Japan’s Fujioka wins fifth female world belt

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

42-year-young Japanese female warrior, Naoko Fujioka (17-2, 7 KOs), 107.5, impressively acquired her fifth world belt when she showed a fine performance in winning the vacant WBO 108-pound belt by a unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94) over previously unbeaten Yokasta Valle (13-0, 6 KOs), 106.25, over ten hard-fought rounds on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Despite the unanimous tallies it was a very competitive fight, both showing everything they had. Fujioka tied the record of Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano with her fifth belt around the small waist. From the start Naoko was an aggressor, while Yokasta fully utilized her footwork and occasionally threw sharp one-two combinations. Unfortunately did Valle sustain a deep and wide cut in round five, which became a nuisance for here from then on. Fujioka kept herself busy and tricky all the way to avert Valle’s retaliation. Naoko, seventeen years her senior, swept last four rounds with her aggressiveness and agility as well. Yokasta, a stylish footworker, kept herself elusive, but apparently looked overpowered by the shifty and hard-punching.

WBO supervisor: Leon Panoncillo (US).