In the last 2 days, fans all over the world saw champions crowned, belts defended, and upsets delivered. From Seiya Tsutsumi’s breakout performance to Junto Nakatani’s explosive finish, Tokyo was the center of the boxing universe, and the athletes delivered on every expectation.
In the first of the two main events, Seiya Tsutsumi shocked many by defeating Takuma Inoue to claim the WBA bantamweight title. Tsutsumi, competing in his first 12-round bout, drew Inoue into his game, and the defending champion couldn’t find the answer. While Inoue wasn’t out of form, he was simply outworked by the underdog, who managed to score a knockdown in the 11th round. The scorecards read 114-113, 115-112, and a wider 117-110 in favor of Tsutsumi, marking a major milestone in his career as he becomes a legitimate force at 118 lbs.
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Kenshiro Teraji added another world title to his collection, claiming the vacant WBC flyweight title with a TKO victory over Cristofer Rosales. Teraji controlled the fight from start to finish, and Rosales was outmatched. The fight was halted before the start of the 11th round, with the ringside physician stopping it due to Rosales’ broken nose.
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Seigo Yuri Akui successfully defended his WBA flyweight title against Thailand’s Thananchai Charunphak in a hard-fought contest. The split decision highlighted just how competitive the fight was, with Akui pulling ahead on two scorecards, 115-113 and 117-111, while Charunphak claimed one at 115-113. The Thai fighter showed plenty of skill, but Akui’s experience and ability to dig deep in the late rounds made the difference.
Shokichi Iwata made a big statement by stopping Jairo Noriega in the third round to claim the vacant WBO junior flyweight title. Despite suffering a cut from a clash of heads early in the fight, Iwata managed to turn things around with a flurry that put Noriega on the canvas twice in the final minute of the third round. The stoppage was a decisive one, as Noriega struggled to recover from the powerful shots, giving Iwata his first world title and a fifth straight win.
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The following night, Junto Nakatani retained his WBC bantamweight title with a dominant sixth-round TKO over Petch Sor Chitpattana. However, there was some controversy surrounding the stoppage. Nakatani unleashed a brutal flurry of punches in the sixth round, knocking Sor Chitpattana down hard. Although it looked like Sor Chitpattana was completely out and many thought the referee should have counted to 10, the official called a TKO, stopping the fight at that moment.
Some fans believe this could have been ruled a KO instead, as it appeared the Thai fighter was in no shape to continue. The debate remains: should the referee have given the full 10 seconds, or was the TKO the right call? Feel free to share your thoughts - do you think it should have been a KO rather than a TKO?
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On the same night, Tenshin Nasukawa continued his transition from kickboxing to boxing with a solid win over Gerwin Asilo. Nasukawa outboxed the Filipino over 10 rounds, showing flashes of his potential as he improves his professional record. A knockdown in the ninth round was somewhat controversial, but it didn’t affect the overall result, with Nasukawa clearly winning on the scorecards.
In a significant upset, Phumelele Cafu defeated Kosei Tanaka to lift the WBO super flyweight title. A fifth-round knockdown made the difference in what was otherwise a close contest, with Cafu edging out Tanaka by split decision. The fight was an exciting, back-and-forth affair, and given how close it was, there’s a strong case for a rematch in the future.
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Lastly, a disappointing no-contest occurred in the WBO flyweight title bout between Anthony Olascuaga and Jonathan Gonzalez. A clash of heads in the first round left Gonzalez with a cut over his eye, and when he informed the referee he couldn’t see, the fight was called off. It was an anticlimactic end to a fight that never really got started, but both fighters will likely look to reschedule and settle their unfinished business in the ring.
Image Credit: Naoki Fukuda