July 26, 2009
OSAKA, JAPAN
Formerly eight-time amateur champ, 20-year-old Kazuo Ioka (2-0, 2 KOs), 107, stunned the crowd with his quick stoppage of veteran campaigner, JBC#7 minimum Hiroshi Matsumoto (18-11-4, 8 KOs), 106.75, at 2:59 of the second session in a scheduled eight on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.  Kazuto, the nephew of ex-two-class world champ Hiroki Ioka (his current manager), had registered an excellent amateur mark of 95-10, 64 stoppages.  Having failed to represent Japan for the Beijing Olympic Games, he turned professional last April when he finely scored Thai top flyweight contender Thongthailek Por. Vorasing in three rounds.  It may be still too early to predict he will be a real thing, but he looked vastly talented, having dispatched the durable and tough Matsumoto (who once had the current WBA 105-pound ruler Roman Gonzalez go the distance for the first time) so quickly.  His overhand right was the haymaker.
 
WBC#5 light-fly Takashi Kunishige (20-3-2, 2 KOs), 107.5, had a tough time because of his opponent’s tight guard but earned a unanimous decision (79-75, 78-75 and 78-76) over 18-year-old Thailander Rungnirung Sakporton (7-2, 2 KOs), 105, over eight.
Promoter: Ioka Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-26-09)