By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Unbeaten Japanese prospect WBA#15 light fly Kanamu Sakama (9-0, 8 KOs), 108.75, withstood opening attacks of Filipino hard-puncher John Paul Gabunilas (10-3, 7 KOs), 107.25, and finally halted him with the referee’s intervention at 2:35 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight beneath the Inoue-Tapales undisputed unification bout on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. Gabunilas came back from a shocking first round defeat by Miel Fajardo in an OPBF title bout for the vacant 108-pound belt this August, but couldn’t deck his first appearance here in Japan.
Ohashi Promotions.
_