Núñez made sure to overwhelm and pressurise his opponent, Rikiishi, to make him weak so that he could use his “magical” powers and win the battle.
This win was mind-blowing because of this:
- Strategically, “Sugar” made sure to overwhelm his opponent. That way, he knew that he could use his skill and power to punch the weak spots and win.
- His punching skill had a variety of mixed jabs with heavy hooks, breaking down his opponent steadily.
- Strong mental focus. Winning is not always about power and skill. If you win in the mind, you have already won in the process of the game.
- Steady momentum. Boxing is not always about fighting fast and using all the energy; a steady momentum is the secret he used.
I mentioned that people were surprised when Núñez won the Vacant IBF Jr Lightweight Title, right? Do you know why? Because he is not everyone’s favourite. In fact, the Mexican boxer Rikiishi was expected to use his Mexican skill and experience to take down his opponent, but the opposite happened. For a moment we thought (holding our breaths in) that Rikiisi was going to knock someone down, but after a few fights and punches here and there, it was evident that “Sugar” sweetly took his place and today he holds a title that has changed his career for the good, in a good way.
