KOKI INOUE STOPS JHERITZ CHAVEZ IN SEVEN, WINS WBO ASIAPAC TITLE
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Dec 2019
TOKYO – Undefeated Japanese super lightweight prospect Koki Inoue knocked out Jheritz Chavez of the Philippines in the seventh round at the famed Korakuen Hall here Monday night to capture the WBO Asia-Pacific super lightweight belt in front of his cheering countrymen.
The 27-year-old Inoue (15-0-0, 12KOs) used his superior boxing skill to dominate Chavez (9-4-2, 7KOs) as long as the fight lasted. Chavez, 28, the reigning Philippine super lightweight champion, tried to pressure the lefty Inoue by going forward and timed him with his looping lefts and right straights but the Yokohama based Japanese deftly dodged Chavez's bullets and in return regularly connected with his own sharp right jabs and left counters.
Koki Inoue (L) neutralizes Jheritt Chavez's pressure.
Chavez (R) works on the body of Inoue.
In the 6th round Chavez, who continued to stalk Inoue, changed tactic by targeting Inoue's body where a right that hit its target appeared to hurt the Japanese. Chavez however failed to follow up as Inoue expertly boxed his way out of danger. In the fateful 7th round, Chavez again connected with a body shot that emboldened him to continue his attack inside but he got clipped by Inoue with a wicked left uppercut to the chin that sent Chavez sprawled to the canvas that abruptly ended the contest.
Inoue was ahead on all the judges scorecards after the 6th round, 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56. WBO vice president for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo Jr supervised the contest.
Inoue flattens Chavez.
Inoue receives the WBO belt from WBO Vice-President for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo Jr. (R).
By winning the WBO Asia-Pacific title, Inoue will put himself in world rankings where Top Rank's Jose Ramirez holds the unified WBO/WBC belt.
In the featured undercard, undefeated Japanese Taku Kuwahara (7-0-0, 4KOs) cruised to a wide unanimous decision victory over Filipino Ricardo Sueno (10-4-4, 3KOs) in their 8-round flyweight bout with scores of 80-71, 80-71 and 79-72.
The featured WBO regional title fight coincides with the ongoing 32nd WBO Convention which will formally open tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Tokyo Dome Hotel. Another WBO regional title fight between WBO Asia-Pacific super featherweight champion Joe Noynay of the Philippines and his Japanese challenger Kenichi Ogawa is slated on Saturday, Dec. 6, also at the Korakuen Hall which is part of the Tokyo Dome City entertainment complex.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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