Former amateur star Hayato Tsutsumi of Shisei Boxing Gym, who made a professional debut in July 2022 with an eight-round decision victory, pounded out a lopsided eight-round decision over former Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Pete Apolinar of the Philippines on Dec. 31 in Tokyo.

It was the 23-year-old Tsutsumi’s second straight decision victory although he scored a knockdown with combination blows after connecting with a left hook to the head in the sixth round at Ota City general Gymnasium.

After the fight, Tsutsumi said, ‘’I am glad I was able to win for now.’’

Apolinar lost the OPBF title to Yoshiki Takei of Ohashi Boxing Gym with a fifth-round stoppage in August 2022. With the defeat, Apolinar now has a record of 16 wins, including 10 knockouts, against four losses.

The 23-year-old Tsutsumi turned pro with a class-A license, a rare treatment for an amateur boxer becoming professional, as he won as many as 13 amateur titles, including the all-Japan amateur championship in the bantamweight division in 2017 for the first time as a high-schooler since Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue of Ohashi gym.

The fight served as the chief supporting card for the title unification fight between Tsutsumi’s senior stablemate and World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka and World Boxing Association super flyweight kingpin Joshua Franco of the United States.