Shinsuke Yamanaka

Shinsuke Yamanaka (山中 慎介) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2018.

Yamanaka won the fight by unanimous decision (117-111, 116–112, 116–112), but Darchinyan would become the first fighter to last 12 rounds against the WBC champion since 2008.

On June 20, 2010, Yamanaka defeated Mikio Yasuda to win the Japanese bantamweight title.

He'd only defend that title once against highly touted prospect Ryosuke Iwasa, stopping him in 10 rounds.

He held the WBC bantamweight title from 2011 to 2017, a reign where he made twelve successful defences and a reign which is the fourth longest in boxing's bantamweight division.

Yamanaka captured the vacant WBC bantamweight title in his first world title shot against Mexico's Christian Esquivel via an eleventh-round technical knockout after knocking him down in the sixth and eleventh rounds at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo on November 6, 2011.

Yamanaka was presented with the Rookie Award both in the forty-fourth Japan Professional Sports Awards and Japan's Boxer of the Year in 2011.

Yamanaka's first defense came against former flyweight and super flyweight titlist Vic Darchinyan in April 2012.

Darchinyan had unsuccessfully attempted to become a 3-weight world champion twice before, losing by decision to Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno.

Yamanaka defended his title once more in 2012 against Tomas Rojas, knocking the former WBC super flyweight champion out in the 7th round with a left-hand cross.

Yamanaka would go on to face Malcolm Tuñacao on his third defense.

Yamanaka would end up winning by technical knockout on the 12th round after knocking Tuñacao down three times in the course of the fight.

Yamanaka's fourth defense came against José Nieves, whom he knocked out in the first with an overhand left.

Yamanaka's final defense of 2013 would be against Alberto Guevara.

Yamanaka would once again knock his opponent down three times before finishing him with a left-hand in the 9th.

In 2014, Yamanaka notched 2 more defenses.

The first came against Stephen Jamoye, whom he knocked down 4 times before stopping him in the 9th round.

The second one would come against Suriyan Sor Rungvisai.

Yamanaka dropped Sor Rungvisai 3 times but was unable to finish him, winning by unanimous decision (116-108, 115–109, 114–110) but ending a 5 fight knockout-streak.

His first defense of 2015 came against Diego Santillan, who touched the canvas twice before being stopped on the 7th round.

Yamanaka would run into his toughest fight yet in his ninth title defense against former WBA champion Anselmo Moreno.

The fight took place on September 22, 2015, in Ōta, Tokyo.

Moreno, a classical out-boxer, kept Yamanaka from landing his signature left-hand using his jab and movement to neutralize the WBC champion.

Moreno would pull ahead on the scorecard by landing combinations during the middle rounds.

Yamanaka and Moreno traded power punches in the latter third of the fight, with Yamanaka seemingly getting the better of the fight during this stretch.

He also held The Ring bantamweight title twice between 2016 and 2018.

Stylistically, Yamanaka was known as a brawler who sought to stand and trade punches with his opponents.

As a southpaw, his left cross was particularly renowned as a devastating punch.

He was considered an entertaining fighter, with many of his fights featuring several knockdowns.

However, he also showed the ability to box on the outside.

Yamanaka's height and reach gave him a significant physical advantage over most fighters at his weight class.

Yamanaka became interested in the sport of boxing as a result of seeing the likes Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, Mike Tyson, and Naseem Hamed on TV.

He amassed a 34–13 amateur record.

During this time, he defeated future world champion Takahiro Ao.

However, Yamanaka has referred to his amateur career as "average".

Yamanaka trains at the storied Teiken Gym in Tokyo under former pro boxer and Japanese nation champion Yamato Shin.

Yamanaka has currently made twelve successful consecutive defences of the WBC and The Ring bantamweight titles and previously ranked 9th in The Ring pound for pound listings.

Yamanaka debuted at the age of 23 in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall, where he would fight 14 of his first 15 fights.

Over his first 8 pro bouts he amassed a 6-0-2 with 2 razor-thin decisions.

Yamanaka would improve on the ring by stopping his next 5 opponents.