Katsunari Takayama vs Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr -IBF Minimumweight title, April 22, 2015

The first of those world title bouts came at Minimumweight where IBF champion Katsunari Takayama (29-7-0-1, 11) risked his title against upset minded Thai Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (27-4-1, 15). For many Japanese fans Sakkreerin Jr is best remembered for his previous fight in Osaka, when he stopped former WBA Minimumweight champion Ryo Miyazaki in 3 rounds, in what was a late contender for the 2013 upset of the year. He returned to Osaka with the same mindset, believing he could shock the bigger name and win score a major shock.(more)

Kohei KONO vs Norberto JIMENEZ – WBA super flyweight title, December 31, 2014

WBA super-flyweight champ Kohei Kono (30-8-1, 13 KOs), 115, barely kept his throne as he was held to a split draw by Norberto Jimenez (20-8-4, 10 KOs), 114.5, Dominican Republic, over twelve hard-fought rounds on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Silvestre Abainza saw the sizzling affair 116-111 for Kono, Gustavo Padilla (Panama) had it 115-112 for Jimenez, and Michael Lee (Korea) tallied 114-114. (more)

Juan Carlos Reveco vs Kazuto Ioka – WBA flyweight title, April 22, 2015

In a close and very entertaining bout with a controversial result, Argentina’s Juan Carlos Reveco (35-2, 19 knockouts) lost what appeared to be a home-cooked majority decision at the hands of local superstar Kazuto Ioka (17-1, 10 KOs) in Osaka, Japan. The superbly talented Ioka, a former two-division champion with a stellar amateur career, had a lot of trouble with Reveco’s stalking tactics and his continuous side movements, which he used not only defensively but also to land accurate combinations from all angles. (more)

Takashi Miura vs. Sergio Thompson, WBC Super Featherweight title , August 17, 2013

Miura, defending his WBC Super Featherweight title for the first time had been forced to go to Mexico to face #1 challenger Thompson, a man viewed as a real danger. Thompson, who's best win came via 2nd round TKO over Jorge Linares was a guy with a real reputation as a tough and hard hitting fighter who no one would willingly fight and of course Miura was similar with dynamite power and a Japanese mentality.(more)

Naoya "Monster" Inoue vs. Samartlek Kokietgym, retaining WBC light flyweight title, September 5, 2014

Japanese wonder kid Naoya Inoue became the fastest Japanese champion when he stopped Adrian Hernandez. In his very next fight he became the fastest Japanese fight to defend a title as he retained his WBC Light Flyweight title and stopped Thailand's tough Samartlek Kokietgym. (more)

Naoya "The Monster" Inoue vs Adrian "Big Bang" Hernandez's WBC light flyweight title, April 6, 2014

The fight started with Inoue looking sharp. This didn't look like a 20 year old kid stepping up to the world level for the first time, instead it looked like a fighter fulfilling his destiny and he looked immediately at ease as he and Hernandez both went to work from the off. Although Hernandez did get through, with more than just one or two shots, it was the speed and accuracy of Inoue that seemed to be the telling factor with the Japanese fighter landing some lovely crisp combinations. (more)

Son of former WBC bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi Juiki Tatsuyoshi begins career with a stoppage

It's rare for a debutant to get newspaper headlines and and a lot of attention but that's what Japanese youngster Juiki Tatsuyoshi (1-0, 1) had ahead of his debut, which took earlier today on the under-card of the Shinsuke Yamanaka Vs Diego Santillan fight. Unlike many “big debuts” Tatsuyoshi wasn't a former amateur star, he wasn't someone with a gold medal or a world class pedigree in the unpaid ranks. He was simply the son of a legend, the son of Japanese great Joichiro Tatsuyoshi. (more)

Shinsuke Yamanaka knocks out Diego Santillan retaining WBC bantamweight title

OSAKA,Japan -- Shinsuke Yamanaka knocked out Diego Santillan in the seventh round Thursday to defend his WBC bantamweight title.(more)

Katsunari Takayama vs Go Odaira IBF/WBO Minimumweight title bout, December 31, 2014

OSAKA, JAPAN -- Katsunari Takayama is now a two-time strawweight titlist, the latest coming in a 7th round stoppage of countryman Go Odaira in a rare vacant unification title fight Wednesday evening in Osaka, Japan. The 31-year old was able to rebound well from the punishing demands of his 12-round war with Francisco Rodriguez Jr. earlier this year, a bout that has earned worldwide accolades. His title reign came to an end that night, falling short in their unification match on the road in Mexico, but on a night where both fighters' stock skyrocketed given the savage nature of their fight. Rodriguez Jr. decided the fight was to be his last at strawweight, vacating both titles in the process. Both sanctioning bodies involved (IBF and WBO) agreed to make their titles available for this fight, rather than sanction separate vacant title fights, in the latest of a series of moves suggesting the alphabets are finally trying to do right by the sport. (more)

Ryoichi Taguchi vs Alberto Rossel – WBA Light Flyweight title bout, December 31, 2014 - Full Fight

Lanky and five inches taller, Japan’s Ryoichi Taguchi (21-2-1, 8 KOs), 108, captured the WBA light-flyweight belt as he floored defending champ from Peru, Alberto Rossel (32-9-1NC), 108, twice to win a unanimous decision over twelve heats on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. (more)

Shinsuke Yamanaka VS Suriyan Sor Rungvisai - WBC bantamwight title bout, October 22, 2014

Shinsuke Yamanaka scored three knockdowns en route to a landslide decision over Thailand's Suriyan Sor Rungvisai in their bantamweight title fight Wednesday evening in Tokyo. Sor Rungvisai, a former WBC 115 lb champion who was hoping to claim a world title in a second weight class, made most of the early running continually pressing forwards and looking to sneak straight right hands through the guard of the Japanese southpaw. Yamanaka made a very slow start but it was significant that he landed the most telling shot in the early exchanges, a left hook on the break which seemed to temporarily stop the Thai fighter in his stride in the second stanza. (more)

Takashi Uchiyama vs Israel Perez - WBA super featherweight title bout - Full Fight, December 31, 2014

TOKYO, JAPAN -- The co-author of traditional New Year’s Eve shows in Japan, unbeaten Takashi Uchiyama once again ended a boxing year on a high note. The long-reigning super featherweight titlist returned from a one-year hiatus to win big after Argentina's Israel Perez was unable to come out for round ten of their headliner Wednesday evening at Ota-City General Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan. Uchiyama is widely recognized as the best super featherweight in the world. With that comes responsibility of leading by example. In that regard, the division has been slowed to a crawl in 2014, due to inactivity at the top level. The lone other threat to the crown for most of the year was Mikey Garcia. (more)

Naoya Inoue captures WBO super flyweight title by Knocking out Omar Narvaez, December 31, 2014

Only eight fights into his professional career, Japanese prodigy Naoya Inoue claimed his second world title in eight months on Tuesday as he scored four knockdowns and blew away junior bantamweight titleholder Omar Narvaez in the second round at Metropolitan Gym in Tokyo. The fight headlined a card featuring three world title bouts, and the 21-year-old Inoue (8-0, 7 KOs) stole the show.(more)