The WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title bout held at the Tokyo Dome on 2 May as part of “Lemino BOXING” resulted in a split draw between champion Kosuke Tomioka (RE:BOOT) and fifth-ranked Shogo Tanaka (Ohashi). After ten rounds of action, the judges’ scorecards read 97–93 for Tomioka, 96–94 for Tanaka, and 95–95, allowing Tomioka to retain his title in his first defence.
Tanaka, utilizing rhythmic footwork to move in and out, established an early lead by landing straight rights and left hooks, at one point trapping the champion against the ropes with a flurry. Tomioka responded in the second round, finding success with a clean left cross. However, Tanaka regained momentum in the third, scoring with a double jab followed by a sharp straight right and left hook.
Tomioka increased his tempo from the sixth round onwards, but Tanaka remained competitive. As the champion extended his right jab and varied the trajectory of his left, Tanaka employed feints to the body to set up his power shots. The bout grew bloody in the later stages; Tanaka suffered a cut above his right eye from a Tomioka left in the eighth, while Tomioka sustained a cut above his left eye following an accidental clash of heads in the ninth.
The tactical pattern remained consistent throughout, with Tanaka serving as the primary aggressor while Tomioka fought more conservatively, looking to score with counters and return fire. The split in the judges’ scores reflected the contrast between Tanaka’s persistent pressure and Tomioka’s cleaner technical boxing.
Tomioka, 23, now stands at 11-4-1 (8 KOs). Tanaka, 24, moves to 5-0-1 (3 KOs).
