Hatanaka’s son Kento, 7-0, 7 KOs, wins WBC Youth 112lb belt

By Joe Koizumi

It’s twenty-seven years ago that Kiyoshi Hatanaka became the very first world champ out of Nagoya, Japan, as he dropped Argentine Pedro Decima six times and very impressively captured the WBC 122-pound belt.

Beneath the sensational Tanaka-Kimura WBO flyweight war, his 20-year-old son Kento Hatanaka (7-0, 7 KOs), 112, acquired the vacant WBC Youth flyweight belt by decking Indonesian Aprilianto Rumahpasal (5-3-1, 2 KOs), 112, at 1:56 of the fifth round in a scheduled ten on Monday in Nagoya.The busy-punching Kento kept battering Rumahpasal from the start and stalking him from pillar to post. As Kento floored the Indonesian for the second time, ref Fukuchi called a halt to save the loser from further punishment. Papa Kiyoshi, his manager and chief second, looked more than happy to see his son’s coronation.