KJ Cataraja. | Facebook photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Top Cebuano boxing prospect Kevin Jake “KJ” Cataraja is grappling with the sting of his first professional defeat, delivered by Japan-based Mexican Kenbun Torres on Saturday, August 24, in Suita, Japan.
In an interview with CDN Digital, Cataraja didn’t mince words to express his frustration over what he believes was a “robbery in the ring.”
The bout ended in a controversial split decision that tilted in favor of Torres, leaving Cataraja questioning the fairness of the outcome.
READ: Cataraja absorbs 1st defeat in Japan debut via split decision
One judge, Nobuto Ikehara, scored the fight 95-94 in favor of Cataraja, acknowledging his victory in the 10-round non-title clash. However, the other two judges, Jun Kawakami and Kazunori Ishikawa, saw it differently, handing Torres a 96-93 victory.
“I feel like I won the fight because I landed the cleaner punches. I gave him a lot of trouble, especially when I knocked him down, but they didn’t even count it. Instead, they deducted points from me,” a visibly disappointed Cataraja said in the dialect.
READ: Boxing: Cataraja vows revenge as he faces Torres in Japan
“They say this is how it goes in Osaka, but I’m still proud of myself because I’ve made significant improvements.”
KJ Cataraja after his fight against Kenbun Torres. | Photo from ZIP Sanman
Questionable decisions
Some questionable decisions made by referee Tomohiro Imamura was that he didn’t count Cataraja’s scoring a knock down at the end of the fourth round. Instead, in the fifth round, he deducted Cataraja immediately for a low blow without warning.
READ: Kevin Jake Cataraja to face Gaballo’s vanquisher in Japan debut
This loss in Japan tarnishes Cataraja’s once-perfect record, bringing him to 17 wins (13 by knockout) and 1 loss. Meanwhile, Torres improved to 15 wins and five losses, with 10 of those wins coming by knockout.
Adding salt to the wound, Cataraja was unable to avenge fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo, who was knocked out by Torres last May in Manila.
“If given the chance for a rematch, I’m ready and will prepare harder. For now, I’ve moved on and will focus on my recovery,” said Cataraja, who sustained a deep cut above his left eyebrow due to an accidental headbutt in the fifth round.
Despite this setback, Cataraja remains the No. 1 contender for Kosei Tanaka’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight title, a position he’s determined to hold onto as he eyes redemption.