By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It was a Japan-China competition with Japan winning 4-2 over China in six bouts. But the level of Chinese boxers remarkably improved to impress the crowd on Thursday at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo. Formerly world-rated ex-OPBF champ Hironori Mishiro (13-1-1, 4 KOs), 134.5, withstood the opening attack of China’s previously unbeaten Yong-Chao Sheng (8-1-2, 5 KOs), 134.5, effectively retaliated with good jabs and right crosses and pounded out a unanimous decision (77-75, 78-74, 79-73) over eight scrappy rounds. Mishiro had tasted an upset technical decision loss to Min-Ho Jung in Korea this April, dropping out of the world ratings with his first setback. In his comeback go Mishiro, a tall stylish jabber, was forced to mix it up by the hard-punching Chinese. Mishiro, however, took back the initiative and kept outfighting the game but less skillful Cheng to overcome his early deficits on points.

In the semi-windup, WBO Asia Pacific #7 minimumweight Dian-Xiao Zhu (10-1, 9 KOs), 106, an aggressive Chinese puncher, impressively overpowered Japan’s ex-amateur prospect Tomoya Yamamoto (7-3, 1KO), 106.75, en route to a fine TKO victory at 2:01 of the fourth round in a scheduled eight. Zhou kept moving forward and battering the less powerful Japanese almost at his mercy with the ref mercifully calling a halt.

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions.

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