By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Why does a title unification bout exist? Simply because there are plural (more than one) champions. Japan’s welterweight champ, WBO#12 Keita Obara (26-4-1, 23 KOs), 147, proved too strong by dispatching interim titlist Takeru Obata (12-6-1, 5 KOs), 146.5, with a single right and thus unified the national belts on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

The 5’11” hard-puncher Obara, in 2016, had an ambitious shot at the IBF 140-pound belt in Moscow only to be quickly iced by Edward Troyanovsky, but still kept fighting in national or WBO AP title goes. Keita, an upright stylist, acquired the Japanese welter belt by dethroning Yuki Nagano in 2020, but he suffered an injury before his rematch with Nagano, who eventually faced southpaw puncher Takeru Obata for the interim national belt with the latter victorious via fifth-round stoppage this June.

To make a long story short, the full champ beat the interim champ.

Misako Promotions.

_