Top-ranked Kai Ishizawa of M.T Boxing Gym stopped third-ranked Katsuki Mori of Ohashi Boxing Gym in the eighth round to win the vacant Japanese minimumweight title on Jan. 11 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 10-rounder came 2 minutes and 50 seconds into the round when the 25-year-old Ishizawa landed a barrage of left-right combinations to the head, sending the 21-year-old Mori to the canvas. While the previously undefeated Mori tried to wobble to his feet, Mori’s corner man offered his retirement to the referee.

The title had been left vacant by Masataka Taniguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym, who won the World Boxing Organization minimumweight title on Dec. 14 last year with a TKO over champion Wilfred Mendez of Puerto Rico in Tokyo.

Up until the stoppage, both fighters fought almost evenly with Ishizawa effectively using right uppercuts while Mori sticking out left jabs.

After the fight, Ishizawa said, ‘’I am relieved now. Mr. Mori hit me back to the body even with his glazed eyes after receiving my punches. I hope I can do the kind of boxing appropriate for the Japanese champion.

Mori’s damage was such that he was sent out of the ring on a stretcher.

With the victory, Ishizawa improved his record to 10 wins, including nine KOs, against a loss. For his part, Mori, the all-Japan rookie king in 2019, fell to a 9-1 win-loss tally with two KOs.