By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten WBA #2 Shokichi Iwata (8-0, 6 KOs), 107.75, needed just 72 seconds of the first round to halt challenger Toshimasa Ouchi (22-12-3, 8 KOs), 107.75, to retain his Japanese 108-pound belt on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Iwata, ten years his junior at 26, demonstrated his power punching in landing a pulverizing overhand right to Ouchi, who fell with a thud to have his leg cramped to be unable to raise himself properly. The ref Someya quickly halted the affair to save the loser from further punishment.

Iwata, formerly an amateur boxer of Waseda university, once defeated Takuma Inoue, Monster Naoya’s younger brother, on points in an amateur contest. Shokichi made a successful professional debut by disposing of Joel Bermudez in the fourth in Carson, CA in 2018. Iwata is worth watching.

Hard-hitting Yamato Hata (12-1, 11 KOs), 129.75, halted Yoji Saito (3-3-2, 3 KOs), 129.75, at 2:58 of the seventh round in a scheduled semi-final eight.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

_