On This Day in Boxing History… March 27

1975 — At the Kyuden Gym in Fukuoka, Japan, the legendary Kuniaki Shibata successfully defended his WBC Super Featherweight crown by defeating Algeria’s Ould Makloufi via unanimous decision. Shibata, a fighter of refined technique and immense charisma, reaffirmed that night why he was considered one of the icons of Japanese boxing in the 1970s, effectively neutralizing Makloufi’s aggressive style in front of his home crowd.

1982 — In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Puerto Rico’s Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gómez delivered a new exhibition of power by knocking out Mexico’s Juan Meza in the sixth round. With this victory, Gómez defended his WBC Super Bantamweight title, extending one of the most dominant reigns in the history of the 122-pound division. Meza was a brave challenger, but he succumbed to the surgical precision and devastating punch of the idol from Las Monjas.

1983 — The “Easton Assassin,” Larry Holmes, defended his WBC World Heavyweight Championship by defeating France’s Lucien Rodriguez via unanimous decision in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Although Rodriguez showed admirable resilience, he was unable to solve Holmes’ legendary left jab. Holmes controlled the tempo of the bout from start to finish, adding one more defense to his historic legacy in the glamour division.

1998 — On a vibrant night at the Ice Rink in Telford, England, British fighter Richie Woodhall established himself before his home fans by defeating the experienced South African Thulane Malinga. With this triumph, Woodhall captured the WBC Super Middleweight title, overcoming Malinga’s veteran experience and awkward style in a battle of high-level technical strategy that thrilled the local fans.

2010 — In a clash of titans in Tokyo, Japan, Thailand’s Pongsaklek Wonjongkam defeated local star Koki Kameda by majority decision. In this bout, the WBC World Flyweight title was on the line; Wonjongkam, with his superior experience, managed to impose himself over the youth of Kameda in a close-run contest that solidified the Thai fighter as one of the greatest flyweights of all time.

2010 — As part of the prestigious Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament, American Andre Dirrell defeated Armenian-German Arthur Abraham by disqualification in the 11th round in Detroit, Michigan. Dirrell was dominating the fight when he received an illegal blow while down, leading to Abraham’s disqualification. The WBC Super Middleweight title was contested in this bout, marking one of the most remembered and controversial moments of the tournament.

2010 — Thailand’s Oleydong Sithsanerchai successfully defended his WBC World Strawweight crown by defeating Japan’s Yasutaka Kuroki via decision in Tokyo. The Thai champion showcased his speed and distance management to frustrate Kuroki’s attacks, maintaining his status as an undefeated monarch in the lower divisions at that time.

2012 — At the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, local fighter Yota Sato delivered a masterful performance by defeating the then-champion Suriyan Sor Rungvisai of Thailand. Sato utilized his advantage in height and reach to dominate the powerful Thai puncher, capturing the WBC World Super Flyweight title by unanimous decision to the joy of the Japanese fans.