On the 20th, in the main event of “U-NEXT BOXING 6” held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo—a 12-round bout for the WBA World Bantamweight Title—No. 1 contender Riku Masuda (Teiken) defeated No. 2 contender Daigo Higa (Shisei) by a 2-1 split decision (117–111, 117–111, 113–115) to become the new champion.
比嘉との激闘を制した増田㊧
Right from the start, southpaw Masuda applied pressure, while Higa circled to the right to meet his attacks. As Higa backed up and lunged forward with his signature timing to throw a right, Masuda landed a left counter as Higa closed in during the third round.
Masuda applied pressure by landing a hard left straight over Higa’s guard and countered Higa’s attempts to close the distance with clinches. However, late in the fourth round, Higa cornered Masuda with a flurry following a right cross.
In the sixth round, Higa suffered a cut above his left eye from a head clash and spent the remainder of the fight preoccupied with the bleeding.
When creating distance, Masuda used his right jab and footwork to land left straights. Higa burst in with a sudden right and landed a combination of left and right hooks. When the fight went close-range, Masuda countered with short left and right uppercuts and a right hook while mixing in clinches; in response, Higa unleashed a barrage of left uppercuts and left hooks at varying heights.
Masuda thwarted Higa’s attempts to close in and unleash combinations with rhythm jabs and left straights. Although Higa had a surprisingly high jab accuracy from a distance, he spent more and more time blocking Masuda’s left straights with his arms held high and tight, preventing him from closing the distance as he’d hoped. Conversely, while Masuda struggled at times with Higa’s high guard, he not only landed numerous punches to score points but also showed the composure to land a left as Higa closed in.
In the 11th round, the two exchanged counter body blows, but Masuda landed a clean left straight followed by a right uppercut. In the final 12th round, both fighters showed signs of fatigue, with Masuda landing a right uppercut followed by a left straight, and Higa landing a right overhand followed by a left body uppercut. As they fought with their last ounce of strength, the final bell rang.
“I’m happy to have achieved my goal, but I’ve come to realize once again just how tough boxing is. (Toward the end), I just wanted to step forward and throw punches. I’m still not worthy of this belt. I’ll train much, much harder to become a truly strong champion.” Masuda, who had somehow cut the skin above both eyes, spoke of his goals without breaking his poker face.
The WBA features Super Champion Jesse Rodriguez (USA) and Retired Champion Seiya Tsutsumi (Kadoebi Jewelry), while Takuma Inoue (Ohashi) reigns as WBC champion. Additionally, his stablemate Tenshin Nasukawa holds the right to challenge Inoue. This is Masuda’s declaration that he, too, will boldly navigate these turbulent waters of fierce competition.
Masuda (28) has a record of 11 wins (9 KOs) and 1 loss. Higa (30), whose fourth attempt at becoming a two-division champion was unsuccessful, has a record of 21 wins (19 KOs), 4 losses, and 3 draws.
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