By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBO#13 junior flyweight, Filipino hard-puncher Vince Paras (20-2-1, 15 KOs), 111.75, narrowly eked out a split decision (78-74, 77-75, but 75-77 against him) over ex-world challenger Kai Ishizawa (11-3, 10 KOs), 112, in eight close rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Both were hard-punchers with high KO percentage, but they each kept throwing punches to the air and it eventually became a close affair with their less precision.

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