By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Former WBO Asia Pacific 130-pound champ Yoshimitsu Kimura (15-3-1, 10 KOs), 129.75, returned to ring action after badly forfeiting his regional belt to Masanori Rikiishi this January, and decked a fine TKO victory over Filipino Jestine Tesoro (9-6, 5 KOs), 130, at 2:36 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Kimura had tasted a bitter fifth round stoppage at the hand of Rikiishi, but he displayed a vigorous attack in dropping the game Filipino three times en route to an impressive comeback triumph.

Unbeaten Japanese prospect Toshihiro Suzuki (4-0, 3 KOs), 129.75, barely eked out a split decision (76-75 twice, 75-76) over WBO AP top junior light contender Virgel Vitor (21-3, 14 KOs), 130, over eight. They exchanged hot rallies from the outset to the end with Vitor flooring Suzuki with a looping left hook in the closing seconds of the fifth but the Japanese desperately retaliating down the stretch. Suzuki had scored an amateur mark of 82-22 at Nihon university, and had iced three victims in as many professional outings. Filipino Vitor deserves a rematch since it was so close an affair.

Promoter: Shisei Promotions.

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