Teshigawara halts Kinoshita, keeps WBO AP 118lb belt

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In a ballyhooed competitive matchup, WBO#7 Hiroaki Teshigawara (17-2-2, 10 KOs), 118, impressively kept his WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight belt when he surprisingly overwhelmed two-time world challenger Teiru Kinoshita (26-3-1, 9 KOs), 117.75, badly dropped him with a roundhouse right hooks and dispatched him at 2:41 of the fifth round in the second title bout at the Hall in Tokyo on Thursday.

Having failed to win the world 115-pound belt from Zolani Tete in 2014 and from Jerwin Ancajas last year, Teiru recently moved up to the 118-pound category and had an ambitious shot at Teshigawara’s regional belt at his foe’s home turf.

Though regarded as a competitive contest, it apparently proved to be an overmatched disappointment due to the difference of physique and punching power therefrom with Teshigawara taking the upper hand over the cautious southpaw. The third saw the free-swinging champ badly floor Teiru with a powerful right to the face with the challenger barely regaining his feet. Teshigawara, cultivated by three-time world 154-pund champ Koichi Wajima, continually took the initiative and finally embalmed the ex-world challenger for the count in the fatal session.

With more technical improvement Hiroaki may zoom up in the world 118-pound ratings. His precision should be bettered by his manager Wajima’s proper technical advice.