By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda
Unheralded compatriot Seiya Tsutsumi (12-0-2, 8 KOs), 117.75, surprisingly captured the WBA bantamweight belt when he upset defending champ Takuma Inoue (20-2, 5 KOs), 118, by winning a unanimous decision (114-113, 115-112, 117-110) over twelve sizzling rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Out of all Japanese judges, Koji Tanaka saw it 114-113, but Michiaki Someya and Kunihiro Iwasaki gave bigger margins to Tsutsumi 115-112 and 117-110 respectively all in favor of the totally aggressive challenger.
Takuma, the brother of Monster Naoya, might fight on a wrong strategy, forgetting his footwork, rhythm and hand speed. Tsutsumi, from the start, kept outhustling the sluggish champ all the way by frustrating him with his persistently reckless mix-up.
Such prominent Japanese stars as Takuma Inoue, Seiya Tsutsumi, Kosei Tanaka, Shokichi Iwata and Seigo Yuri Akui were all born in the same 1985. When they were amateur boxers, they exchanged gloves, won or lost in respective tournaments. It was twelve years ago that Takuma decisively beat up Seiya in the semi-final of the national high school tournaments (called “inter high”). In the final, Tanaka edged Takuma to be victorious in the tourney. Reportedly they (Tanaka and Takuma) fought five times in their amateur days.
Highly motivated to avenge his amateur loss to Takuma, Tsutsumi very energetically put on an aggressive performance, nailing him to the ropes and raining a flurry of punches. With his back to the ropes Takuma attempted to avert his combinations with his upper body movement, but it didn’t work well to stay long there as Muhammad Ali made a same mistake against Leon Spinks in their first encounter in 1978.
Seiya remained an aggressor all the way, while Takuma was often forced on the defensive in the middle of the contest, though occasionally scoring with a counter at a time against the challenger. The champ’s trademark foot speed and hand speed weren’t seen in this fight.
The tenth saw Tsutsumi score a knockdown as he had Takuma reeling to the ropes and the referee thought that without the ropes the champ would have been dropped with the effect of Tsutsumi’s shot. It wasn’t Takuma’s night at all.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
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