Japanese Scene Recaps: Yota Sato, Yo Inoue, Masao Nakamura and Koji Sato Winners

Sidney Boquiren has the latest recaps from Japan.  For more Japanese boxing updates, you can follow Sidney on twitter: RingwalkNippon@Twitter

Sato makes first defense, stops Fukumoto in seven

Rising talent Yota Sato capped a stellar 2010 with a subpar performance but still managed to make the first defense of his national super flyweight crown on Monday at Korakuen Hall. The 26-year old burst on the scene with a come-from-behind stoppage win of highly-touted and unbeaten prospect Go Onaga in May, then earned a wide unanimous decision over former Ring Magazine rated veteran Daigo Nakahiro to win the full title in September. Paired with an opponent that was clearly over-matched, however, Sato failed to impress and was dragged into fighting out of his style.

A lanky boxer that typically works from the outside while using footwork to evade his counterpart, Sato could not avoid game but limited Yuki Fukumoto, and was forced to stop and trade more often than he would have preferred. The more talented titleholder likely won every round on the scorecards but looked very uncomfortable against a clearly lesser opponent. A couple of flush right hands finally met the mark in the seventh and Sato forced the stoppage with a barrage shortly after opening a cut over Fukumoto’s right eye.

Sato improved to 20-2-1, 11KO with the win and was also promoted to the #10 spot in the Ring rankings. He will likely be matched with two-time world title challenger Kohei Kono in next year’s Champion Carnival.

Also on Monday’s Korakuen card:

In a rather ugly fight with both men visibly exhausted by the middle rounds, Yo Inoue usurped incumbent Takejiro Kato for the national welterweight title and picked up the vacant OPBF belt as well. Inoue (18-1-2, 11KO) took the lead from the opening frames and just managed to hold on to it for a close unanimous decision. A knockdown in the fifth round was the difference, as the challenger sent Kato down with a flush left hook to the chin. The remainder of the bout was marred with holding and inactivity and the final gong could not come soon enough for either man. Kato (25-10-3, 12KO) failed to make the first defense of the title he finally won after 12 years as a pro.

The most impressive pugilist on Monday was WBA women’s super flyweight champ Tenkai Tsunami (16-3, 5KO). The 26-year old had her way with local superstar Rie Fujimoto (9-5-2, 4KO), toying with the challenger in the first round before turning it on the second. Tenkai baffled Fujimoto with head movement and footwork while setting up fluid combinations with a noisy jab. Adept at working as she moves forward or on her back foot, the champion rocked the proud challenger with beautiful left hooks and uppercuts then punished her with accurate body blows. Fujimoto could not mount much offense as Tenkai was simply too difficult to hit and would take literally a dozen shots before landing one. After eight rounds, the challenger had taken enough of a beating and retired in the corner.

A couple of Tenkai’s bouts are available on youtube and the preview for the Fujimoto fight can be found here.

Also, WBC women’s atomweight strapholder Momo Koseki retained her title via TD3 after a cut opened over opponent Masae Akitaya’s right brow by an accidental headbutt.

Nakamura comes off canvas to stop Tanada, claims first pro title

Masao Nakamura earned his first pro title on Sunday in a battle of unbeaten prospects, surviving an early knockdown to stop OPBF super featherweight beltholder Allan Tanada (10-1-2, 5KO). The Osaka-native sported an 11-0 record coming into the ring, each victory via stoppage, with quality wins over veteran Takeshi Kawanami and tough Ryota Kajiki. However, questions about Nakamura’s true abilities still lingered and Tanada would prove to be the former two-time high school champion’s toughest test.

According to Osaka Hochi, the challenger picked himself up after being dropped in the second by a right hand and calmly worked himself out of the jam. Creating distance and working behind a sharp jab, Nakamura found an opening in the fifth, flooring Tanada with a straight right. Though the Filipino also rose from the mat, the challenger moved in quickly, forcing the stoppage at the 0:46 mark.

By recording his 12th consecutive stoppage victory, Nakamura inches closer to the national record held by former world titleholder Tsuyoshi Hamada (15KOs).

Sato exchanges knockdowns with Rodriguez, finally ends it in five

Regional middleweight champ Koji Sato made it through a shaky fourth round to stop unheralded Saloman Rodriguez in five. Despite knocking down the Mexican in the second with a right cross, Sato found himself on the floor after the bruiser tagged him with a right in the fourth frame. Coming out of the corner quickly in the subsequent fifth, Sato finally ended the fight setting Rodriguez down for good with a right hand.

The former world title challenger, who was thoroughly outclassed by Felix Sturm in April 2009, advanced his record to 18-1, 16KO.

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