less challenger Seiya Tsutsumi fought back tears as he let out a yell after the biggest win of his career.
A fantastic performance was produced by the first time title challenger during his WBA title lifting effort over Takuma Inoue. Their Fight of the Year contender saw Tsutsumi prevail by scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 117-110 atop an ESPN+/Amazon Prime-Japan show Sunday from Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
“This is the moment I really wanted in my life,” Tsutsumi told in-ring translator Mizuka Koike. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Tsutsumi (12-0-2, 8 knockouts) who stormed back after a strong start by Inoue (20-2, 5 KOs).
The younger brother of four-division champ and pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) has slowly carved out his own name at bantamweight. His defensive prowess proved a tricky target for Tsutsumi to nail down in the early rounds.
Tsutsumi missed wildly with a right hand, which Inoue effortlessly slipped and then playfully mocked his challenger. It was part of a strong start for Inoue, who was in control through four rounds.
Tsutsumi was never completely out of the fight, though. All that was needed was the confidence to surge ahead.
“I’ve always had an inferiority complex among all these great fighters at my weight from Japan,” Tsutsumi confessed. “I listened to every single word said in my corner. That was the difference. I never gave up.”
A drastic shift in momentum came in the fifth. Inoue made the decision to stand and trade early in the round. Tsutsumi made him pay for that decision as he landed right hands and body shots at close quarters in his best round of the fight.
It carried over into the sixth. Inoue connected with an uppercut but was overshadowed by Tsutsumi’s elevated punch output.
The message was received by Inoue, who came out more assertive to begin the second half.
Inoue was successful with his straight right and his uppercut but it wasn’t enough to fend off a relentless Tsutsumi, who applied constant pressure. Tsutsumi snapped back the head of Inoue with a right uppercut in the closing seconds of the round.
Tsutsumi immediately drove Inoue into the ropes to begin the eighth. Inoue momentarily escaped and brought the action to center ring before Tsutsumi quickly took the lead. The relentless challenger walked through it and frequently scored with his right hand and left hook.
Inoue regained control in a strong ninth round before the bout took a disastrous turn. A left hook wobbled Inoue as he fell into the ropes. Referee Nobuto Ikehara ruled the sequence as a knockdown, claiming that the ropes prevented Inoue’s fall. The call infuriated the defending titlist, who vehemently protested before action resumed.
It served as a wake-up call that the fight was slipping away. Inoue came back in the eleventh, of the realization that Tsutsumi was not slowing down and that he needed something dramatic in order to retain his title.
Tsutsumi never provided that moment. His high motor and relentless workrate proved to be the difference between claiming his first title and leaving the ring empty-handed.
Hearing the words “… and the new” reduced Tsutsumi to near tears. He belted out in celebration as he jumped for joy before falling to his knees. It brought him back to his first championship experience as a youth.
“It feels surreal to me. When I was in middle school, I had the chance to touch the championship belt held by the great Takashi Uchiyama,” recalled Tsutsumi.
“Ever since then, I made the promise to myself to never touch another world title until I won my own.”
He now has one of his own, which comes courtesy of his second Fight of the Year contender within his past three starts.
The previous instant classic provided a far more grim ending, however.
Tsutsumi was forced to take in the damage inflicted upon Kazuki Anaguchi. Their brutal ten-round slugfest last Dec. 26 was won by Tsutsumi via unanimous decision. Anaguchi never recovered from brain injuries sustained in the bout and passed away in February.
Tsutsumi bravely moved forward with his career. He scored a fourth-round knockout of Weerawat Noolae on July 7 at Kokugikan before a career-best win on Sunday.
Inoue snapped a seven-fight win streak with the defeat.
He claimed the WBA 118-pound title last April. He was the first benefactor following the divisional departure of his older brother, who vacated all four bantamweight titles.
The younger Inoue slowly carved out his own name. The Ring’s No. 3-rated bantamweight impressed in a ninth-round knockout of former 115-pound titlist Jerwin Ancajas on Feb. 24 at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. He then returned just ten weeks later to join Naoya on the May 6 show at Tokyo Dome. His appearance resulted in a twelve-round win over countryman Sho Ishida.
His run came after a Nov. 2019 defeat to then-unbeaten WBC bantamweight titlist Nordine Oubaali. It’s now back to the drawing board for Inoue, who thanked all his fans as he exited the Ariake Arena main room.
Meanwhile, it’s onto the future for Tsutsumi amidst a golden age for boxing in Japan, particularly at bantamweight.
His next option could come in the form of the winner of Monday’s main event in this very venue. Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs) defends his WBC bantamweight title versus Thailand’s Petch CP Freshmart (76-1, 53 KOs).
“We are going to have a second day of boxing here at Ariake Arena,” observed Tsutsumi. “One of those fights is another bantamweight title fight. We are going to watch that fight and then see what is next for us.”
