By Hisao Adachi
At Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, with a capacity of just over two thousand spectators, the Teiken Boxing Gym put on a card which was televised on Tokyo TV as the 491st edition of Dynaic Glove. Dynamic Glove is the program for the transmission of more traditional boxing in Japan. About 1500 fans saw a total of seven fights.
In the first fight of the, Takashi Sakamoto, 29-years-old, made his debut in professional boxing in a fight for 4 rounds under the management of Teiken Boxing Gym in Tokyo, and won by split decision against Kosuke Otak after surviving a knockdown in the first round. Takashi Sakamoto currently has his own office as a lawyer in Tokyo.
In the semi-final, 10 rounds at welterweight, undefeated prospect #13 WBA, Yoshihiro "Professor" Kamegai (18-0, 16KOs, 28 years old and Teiken Boxing Gym) won by KO as expected to 2:05 seconds into the second round over Filipino Joel Dela Cruz (12-11-1/6KOs), who was champion of the Philippines at super featherweight in 2007.
It was a fight that went to the might of Kamegai, who honed his boxing by boasting a victory with only one hit, a left hook to the abdominal region of his opponent, who received a ten count after going down.
In the 10-round main event for the Japanese title at flyweight, lefty #3 WBC and # 3 WBA, Toshiyuki Igarashi (14-1-1, 10KOs, 27 years old and Teiken Boxing Gym in Tokyo) scored a win by technical decision with a majoirty decision in the eighth round (76-76, 78-77, 78-77) over former Japanese champion and former world ranked Kenji Yoshida (17-10-1,5KOs, 34 years old and Watanabe Boxing Gym in Tokyo).
In the eighth round, the challenger Kenji Yoshida suffered a cut to his forehead which was bleeding profusely from a clash of heads. Yoshida's wound was dangerous, and he was unable to continue the fight. Thus, the fight came to an end at 1:14 seconds of the eighth round.
It was a bloody fight in which the Igarashi scored a victory with great difficulty. Only in the first round, Igarashi was able to do well in the ring with his boxing and speed. But the tone of the fight change sharply in the second round when Igarashi suffered a cut in the region above the right eye from an accidental head butt. Igarashi was forced to change his strategy and opted to exchange blows at close range.
After the match, Igarashi said that "Kenji Yoshida's style was annoying for me, but we managed to win. It was great experience for me. Kenji Yoshida was a very difficult rival with a lot of substance."
Igarashi now has 7 wins in a row since suffering his first and only professional boxing defeat by way of a unanimous decision to Tomonobu Shimizu in December 2008.