By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Hard-punching IBF#6 Keita Obara (24-4-1, 21 KOs), 146.25, kept his Japanese welterweight belt as he edged game and gallant Shoki Sakai (25-12-2, 13 KOs), 146.25, by a close but unanimous decision (all 96-94) over ten hard-fought rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

Obara, making his initial defense, was at first befuddled by Sakai’s aggressiveness from the outset, but tried to outbox and outpunch the willing mixer in the first half, which read by open scoring system: 48-47 twice for the champ and 47-48 for the challenger.

The second half witnessed Obara score with jabs and rights to the belly to overcome the late surge of the onrushing Sakai, who had returned from Mexico after his long campaign under veteran handler Nacho Beristein and won a couple of bouts to enter the JBC’s top ten.

Obara registered four victories after he suffered a unanimous decision loss by Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in Philadelphia in March 2019.

Promoter: Misako Promotions.

Attendance: 763.

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