Tsutsumi upsets Takuma Inoue, wins WBA 118lb belt

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unheralded compatriot Seiya Tsutsumi (12-0-2, 8 KOs), 117.75, surprisingly captured the WBA bantamweight belt when he upset defending champ Takuma Inoue (20-2, 5 KOs), 118, by winning a unanimous decision (114-113, 115-112, 117-110) over twelve sizzling rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Takuma, the brother of Monster Naoya, might fight on a wrong strategy, forgetting his footwork, rhythm and hand speed. Tsutsumi, from the start, kept outhustling the sluggish champ all the way by frustrating him with his persistently reckless mix-up. The tenth saw Tsutsumi score a knockdown as he had Takuma reeling to the ropes and the referee thought that without the ropes the champ would have been dropped with the effect of Tsutsumi’s shot. It wasn’t Takuma’s night at all.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

(More to come)

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