World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino of Misako Boxing Gym, unleashing a barrage of left and right combinations, knocked out highly touted Masayoshi Nakatani of Teiken Boxing Gym and retained his title on Nov. 1 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Prefecture.

It was Yoshino’s third successful defense of the title he captured in 2019.

The knockout came 1 minute and 14 seconds into the round of the scheduled 12-rounder when the 31-year-old Yoshino dropped Nakatani, 33, on all fours with a hard right to the head. While the gutsy challenger, ranked fourth in the division, wobbled up, the referee counted him out at the advice of Nakatani’s cornerman.

Yoshino also scored a knockdown in the fifth round with a devastating right hook to the head along the ropes shortly before the end of the round.

Nakatani, who suffered a cut under the left eyelid due to an accidental head butt, landed straight rights to the head and appeared to be more aggressive than Yoshino in the first two rounds.

While Yoshino also holds the title of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation lightweight, only his WBO Asia-Pacific title was at stake.

After the fight, Yoshino, ranked ninth in the WBO’s world rankings in the division, said, ‘’Though I was regarded as an underdog, I won the fight. I tried not to be hit by his jabs. True Nakatani was strong. But I beat him and have the right to take a crack at a world title. Don’t you think so.’’
With the victory, Yoshino improved his unbeaten streak to 16 wins, including 12 knockouts. Nakatani fell to a 20-3 win-loss tally with 14 KOs.

The fight served as one of the undercards for the world light flyweight title unification match between World Boxing Council champion Kenshiro Teraji of B.M.B. Boxing Gym and World Boxing Association ‘’super’’ champion Hiroto Kyoguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym.