By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

The man who dropped Guillermo Rigondeaux twice in an unsuccessful effort in 2014, elongated Japanese featherweight Hisashi Amagasa (31-6-2, 20 KOs), 125.25, returned to ring action and defeated durable Filipino Carlo Demecillo (6-3, 1 KO), 124.25, by a unanimous verdict (99-93, 98-92, 97-94) over ten tough rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. For Amagasa, it was his first appearance since he lost to British prospect Josh Warrington in Leeds, UK, last April. Amagasa started fireworks from the outset and was in command in earlier rounds. Demecillo, with a good amateur career, showed his retaliation in the fourth, but the Japanese fought back hard in the sixth and it became a see-saw affair with Amagasa taking the initiative despite absorbing some solid counters. Aiming to score a stoppage, Amagasa accelerated his last surge in the ninth and tenth, but the Filipino refused to go down to show his heart. Amagasa to fight in quest of the vacant WBO Asia Pacific 126-pound belt after recovering from a deep laceration he suffered in a mix-up.

Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.