September 27, 2015
OSAKA, JAPAN
IBF minimum titlist Katsunari Takayama (30-7-0-1NC, 12 KOs), 104.75, impressively retained his belt when he battered ex-OPBF champ Ryuji Hara (19-2, 11 KOs), 105, from all angles and finally halted him at 1:20 of the eighth round on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. The fast-moving and busy-punching Japanese champ started fireworks from the outset as usual, but the compatriot Hara, formerly a jockey aspirant at 25, almost turned the tide as he connected with solid shots to the face and the belly in the second and third. Takayama, 32, began streaming red ribbon from a gash under the left eyebrow caused by an accidental butt in the third, and it kept bleeding until the end of the contest. The pugnacious champ, making his second defense, took back the initiative from the fourth on, whipping the suddenly fading challenger upstairs and downstairs. Takayama accelerated his non-stop rallies, often pinning Hara to the ropes with a flurry of punches. He had the less aggressive foe in trouble in the seventh, and swarmed over him with a furious two-fisted attack in the fatal eighth. The referee Wayne Hedgpetch from US made a well-timed and well-received halt to save the helplessly groggy loser midway in round eight. Prior to the stoppage, all the judges had Takayama leading on points?Takeshi Shimakara 68-64, Takeo Harada 69-64, Katsuhiko Nakamura 68-65. It was a more lopsided affair than expected due to the energetic champfs speed and stamina.
Promoter: Ioka Promotions.
IBF supervisor: Fritz Gaston (Philippines).
(9-27-2015)