## UNBEATEN IOKA WINS JAPANESE 108LB BELT

October 10, 2010

OSAKA, JAPAN

Bright Japanese prospect, unbeaten 21-year-old WBC#7/WBA#9 light-flyweight Kazuto Ioka (6-0, 4 KOs) (left), 108, impressively acquired the vacant Japanese national 108-pound belt as he displayed a scientific way of fighting in hitting without getting hit, floored OPBF/JBC#1 Masayoshi Segawa (19-3, 8 KOs), a durable southpaw, in the third and was finally awarded a TKO win because of the latterfs bad gash caused by a legal shot at 1:57 of the tenth and final round on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.

Ioka, ex-amateur national champ and the nephew of formerly two-time world champ Hiroki Ioka, showed his advantageous speed and skills against the onrushing southpaw, steadily piling up points. The ninth saw Ioka open a nasty cut over the left eyebrow of the game opponent, which became so worse and widened that the referee Kenji Fukuchi wisely declared a halt after his second consultation to the ring physician. The official tallies before the stoppage were: 89-82 twice and 87-83, all for the youngster regarded as a second Tatsuyoshi (the once tremendously popular ex-WBC bantam champ out of Osaka).

After his victory Ioka, now coached by Cuban trainer Ismael Salas, was congratulated by current WBA feather champ Yuriorkis Gamboa who visited Osaka to see another pupil of his entrenador Salas. Ioka is said to have an ambitious shot at the WBC light-fly throne against Omar Nino in this coming December.

Promoter: Ioka Promotions.

(10-10-10)

Back to Oriental Boxing

Go to Top