Japanese featherweight champion Keisuke Matsumoto of Ohashi Boxing Gym pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over top-ranked Nigerian Ridwan Oyekola of Okinawa’s Hiranaka Boxing School Gym and retained the title for the first time on Aug. 30 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

  With the victory, the undefeated Matsumoto also captured the vacant World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific featherweight title. There were no knockdowns in the fight.

  Fighting in the day’s main event entitled ‘’Phoenix Battle 103,’’ the 24-year-old Matsumoto controlled the fight all the way against Oyekola, who is ranked second in the WBO’s Asia-Pacific featherweight division.

Though Matsumoto connected with one-two straights occasionally, Oyekola took his punches well and did not show any sign of being staggered.

  One of the three judges scored the fight 117-111, the second judge had it 118-110 and the third judge saw it 119-109 all in favor of Matsumoto.

  After the fight, Matsumoto said, ‘’Oyekola was a difficult opponent to deal with. I have to earn a clean (knockout) victory if I were to take a crack at a world title. I will continue to do my best so that I can exceed the actual achievement of my father (who was a former Japanese featherweight champion Koji Matsumoto and is currently serving as a trainer at the Ohashi gym).

  With the win, Matsumoto extended his unbeaten streak to nine, including seven knockouts, while the 26-year-old Oyekola sagged to an 11-2-2 win-loss-draw tally with six KOs.