Flash Elorde vs. Yoshiaki Numata (2nd meeting)
Yoshiaki Numata 129 lbs beat Flash Elorde 130 lbs by MD in round 15 of 15
- Date: 1967-06-15
- Location: Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
- Referee: Alex Villacampa 69-69
- Judge: Takeo Ugo 72-66
- Judge: Hal Drake 71-66
"Japan's Yoshiaki Numata beat Flash Elorde of the Philippines on a 15 round majority decision Thursday night to wrest the world junior lightweight crown from the veteran Filipino. The 32 year old Elorde, making his 11th title defense, was the aggressor in the opening rounds that climaxed with a left to the chest that knocked the 22 year old challenger to the canvas. To some it looked like a left to the jaw. But to many it appeared to be more of a slip and Numata got up immediately and took a mandatory eight-count from the referee. The Filipino, however, found his nimble-footed target slipping away from his attacks. Even when they stood their ground to slug it out, Elorde could not seem to get his reflexes to work as fast as those of Numata. Numata's best rounds were the 8th, 9th and 10th in which he plastered Elorde's face with a series of left and right hooks that the aging fighter might have easily dodged a few years ago." -Associated Press
- Unofficial AP scorecard - 71-68 Numata
- Elorde made the 130 lb. limit on his second try, having to sweat off 2 1/4 pounds in two hours.
Post-fight comment
- "His left is weak but he has a strong right and he hit me three or four times solidly. Elorde is a good fighter and I have much to learn from him." -Yoshiaki Numata