By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Japanese southpaw Ryosuke Iwasa (24-2, 16 KOs), 121.75, was awarded the IBF 122-pound belt when he dropped defending champ, compatriot Yukinori Oguni (19-2-1, 7 KOs), 121.75, once in the first, twice more in the second, controlled the contest despite the champ’s retaliation and finally halted him due to the ring physician’s advice at 2:16 of the sixth session on Wednesday in Osaka, Japan.

Iwasa was leading on points on all cards—Alan Davis (US) 48-44, Takeshi Shimakawa, Katsuhiro Nakamura (both Japan) both 49-43. Oguni was badly bleeding from the mouth, and he might have had the jaw broken, having absorbed much punishment. He couldn’t see and avert the southpaw’s swift lefts coming at all though he kept on gamely fighting back hard. The ref was Wayne Hedgepatch (US).

Promoter: Ioka Promotions.
IBF supervisor: Ben Keilty (Australia).