By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBA light flyweight super champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0, 9 KOs), 108, Japan, barely kept his belt as he withstood see-saw exchanges in the close range in earlier rounds, fortunately floored top ranked compatriot Tetsuya Hisada (34-10-2, 20 KOs), 107.75, midway in the ninth and pounded out a close but unanimous decision over twelve hard-fought rounds on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan.

Nobuto Ikehara (Japan), former world challenger who lost to WBA bantam ruler Volodymyr Sydorenko in 2008, saw the give-and-take affair 115-112, but Sergio Caiz (US) and Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) had the difference wider 116-111 and 117-110 respectively—all in favor of the 25-year-old champ. The third man was veteran ref Kazunobu Asao (Japan). How close it was in the process could be shown by the interim tallies after the eighth that a couple of judges evenly scored 76-76. The champ’s right cross following a right uppercut, however, had the game and gallant challenger onto the deck in round nine, which eventually turned the tide in his favor. All the judges saw Kyoguchi sweep the ninth through eleventh, which made the difference of the victor and the loser.

Both hailed from Osaka, though Kyoguchi, after graduating from Osaka Commercial University, moved up to Tokyo and decided to belong to Watanabe Gym, while Hisada, 34, resides in Osaka since his birth. Kyoguchi can be called enfant terrible since he acquired his first world belt in just fifteen months after his entry into the paid ranks by dethroning IBF 105-pound ruler Jose Argumedo on points in July 2017. With a couple of successful defenses Hiroto, a baby faced hard-puncher, renounced his IBF throne and moved up to the 108-pound category, winning the WBA super belt as defending champ Hekkie Budler absorbed much punishment and retired on the stool after the tenth on the New Year’s Eve last year.

Kyoguchi, in his second defense of the second throne, might find much tougher opposition in Hisada than expected, an obvious underdog because of his age (nine years his senior) and his credentials (that he suffered no less than nine defeats despite his latest thirteen wins in a row including eight knockouts).

The second round saw Hisada connect with a well-timed solid right counter that had Kyoguchi reeling to the ropes and then accelerate his attack to the bewildered champ in the remainder of the session. It was Hisada’s best moment of this contest. The Osaka veteran Tetsuya also dominated the third with good jabs and effective counters. The champ fought back to take the fourth, and the challenger was in command in round five. They took every other round to have it almost in even terms.

The younger champ, in round six, landed a solid right counter that almost buckled Hisada’s legs though he barely kept his equilibrium. Hisada then cleverly utilized his side-to-side footwork and scored with well-targeted uppercuts penetrating the peek-a-boo styled champ’s guard in the seventh, when all the judges gave a point to Kyoguchi though this reporter saw it for Hisada.

Then, a dramatic knockdown took place in round nine, which obviously became a turning point of the hard-battled contest. The winner Kyoguchi said, “Hisada was stronger than expected. But I think I’m destined to be stronger by defeating such a strong challenger as Hisada. The good loser Hisada said, “I did my best. I just repent of my failure to follow up much more when I almost floored Kyoguchi with my right counter in the second round.”

The local promoter Jitsuo Harada gloomily said, “The champ was clever and strong. Hisada was unfortunate to have suffered knockdown at the important point of the bout—in round nine. But I believe he displayed his best performance to his supporters.”

Kyoguchi’s manager Hitoshi Watanabe jubilantly said, “We may plan a unification bout next year.” His target might be WBC counterpart Shiro Ken, an unbeaten compatriot, or WBA regular champ Carlos Canizalez of Venezuela.

The 5’4” Kyoguchi has a big torso despite his height, which is a source of his power-punching but which may cause his near-future move up to the heavier category. He celebrated a little bitter but eventually successful title defense before his adherents and former classmates in Osaka where his father kept managing a karate gym. Hiroto, a cute youngster, used to be a karate kid.

Promoter: Harada Promotions.
WBA supervisor: Renzo Bagnariol (Nicaragua).

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