By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In an encounter of perennial contenders, 37-year-old veteran JBC#2 Makoto Kawasaki (13-8-1, 2 KOs), 153.75, managed to acquire the vacant Japanese 154-pound belt by earning a unanimous decision (97-93, 98-92, 96-94) over JBC#1 Koki Koshikawa (9-4, 6 KOs), 154, over ten hard-fought rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The belt had been renounced by ex-champ Hironobu Matsunaga (20-1, 13 KOs) who previously defeated each of them with ease. Koshikawa, 31, was formerly an amateur boxer at Komazawa university, being a prefight favorite over Kawasaki. The underdog, however, kept punching upstairs and downstairs, scoring more points than Koshikawa who only threw a punch at a time. The late-bloomer cried for joy with tears, saying, “My mother, thank you for giving me such a tough body!” She, also in tears of joy, was in attendance to watch her unsung son’s coronation in his fourth attempt.

World-rated ex-WBO 122-pound challenger Ryo Akaho (38-2-2, 25 KOs), 121.5, occasionally had a tough time but eked out a close but unanimous verdict (77-75 twice, 79-73) over Mugicha Nakagawa (24-8-2, 14 KOs), 122, over a lackluster eight. Akaho, more aggressive, kept missing the elusive target, two years his junior at 33, with sporadic roundhouse left hooks all the way.

Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions.

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