By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
An OPBF title twinbill took place on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan, and we saw both defending champions successfully keep their belts after hard-fought battles. OPBF super-bantam titlist Hidenori Otake (29-2-3, 13 KOs), a shaven skulled Japanese veteran, 121.75, retained his throne as he displayed his great durability and abundant stamina in finally finishing Kinshiro Usui (27-6, 11 KOs), 122, with persistent body bombardments at 3:04 of the tenth round.
Having failed to win the WBA 122-pound belt from Scott Quigg via nearly lopsided decision in Liverpool in 2014, Otake scored six wins straight since and acquired the vacant OPBF belt by beating Filipino Jelbirt Gomera this March. Otake withstood Usui’s sharper lefts in earlier rounds, fought back patiently and had him gradually slowing down with continual combinations downstairs. Usui, a year his senior at 37, knelt down with the champ’s tenacious assault with the towel fluttering from the corner. A towel-tossing during the ref’s counting has the result registered as a knockout here in Japan. Continue reading “Otake, Dacquel keep OPBF belts”