Yoshiki Takei Dethrones Jason Maloney as WBO Bantamweight Champion
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 06 May 2024
Yoshiki Takei of Japan has added another illustrious chapter to Japan's dominance of the lower weight divisions by wresting the WBO bantamweight belt from Australian Jason Moloney at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night serving as the co-main event of the Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery undisputed super bantamweight championship. With this victory, Japan now holds all the belts in the bantamweight division, with Junto Nakatani holding the WBC title, Takuma Inoue reigning as the WBA champion, Ryosuke Nishida claiming the IBF belt just last Saturday from Emmanuel Rodriguez in Osaka, and now the undefeated 27-year-old Takei joining their ranks with a 9-0 record.
Takei, a left-handed fighter, steadily built up significant leads on the scorecards by outworking Moloney throughout the bout, showcasing his relentless work rate and precision. However, in the final round, Moloney, leveraging his experience, launched a fierce onslaught against Takei, who found himself in the 12th round for the first time in his young professional career. Despite moments of concern as Moloney pressed forward, Takei managed to weather the storm, displaying admirable resilience to hear the final bell still on his feet.
The judges' scores reflected Takei's dominant performance, with Lou Moret scoring the bout 117-110, Ellis Johnson and Roussel both scoring it 116-111, all in favor of the new WBO bantamweight champion, Yoshiki Takei.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Sims vs. Barboza and Dickens vs. Cacace Headline Doubleheader on DAZN
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 14 Mar 2026Rubilen Amit sustains amazing run of victories at WPBA Pool in New York
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 14 Mar 2026Weights Set in Anaheim: Barboza Jr. and Sims Jr. Ready for Welterweight War; Collazo Defends Titles
Sat, 14 Mar 2026Rising Young Star Yoenis Tellez Takes on Top Contender Brian Mendoza in New Co-Main Event of PBC Pay-per-View Event Available on Prime Video Saturday, March 28
Sat, 14 Mar 2026Five USA Boxers Qualify for Medal Rounds on Day Six of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
Sat, 14 Mar 2026Rubilen Amit off to hot start in her WPBA debut
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 14 Mar 2026Pavel Sosulin stops Victor Nagbe to remain unbeaten at IBA Pro 15 in Saint Petersburg
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Nicaraguan Boxing Commission hold Annual Awards to 2025 winners
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Fri, 13 Mar 2026BARBOZA JR. VS. SIMS JR. FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Skye Nicolson Headlines Huge Matchroom Boxing Homecoming in Melbourne as New Kayo Sports TV Era Begins on April 29
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Five Boxers Advance on Day Five of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Canoy to fight Balidio on March 14 in Matanao
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 13 Mar 2026Weights From ProBoxTV’s ‘Lopez vs. Gallegos’ at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, Tomorrow Night at 8 pm EDT
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Jonny Mansour Takes on William King as One Half of a Double Main Event at Frontwave Arena’s SD Fight Night: Family Business on Saturday, April 18, 2026
Fri, 13 Mar 2026Rising Contender Jalen “Skywalker” Walker Signs with Wise Owl Boxing
Fri, 13 Mar 2026