By Mark Vester
In Kobe, Japan, WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa stopped Alvaro Perez in the fourth round to retain his title. Two left hands put Perez down and the fight was stopped at 2:38 of the round. Perez was able to stun the champion in the second but couldn't recover after getting in trouble in the fourth.
The Japanese champion was happy with his performance and was ready for a much longer fight. It marked his fifth knockout win in a row.
"I was ready to fight the 12 rounds because many people have complained that my bouts finish too quickly. I don't think they will this time," said Hasegawa to AFP. "It's been the 10th year since I turned professional and this is my 10th defence of the title. Everybody expects me to do well, so I tried not to feel pressure.
"It was not my tactics to get a knock-out. I just tried to fight my boxing and go for it when I had a chance. He has a strong punch. Although I won by a KO today, it was a tough fight."
The champion's record went to 28-2, 12 KOs, and the challenger dropped to 18-2, 12KOs.
