Ioka Outpoints Fukunaga in All-Japan War, Retains WBO World Super Flyweight Title

 Ioka Outpoints Fukunaga in All-Japan War, Retains WBO World Super Flyweight Title

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

 Tokyo, Japan (December 31st, 2021)– In an all-Japanese titular war on New Year’s Eve 2022, in the main event of a four-bout card at Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, December 31, 2021, Kazuto Iota made his four successful defense of his World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision win over challenger Ryoji Fukunaga.

Ioka, 28-2 with 15 knockouts, age 32, Tokyo, Japan, the only Japanese four-division world champion in professional boxing history, outworked the southpaw Fukunaga, 15-5 with 14 knockouts, Tokyo, Japan. Both fighters made the 115 pounds limit. Fujunaka, the Japanese, OPBF, and WBO Asia Pacific three-area title holder regional super flyweight champion and a worthy challenger, hit hard. However, Ioka flashed a consistent and vicious crisp, fast and sharp left hook to the head and body, and straight rights to the head, while avoiding getting hit for the most part. Ioka did sustain a cut below the right eyelid in round six which did not impact the bout. The last three rounds looked about even, though the scorecards went three different ways.

Fukunaga, age 35, nicknamed “Little Pacquiao” for his physical and style similarity to the legendary Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, came into this bout with eight consecutive bouts against fighters with winning records, and 5-0 against the last five. After losing the previous rounds, Fukunaga appeared to win round nine with straight lefts to the head and body, his best round of the bout.

A scheduled titular unification bout with International Boxing Federation World Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, 33-1-2 with 22 knockouts, Panabo City, Philippines, was cancelled by the Japanese government earlier this month owing to the Coronavirus Pandemic and spread of the Omicron viral variant worldwide. Ancajas will instead defend his world title against 13-0 challenger Fernando Daniel Martinez, the World Boxing Council Silver Super Flyweight champion, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 5, 2022. If Ancajas gets by Martinez, Ioka versus Ancajas could be rescheduled later in 2022, depending on how the Japanese quarantines and travel bans remain in force or not.

Result: Kazuto Ioka Win 12 Ryoji Fukunaga, Super Flyweights

Ioka retains World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight title

Scoring: 118-110, 116-112, 115-113 Ioka.  Referee: Katsuhiko Nakamura.

 Ota-City General Gymnasium Undercard Bout Results in Ota-City, Japan

 Akihiro Kondo Win 8 Aso Ishiwaki, Welterweights. Former IBF super lightweight world title challenger Kondo, age 36, now 33-10-2 with 18 knockouts, Tokyo, Japan. Scoring: 80-72, 80-72, 79-72 for Kondo.

 Seiya Iwamoto TKO 4 Takuya Hirose, Super Featherweights (1:32)

 Hiromu Saito (Pro Debut) Win 4 Go Kitani, Super Flyweights. Scoring: 39-37, 39-37, 39-38 for Saito, Kosigaya, Japan. Opening bout on card.