By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Perennial contender Ryusei Kawaura (12-2, 8 KOs), 114.75, finally seized the belt when he scored a come-from-behind TKO victory over WBA#3, WBO#6, IBF#9 defending champ Tetsuro Ohashi (12-4-1, 3 KOs), 114.5, at 2:05 of the eleventh round and wrested the WBO Asia Pacific junior bantamweight title on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The dethroned ex-champ was leading on points—96-94 twice, 95-95. Ohashi connected with persistent combinations to the challenger, pinning him to the ropes midway in the speedy contest of southpaws.

The ninth saw the tide turn in Kawaura’s favor with the champ’s fatigue. The challenger, in round eleven, positively accelerated his attack to have the champ temporarily at a standstill, when the referee Tanaka called a halt.

The newly crowned Kawaura, whose amateur mark was 38-14 with nine stoppages, previously failed to win the vacant national super fly belt, being dispatched by unbeaten Suzumi Takayama (the nephew of former world challenger Yuji Watanabe) in four rounds in June of the previous year. He, 30, is truly a late bloomer.

Promoter: Misako Promotions.

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