By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

fightnews.com

Former WBO bantamweight champ Tomoki “Mexicanito” Kameda (33-2, 20 KOs), 123.25, returned to ring warfare and defeated IBF#6 junior feather Mike Tawatchai (42-10-1, 26 KOs), 122.5, by a nearly shutout decision (100-90, 100-88, 99-90) over ten speedy rounds on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Having been beaten twice by Jamie McDonnell in US in 2015, Tomoki came home as he newly began to belong to Kyoei Promotions in Tokyo. He appeared here for the first time since 2013, and looked sharp and snappy in outjabbing and outpunching the more experienced Thai veteran campaigner. Kameda decked him with a solid left-right combination midway in round six and went all out for a kill, but Mike, 31, displayed very excellent defensive skills to avert almost all follow-up attacks of Tomoki, who couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to terminate the lopsided affair. Though he failed to finish the Thailander, Tomoki. 25, certainly showed he belonged to a world class.

In the main event, two-time world challenger, ex-OPBF titlist Ryo Akaho (30-2-2, 19 KOs), 118, seized the vacant Japanese national bantam belt as he overpowered and outhustled former WBC Youth champ Yushi Tanaka (19-2, 13 KOs), 117.75, en route to a unanimous decision (98-92 twice, 98-93) over ten hard-fought rounds. Akaho, a roundhouse swinger, had the upright stylist at bay twice in the fourth and ninth, but Tanaka’s durability and determination refused to have him go down despite his absorption of much punishment.

Former OPBF feather champ and the man that dropped Guillermo Rigondeaux twice, Hisashi Amagasa (32-6-2, 20 KOs), 125.25, had a tough time coping with 37-year-old veteran Kinshiro Usui (27-5, 11 KOs), but managed to earn a hairline majority verdict (77-76, 77-74, 76-76) over eight. The tall and lanky Hisashi tasted a bitter defeat at the hand of Josh Warrington in Leeds, UK, last April, but now decked his second victory since. He’s coming back steadily despite this tough game.

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