By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Fightnews.com

IBF#8 super-bantam Hidetake Otake (27-2-3, 12 KOs), 123, had a tough time coping with Venezuelan Alexander Espinoza (11-9-1, 10 KOs), 123, but kept fighting toe-to-toe to earn a majority decision (77-74, 76-74, 75-75) over eight hard-fought rounds on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Having failed to win the WBA 122-pound belt from Scott Quigg in Liverpool UK in 2014, the shaven-skulled Japanese thus scored five wins in a row since, but Espinoza was a much tougher opponent than expected. The Venezuelan showed an opening attack in the first two rounds, but Otake responded to his rallies with a countering right that decked him to the deck to almost turn the tide in the second. From the third on they kept mixing it up with Espinoza penalized a point due to having hit low in round six. Otake’s durability managed to withstand the Venezuelan’s busy combinations throughout the contest.

Promoter: Kaneko Promotions.