Kawabuchi Upsets Takesako to Win JBC and WBO AP Middleweight Belts

Kazusa Kawabuchi stopped Japanese middleweight champion Kazuto Takesako at 20 seconds of the seventh round in Tokyo on Sunday, winning the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title as well as Takesako’s Japanese belt. The 21-year-old southpaw improved his record to 5-0 with four knockouts, while Takesako fell to 19-4-1 with 15 knockouts.

Kawabuchi set the tone early with a forceful attack that left Takesako’s left eye badly swollen after the opening round. The champion’s vision worsened as the fight progressed, and the referee ended the second title bout of the four-fight event when the eye was almost closed in the seventh.

The challenger was already ahead on the cards after five rounds. Two judges had Kawabuchi in front 48-47, while the third scored the contest 49-46 in his favour. The stoppage therefore came with Kawabuchi holding the advantage before the fight reached the scheduled distance.

The result gave Kawabuchi two middleweight championships in a single victory and ended Takesako’s reign as Japanese champion. It also maintained the unbeaten start to the young boxer’s professional career, with four of his five wins now coming inside the distance.

Kawabuchi weighed 158.75 pounds, the same as Takesako. The new champion is a six-foot fighter and the younger brother of Kazuma Kawabuchi, an unbeaten sumo wrestler who is listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 450 pounds.