Second-ranked Suzumi Takayama of Watanabe Boxing Gym stopped top-ranked Ryusei Kawaura of Misako Boxing Gym in the fourth round to win the vacant Japanese super flyweight title on June 13 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

  The technical knockout of the scheduled 10-rounder came 1 minute and 5 seconds into the round when the left-handed Takayama severely staggered the 29-year-old Kawaura by connecting with a devastating straight left followed by a barrage of punches to the head and body. The referee saw it enough and called off the fight then and there.

  After the fight, the 26-year-old Takayama said, ‘’I wanted to come out strong from the opening bell, although I was a bit afraid of (my opponent’s) counter punches.’’

  It was Takayama’s sixth-straight victory, including five KOs after turning pro in 2019, while Kawaura, also a southpaw, impaired to a 9-2 win-loss tally with six KOs.