A battered and bloodied Seiya Tsutsumi (9-0-2, 7 KOs) scored four knockdowns on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision in the co-main event to the undisputed super-bantamweight championship contest between Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales in Tokyo, Japan.
Tsutsumi fought most of the contest with a severe cut on his left eye in a flowing contest against Kazuki Anaguchi (6-0, 2KOs).
The fighters had contrasting styles. Anaguchi began the bout standing his ground as Tsutsumi regularly ventured inside, allowing him to counter Tsutsumi with straight left hands. The second frame saw Tsutsumi attempt the same tactic, which allowed Anaguchi to repeat similar success, with a highlight uppercut snapping Tsutsumi’s head back at the halfway point of the round.
Tsutsumi was cut above his left eye in the early moments of the third as they traded in the centre of the ring. Tsutsumi was guilty of jumping into the action and Anaguchi used Tsutsumi’s aggression against him.
It seemed as though the fourth would be a repeat of the previous round until the dying embers of the session. Tsutsumi landed a chopping left hook and followed up with a three-punch combination to send Anaguchi down to the canvas. Anaguchi climbed back to his feet but he was on unsteady legs.
They met head-on and traded on the inside. Tsutsumi enjoyed the better of it, with a double left uppercut that stopped Anaguchi in his tracks. Anaguchi himself would find space at the end of the round to deliver a ramrod left hand, which was followed by a four-punch combination to send Tsutsumi back to his corner.
Anaguchi returned to boxing at range after a rough and ready fifth round, using his jab to keep Tsutsumi at bay, following up with varying left hands, which damaged Tsutsumi’s already cut eye.
Tsustumi scored a heavy knockdown in round seven courtesy of a right hand while Anaguchi’s defences were exposed. Tsutsumi pushed the action as Anaguchi returned to his feet but Anaguchi was growing more tired with every blow, although he finished the round by finding the distance to counter Tsutsumi.
The eighth saw Anaguchi boxing at a more comfortable pace and he was able to keep Tsutsumi off for most of the round. In the ninth, Tsutsumi scored a third knockdown from another right hand as Amaguchi neglected his hand positioning defensively before the action heated back up – with fighting in close quarters as they exchanged bodyshots and uppercuts.
Tsutsumi scored the fourth and final knockdown in the 10th as Anaguchi seemed set to finish a strong round and keep a bloodied Tsutsumi at a distance. However, fatigue plagued a part and Tsutsumi was able to land an unanswered four-punch combination that sent Amaguchi to the canvas for a fourth time with only 10 seconds remaining of the final round.
Andy Hiaroka (22-0, 17KOs) broke a 377-day inactivity spell with a fifth-round stoppage of Sebastian Diaz Maldonado (18-6-1,13KOs) in a welterweight contest. Hiaroka scored a knockdown of Maldonado from a right jab in the opening 90 seconds of the first session.
Maldonado struggled to find a way to be effective to negate the reach and height disadvantage throughout the contest; however, in round three, he was able to land cuffing hook combinations when he was able to push Hiaroka back towards the ropes.
The beginning of the fifth of a scheduled eight saw Maldonado sustain a low blow from Hiaroka and he was given time to recover. Maldonado swiftly resumed the action and would ultimately become unstuck by Hiaroka, who pressed Maldonado back towards the ropes. Hiaroka rattled several fast-handed hooks and straights despite Maldonado blocking and negating the punches. Referee John Hachisuka prematurely halted the contest after 1:52 of the fifth.
Yoshiki Takei (7-0, 7KOs) continued his unbeaten start to life as a professional and knockout streak with a second-round knockout out of Mario Diaz Maldonado (21-6, 9KOs). Takei landed a liver-shot on his Mexican opponent.
