Correa Wins Title by Decision Over Hirahara

It was only the vacant California featherweight title.

But Israel Correa of Michoacan, Mexico, and Naoya Hirahara battled like they were fighting for a world championship.

Correa won a unanimous 10-round decision Thursday before an appreciative sellout crowd at the Irvine Marriott.

Correa scored knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds, then hung on as a relentless Hirahara poured it on in the last five rounds.

Hirahara’s best round was the sixth as he threw punches almost nonstop for the entire three minutes. Correa (7-2-1) was throwing bombs too and by the end of the round, most of the spectators in the Marriott Ballroom were standing.

As the final bell sounded and both fighters continued slugging it out even though each had an eye swollen shut, dollar bills came raining down on the ring. Correa, trained by Robert Garcia, who handles world champions Robert Garcia and Fernando Vargas, lost a close majority decision to Hirahara in April.

“He was very strong in the end,” Correa said. “After taking my best shot, I thought he’d be done. He’s the toughest and the best guy I’ve ever fought.”

Hirahara (11-5-2), who was in tears after the decision, said he never thought of quitting after being put down in the third with a right hand and in the fourth with a vicious left hook.

“I’ll fight till I die,” he said. “I’ll keep getting up.”

In the semi-main event, junior lightweight Mahan Washington (10-2) of Las Vegas won a majority six-round decision over Antonio DeSantiago (8-2) of Baldwin Park.