Sports

Tenshin Nasukawa Achieves TKO Victory in First Match Against World-Ranked Boxer

OSAKA, Jan 24 (News On Japan) - Professional boxer Tenshin Nasukawa achieved his first technical knockout victory in a boxing match against world-ranked Luis Robles of Mexico on Tuesday night in Osaka.

Nasukawa, who had a record of 47 wins in kickboxing and other martial arts, switched to boxing last year and had won his first two bouts by decision. He faced Mexico's Luis Robles, who was ranked 14th in both the WBA (World Boxing Association) and WBO (World Boxing Organization) bantamweight divisions, in an 8-round fight. Nasukawa took control of the fight from the second round, landing a combination of right jabs followed by left body shots. The match ended when Robles could not stand up from his corner after injuring his right ankle, and the victory was declared a technical knockout, Nasukawa's first since his boxing debut.

Meanwhile, Ken Shiro, the unified light flyweight champion, faced Venezuela's Carlos Canizales, ranked number one by the WBA. The fight saw both boxers exchanging knockdowns in the early rounds and continued with intense exchanges, with Ken Shiro focusing on body shots while Canizales trapped him against the ropes to land a series of punches. In the end, Ken Shiro won by a 2-0 decision, successfully defending his unified title for the third time.

Additionally, Yuri Akui, ranked number one by the WBA in the flyweight division, became the new world champion by defeating Ukraine's Artem Dalakian with a 3-0 decision in his first world title challenge.

After the match, Nasukawa, who was visibly incredulous as his opponent did not rise from the corner after the bell, repeated "seriously?" several times in the ring. In a post-fight interview, he expressed confidence in his strength and asked for continued support. Nasukawa, who fought at a weight between the super bantamweight and bantamweight classes he debuted in, mentioned his realization that he could compete in the lower bantamweight division, stating, "There are many strong fighters in Japan, but I am aiming for the world."

Ken Shiro reflected on his fight, acknowledging the strength and desperation of Canizales and admitting that he was unable to box as he had planned, but he felt relieved and ready to start over.

New world champion Yuri Akui expressed his respect for Dalakian, both as a formidable opponent and a person, and dedicated his victory to his gym in Okayama, marking it as the first champion from his gym and considering the belt a collective achievement.

by Brian Dentry

Source: NHK

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