World Boxing Organization 14th-ranked lightweight Masayoshi Nakatani’s dramatic come-from-behind technical knockout over the 11th-ranked Felix Verdejo of Puerto Rico to win the WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 12 (Dec. 13 Japan time) commanded more-than-expected number of viewers, according to a United States research center.

Nielsen Media Research has said the number of viewers of the fight promoted by the Top Rank Inc. and was broadcast throughout the U.S. by ESPN Inc. reached an average 1,603,000, higher than originally expected due chiefly to its dramatic ending.

While Nakatani of Teiken Boxing Gym was decked in the first and fourth rounds, he recovered from these knockdowns, gradually sapped the strength of Verdejo with body shots and left jabs and dropped the Puerto Rican hard to the canvas with an overhand right in the ninth round, prompting the referee to step in to halt the bout.

The way the 31-year-old Nakatani won was so dramatic that American fans are expected to show more interest in Nakatani’s future fight(s) in the U.S. Photo/Teiken Promotion