MARUTA STOPS PINOY CHALLENGER TO KEEP WBC YOUTH WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

TITLE FIGHT. Defending WBC Youth World bantamweight cham,pion Hinata Maruta (left) and his challenger Joe Tejones during their official weigh-in Nov. 22. Beside them is WBC Asia supervisor Dr .Nasser Cruz. (Photo by BRICO SANTIG)

By LITO DELOS REYES

JAPANESE Hinata Maruta knocked out Filipino challenger Joe Tejones in the 7^th round to retain his World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World bantamweight title last November 23 at the Sumiyoshi SportsCenter in Osaka, Japan.

It was the first title-defense by Maruta, who captured the vacant title via a 6th round knockout win against Wilbert Berondo last July 31 at the Sumiyoshi Ward Center in Osaka, Japan.

The 19-year old Maruta remained unbeaten with four straight wins, three by knockouts and no draw. Tejones, also 19, suffered his only second defeat against six wins.

Maruta made his pro debut with a unanimous decision win against another Filipino Jason Canoy on November 22, 2015 at the Sumiyoshi Sports Center.

In his second fight, Maruta stopped Kerdsuk Saranyu in the 1st round last March 20 at the Satsukiyama Gym in Osaka.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Naoto Iwai also won by a unanimous decision against former Philippine flyweight champion Donny Mabao in their 6-rounder bout in the undercard.

In the main event, Japanese challenger Koki Tyson dethroned defending OPBF middleweight champion Dwight Ritchie by a unanimous decision.

Judges Bruce McTavish and Yuji Fukochi both scored it 116-111 while Filipino judge Jerrold Tomeldan saw it 115-112 all in favour of Tyson, who improved to 11-2-2.

Richie suffered his first setback after 14 straight wins with no draw.

Hirofumi Mukai TKO’d Tanawat Phonnaku in 1:27 of the 2^nd round to capture the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super flyweight title, while Yutaka Oishi stopped Takayuki Hosokawa by a technical decision in the 11^th round to win the OPBF super welterweight crown.

The boxing card was promoted by Takashi Edagawa of Muto Promotions.