Top-ranked World Boxing Organization flyweight Riku Kano of Taisei Boxing Gym dropped Kitidech Hirunsuk of Thailand twice en route to a 10-round unanimous decision in a nontitle fight at EDION Arena Osaka’s annex in Osaka on Sept. 10.

  The left-handed Kano decked Kitidech with a right hook to the head late in the first round and scored another knockdown in the sixth stanza with a left hook to the head. But Kano lacked decisive power to knock out his opponent.

  While the 21-year-old Kitidech frequently changed his fighting style from orthodox to southpaw, Kano, 25, avoided the Thai’s wild punches.

  With the win, Kano improved his record to 24 wins, including 10 KOs, against four losses and two draws. With the loss, Kitidech fell to an 11-5 win-loss tally with six KOs.

  Meanwhile, former world minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama of Neyagawa Ishida Boxing Club pounded out a unanimous decision over Jerome Baloro of the Philippines in a light flyweight eight-rounder as the chief supporting card. There were no knockdowns in the fight.

  It was the 40-year-old Takayama’s second straight victory since losing to then World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Elwin Soto of Mexico in Dallas, Texas in May 2021.

  After the fight, Takayama said, ‘’While I did my best, I still have lots of things to learn. Challenging a world title fight is far away because I am not ranked even in the Japanese division right now.’’

  With the victory, Takayama improved his record to 34 wins, including 12 KOs, against nine losses. The 23-year-old Baloro impaired to a 7-4-1 record with four KOs.