Top-ranked World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization light flyweight Shokichi Iwata of Teiken Boxing Gym stopped former International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion Rene Mark Cuarto of the Philippines in the sixth round in a light flyweight nontitle bout in Tokyo on Jan. 20.

  The technical knockout of the scheduled eight-rounder at Korakuen Hall came 2 minutes and 21 seconds into the round when the referee stopped the fight as Cuarto was dropped to the canvas by Iwata’s left uppercut.

  Iwata also scored two knockdowns in the second round and added another one in the fourth round, all by body blows.

  It was the 27-year-old Iwata’s third straight victory after unsuccessfully challenging to WBO light flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzalez of Puerto Rico for the latter’s title last November.

  With the win, Iwata improved his record to 12 wins, including nine KOs, against a loss, while Cuarto sagged to a 21-5-2 win-loss-draw tally with 12 KOs.

  The fight was held as one of the supporting cards for the day’s vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation lightweight and the vacant World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific featherweight championship fights.