Date: 4th January 1978
Venue: City Sogo Gym, Koriyama, Fukushima, JapanTitle: WBC World Flyweight Title
Referee: Jay Edson
Miguel Canto
(
53
-
4
-
3
)
Weight: 111½ lbs
Shoji Oguma
(
29
-
5
-
0
)
Weight: 111½ lbs
On January 4, 1978, at the City Sogo Gym in Koriyama, Japan, Miguel Canto defended his WBC World Flyweight title against Shoji Oguma. This bout marked their second meeting, with Canto having previously secured a majority decision victory over Oguma on January 8, 1975, in Sendai, Japan, to claim the title.
Both fighters weighed in at 111½ pounds. Canto entered the ring with 53 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws, while Oguma held a record of 29 wins and 5 losses. The match was closely contested over 15 rounds, culminating in a split decision. Referee Jay Edson scored the bout 147-146 in favor of Canto, Judge Jose M. Escalante had it 147-145 for Canto, and Judge Takeo Ugo saw it 148-145 for Oguma. This victory marked Canto's 11th successful defence of his title.
The rivalry between Canto and Oguma extended beyond this encounter. They faced each other again on April 18, 1978, in Tokyo, where Canto emerged victorious again, this time by unanimous decision, further solidifying his dominance in the flyweight division.