Fujimoto defeats Nasio to win vacant OPBF heavyweight belt

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Fightnews.com

Fast-moving and quick-punching Japanese, OPBF#1/WBC#18 Kyotaro Fujimoto (16-1, 8 KOs), 227.25, acquired the vacant OPBF heavyweight belt as he defeated OPBF#2 Willie Nasio (10-2, 9 KOs), 262, New Zealand, by a unanimous decision over twelve hard-fought rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies read: Andrew Campbell (Australia) 118-109, Randy Caluag (Philippines) 116-111 and Kazuo Abe (Japan) 116-112, all in favor of the Japanese national champ.

It was a highly sensational confrontation of the Japanese and Australian heavyweight champs for the OPBF belt renounced by former titleholder Joseph Parker who lately seized the WBO world throne last December. Truly it was a Tom-and-Jerry bout all the way with the 6’2” Nasio stalking with Foreman-like swings and the 6’0” Fujimoto circling to-and-fro with occasional counters. Despite their apparent difference of power with Nasio heavier by thirty-five pounds, Kyotaro very barely managed to outleg and outpunch the hard-punching New Zealander.

From the start Tom applied so strong pressure on the moving target with so roundhouse blows that people thought he would catch the much smaller Jerry soon to end the affair. But it was Kyotaro that decked the onrushing rival with a countering right to the button in round two, when Willie looked more bewildered than hurt with the flash knockdown with the Japanese temporarily attempting to finish the still dazed New Zealander.

Fujimoto, from the third, returned to his usual hit-and-run strategy, while Nasio also stuck to his original fight plan to keep stalking him all night. After the fourth the open scoring system indicated Kyotaro winning slightly on points: 38-37 twice and 39-36, all for him. The fleet-footed referee was Yuji Fukuchi (Japan).

The fifth through seventh saw the red-haired Japanese Canelo connect with light but sharp jabs and left-right combos to the still steadily onrushing Nasio, winning three points to take the initiative. Kyotaro, in round six, showed his best when he very accurately landed quick one-two combos to Nasio to bring him to a standstill.

The taller and bigger Nasio turned loose in the eighth with a flurry of punches to win back a point, while Fujimoto, on the bicycle that he borrowed from “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko, very barely averted his powerful punches by a hair. The interim tallies were announced after the eighth: 77-74 twice and 78-73—all for Kyotaro.

The last four sessions were like a marathon race where Fujimoto still maintaining his much faster footwork and Nasio patiently chasing his defensive dodger with unsuccessful efforts. Nasio kept his full pressure on Kyotaro but failed to actually throw punches only to follow the wake of Jerry’s bicycle.

Aware of being behind on points, Nasio admirably showed a one-round fight with all his energy left in the final session to turn the tide at once, stalking and smashing entirely for three minutes even with less precision—with Kyotaro having changed his bicycle to a Toyota car to have a very narrow escape. It’s Nasio’s round but it was clear and well-received that Kyotaro became the very first OPBF heavyweight champion out of Japan.

Kyotaro jubilantly said, “Thanks to your warm supports I could win the belt by beating such a strong and powerful rival as Nasio, who could punch very hard.”

The good loser Nasio said, “It’s Kyotaro’s night. I have no complaint about the decision. I was ten kilograms (some twenty-two pounds) heavier than my best weight, since I enjoyed Christmas holidays with a good appetite. If it’s a running race, a heavier athlete cannot win over the slim and smaller runner.”

Kenichi Hagimori, the organizer and manager of Fujimoto, said, “Kyotaro has passed the very important point of career, and his future target will be a world title shot against Joseph Parker. We are willing to go and fight Parker in New Zealand, Nasio’s country. Kyotaro may have another option to move down to the cruiserweight category to pursue the world 200-pound belt.”

The Tom and Jerry movie is of course interesting and amusing, and so it was—this OPBF title bout for the vacant championship. New Zealand has produced excellent rugby players, while Japan good marathon runners, which was well proven at the Hall.

Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.