By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Promising Japanese southpaw Masayuki Fujikake was in a coma following emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain after suffering a tenth round knockout at the hands of Philippine flyweight champion Federico Catubay at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Sunday.

Japanese matchmaker and journalist Joe Koizumi reported that Fujikake was flattened at 0:30 of the tenth round and had to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher and rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

The hard-punching Catubay, who  is ranked No. 3 by the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation moved to 16-9-3 with 11 knockouts.

Catubay lost by a third round TKO  in his bid for the vacant OPBF title against world-rated Hussein Hussein of Australia last February 6.