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Sidney Boquiren of RingwalkNippon recaps this past weekend's Japanese boxing action.  For more updates, you can follow Sidney on twitter: RingwalkNippon@Twitter

Matsuda makes first defense of regional 126lb title

Naoki Matsuda, who has been a pro since 1994, out-boxed OPBF #5 rated Jung-Suk Soh (10-9-1) over twelve to take a unanimous decision on Saturday in the first defense of his Featherweight crown. According to Sports Hochi, the Teiken Gym veteran scored with left hooks and straight rights, but was unable to completely take control of the fight. Final tallies read 118-110, 119-111, and 115-114, all for the 34-year old.

Matsuda’s handlers revealed that the beltholder had hurt his back a week before the fight and did not enter the ring in his best condition. The injury was perhaps the reason he was not as aggressive as he was in his title-winning effort in March, a back-and-forth brawl with Filipino Vinvin Rufino, which Hall of Fame writer Joe Koizumi tabbed as an early candidate for his fight of the year.

Rated #9 by the WBC (and #11 by the WBA), Matsuda is 5-0-1 since being stopped by Guty Espadas Jr. in May 2008. The fringe contender (33-8-4, 13KO) is still gunning for a shot at a world title, but it may be too late at this point in his career. It would be interesting, however, to see him take on a few of the younger prospects in the region. Showdowns with one-time WBO title challenger Billy Dib, currently the OPBF’s #1 contender, or Japanese 126lb champ Ryol Li Lee would be welcome.

Sato continues his comeback, stops Yoon in 3

Former world title challenger Koji Sato dropped In-Young Yoon (8-2, 3KO) for the ten count in the third frame to make the second defense of his OPBF Middleweight strap. The 29-year old controlled the bout from the opening gong with his jab and was able to land combos on the Korean before putting him down with a beautiful right hand. Daily Sports Online reports that Sato, who had been working on his defense coming into the fight, showed good improvement in that area and was relatively untouched during the brief scrap.

Sato (17-1, 15KO) was stopped by WBA trinket holder Felix Sturm in April last year, but came back in December to win the regional crown. As another world title shot looks to be quite a ways out, the champ commented that he is taking each fight at a time

Igarashi stops Rexon Flores in one

Former amateur star Toshiyuki Igarashi stopped Rexon Flores (20-8-4, 9KO) in the first round to lift his record to 11-1-1, 9KO. The Japanese southpaw dropped the Filipino, who challenged WBO champ Omar Narvaez in 2006, and went 10 rounds with Koki Kameda in 2008, with a left to the body but may have also benefited from a head butt immediately before the scoring blow.

Igarashi, who was the sole representative for the land of the rising sun at the 2004 Olympics, briefly held the interim national title but loss in his biggest step up when he took on full title holder and current 112lb contender Tomonobu Shimizu. The 26-year old currently is seeded #13 by the WBC.

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