By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In an encounter of unbeaten hard-punching prospects, Shu Utsuki (10-0, 8 KOs), 134.75, impressively acquired the vacant Japanese lightweight belt (renounced by world-rated Shuichiro Yoshino) as he effectively whipped ex-national 140-pound titlist Masahiro Suzuki (7-1, 4 KOs), 135, and finally halted him at 0:44 of the ninth round in a scheduled ten on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

Each had an amateur experience as a university student prior to entering the paid ranks. The muscular Utsuki had an upper hand with more accurate combinations that had his rival’s left optic swollen and opened a gash over the right eyebrow in round three. The fourth saw the early starter Shu floor Masahiro with a well-timed left hook, and the latter barely had a narrow escape with his desperate retaliation. The opening scoring after the fifth had Utsuki leading on points: 48-46, 49-45, 50-44.

It was the cool and clever Utsuki that connected with good combos with precision and accelerated his attack en route to the referee’s intervention midway in the ninth. The loser Suzuki, who had dethroned national 140-pound champ Daishi Nagata via tenth round halt last June, recently moved down to campaign in the 135-pound category, but failed to win his second national belt.

The semi-windup also witnessed a confrontation of highly expected unbeaten southpaw prospects with Jinki Maeda (9-0, 4 KOs), 129.25, edging Rentaro Kimura (5-1, 3 KOs), 130, by a split duke (all 76-75; two for Maeda, one for Kimura) over hard-fought speedy eight rounds. Maeda, having won ten Nippon Kempo (a sort of karate) belts, floored Kimura, three-time national high school titlist, with a countering left in the second, which obviously distinguished the winner from the loser. Kimura will deserve a rematch to avenge his hairline defeat.

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions.