Filipino Raquinel Knocks Out Kosaka to Retain OPBF Flyweight Belt Sunday in Wakayama, Japan
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 27 May 2018
Second success for Raquinel in Japan. Unbeaten 21 year-old Filipino Jayr Raquinel (10-0-1, 7 KO's) of Highland Boxing Gym landed a perfectly-timed left hook to the jaw of Japanese challenger Shun Kosaka to knock him out during the rough action of round four to retain his OPBF Flyweight Title Sunday (May 27) in Big Wave, Wakayama, Japan, 80 Km southwest of Osaka.
From the get-go the Filipino southpaw made excellent use of his superior boxing skills, speed and punching-power to land incisively on the brave Japanese Shun Kosaka (15-4, 4 KO's) in the receiving end.
The crushing left-hook that rocked down Shun Kosaka made the Japanese land on the canvas flat on his back, visibly hurt.
At the 7 second-mark, the groggy 23 year-old warrior from Kobe, Japan, tried with a huge effort to get back on his feet. But the 10-second count delivered the experienced JBC referee came-in first, and the fight was over, an effective KO for the Pinoy Jayr Raquinel who scores his second consecutive knock out victory in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The win was Raquinel's first defense of the OPBF-112 belt that he claimed by knocking out in nine rounds Keisuke Nakayama last March in Tokyo; and is now likely that the young OPBF Flyweight champion might break into the WBC's 15 best 112-pounders.
Raquinel was guided in his win in Japan by veteran coach Alan Alegria and by his managers former Filipino GAB boxing commissioner Juan Ramon Guanzon of Bacolod and promoter Brico Santig of Highland Boxing.
The fight card today Sunday (May 27) in Big Wave, Wakayama, Japan, was a production of veteran boxing outfit Wakayama Kuratoki Promotions.
The author Carlos Costa of Panama is a boxing judge and fight reporter based in Cebu, Philippines. Carlos can be reached by email: Carlos512@hotmail.com and Whatsapp +639184538152.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
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