Shokichi Iwata was retroactively awarded a knockout over the boxing artist formerly known as Knockout CP Freshmart.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) changed the verdict of the two-time 108lbs titlist’s March 15 victory over Thammanoon Niyomtrong to a technical knockout from the original technical decision win. An investigation was conducted upon request from the WBC, whose junior flyweight title was held at the time by Niyomtrong.
The final ruling was that a cut over Niyomtrong’s left eye was caused by a punch rather than a head clash in their title fight in Yokohama, Japan.
The in-ring ruling determined that a headbutt occurred early in the fight, which left Thailand’s Niyomtrong – better known to the prior generation as Knockout CP Freshmart – with a deep cut over his left eye. The fight trickled into the eighth round before it was determined that the visiting two-division titleholder was no longer in position to continue.
Tokyo’s Iwata was well ahead on the scorecards (79-73, 79-73, 78-74) when the contest was halted midway through the 8th round. Per WBC rules, partial rounds are scored when a sanctioned fight is stopped due to an accidental foul.
It proved to be a moot point upon further review.
“Following a formal petition issued by the WBC on March 19, the JBC initiated a comprehensive investigation as there was clear video evidence from the Shokichi Iwata vs champion Knockout CP Freshmart (Thammanoon Niyomtrong),” the sanctioning body stated in a ruling obtained by BoxingScene. “The final investigation report—signed by JBC Executive Secretary Tsuyoshi Yasukochi and endorsed by a panel of seven officials and specialists—details the following findings:
· Video Analysis: After a meticulous frame-by-frame review, it was determined that the cut above Knockout CP Freshmart’s left eye was caused by a legal right hook landed by Iwata at approximately the 0:55 mark of the fourth round.
· Absence of Headbutt: The investigation concluded that no headbutt contributed to the injury; rather, the wound was the direct result of a legal and effective punch.
· Rectification of the Result: Because the fight stoppage in the eighth round was a direct consequence of the injury caused by a legal blow, the JBC has ruled it appropriate to amend the official result from a Technical Decision (TD) to a Technical Knockout (TKO) in favor of Shokichi Iwata.
“This outcome reaffirms the critical importance of technology in modern officiating. The WBC celebrates the Japan Boxing Commission’s commitment to the active implementation of Instant Replay, a tool the WBC has championed globally to ensure fairness and transparency in the ring.”
The relevance is that Iwata, 16-2 (13 KOs) can now claim to have scored stoppages in his past seven wins.
The streak is interrupted only by his stunning unanimous decision defeat to Rene Santiago last March 13 in Tokyo, which ended his brief WBO 108lbs title stay. Iwata scored five consecutive stoppage victories, including a 3rd round knockout of unbeaten Jairo Noriega in their October 2024 vacant WBO junior flyweight title fight.
Following the defeat to Santiago, Iwata halted Edwin Cano after seven rounds last October 4 and has now earned a stoppage over Niyomtrong, 29-2 (11 KOs), whose WBC 108lbs title reign ended after just three months.
Niyomtrong was awarded the vacant title in a 12-round, unanimous decision over Junior Zarate last December 4 in Bangkok, Thailand. The former long-reigning WBA strawweight title claimant was originally due to challenge then-WBC 108lbs titlist Carlos Canizales, who was unable to make the trip from his native Venezuela due to his nation’s conflict with the U.S.
The win over Zarate saw Niyomtrong become a two-division titleholder, just 13 months after his one-sided, seventh-round knockout defeat to Oscar Collazo in their November 2024 WBA-WBO 105lbs unification bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, Iwata was ordered to next face Mexico’s Erik Badillo, 19-0 (8 KOs), in a mandatory title defense.
