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:
July 4: Albert Bell Steps In to Challenge Abdullah Mason in All-Ohio WBO Lightweight World Title Showdown at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center LIVE on TNT and DAZN
Fri, 26 Jun 2026Zamboanga relinquishes her ONE Women’s title
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 26 Jun 2026Top-ranked Charly Suarez facing Manuel Avila, plus two more fights added to July 18 ProBoxTV event
Fri, 26 Jun 2026Yanon fights Kaji in Tokyo on July 4
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 26 Jun 2026Preparations underway for 2026 IBA men’s divisional continental championships
Fri, 26 Jun 2026Highland Boxing Promotions Presents "Warrior Showdown" in Bangkok on June 27
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 25 Jun 2026Usyk reportedly considering retirement but could face Kabayel before the year ends
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 25 Jun 2026Luke Littler and Ben Whittaker join forces as Matchroom Sport takes over New York City
Thu, 25 Jun 2026IOC Announces $10,000 'Fit for the Future' Grant for All Qualifying Olympians, Including Boxers
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 25 Jun 2026Boxers did it first: IBA President welcomes IOC’s decision on allocating funds among athletes
Thu, 25 Jun 2026PH national now ready for Asia-Oceania Sambo
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 25 Jun 2026UFC TITLE CHALLENGER IAN MACHADO GARRY JOINS MATCHROOM TALENT AGENCY AS EDDIE HEARN LAUDS 'SUPERSTAR' SIGNING
Thu, 25 Jun 2026Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: The Fathers in the boxing world
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Wed, 24 Jun 2026Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan arrive for Asia & Oceania Sambo Tournament
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 24 Jun 2026Mexican Hall of Fame Legend Carlos Zarate undergoes surgery in Mexico
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 24 Jun 2026