It was the 28-year-old Tajima’s second decision victory following the one last month. Tajima is expected to have a fight every month for the time being. There were no knockdowns in the fight.

  Both got off to a quiet start as neither boxer threw few punches in the first three rounds. Tajima unleashed combination blows in the fourth round by connecting with right uppercut followed by left and right body shots.

  But the 19-year-old Kim was nothing daunted and brushed them aside, although he started bleeding from the nose.

  Kim was deducted a point in the eighth and final round by throwing down Tajima.

  With the win, Tajima extended his unbeaten streak to seven, five by KO, while Kim fell to a 4-2 win-loss record with three KOs.

  After the fight, Tajima said, ‘’I am happy that I was able to fight at the hall. Since my next fight is scheduled to be held 20 days later (Aug. 11), I fought carefully so that I will not suffer any injuries. Going the distance will prove to work in favor of me in various ways.’’

It was the 31-year-old Teraji’s second successful defense of the WBC title and his first of the WBA crown.
The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at Ariake Arena came 58 seconds into the round when Teraji put his gutsy challenger against a corner and landed a barrage of punches to the head, causing his 24-year-old opponent to collapse right there, and the referee immediately stopped the fight.
The fight dubbed ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 4’’ was the main event of the day.

After the fight, Teraji said, ‘’While my heart was going to break off during the fight, I was saved by advice of my cornermen and teammate. My opponent was strong. So, I fought with my spirit alone in the end. Since I became stronger thanks to the hard-fought fight, I will show a better performance in my next fight.’’

‘’In the future, I want to unify the remaining titles of the World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation. At the same time, I may move up in weight (to the flyweight division),’’ Teraji added.
Olascuaga was chosen as a substitute for WBO light flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzalez of Puerto Rico some 10 days ago since the left-handed Gonzalez was stricken with mycoplasma pneumonia late last month, and the planned title unification fight with Teraji was called off.

Teraji got off to a good start as he moved side to side while landing left jabs and straight rights to the head and body. Teraji dropped Olascuaga immediately before the end of the third round with a counter right to the head for a mandatory eight count.

But the previously undefeated Olascuaga showed his mettle and exchanged fierce punches with Teraji and momentarily staggered the Japanese late in the eighth round.

With the win, Teraji improved his record to 21 wins, including 13 KOs, against a loss. For his part, Olascuaga has a 5-1 win-loss tally with three KOs.

Meanwhile, top-ranked World Boxing Association bantamweight Takuma Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym hammered out a unanimous decision over second ranked Liborio Solis of Venezuela to win the vacant WBA bantamweight title fight held as the chief supporting card.

While the 27-year-old Inoue suffered a severe cut above his left eyelid due to an accidental head butt (an elbow blow according to unofficial video replay) in the fifth round, he recovered quickly and landed straight rights to the head and body of the 41-year-old Solis, who desperately aimed at connecting with his vaunted overhand rights.

After the fight, Inoue said, ‘’I am relieved very much since this is the title my elder brother (Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue) vacated. Since I am a younger brother (of Naoya Inoue), I have to overcome that pressure all the time.’’

‘’I suffered a cut eye for the first time in my career. But I kept my chin up. My ultimate aim is to unify all the four (bantamweight) titles like my brother did.’’

With the victory, Inoue has a record of 18 wins, including four KOs, against a loss, whereas Solis, a former WBA super flyweight champion, fell to a 35-7-1 win-loss-draw tally with one no contest. He attained 16 KOs.

The 24-year-old Nasukawa, popularly known as a child prodigy when he was a kickboxer, scored a light knockdown in the second round with a right hook when Yonaha, 32, missed a wild left hook.

The left-handed Nasukawa, who was undefeated in his 42 bouts as a kickboxer, controlled the fight the rest of the way by landing sharp right jabs and straight lefts. Nasukawa did not allow his opponent to score any decisive blows throughout the fight. The fight was held as part of the event dubbed ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 4.’’

After the fight, Nasukawa said, ‘’I am glad that I was able to make a successful debut because I have been training for the past six months for this match, and people will regard me as a boxer. Though I could not knock out my opponent, I am happy that I was able to fight for six rounds.’’

‘’From now on, I will improve myself more with my teammate so that I can win a world title. I will strengthen myself and am determined to attain a KO victory, ‘’he added.

With the loss Yonaha now has a record of 12 wins, including eight KOs, against five losses and a draw.
The World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific welterweight champion Jin Sasaki of Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym, overcoming a second-round knockdown, stopped top-ranked challenger Keita Obara of Misako Boxing Gym in the third round and retained his title for the first time.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder came 1 minute and 13 seconds into the round when the referee called off the fight when Sasaki decked Obara with a devastating overhand right to the head.
Obara, 36, put the 21-year-old Sasaki on the seat of his pants with a straight right in the second round for a mandatory eight count. But Sasaki, 21, was nothing daunted, came back strongly in the third round and dropped Obara with a hard left hook to the body.

While Obara struggled to his feet, Sasaki increased his pace, which resulted in his sharp and hard overhand right. The referee stopped the fight without bothering to count.

After the fight, Sasaki said, ‘’I think I was able to do what I learned in my training. Wait for me a world welterweight champion out there! I am coming.’’

Sasaki increased his record to 15 wins, including 14 KOs, against a loss and a draw. For his part, Obara, the Japanese welterweight kingpin, fell to a 26-5-1 win-loss-draw tally with 23 KOs.

The International Boxing Federation’s third-ranked featherweight Reiya Abe of KG Yamato Boxing Gym pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over second-ranked Kiko Martinez of Spain in the IBF featherweight title eliminator.
There were no knockdowns in the fight.

While southpaw Abe, 30, was stiff at the beginning, he utilized his quick footwork and began to control the fight by landing right jabs and straight lefts to the head and body throughout the fight.
Though veteran Martinez moved forward, he failed to fight at close range before Abe’s quick side-to-side boxing.

After the fight, Abe said, ‘’I am relieved that I was able to come through. I am determined to make an effort at taking a crack at the world title.’’

With the win, Abe improved his record to 25 wins, including 10 KOs, against three defeats and a draw. For his part, the 37-year-old Martinez, former IBF super bantamweight and featherweight champion, fell to a 44-12-2 win-loss-draw tally with 31 KOs.

After the hard-fought fight, in which there were no knockdowns, all three judges scored the fight 114-114.
The title was left vacant by Masanori Rikiishi of Midori Boxing Gym who currently holds the World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific super featherweight title.

The 34-year-old Watanabe was slightly ahead in the first four rounds by connecting with wild heft hooks and uppercuts. The left-handed Mori, 23, attempted to land his vaunted straight lefts but lacked accuracy.

The two fought at close range midway through the fight with Watanabe leading on points after the eighth round.

Aware he is behind on points, Mori forced forward and occasionally landed his let punches late in the fight. But Watanabe hung tough to end the fight.

With the draw, Mori now has a record of 13 wins, including seven knockouts, against a loss and a draw, while Watanabe has a 39-11-2 win-loss-draw tally with 22 KOs.

After the fight, Mori said, ‘’I was able to hold on by the skin of my teeth.’’ For his part, Watanabe, a former WBO’s Asia-Pacific super featherweight champion, said, ‘’If I can have another opportunity, I want to have it.’’

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder came 50 seconds into the round when Chiba connected with rapid left and right combinations to Kurihara’s head, prompting the referee to step in to stop the fight without bothering to count. Kurihara, who appeared to be staggered, dropped to the canvas immediate after the referee’s stoppage.

It was the 29-year-old Chiba’s second crack at the OPBF title following his unsuccessful challenge to Kazuki Nakajima of Ohashi Boxing Gym in May last year.

After the fight, Chiba, ranked 12th by the OPBF bantamweight division, said, ‘’Ever since I started boxing, wearing a championship belt was my dream. So, it was a dreamlike moment. While it was my second challenge to the title, I thought it would be my last chance, and it paid off. I want to aim at going for the top of the division.’’

While Kurihara, also 29, controlled the early part of the fight by sticking out left jabs with occasional rights, the tight-guarded Chiba began to rally from around the sixth round by landing left-and-right hooks to the head and body.

All three judges had the fight even at 76-76 at the end of the eighth round. Kurihara tried to land his vaunted left uppercuts and right-hand punches, they lacked accuracy and few landed Chiba.

With the victory, Chiba improved his record to 15 wins, including five KOs, against four losses. For his part, Kurihara, who failed in his first defense of the title he won from Nakajima last October, fell to a 16-7-1 win-loss-draw tally with 14 KOs.

In the day’s chief chief supporting card, Kurihara’s stablemate and OPBF super lightweight champion Akihiro Kondo stopped sixth-ranked Japanese super lightweight Tatsuya Yanagi of Banryu Boxing Gym in two minutes and five seconds into the sixth round with a right-hand counter to the head in a scheduled eight-round nontitle bout. The referee stopped the fight when Yanagi tried to struggle to his feet.

With the win, the 37-year-old Kondo improved his record to 35 wins, including 20 KOs, against 10 losses and two draws. For his part, Yanagi, 32, impaired to 18-8-2 win-loss-draw tally with seven KOs.

It was the 30-year-old Saka’s second successful defense of the title he captured by stopping Masaru Sueyoshi of Teiken Boxing Gym in December 2019.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 10-rounder came 55 seconds into the sixth round when Saka unleashed a barrage of combinations to Narai immediately after dropping him with a left uppercut, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

Saka was dropped in the first round with a right hook to the head and suffered another knockdown in the fourth stanza with left and right combinations. But the tenacious champion rallied strongly in the fifth round and floored Narai with a ferocious body shot for a mandatory eight count.

All of the three judges had the 22-year-old Narai ahead on points with each scoring 47-45 for the challenger.

Aware he is behind on points before the sixth round, Saka came forward strongly in the round by throwing his vaunted punches and swarmed all over Narai.

After the fight, Saka said, ‘’I don’t remember the fight well. But I thought this was a must-win fight for the fans rooting for me.’’

Saka vied for the then vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title with Yoshimitsu Kimura of Shisei Boxing Gym last December only to lose in a third-round technical knockout.

With the win, Saka improved his record to 22 wins, including 19 KOs, against six losses. For his part, Narai impaired to an 8-2 win-loss tally with seven KOs.

After the hard-fought fight at EDION Arena Osaka’s annex, all three judges scored the fight for the 24-year-old Kano by the margins of two to four points. There were no knockdowns.

The left-handed Kano landed variety of punches from various angles from the early rounds while Inoue, 23, retaliated with his highly vaunted hard punches throughout the fight.

After the fight, Kano, who was a former WBO’s Asia-Pacific light flyweight champion, said, ‘’I did not feel any difference in terms of power even at flyweight. Though I felt Mr. Inoue’s fighting spirit, I think I was able to come out the winner with the difference of career. I am determined to take a crack at a world title in the future.’’

With the win, Kano improved his record to 15 wins, including seven KOs, against three losses. For his part, Inoue fell to a 13-3-1 win-loss-draw tally with two KOs.

The end of the hard-fought battle came 2 minutes and 29 seconds into the round when the 26-year-old Kimura floored Nakagawa, 27, with a devastating punch to the head, which prompted the referee to declare a technical knockout for Kimura.

It was Kimura’s second regional title as he won the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title by stopping Kosuke Saka of Nakazato Boxing Gym last December. Kimura, however, vacated the title without defending it.

After the day’s battle, Kimura said, ‘’Though I once decisioned Mr. Nakagawa five years ago, he came forward even though I hit him various punches. I felt Mr. Nakagawa’s strength of emption. I learned a lot from the fight with him.’’

While Kimura started fast by landing sharp jabs, Nakagawa retaliated with left jabs and hard rights. In the fifth stanza, Kimura scored a knockdown by connecting with a right uppercut after unleashing a barrage of punches.

But Nakagawa stood up and exchanged fierce blows with Kimura. Nakagawa’s offense continued in the sixth as he landed overhand rights to the head several times, which made Kimura appeared damaged.
While Kimura was slightly ahead of points by landing his favorite punches to the head and body, including a series of left uppercuts in the eighth, Nakagawa moved forward and forced Kimura against the ropes with his right punches to the body.

Kimura landed right and left hooks to Nakagawa in the ninth round. But Nakagawa, who was continuing victories in his six straight bouts until the day’s fight, moved forward by throwing punches but was put on the seat of his trunks with Kimura’s right hook for his second knockdown in the fight.

Nakagawa, however, stood up nothing daunted and moved forward by throwing punches. In the 12th and final round, both exchanged fierce blows until Kimura’s hard punch decked Nakagawa for his third knockdown in the fight. The referee had seen enough and stepped in to call off the exciting battle.
With the win, Kimura improved his record to 14 wins, including nine KOs, against two defeats and a draw. For his part, Nakagawa fell to an 11-7 win-loss tally with five KOs.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at the Alcalde Domo came 24 seconds into the round when the 28-year-old Kyoguchi landed an overhand right followed by rapid combination blows by putting his defenseless opponent against the ropes, prompting the referee to step in to stop the contest.

It was Kyoguchi’s fourth successful defense of the title he won from Hekkie Budler of South Africa with TKO in Macao on Dec. 31 of 2018. It was the second straight time for Kyoguchi to defend his title overseas following his technical knockout win over Axel Aragon Vega of Mexico in Dallas in the U.S. state of Texas in March last year.

Kyoguchi, a former International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion, said after the fight, ‘’I am proud of the fact that I was able to stop my superb opponent who was tough. I apologized to him for my foul. I hope my status would increase by being able to achieve the clear-cut victory before energetic Mexican fans.’’

Asked about his future, Kyoguchi replied, ‘’I wan to fight with the champions of the other sanctioning bodies because they are excellent boxers.’’

In the day’s fight, Kyoguchi got off to a good start by sticking out left jabs, one-two combinations blows and left uppercuts to his taller opponent.

While Bermudez, 26, who won the title by stopping Carlos Canizale s of Venezuela in May last year, began to fight at close range from the second round, Kyoguchi was nothing daunted and exchanged blows with Bermudez.

Bermudez bled from his forehead in the third round due to an accidental head butting. Both boxers continued to exchange blows at close hand with the Mexican boxer bleeding profusely. Kyoguchi was deducted a point for ‘’his head butting’’ in the sixth stanza.

Kyoguchi was also deducted a point in the seventh round for a rabbit punch although he was more aggressive by landing his crisp combination punches to the blood-soaked Bermudez, which led to Kyoguchi’s fight-ending onslaught in the next round.

With the victory, Kyoguchi extended his unbeaten streak to 16, including 11 KOs, while Bermudez fell to a14-4-2 win-loss-draw tally with 10 KOs.  Photo by SUMIO YAMADA

It was the 33-year-old Kimura’s first fight since he stopped Merlito Sabillo of the Philippines in the second round in February 2020 in Manila.

While one of the three judges scored the fight 77-75 in favor of Horikawa, 22, the remaining two had it even at 76-76.

Horikawa, who turned pro in 2019 after winning the interscholastic athletic meet, got off to a good start by sticking out left jabs and counter punches. But Kimura rallied based on his power by landing straight rights and left hooks to the body from the second round.

However, Horikawa was nothing daunted and connected with well-timed left hooks in the fourth round. Although Kimura moved aggressively in the sixth round, he appeared to be tired, allowing Horikawa to rally in the seventh stanza. Both fought almost evenly in the eighth and final round.

After the fight, Kimura hinted at his retirement from boxing by saying, ‘’I am afraid I have lost my hungry for boxing. That is what I have learned today by fighting with the young boxer. How to resurrect that hungriness is important.’’

With the draw, Kimura has a record of 19 wins, including 12 knockouts, against three defeats and three draws. Horikawa has a 3-1-2 win-loss-draw tally with one KO.

Kimura lost the world title in September 2018 to Kosei Tanaka of Soul Box Hatanaka Boxing Gym in his third defense of the title he won from Zou Shiming of China in July 2017. He then moved down in weight and unsuccessfully challenged then World Boxing Association light flyweight champion Carlos Canizales of Venezuela in May 2019 in China.

In March this year, Japan Boxing Commission cautioned Kimura for his participation in a martial arts event last December in China’s Wuhan without JBC’s permission in advance.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder came 2 minutes and 29 seconds into the round when southpaw Taniguchi, 28, severely staggered Ishizawa with a left hook, prompting referee Michiaki Someya to step in to call off the fight.

With the victory, Taniguchi improved his record to 16 wins, including 11 KOs, against three losses, while Ishizawa fell to a 9-2 win-loss tally with eight KOs.

The 25-year-old Ishizawa was disqualified for the title match as he failed to meet the division’s weight limit of 47.6 kg (105 lbs.) in an official weigh-in held the previous day. He tipped the scales at 50.1 kg, as much as 2.5 kg over the class limit of the boxing’s lightest weight division in his first attempt. Taniguchi, 28, weighed in at 47.6 kg. While Ishizawa was given a two-hour period of grace for making the weight, he managed to reduce his weight only by 0.2 kg and was disqualified.

The parties concerned made a decision that if Ishizawa can contain the weight within 3 kg above the minimumweight limit or 50.6 kg at 5:30 p.m. on Apr. 22, the fight itself can be held. and Ishizawa managed to weigh in at 50.6 kg.

In the day’s fight, while both got off to a quiet start, Taniguchi moved side to side to avert Ishizawa’s forward move while landing left hooks to the body.

Though Ishizawa unleashed a combination blows in the third round, Taniguchi fought back with his punches led by left hooks. Ishizawa did not appear to be affected by ill effects of his failure to lose weight.
Taniguchi gradually forced Ishizawa move backward as the rounds went by with his right uppercuts and straight lefts, gradually sapping the strength of Ishizawa.

While Ishizawa moved forward by throwing punches in the 10th round, Taniguchi looked nothing daunted and attacked Ishizawa with straight lefts.

In the 11th round, Taniguchi wobbled Ishizawa by landing a left hook, wherein referee Someya stopped the fight.

They fought in September 2019 to decide the challenger to then Japanese minimumweight champion, in which Taniguchi won by overcoming a knockdown.

After the Apr. 22 fight, Taniguchi said, ‘’I think Mr. Ishizawa will reflect on himself by receiving a penalty. I hope fans out there will warmly watch over the growth of him. I had thought Mr. Ishizawa would have improved a lot, and I was right. Since I was able to retain my title by beating the strong challenger. I think I will have a lot of opportunities in my future (fighting abroad etc.).’’

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder came 2 minutes and 11 seconds into the round when the 40-year-old Golovkin, nicknamed GGG, sent Murata, 36, rolling down to the canvas with left-right blows to Murata’s head in rapid succession, which prompted his cornerman to throw in the towel to end the fight.

While both boxers got off to a relatively quiet start, Murata, who was fighting for the first time in two years and four months, worked GGG’s body with left hooks and straight rights from the second through the fourth rounds.

Golovkin began to rally from the fifth round with his combination blows, including his typical roundhouse but speedy left hooks to the head and increased his attacks in the ensuing rounds although Murata, who apparently fell into a sluggish pace, landed straight rights to the head and body sporadically.

Since Murata visibly showed an accumulation of damage in the ninth stanza, Golovkin, who was fighting for the first time in a year and four months, pounced on him by landing his vaunted blows almost at will.
After the fight, Golovkin said through an interpreter, ‘’I am happy that I was able to fight with ‘’super’ champion Murata. I will give my heartfelt thanks to all the people concerned to realize the fight as well as to people who watched (saw) the fight.

Murata also said, ‘’I felt Mr. Golovkin was stronger than me in terms of total power. I hope boxing fans were able to enjoy our fight. I have to thank the Gold for us two to end the fight in one piece. Later Golovkin gave his gown to Murata as a token of his thanks.

With the victory, Golovkin improved his record to 42 wins, including 37 KOs, against a loss and a draw, while Murata fell to a 16-3 win-loss tally with 13 KOs.

While the fight was initially planned on Dec. 29 last year, it was cancelled some three weeks before the fight due to the Japanese government’s entry ban on nonresident foreigners, effective from late November to the end of February this year, amid concern over the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron virus variant across the world.

Yoshimura, whose real name is Frederic Roberts who will turn 57 in February, made his Japanese professional debut from Hachinohe Teiken Boxing Gym in Aomori Prefecture in November 1987, as he belonged to the U.S. Misawa Air Base in the northeastern prefecture at that time.

I recall with the vividness of yesterday when he was sparring with then World Boxing Council junior welterweight (super lightweight) champion Tsuyoshi Hamada of Teiken Boxing Gym at the gym in Tokyo’s Kita Ward in the autumn of 1986, about a year before Yoshimura’s professional debut in Japan.

After the sparring session with hard-hitting Hamada, who was preparing for his first title defense, I talked to Yoshimura about his sparring with Hamada, to which he did not hide his surprise and said, ‘’He hits very hard.’’ I liked his modest character immediately.

He first became the Japanese junior welterweight champion in January 1990 and lost the title in March 1991 after successfully defending it twice. He was then transferred to the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo and changed the gyms to nearby Ishikawa Boxing Gym.

He also moved down in weight to lightweight, which appeared ideal to his body size, and won the Japanese title in September 1993 only to lose it to popular hard puncher Hiroyuki Sakamoto of Kadoebi Boxing Gym three months later, Rick’s only knockout loss in his long career.

After recapturing the Japanese lightweight title in January 1995, he held the title for the next five years and 10 months, successfully defending the crown for as many as 22 times, which is the Japanese record and is almost unthinkable today when winning a national title is largely considered a mere pass point for taking a crack at a world title.

In the case of Yoshimura, no (commercial) sponsor came into being for he is a boxer from abroad (New York). Yoshimura relinquished the title in November 2000 and finally managed to take a crack at the World Boxing Association lightweight title held by popular Takanori Hatakeyama of Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym on Feb. 17, 2001 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena.

In the coveted fight, Yoshimura appeared to be slightly in control of the fight with his footwork, left jabs, hooks and straight rights although the capacity crowd at the Kokugikan loudly rooted for Hatakeyama who always came forward with his vaunted left hooks and overhand rights.

In the ninth round, referee Ken Morita deducted a point from Yoshimura for holding Hatakeyama’s right arm, which was a crucial point in the fight as it ended in a draw as each of the three judges was different from the other two after the 12 rounds. Had it not been for the ninth-round point deduction, Yoshimura would have won the fight by a split decision.

Yoshimura wound up his long active career after fighting two more bouts. His overall record, including two bouts in the U.S. before coming to Japan, was 38 wins, including 20 KOs, against seven losses and two draws.

Yoshimura is now running Rick Yoshimura’s Ringside Fitness Gym in Fussa, the western part of Tokyo Metropolis. The gym now belongs to the East Japan Boxing Association, and Yoshimura is now breaking his neck not only to nurture big-time professional boxers but also to contribute to the advancement of health of people from all walks of life, including children.
Written by Masaya Kokubu, free writer

Speaking before a group of reporters at the gym, the 35-year-old Fukunaga, nicknamed ‘’Little (Manny) Pacquiao’’ for his similar fighting style to the legendary Philippine southpaw, said, ‘’My opponent (Ioka) probably regards the fight with me as a tune-up prior to his planned title unification fight with (International Boxing Federation’s champion) Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines. I want to take advantage of his probable inattention.’’

Ioka’s planned title unification fight with Ancajas in Tokyo was called off earlier this month due to the Japanese government’s restrictions on entry into Japan by foreign residents in response to the spread of the Omicron variant overseas.

It is under these circumstances when Ioka, who has so far successfully defended the WBO title three times since winning it in June 2019, has decided to pick Fukunaga to defend the crown on New Year’s Eve at the Ota City General Gymnasium.

When Fukunaga heard the sudden opportunity from his trainer at the gym, he said, ‘’I felt like I am in a dream at first. But I made up my mind by the time I came to the gym,’’ adding he will concentrate on boxing by setting aside his side job as a mold carpenter for the time being.

Unlike Ioka, who has an ample amateur record and whose uncle Hiroki Ioka is a former two-division world champion, Fukunaga took up boxing from the ground up at the age of 25 and worked his way up. He is currently holds the WBO’s Asia-Pacific and Japanese titles simultaneously. He had originally been scheduled to have a fight on next Jan. 15 and has been engaged in an intense training.

While Ioka is said to have a big advantage over Fukunaga, Fukunaga is nothing daunted and said, ‘’I have a chance of winning. Since I am a challenger, and my opponent this time is a type of boxer who is impervious to cheap tricks. So, I will come out strong from the beginning and will show everything I have in my arsenals.

Ioka is fighting his 18th world championship bout, the most for a Japanese, and has a record of 27 wins, including 15 KOs, against two losses. For his part, Fukunaga, who is making his first crack at a world title, has a 15-4 win-loss tally with 14 KOs.

With the victory, the 28-year-old Inoue retained the WBA title for the sixth time and the IBF crown for the fourth time.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo Arena came 2 minutes and 34 seconds into the round when Inoue dropped Dipaen with a left hook to the head. While the gusty challenger struggled to his feet, Inoue also landed a left hook to the head, which severely staggered the Thai, and the referee immediately stepped in to wave off the fight.

The fight got off to a quiet start as neither boxer threw strong punches. But from around the second round, Inoue began to gradually increased his pressure based on his speedy jabs with the tight-guarded Dipaen stepping back.

Dipaen showed he could take punches in the fourth round when he threw left-right punches to Inoue, who connected with triple uppercuts at close range. Inoue also landed his vaunted left hooks to the body. But the 30-year-old Dipaen, who is also ranked 10th in the division by the WBA, took them without much ado.

In the fifth round, Inoue landed a wide variety of punches to the Thai after sticking out left jabs. But Dipaen did not appear to be severely damaged although he reeled back. But it was the end of his tenacity. Inoue was all over him in the eighth round.

After the fight, Inoue said, ‘’I am sorry I could not live up to the prefight prediction. My opponent took my punches without batting an eye. I felt like being mentally weak.’’
With the victory, Inoue increased his unbeaten streak to 22 wins, including 19 KOs. For his part, Dipaen fell to a 12-3 win-loss tally with 11 KOs.

After the hard-fought 12-round fight at Korakuen Hall, all three judges scored the fight 117-110 all in favor of Inoue, the younger brother of Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue.

Both got off to a cautious start with the left-handed Wake, ranked 13th in the WBO’s super bantamweight division, attempting to land a counter left and Inoue, ranked sixth in the WBO’s bantamweight division, trying to step in to land a straight right.

In the fourth round, Inoue landed a well-timed straight right to the head, putting the tall Wake on the seat of his trunks for a mandatory eight count. While Inoue attacked Wake by unleashing a barrage of combination blows, veteran Wake managed to last the round by utilizing his side-to-side movement and clinch.

Aware he is behind on points, Wake pressed forward in the sixth round and tried to land his vaunted straight lefts only to miss the target most of the time as Inoue quickly moved in and out, trying not to be hit by Wake’s big punches.

In the seventh stanza, Inoue landed counter lefts to the head of Wake to widen his lead. He landed an effective left hook in the ninth round as well and swarmed over him in the 10th round after landing a straight right to the body.

The desperate Wake moved forward and landed hard lefts in the penultimate round and the final round. But Inoue did not give away and retaliated with his punches to end the fight on top.

After the fight, the 25-year-old Inoue said, ‘’I heaved a sigh of relief since I won the bout. I am glad I knocked down my opponent with a punch I horned during my training. But I had to knock him out since I am the younger brother of (Naoya) Inoue. I still leave much to be desired. My ultimate aim is to become a world champion along with my brother. Since I found things that I have to correct, I will try to improve myself further.’’

With the victory, Inoue improved his record to 15 wins, including three KOs, against a loss. For his part, the 34-year-old Wake fell to a 27-7-2 win-loss-draw tall with 19 KOs.