By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In a greatly anticipated encounter of Japanese compatriots, WBO junior bantamweight champ, four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka (26-2, 15 KOs), 115, very impressively kept his belt as he sent previously unbeaten three-class titlist Kosei Tanaka (15-1, 9 KOs), 115, to the deck twice with a well-timed left hook in rounds five and six, and finally halted him at 1:35 of the eighth round on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. It was a beautiful demonstration of Ioka’s skills in averting Tanaka’s opening attacks and precisely counterpunching him with the picture-perfect left hooks. The ref was Michiaki Someya, Japan, who made a well-timed stoppage to save the battered and bloodied loser from further punishment.

“It’s a wipeout,” said the dejected loser Tanaka to the still cool victor just after the fight in the ring (as Ioka said to the press afterward). Not jubilant did look Ioka at all after such an impressive victory, as he had repeatedly said to the press and the public, “We don’t belong in the same league. I’ll show the difference of class.” So did Ioka. He apparently took it (his victory) for granted, while Tanaka, in the dressing room, gloomily said, “I didn’t expect there’s such a big difference between us.”

What is Kazuto Ioka? He looks like a Miguel Canto, the legendary defense master, with sharp counterpunching. He displayed his assets in finishing Juan Carlos Reveco, halting Aston Palicte and thus demolishing highly regarded challenger Kosei Tanaka. Hybrid of the traditional Japanese boxing (based on fighting spirit) and the Cuban boxing (based on physical flexibility; through his long-time Cuban trainer Ismael Salas since before his pro debut in 2009) , Kazuto is a highly technical boxer with speed and skills (especially in counterpunching).

Our people pay their great attentions just to “The Monster” Naoya Inoue, who produced a powerful sensation abroad (in UK and US) with very impressive stoppages, but Ioka is another special product with high defensive and offensive skills—made in Japan.

His ability to adjust himself to the style of his opposition with his main policy of hitting without getting hit is superb enough. It is true that Kazuto tasted a couple of setbacks, but they were by split decisions to Amnat Ruengroen with the IBF flyweight belt on the line in 2014 and to Donnie Nietes for the vacant WBO junior bantam title in 2018. Ioka has never suffered a literally complete defeat thanks to his excellent defensive skills.

The unbeaten Tanaka had a dream to seize the fourth world belt in a shortest pro career—earlier than Oscar De La Hoya’s twenty-fourth outing—in his sixteenth bout, but it eventually didn’t come true. Tanaka, six years his junior at 25, was an enfant terrible who won the 105-pound throne in his fifth bout, the 108-pound belt in his eighth and the 112-pound title in his twelfth to his credit.

It was Tanaka that positively attacked the defending champ with a solid right, though averted, and put the pressure on Ioka who responded with quick jabs and compact counters in the first round. The Japanese judges (since no foreign officials were allowed to enter Japan due to our government’s regulation) all gave the first to the champ despite Tanaka’s aggressiveness.

The second saw Ioka more effective in hitting the mark with precision although Tanaka was the aggressor with incessant jabs and left-right combos, which, however, weren’t accurate nor effective to the elusive champ.

Tanaka became more aggressive in round three, when he kept punching the champ even on the gloves all the way, winning a point of all the judges. Ioka had the left optic reddened with Tanaka’s continual opening attacks, but it is his usual strategy that pretends to be defensive in earlier rounds and solve his opponent’s fight plan and rhythm/timing as well.

The tide completely turned from the fourth round on. Ioka’s combinations in the middle or close range became more accurate and effective, while Tanaka’s retaliation often only hit the air with the champ’s vaunted elusiveness. He was like fighting a ghost. Tanaka, after the fourth, had the nostrils bleeding with his absorption of Ioka’s not strong but accurate punches in the close quarter.

In the closing seconds of the fifth, Ioka caught Tanaka, still a willing mixer, with a well-timed left hook following a straight right, and sent him sprawling to the deck. Quickly standing up, Tanaka, with his face in crimson, had a narrow escape with the bell coming to his rescue.

At two minutes into the sixth session, Tanaka hit the canvas again with a same countering left hook to the side of the jaw. With a minute remaining and with Tanaka seemingly so hurt, Ioka was expected to finish him then and there to bring home the bacon, but Ioka didn’t accelerate his attack in a hurry.

The eighth and fatal round witnessed Ioka again explode a vicious left hook that made Tanaka lose the equilibrium lie a marionette. The third man Someya, a good referee, then declared a halt and grabbed the badly damaged challenger with his arms.

The official tallies had all supported Ioka: Masakazu Murase 69-62, Yuji Fukuchi and Nobuto Ikehara both 68-63—all in favor of the defending titlist.

It was truly one of Ioka’s best performances. He said, “I wish to fight the winner of WBC champ Juan Francisco Estrada (41-3, 28 KOs) and WBA titleholder Roman Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) in a unification bout in March. I also hope to fight for the tenth time on New Year’s Eve again.”

Kazuto, the nephew of former WBC 105-pound/WBA 108-pound champ Hiroki Ioka, compiled a good amateur mark of 95-10 with 64 stoppages (including some anti-Ioka decisions), couldn’t become the Japanese representative for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. He then quit Tokyo Agricultural University in a sophomore, returned Osaka to join his uncle Hiroki’s gym and turned professional in 2009.

Uncle Hiroki’s trainer when active had been Cuban Ismael Salas, so Ioka family asked Ismael to cultivate the golden nephew since his pro debut. Kazuto, a very independent person, recently parted company with his father/trainer/manager Kazunori (Hiroki’s elder brother). The father-son complex inside story is beyond description.

On the day of the worst infection of the COVID-19, jumping up from 844 to 1,337 patients inside of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, the great Ioka-Tanaka fight truly brightened and warmed people’s heart.

Attendance: 2,057 (with the JBC’s regulation at the Ota City Gymnasium)

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions

Supervisor: Tsuyoshi Yasukochi (Japan).

Records of both excellent contestants:
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/483786
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/666339

_