Ex-Japanese 126lb champ Sagawa halts Kosaka in grudge fight
Former 154lb champ Koichi Wajima’s grandson decks pro debut

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former Japanese featherweight champ Ryo Sagawa (11-2, 6 KOs), 128, decked a fine TKO victory over his grudge rival Retsu Kosaka (9-7, 4 KOs), 127.75, by halting him at 1:23 of the eighth and final round on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Let’s make a long story short. Hard-punching 122-pound prospect Ryo Matsumoto, then 21-1, 19 KOs, made an ambitious crack at the WBA belt against Daniel Roman only to lose a unanimous nod here in 2018. Still world-rated, Matsumoto, in his comeback go, faced green ex-amateur speedster Ryo Sagawa, only 4-1, 2 KOs, by regarding him as an easy trial horse due to Sagawa’s latest second round TKO loss to Retsu Kosaka in 2017. Sagawa astoundingly upset Matsumoto by a stunning stoppage, and since then, Sagawa quickly zoomed up to seize the vacant national 126-pound belt and kept it twice before he recently forfeited it to ex-WBC youth champ Hinata Maruta via TKO route this February. In Sagawa’s return to the ring warfare, it was Kosaka that he attempted to avenge his previous defeat. Sagawa utilized his leading left hand and effectively punished him before a trick happened.

Ex-world junior middleweight ruler Koichi Wajima’s grandson, Taishin Isoya , 151, made a successful pro debut by stopping Akimitsu Haga (0-1), 149.25, at 1:23 of the first round in a scheduled four. The three-time champ Wajima burst into applause to see his daughter’s son, a welterweight six-footer.

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions.

Attendance: 629 (out of the capacity 1,600 with the JBC’s regulation at the Korakuen Hall).

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