Osawa defeats Indonesian champ Deztroyer

By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Former world challenger and ex-OPBF/WBO ASPAC featherweight champ, WBA #11 Hiroshige Osawa (32-4-4, 19 KOs), 126, engaged in his second comeback bout since his ambitious confrontation with Oscar Valdez with the vacant WBO belt at stake resulting in a seventh round TKO defeat in Las Vegas in November 2016, floored Indonesian titlist Erick Deztroyer (11-6-1, 2 KOs), 125.5, in the fourth and pounded out a shutout decision (all 80-71) over eight rounds on Sunday in Sanda, Japan.

Osawa, 32, swarmed over Erick from the outset with a flurry of punches and maintained the pressure on the defensive Indonesian, who occasionally fought back with less accurate combinations.

The fourth saw Osawa connect with solid rights and sent him staggering to the deck, but couldn’t finish him to bring home the bacon early. Erick’s durability and fighting spirit made him last the full distance despite Osawa’s lopsided onslaught. The busy-fighting Osawa will participate in another contest with WBO#14 Josue Veraza on Christmas Eve in Osaka.

Note: The Indonesian’s ring name was spelled Deztroyer, not Destroyer.

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Former world challenger Riku Kano (12-3-1, 6 KOs), 105, proved faster and sharper than game and aggressive Naoya Haruguchi (14-8, 6 KOs), 104.5, winning a majority decision (79-74, 78-75, 76-76) over eight.

Kano, in August 2016, fought veteran compatriot Katsunari Takayama who bled too profusely to go on midway in round six, when he eventually lost a technical decision in the WBO 105-pound title bout for the vacant championship. Then the Japanese southpaw was merely eighteen.

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Unbeaten prospect, OPBF#9 super-fly Futa Akizuki (10-1, 8 KOs), 115, surprisingly tasted his first bitter setback via TKO at 1:12 of the third round at the hand of Kenji Kihisa (6-4, 3 KOs), 114.5, in a scheduled eight. The faster and smarter Akizuki was controlling the contest, but absorbed solid combinations to hit the deck, being halted with his furious follow-up in the fatal session.

Promoter: Taisei Promotions.