By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Japanese national light-flyweight champ WBO#9　Tetsuya Hisada (29-9-2, 17 KOs), 108, scored his first defense when he chalked up a fine TKO victory over formerly world challenger Atsushi Kakutani (19-6-1, 12 KOs), 107.5, at 2:54 of the eighth round on Friday in Osaka, Japan. Having acquired the vacant belt by defeating Kenichi Horikawa on points this April, Hisada had a tough time coping with the taller jabber in the first half, after which the open scoring system showed the challenger was leading: 49-46, 49-47 for Kakutani, 48-47 for Hisada.

The champ accelerated his attack from the sixth on, battering the bread basket of the taller opponent to have him retreating and slowing down. The seventh saw the champ connect with a vicious left hook to the face, dropping Kakutani to the deck. Hisada, in round eight, brought him to a standstill with a barrage of punches, when the ref declared a well-timed halt to save the loser. Kakutani had an ambitious crack at the WBC 108-pound belt against Adrian Confesor Hernandez in Mexico city in 2013, when he decked the champ in the first round but was demolished in the fourth session. Hisada showed his resilience and relentless attack in the fatal canto.