Shimizu keeps OPBF 126lb belt

By Joe Koizumi

OPBF featherweight champ Satoshi Shimizu (9-1, 9 KOs), 126, successfully kept his belt as he halted #14 Kyohei Tonomoto (9-3-1, 4 KOs), 126, at 2:10 of the seventh session in a scheduled twelve rounder on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

The elongated 5’10.5” southpaw Shimizu, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist who lost a 20-11 decision to eventual gold medalist Luke Campbell in the semi-final after defeating Isaac Dogboe in the first bout in London, decked the challenger twice in the opening session.

They mixed it up hard thereafter, and it was Shimizu that took the initiative so obviously that the third man rightly intervened to save the loser from further punishment in round seven. Shimizu registered his fifth defense of the OPBF belt by scoring a comeback victory after suffering his first defeat at the hand of Filipino Joe Noynay last July. This was his first appearance since.