Japan Update: Sueyoshi, Raquinel keep belts

Fightnews.com

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Japanese super-feather champ Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1, 11 KOs), 129.75, successfully kept his national belt as he decked #1 contender Tsuyoshi Tojo (14-16-5, 3 KOs), 130, with a countering right in the opening session and pounded out a unanimous verdict (all 98-91) over ten heats on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan.

The upright stylist, making his second defense, acquired the vacant national belt by outscoring Ribo Takahata last October and halted Ken Osato in eight sessions of his initial defense this February.

Unbeaten Filipino prospect, 21-year-old Jayr Raquinel (10-0-1, 7 KOs), 112, impressively retained his OPBF flyweight belt by disposing of Japanese challenger, #13 Shun Kosaka (15-4, 4 KOs), 112, with a single southpaw left at 1:20 of the fourth round in Wakayama last Sunday (May 27). The hard-punching Raquinel, making his first defense, captured the OPBF throne when he surprisingly demolished defending titlist Keisuke Nakayama in nine hot rounds here this March. Raquinel is worth watching.