Nagashima stops Watanabe to retain OPBF crown
OPBF super featherweight champion (No. 5
in WBC and No. 9 in WBA ) Kengo Nagashima defeated No. 7-ranked Yuji Watanabe by a
10th-round TKO to retain the title for the second time February 6, 1999 at Korakuen Hall,
Tokyo.
The southpaw Nagashima started with throwing fast left to the body and head of Watanabe who looked much slower than the champion. In the first two rounds, Nagashima dominated over Watanabe with right-left combination that made Watanabe's nose bleed.
Nagashima's thunderous right hook sent Watanabe to the canvas in the 3rd. But Watanabe gallantly struck back after he stood up from the knock down and his right hand floored Nagashima.
After the exciting round, Nagashima seemed to be restraining his attack by keeping the distance, but constantly got in right hook and left to the face of Watanabe. Watanabe had difficulty in protecting himself from the champion's faster hands.
An accidental head butt made both boxers bleed in the 4th. Nagashima got his head cut and Watanabe got his left eye injured.
Although Nagashima could not put his punches together, Watanabe had lost his stamina to throw effective punches in the later rounds.
In the 9th, Nagashima caught Watanabe
against the rope by throwing a barrage of combinations. Finally, the referee stopped the
fight at the moment that the badly hurt challenger became defenseless after Nagashima hit
him hard with a left to the body in the 10th.
In the interview after the bout, Nagashima said that it was a harder fight than he had expected because Watanabe was an experienced boxer who had challenged world title twice.
Nagashima has been rising as one of the prospects to be a world champion since he has beaten a series of tough Japanese opponents who had challenged world titles.
Nagashima improved his record to 13-1-1 (9). Watanabe fell to 21-4 (20).