Fightnews.com

By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

We saw finals of the tourney to decide the next mandatory challengers to our Japanese national titleholders. JBC#2 super-bantam Yusaku Kuga (13-2-1, 9 KOs) surprisingly upset #1 Japan-based Filipino Jonathan Baat (32-8-5, 14 KOs) via vicious body shot at 2:17 of the fourth session on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Thanks to this impressive victory Kuga acquired the right to have a mandatory shot at the current national 122-pound champ Yasutaka Ishimoto in a rematch.

Super-feather Satoru Sugita (12-3-1, 7 KOs) also won the right of obligatory title shot at national titlist Kenichi Ogawa in a grudge fight, when he earned a unanimous decision (all 78-74) over Tsuyoshi Tojo (13-14-5, 2 KOs) over eight.

Veteran light-flyweight Tetsuya Hisada (27-9-2, 17 KOs) showed his determination and halted Hayato Yamaguchi (14-7-1, 2 KOs) at 2:30 of the seventh round as the loser’s corner tossed in the towel to save the very gory boxer from further punishment.