Former two-division female world champion Tenkai Tsunami of Yamaki Boxing Gym, unleashing a barrage of left-right combinations, stopped Saowaluk Nareepangsri of Thailand in the third round in a scheduled eight-round nontitle bout on June 22 in Tokyo.

They fought at a catchweight of 51 kg (112. 4 lbs.). It was the 38-year-old Tsunami’s first victory since winning an elimination bout for the World Boxing Association light flyweight championship last December.

According to Yamaki gym head Toshihiro Yamaki, though Tsunami won in the elimination bout (by stopping Yumi Narita of Himeji Kinoshita Boxing Gym last December), there is nowhere in sight when she can take a crack at the title.

Fighting at Korakuen Hall, Tsunami got off to a good start as she landed left jabs, straight rights and left hooks while moving side to side and dropped the 29-year-old Saowaluk with combination blows in the second round.

While Saowaluk beat the count and resumed fighting, Tsunami sent her opponent to the canvas again with a left hook, although the Thai somehow survived the round.

Immediately after entering the third round, Tsunami sent Saowaluk to the canvas with a left hook to the body. While the latter struggled to her feet to beat the referee’s count, Tsunami wasted no time in going all over the Thai for the fourth knockdown of the fight, which prompted the referee to call of the fight. The technical knockout of the fight was 40 seconds in the round.

With the win, Tsunami, who was a former WBA super flyweight champion as well as a former World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion, improved her record to 30 wins, including 18 KOs, against 13 losses and a draw, while Saowaluk fell to a 16-23 win-loss tally with seven KOs.