WBA #12 heavyweight Fujimoto returns to action

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

During this reporter’s absence in Japan to attend the WBC convention in Mexico for the almost fortieth year, there happened considerably important fights in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday (October 21). WBA #12 heavyweight Kyotaro Fujimoto (21-1, 13 KOs), 230.5, returned to action and repeated his TKO triumph over Thailand’s Suthat Kalalek (12-11, 11 KOs), 215, at 2:08 of the sixth round at the Korakuen Hall.

Kyotaro, WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight champ, hurt Suthat with faster jabs and left-right combinations, and finally dropped the game free-swinging Thailander twice with effective body shots. Fujimoto, formerly a K-1 battler with a good footwork, is aiming at a competition for a higher value such as an eliminator for #1 that may guarantee his world title shot, hopefully.

On the same bill, WBO#15 Yusaku Sakashita (18-8-3, 13 KOs), 112, barely kept his WBO Asia Pacific flyweight belt when he scored a come-from-behind KO victory over his grudge rival Naoki Mochizuki (16-5, 8 KOs), 112, at 1:00 of the tenth session in a scheduled twelve. Eventually trailing on points on 87-84 twice and 88-83 after the ninth round, the defending champ turned loose and badly floored his former conqueror three years ago with a solid right counter midway in the tenth. The more aggressive challenger couldn’t resume fighting though he barely raised himself, and the ref mercilessly tolled the fatal ten.

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