"Santa" Riku and Sato pick up wins at Korakuen Hall
The main event saw the colourful and charismatic Zirolian Riku (10-3, 9) [高橋陸] take his first decision win, as he out pointed Ikemen Atsushi (7-5-2, 2) [鈴木淳] over 8 rounds in a Super Featherweight bout.
Riku, who came to the ring dressed as Santa, was left cut and and bang up after the bout, with a bloodied nose and a nasty cut on his left eye brow, but was the boss through out the contest. Atsushi had moments, but they were few and far between and he was deducted a point late on for holding.
After the bout Riku stated that he was hoping to fight a domestically ranked fighter in the new year.
Talking about ranked fighters the chief support bout saw Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific ranked Light Flyweights clash in a more competitive contest.
This contest saw exciting youngster Tsuyoshi Sato (10-1-1, 5) [佐藤剛] battle 2-time Japanese challenger Masashi Tada (13-7-3, 8) [多田雅], and take a well earned win.
Sato had been on a roll since winning the 2017 Rookie of the Year, going 4-0 (3) since then and hadn't really lost a round in his last 5 bouts. Here though he was tested and had to bit down as Tada's toughness and experience saw the youngster being asked serious question. This was war, with both taking one to land one, but in the end Sato's youth, work rate and power were the difference, helping him to a unanimous decision win.
This was the test Sato needed before a potential bout in 2020, and we'll be honest we are really looking forward to what he'll do next year.
(Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)