February 18, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Originally scheduled to participate in an IBF bantamweight eliminator to decide the mandatory challenger against Randy Caballero, IBF#3 and ex-OPBF titlist Ryosuke Iwasa, Japan, pitifully realized his counterpart #5 Sergio Perales, US, became unavailable as he suffered a knee injury in training just two weeks before the greatly publicized event. Iwasa (19-1, 12 KOs), 119.75, squared off against an emergency substitute, Filipino Ricardo Roa (12-10-2, 4 KOs), 119.25, and decked a fine stoppage with sharp southpaw lefts at 2:55 of the second session on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan.
Iwasa, a tall and lanky lefty who had acquired the national high school championship three times with an excellent amateur mark of 60-6, 44 stoppages, tasted only a defeat at the hand of future WBC ruler Shinsuke Yamanaka with the latterfs Japanese 118-pound belt at stake only to be halted in the tenth and final round despite competitive proceedings in March 2011. Since then, Iwasa had been unbeaten in four years, scoring ten victories straight to win the national and OPBF belts to his credit.
Though temporarily dejected by Peralesf unexpected injury and the ill-fated cancellation of the eliminator, Iwasa displayed a good form in whipping the game Filipino southpaw from the outset. The 25-year-old Japanese prospect accelerated his attack, pinned him to the ropes and exploded a southpaw left to drop him in the corner, when the ref Nakamura declared a well-received halt.
Promoter: Celes Kobayashi Promotions.
(2-18-2015)