Seventh-ranked Josuke Nagata of Kyoei Boxing Gym pounded out a close but unanimous 10-round decision over top-ranked Ryota Yamauchi of Kadoebi Boxing Gym to win the vacant Japanese flyweight title on Apr. 1 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

The title was left vacant by Seigo ‘’Yuri’’ Akui of Kurashiki Moriyasu Boxing Gym, who is gunning for a world title challenge. There were no knockdowns in the fight.

Both fought at close range from the beginning with the left-handed Nagata, 25, unleashing a barrage of right and left combinations while Yamauchi, 28, landing left hooks and right uppercuts.

Though the two fought almost evenly in the first five rounds, it was Nagata who landed more effective punches during the latter part of the fight and ended the fight slightly on top.

After the fight, Nagata said, ‘’I want to continue boxing through and through for the sake of my deceased father (who died last November due to a disease).’’

With the victory, the undefeated Nagata extended his winning streak to five. As for Yamauchi, he fell to a 9-3 win-loss tally with eight KOs.

Meanwhile, former international Boxing Federation super featherweight champion Kenichi Ogawa of Teiken Boxing Gym stopped Krai Setthaphon of Thailand in the fifth round of the scheduled 10-rounder, fought at 60.0 kg-catchweight, as the chief supporting card for the day’s event.

It was the 35-year-old Ogawa’s first fight since losing his world title to Joe Cordina of England last June. With the win, Ogawa improved his record to 27 wins, including 19 KOs, against two losses and a draw. He has one no contest. As for the 36-year-old Krai, he fell to a 32-10 win-loss tally with 22 KOs.

In one of the undercards, Ogawa’s stablemate Shokichi Iwata knocked out Jerome Baloro of the Philippines 1 minute and 7 seconds into the third round in a light flyweight 10-rounder, brilliantly returning to the ring from his unsuccessful challenge to World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzales of Puerto Rico last November.

With the win, Iwata improved his record to 10 wins, seven by KO, against a loss, while Baloro impaired to a 7-3 win-loss tally with four KOs.