On this day in 2017 we saw a stunning turn of events as Luis Nery became a legend when he ended the iconic title reign of Shinsuke Yamanaka's nearly six-year dominance over the division. The two bantamweights clashed for Yamanaka's WBC title in Yamanaka's homeland of Japan, and Nery wasted no time in setting the tone as the defensive-minded Yamanaka had issues with Nery's aggression.
Nery visibly rocked Yamanaka at one point in the fight. Once hurt, Nery followed up with an onslaught. The relentless attack prompted Yamanaka's team to throw the towel — showing concern for for their fighter.
Yamanaka was undefeated up until this point and suffered his first professional loss at 34. This defeat also costs him the green belt from the WBC, a title he had held since late 2011 when he defeated Christian Esquivel. Yamanaka made twelve successful world title defenses before running into Nery.
On the other side of the ring, Nery, hailing from Mexico, was only 22-years-old. The victory announced Nery to the world as an emerging world champion.
After the bout, Nery tested positive for a banned substance. In a rematch in the following year, Nery missed weight by three pounds and knocked Yamanaka out in two rounds. Needless to say, he probably didn't make any new friends in Japan. Nery is no longer allowed to fight in Japan after this whole situation.
