Kosei Tanaka is also good technically and has great punch selection. Share on Pinterest. THE ROLLOUT KAZUTO IOKA’S STANDOUT VICTORY, AND WHAT HE WANTS NEXT. “His latest victory over Kosei Tanaka fully demonstrated his highly technical offensive and defensive potential in averting Tanaka’s furious opening attacks and beautifully connecting with counters. Mar. WBA light-flyweight champ Kazuto Ioka, an unbeaten 24-year-old Japanese youngster, became a two-class world champ last December, and is one of the best boxers here along with WBA super-feather champ Takashi Uchiyama and WBC bantam kingpin Shinsuke Yamanaka in Japan where we currently possess nine male … Join our newsletter to get info about latest events and deals! 1 rated and respected fighter in the 115-pound division. On the final day of 2020, Kazuto Ioka scored a thrilling career-best win over previously unbeaten compatriot Kosei Tanaka at the Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo. I always had a great visualization of the fight I would have. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Telegram. “The surprise I got after the match was that my performance was so well received overseas with the boxing world,” he said proudly. Kazuto Ioka est un boxeur japonais né le 24 mars 1989 à Sakai.. Carrière. Location: Ota Ward General … But Ioka is a fantastic fighter, has been hugely successful in his pro career, and I know maybe this sounds wild because he hasn’t been a big-time star, but he already has his argument for the Hall of Fame. 10. Share on Twitter. Photos Sumio Yamada. Part of that is he’s mostly fought in Japan and time zones and lack of availability for live viewing keep the American media at bay for the most part — including us, this is no shot at anyone else — but with that sort of thing expanding more and becoming more widely available, future Japanese fighters are likely going to enjoy the admiration he sometimes has not. “Kazuto Ioka is an excellent sharpshooter who may be called a Japanese version of Miguel Canto, but with stronger counterpunching ability than him,” said the 2008 International Boxing Hall of Fame entrant. During his formative years, he was given an excellent grounding in the sport by acclaimed Cuban trainer Ismael Salas. It seemed for a bit that maybe Higa just doesn’t have the power at 118 that he had at 112 — and he probably doesn’t have 100 percent of it — but he can definitely crack still. He doesn’t do anything fancy, but he is very disciplined with his attack. WBO super-flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka put a stop to the unblemished professional record of Kosei Tanaka (15-1 9 … Jake Paul made quick work of Ben Askren tonight at Triller Fight Club. However, during his championship tenure, the Japanese star became disillusioned and stepped away from boxing for 17 months. “My ultimate goal is to become the unified champion of the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF in the 115 division,” he said. Ioka vs Tanaka results: Kazuto Ioka stops Kosei Tanaka in eighth round, retains WBO title New, 26 comments In a terrific New Year’s Eve fight, Kazuto Ioka handed Kosei Tanaka his first pro loss. Ioka (26-2, 15 KO) became Japan’s first-ever four-division titlist when he won the then-vacant WBO junior bantamweight belt in 2019, beating Aston Palicte six months after a controversial loss for the same belt against Donnie Nietes in Macau. If I could beat him, then naturally, I would be the No. . Kazuto Ioka gives Chocolatito Gonzalez slight edge in Estrada rematch . He would then unify with WBA counterpart Akira Yaegashi before moving up to junior flyweight, again following in his uncle’s footsteps by adding the WBA title to his collection. Kazuto Ioka TKO’s Kosei Tanaka In Eight Rounds To Retain WBO World Junior Bantamweight Title In a battle of Japanese boxing superstars, Kazuto Ioka (26-2, 15 KOs) stopped three-division world champion Kosei Tanaka (15-1, 9 KOs) in eight rounds to retain the WBO World Junior Bantamweight title for … Kazuto Ioka vs Kosei Tanaka – Big Fight Preview & Predictions. Go for it and give yourself 25 Boxing Hipster points while you’re at it! December 31, 2020 6:47 PM 2 min read. The 22-year-old American’s […] or Subscribe. I have both these guys in my top 20 P4P! Twitter. by Anson Wainwright. On the last day of last year, super-flyweight Kazuto Ioka delivered a near-perfect defense of his title, dismantling Kosei Tanaka over eight excellent rounds at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Japan. “I would like to show that I am the strongest and best fighter in the junior bantamweight division. Like Ioka, Tanaka had already won belts at 105, 108, and 112 coming into this bout, and was hoping to add a fourth division to his record, but it was not to be. In a terrific New Year’s Eve fight, Kazuto Ioka handed Kosei Tanaka his first pro loss. It was the money punch for him for four rounds and it ended things in a hell of a KO. Click here to watch live. He would join Leo Gamez, Roman Gonzalez and Nietes as the only men to hold world championships in boxing’s four lowest weight classes. A challenging 2020 had time for one more thrilling world championship fight on Japan's traditional Dec. 31 card. Ioka was born into a boxing family. Ioka believes that Estrada beat Roman Gonzalez in their hotly contested unification on March 13 and, surprisingly, he wasn’t impressed with either man’s performance. It was the right decision; Tanaka was out on his feet and the referee was holding him up. Photo by Naoki Fukuda. Ioka keeps a high guard, and his straight right hand has put away quite a few and hurt many more. Photo by TLAROCK 28. On Buzzlearn.com, Kazuto is listed as a successful Boxer who was born in the year of 1989.He is also ranked in the richest person list from Japan. Kosei Tanaka takes on Kazuto Ioka for the WBO 115-pound title on New Year’s Eve in a mouthwatering all-Japanese matchup. Tanaka will be back. . Tanaka fought really hard in the seventh to try and slow Ioka’s momentum, but he was blasted yet again with a counter left hook midway into the eighth round, and referee Michiaki Someya caught Tanaka before he could fall, calling an end to the fight. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges had Ioka ahead by scores of 69-62, 68-63 and 68-63. I thought I could’ve brought a more exciting match with either of them.”. I was so pleased to see Kazuto Ioka make the Ring’s p4p I want to express my support. Share on Pinterest. HITS and MISSES: Ryan Garcia, Kazuto Ioka and More Boxing shut down for the Christmas holidays, but the sweet science got back to business as usual right when the new year came along. Kazuto Ioka (26-2, 15 KOs) should be basking in glory following his stunning eighth-round TKO win over Kosei Tanaka (15-1, 9 KOs) to retain the WBO Junior Bantamweight title on December 31, 2020.However, it seems that in the days following his greatest victory as a pro, Ioka … So, in that sense, I’m glad I was able to fight in this match. IOKA is the reigning, defending Champion. Big-time win Ioka retains 115-pound title. Higa (17-1-1, 17 KO) is a former WBC flyweight titlist who missed weight and then lost his belt via stoppage to Cristofer Rosales in 2018, and last time out in October, he struggled through a 10-round draw against Seiya Tsutsumi. December 30, 2013 TOKYO, JAPAN. Junior bantamweight Kazuto Ioka and flyweight Kosei Tanaka each retained his world title on Tuesday at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. Ioka (25-2) puts his belt on the … There wasn’t much to react to, but there was a little. After four defenses, he abdicated his throne and moved up to flyweight. Getty Images. But Kobayashi, 29, was a tough dude, and took a lot of big shots, notably clean right uppercuts. 1 rated and respected fighter [at 115 pounds].”. “I never took him lightly, but I never thought it was difficult to beat him,” Ioka (26-2, 15 knockouts) told The Ring through his international manager, Taku Nagashima. The fight card kicks off at 3 a.m. Share on Twitter. Kazuto Ioka halts Kosei Tanaka to retain WBO super-flyweight title . Then, when I became a four-division champion, it was a surprise to the whole family.”. 74.8k Followers, 148 Following, 250 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 井岡一翔 (@kazuto_ioka_official) Watch Boxing Live & On-Demand on Kayo. “Estrada’s reputation and respect level is the highest in our division. Ioka vs. Tanaka: Tale of the tape. Tanaka wanted to be the aggressor, and he had success with that, but Ioka stayed calm, worked off of a good jab, and was also working hard to counter and time Tanaka, particularly with left hooks. But the big stuff was mostly from Higa, the stuff that was doing clear damage, and he finished things with a double right uppercut. ET. Time will tell, this was the first time in a few fights that he looked like the pre-Rosales version of Higa. © 2021 RING TV LIVE. He previously the unified WBA and WBC mini-flyweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title between 2012 and 2014, and the WBA flyweight title between 2015 and 2017. After the bout, Tanaka congratulated Ioka, showing great respect for the titleholder, and received a deserved applause from the crowd. Kazuto Ioka vows to derail Kosei Tanaka in superfight, targets Chocolatito, Estrada and Sor Rungvisai . Photo by Naoki Fukuda. Ioka kept on the pressure to start round 6. He is so motivated to go and fight in the U.S. or anywhere else.”. By Lewis Watson Dec 14, 2020, 4:36pm EST Share this story My reason is that he is the No. Kazuto Ioka. Will he be a serious contender at bantamweight? Ioka, who is rated No. 1 wish is to fight The Ring, WBA and WBC champion Juan Francisco Estrada. The fight with Nietes was razor close, he could have won it — full credit to the aging Nietes for holding him off. Tanaka was the Flyweight Champ but vacated to move up and challenge Ioka for this Japanese Super Fight!!! He could, in theory, drop back down to 112, but he’s kind of been there and done that. 3 by The Ring at 115 pounds, thoroughly trounced his young rival en route to an eighth-round stoppage, turning back his ambitions of matching […] “It was a bigger surprise to be voted into the top 10 of The Ring, pound-for-pound. Boxing fans will need to be up early in order to watch the WBO super flyweight title fight between Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka on New Year’s Eve at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. There’s the finish, Kazuto Ioka uncorks a left hook that rocks Kosei Tanaka and the referee stops it on his feet in Round 8. Below, we break down the Ioka-Tanaka bout with betting odds, picks and predictions. Basically, I think at 118 Higa’s quality may vary from fight to fight and opponent to opponent, but I’m also never going to argue with watching him fight at this point. Renowned writer Joe Koizumi, the doyen of Japanese boxing, also wants to see his countryman share the ring with his fellow 115-pound contemporaries. “I didn’t think it was the best performance in comparison to their past [fights],” he said. Share on LinkedIn. I want to have my reputation higher and rise higher in the pound-for-pound ranking as well. Kazuto Ioka exceeded expectations with his Dec. 31 TKO of Kosei Tanaka. “I was thinking about the next match immediately,” he said. “My No. The hooks were, indeed, the difference. He is consistent with his pressure and has a very solid body attack. I’m focused on fighting the great fighters at 115. The strong tradition of New Year’s Eve boxing in Japan continued in 2020, with a fantastic main event that saw Kazuto Ioka stop Kosei Tanaka in the eighth round to retain the WBO 115-pound title. Share on LinkedIn. New Years Eve will have its annual fight night in Japan with a real fight of the year contender as the main event. Although the situation is not fluid, Ioka’s preference is to fight in June or July before closing out the year on the now traditional New Year’s Eve show in Japan. Shortly thereafter, Nietes relinquished his crown and Ioka defeated Aston Palicte for the vacant title. Date and time: Thursday, December 31st, 5am (Eastern Standard Time) / 2am (Pacific Standard Time). Kosei Tanaka is a 3 weight World Champion!! Ioka Kazuto awaiting punishment from Japanese Boxing Commission for his visible tattoo New, 5 comments Japanese boxer Ioka Kazuto is facing a … “For my family, for me to become a three-division champion was a great source of pride and happiness,” Ioka said. Kazuto Ioka continued a time-honored tradition in style, forever cementing his place as a modern-day great in the process. It's 50/50. Video: Jake Paul, Askren in notably different shape at weigh-in. Kosei Tanaka was confident that a true “ passing of the torch” moment was here, and that youth would serve on his side in the seat of battle, but tonight wasn’t the night, as Ioka had other plans, and ensured to his younger compatriot that the smarter fighter is the more dangerous one inside of the ring. While many fighters would enjoy their career-best win, Ioka eagerly looked ahead. However, like many before him, Ioka returned and in his second fight back he dropped a razor-thin split decision to Donnie Nietes. I’d expect him to look to rebound at 115, but I could be wrong, of course. Who is Kazuto Ioka: Kazuto Ioka is a famous Japanese boxer. “I had much more experience in the junior bantamweight division, fighting very good fighters, so I was very confident. He dared to chase another belt here, went after a really good fighter at a higher weight, and just came up short in a very good fight. As for Ioka, he has probably not received all of the respect and press he’s deserved over the years outside of Japan. “Ioka is very willing to fight Estrada in order to prove he is the best 115-pounder in the world. This time, he was his old, aggressive self, shaking Kobayashi (16-9, 9 KO) early in the first round and winning every round on our card until the end, and the official judges all had it the same. He was born on March 24, 1989 and his birthplace is Sakai Osaka, Japan. Your destination for the best boxing news, videos and live streams! I don’t have any plans to fight [Naoya] Inoue. He turned professional in April 2009 and claimed the WBC strawweight title, previously held by his uncle, in just his seventh fight. Entertaining fight while it lasted, but it was mostly one-way traffic. “To the boxing world, leave the junior bantamweight division to me, I will take care of it.”, Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @AnsonWainwright, GET THE LATEST ISSUE AT “Since my uncle could not achieve the three-division titles, that was my goal when I became a professional. 13. He fell in love with boxing, watching his uncle in grade school and took up the sport at the age of 13. Although he lost for the first time in his pro career – to former amateur rival Amnat Ruenroeng in an IBF title tilt – Ioka rebounded to claim the WBA belt at 112 pounds. Kazuto Ioka is a 4 weight World Champion! THE RING SHOP (CLICK HERE) Ioka vs Tanaka will be the final fight of 2020 and has all the ingredients to be a fight of the year contender. I think he’s also a very good body puncher and has shown himself to have reasonable power which has helped get him out of a tough spot or two. Ioka flourished and went on to become an eight-time national amateur champion with an impressive record of 95-10 (64). WBO junior bantamweight beltholder Kazuto Ioka will be an interested bystander when The Ring and WBC junior bantamweight titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada and WBA titlist Roman Gonzalez collide later today … Ioka vs Tanaka results: Kazuto Ioka stops Kosei Tanaka in eighth round, retains WBO title, Fighters react to Jake Paul’s TKO win over Ben Askren. 3 by The Ring at 115 pounds, thoroughly trounced his young rival en route to an eighth-round stoppage, turning back his ambitions of matching him as Japan’s only male four-weight world titleholder. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp. Selected international fights, classic bouts and more. When it comes to Kazuto Ioka, he is that veteran fighter who you love to watch. Liam Happe . Starting in the second, he did his best to stand his ground, and he landed some because Higa, 25, is defensively leaky. Kazuto Ioka (井岡 一翔, Ioka Kazuto, born 24 March 1989) is a Japanese professional boxer.He is a four-weight world champion, having held the WBO super-flyweight title since 2019. The pair slugged it out but the 31-year-old Ioka showed just why he is the champ having won in an eighth round TKO as he knocked Tanaka out on his feet. “That is more of a priority than going up to bantamweight. Not saying he’s a lock or shoo-in, but he’;s won world titles in four weight classes and is still competing at a very high level. All rights reserved. By. Kazuto Ioka has retained his WBO super flyweight title in an absolute war with Kosei Tanaka in the final title fight of the year. New to Kayo? Boxer Kazuto Ioka in trouble for showing tattoos during match, flips off association in response. “If I can fight any of the champions in the junior bantamweight division, I would like to do that. Email. Photo: Mayweather has full hair and beard and it’s kind of weird, Another look at Jake Paul’s knockdown and stoppage of Askren, Results and highlights: Prograis wins technical decision over Redkach in bizarre finish. The win was so impressive that Ioka gatecrashed The Ring pound-for-pound rankings, entering at No. Jake Paul and Ben Askren hit the scales today in Atlanta. Paul Mason-December 29, 2020 . Unbeaten Japanese boxer Kosei Tanaka 15-0 (9) is looking to follow in the footsteps of his countryman Naoya Inoue 20-0 (18) and invade America. Everything that I said would happen happened, so I was happy that I was able to back up my words with my performance.”. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Dec. by Anson Wainwright. Rising 135-pound prodigy Ryan Garcia started his 2021 campaign by stopping Luke Campbell at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Linkedin. Facebook. Kazuto Ioka will meet Kosei Tanaka for the WBO title in a 10-round super flyweight match at the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo on Thursday, December 31st. Master Blaster Jan 22, 2021; Tweet; Ioka and friends declare: “Tattoo culture is best.” In Japan there are lots of traditional television programming during the New Year holidays. Ioka retains 115-pound title. Kazuto Ioka retained his WBO super flyweight title in an all-out war with Kosei Tanaka in the final title bout of the year. The 25-year-old Tanaka (15-1, 9 KO) fought well in many ways, and he and the 31-year-old Ioka were pretty much nip-and-tuck through four rounds. His uncle, Hiroki, held the WBC strawweight and WBA junior flyweight titles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “The fight was the same from beginning to the end. 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