By Joe Koizumi

Former WBO champ, Japan’s Masayuki Ito (27-3-1, 15 KOs), 135, impressively decked a fine stoppage of ex-Japanese super-light titlist Valentine Hosokawa (25-9-3, 12 KOs), 134, at 1:17 of the eighth round in a scheduled ten on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Having forfeited his WBO 130-pound belt to current titleholder Jamel Herring in Florida in 2019, Ito, now a full-fledged 135-pounder, participated in a couple of bouts, losing the latest one to OPBF ruler Hironori Mishiro by an upset majority decision last December.

Ito, however, today demonstrated a fine form by handling the 40-year-old veteran with his superior hand speed, piling up points steadily.

Masayuki, an upright stylist at 30, accelerated his effective attack to bring him to a standstill with unanswered combinations, which caused the referee Nakamura’s well-received intervention.

In Japan, we now see four competitive lightweight prospects in Ito, Mishiro, unbeaten Shuichiro Yoshino and Masayoshi Nakatani (who lately fought Vasyl Lomachenko well only to be stopped in the ninth in Las Vegas this June). We look forward to watching their respective confrontations.

Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions.

Attendance: 774 (with the JBC’s regulation at the Korakuen Hall).