Top-ranked Masanori Rikiishi of Midori Boxing Gym knocked out champion Yoshimitsu Kimura of Shisei Boxing Gym in the fifth round and wrested the World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific super featherweight title on Jan. 6 at EDION Arena Osaka.

The KO of the scheduled 12-rounder came 2 minutes and 52 seconds into the round when southpaw Rikiishi landed a left uppercut, sending Kimura toppling down for the count.

The 28-year-old Rikiishi decked Kimura in the third round with a straight left to the head and also floored him in the fifth stanza with a right hook to the temple.

Rikiishi had relinquished his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title to seek a fight with Kimura.

After the fight, Rikiishi, a younger brother of former World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki of the Midori gym, said, ‘’I think I was able to fight with a calm mind. I am ready to take a crack at a world title anytime. I don’t need my purse if I can challenge for a world title in Japan.’’

With the win, Rikiishi improved his record to 13 wins, including eight KOs, against a loss. Kimura impaired to a 14-3-1 win-loss-draw record with nine KOs.