By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Hard hitting Rocky Fuentes (27-6-2, 17 KO’s), battered Japanese mandatory challenger Yasuto Aritomi with vicious body shots that made the Japanese wilt and quit at the towards the end of the 8th round at the International Convention Center in Nagoya, Japan Sunday.
Aritomi quit 2:13 of the round according to boxrec.com although an excited ALA Promotions patron Tony Aldeguer first informed the Inquirer it was the end of the round.
Aldeguer told the Inquirer that the 24 year old Fuentes ripped Aritomi with devastatibng body shots which was the fight plan and it worked. With the loss the 30 year old Aritomi dropped to 17-2-2, 8 KO’s.
Aritomi had previously fought then champion Masafumi Okubo to a 3rd round technical draw on August 16, 2008. Okubo subsequently lost the title by a twelve round majority decision to Fuentes on March 9 this year.
Fuentes engaged Shigetaka Ikehara in a veritable war in his first title defense last June 5 which he won by an 11th round TKO when the Japanese challenger said he had had enough and which the Japanese media claimed could be the local “Fight of the Year.”
Stable-mate Marjun Yap (13-3, 7 KO’s) was unlucky to drop a questionable decision to Hiromasha Ohashi (22-9-3, 15 KO’s) who walked to the corner of Yap after the fight and told him “you won.”
The promising Yap has won his last six fights after dropping back-to-back close decisions to Carlos Magale gave his best against the former OPBF champion Ohashi who won the super bantamweight title with a 7th round knockout of Filipino Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas on Jun 21, 2009 but lost the title to Akifumi Shimoda on March 28, 2010 by a unanimous twelve round decision.