Ryota Murata beats Hassan N'Dam in rematch to claim WBA middleweight world title

Oct 23 (Japan Times) - Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata has obtained another shining treasure.

Five months after he lost in a controversial split decision, the 31-year-old Murata gave a dominant performance in a rematch against champion Hassan N'Dam and captured the WBA middleweight title at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sunday.

Murata (13-1, nine KOs) became the first-ever Japanese Olympic gold medalist to win a professional world championship. He is the first Japanese boxer to win a world title in that weight division since former WBA champ Shinji Takehara, who won the same title in 1995.

N'Dam, a Cameroon-born Frenchman, failed to defend the title that he earned in his first match against Murata.

Murata was extremely cautious and threw only a few punches in the first round of the May fight. But he began the rematch in a different fashion. He was in more of an attacking mode this time and fired more blows from the opening round.

Murata got into his stride from the third round. He landed heavy, effective body shots - the type which earned him the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 - and began weakening N'Dam.

Osaka Police End 14-Hour Siege

Police in Osaka arrested a 48-year-old man on October 22nd after a tense 14-hour standoff in which he allegedly held a woman at knifepoint inside an apartment. A special tactical unit forced entry into the residence late at night, ending the standoff without injuries.

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

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