On the 4th, “DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT vol. 45” was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. In the main event, a 10-round OPBF Oriental-Pacific Super Featherweight title match, champion Yamato Hata (Teiken) defeated Japanese champion and No. 1 contender Tsubasa Narai (RK Kamata) by a 2-0 split decision (95–95, 96–94, 96–94), successfully defending his title for the fourth time.
奈良井を制した波田㊨
With southpaw Hata throwing right-handed and orthodox Narai throwing left-handed, the two continued to trade jabs. Just before the end of the first round, Narai landed a right, and just before the end of the second round, Hata landed a left.
Then, in the third round, Hata landed a clean left straight, and the match suddenly heated up. Hata landed a right hook in response to a left-handed attack, and Narai countered with a right of his own. In the fourth round, Narai landed a right hand as part of a one-two combination, forcing Hata to retreat, but Hata applied pressure with a left straight while skillfully using his right arm.
At the end of the fifth round, the public scorecards read 48–47, 48–47, and 49–46, all in Hata’s favor.
As Narai inched forward and landed a sudden right, Hata maintained the offensive with superior aggression and punch output while incorporating movement to both sides. Narai dodged Hata’s left and landed a right uppercut, but his focus on Hata’s left was so strong that Hata increasingly capitalized on this by landing right hooks.
Both fighters were highly defensive, and while there were few spectacular exchanges, it was an excellent fight that showcased the high level of skill expected from two champions.
“At first, my punches landed better than I expected, and I thought I’d found my rhythm, but Narai changed the tempo and I couldn’t react. I was painfully reminded that this isn’t an easy fight,” said the winner, his face devoid of a smile. However, he should be pleased with his performance—having edged out the tactically astute Narai, even if only slightly, and with the progress he’s made in his use of his right hand.
Hata (29) now has a record of 19 wins (17 KOs), 2 losses, and 1 draw. Narai (26) has a record of 18 wins (12 KOs) and 3 losses.
