​December 2020 was a huge month for fights, and we got a lot of great action during the month. Thankfully with so many great bouts fans were entertained through the entire month. We were also happy to have a lot of fights that didn't get much fan attention. Today we look at one of those bouts as dig in to the Treasure Trove again for what was one of the most impressive debut performances of the year.
 
Kanta Kawamura (0-0) Vs Koyo Nakayama (0-0)
On December 8th Korakuen Hall played host to a rather small card, that had 7 bouts on it, including 3 all debutant bouts. Only 2 bouts were scheduled for more than 4 rounds and it was a card that was easy to overlook, even with the involvement of the brilliant Ichitaro Ishii acting as the promoter.
 
One of the all debutant bouts took place at a contracted 51.5KG's, just over 113.5lbs, and saw Kanta Kawamura, from the KG Yamato Gym, take on Koyo Nakayama, from the Hachioji Nakaya Gym.
 
On paper there was no reason to be too excited about this one. It was just an all debutant clash a few weeks before Christmas. But to the two men, this one mattered. It was their debut!
 
Aged 21 coming in to this Kawamura was the slightly older and taller fighter, but other than that it was hard to say he had any advantages. There was no amateur record that stood out, there was nothing about him that screamed he was anything special or that he would be in a fun bout. Nakayama was only slightly younger, at 20, and was giving away around 3" but again there was nothing to say he was going to be in a bout was memorable here. He, like Kawamura, was also not a fighter with any sort of notable amateur background.
 
Going in to this neither man was touted. Neither man had any notable publicity, and both went in looking to make a statement, and make people sit up and take notice.
 
From the opening bell Nakayama came out like he knew Christmas was just around the corner. He was aggressive, fighting like a raging bull, storming out of his corner. It seemed as if he felt the quicker he won, or lost, the sooner Christmas would be here and the sooner he could tuck into some KFC. Kawamura on the other hand fought sensibly, backing up, making Nakayama miss, using his reach and skills and landing counters.
 
From the first 10 seconds it was clear this one was not going to go the distance, and soon afterwards the two stood and traded. It was clear, there and then, that Nakayama was completely out of his depth. He didn't care though. He knew he had to continue pressuring, hoping to land something to turn the fight around. He had come to fight and fight he would!
 
Sadly the effort and desire of Nakayama was for nought with Kawamura luring Nakayama into one mistake too many, landing two huge right hands as Nakayama flailed away, then an uppercut as veteran referee Akihiko Katsuragi stepped in and waved this over. In just over 100 seconds Kawamura had made us fans and so to had Nakayama.
 
Although this was an all debutant bout the men were clearly on different levels. The winner showed he had the tools to go a long way, but the loser, he showed that he has the tools to be a very fan friendly fighter. Both guys here won us over and we'll not complain about that!

One thing Japan does that no other country seems to have quite the same ability to do, is the "well matched 4 rounder". Japan has given us so many great 4 round bouts in recent years due to the fact that their promoters don't aim to pad records left right and center. Instead the fighting comes first, at least for the most part, and the record doesn't matter in the same way. As a result we often see debutants thrown in against each other, and novices clashing. Heck that's the entire idea behind the Rookie of the Year, the C-class tournaments and the All round 4 shows that wee see in Japan regularly.
 
Today for the Treasure Trove we have one such bout that isn't just a very solid 4 rounder but also an all debutant bout. Although not unheard around the globe, these are less common than you'd have realised, and rarely are they are fun as they manage to be in Japan. As we see here!
 
Ryusei Sasanoike (0-0) Vs Masato Ichino (0-0)
In one corner was 35 year old Masato Ichino, from the Token Boxing Gym in Tokyo, a pretty small, low key one. He's stated that the boxers he likes include Edwin Valero and Takashi Miura, aggressive and big punching fighters, and his goal for the sport is to win the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2021. Debuting at the age of 35 it's clear his potential is limited, especially given Japan has essentially got a retirement age for fighters that isn't too much older than Ichino's age when he debuted, but his hunger to compete is a positive and it's great to see fighters like Ichino willing to put the gloves on and give the sport a go.
 
In the opposite corner was 17 year old Ryusei Sasanoike, who also fights out of a small gym, the Mt Fuji Nexus Gym. Despite being 17 he had fought a few amateur bouts, going 3-0 in amateur bouts at the Under 15's level and has set himself the goal of becoming a world champion. A lofty ambition for someone so inexperienced, but an ambition that shows the level he wants to get to, and how that is far above the aim of Ichino. Given his age there is a lot of time for him to develop, but he was quite literally a boy up against a man here.
 
Despite their vastly different targets in the sport the two were both debutants. Sure Ichino was twice the age of Sasanoike, but he was going to have his man strength and be more physically mature than the youngster. At 17 it was way too early to say anything much about Sasanoike, who had only turned 17 a few months earlier.
 
From the off both guys looked fast and hungry to pick up their first win, there there was some nervous energy from both men. It didn't take long however for Sasanoike to show that he did have that something else. He looked very sharp, and like a man who knew how to box, picking some nice shots and looking very calm and confident. He didn't look the complete product, not by any stretch, but there was something about him that did catch the eye. Ichino on the other hand looked raw, as we'd expect from a debutant, but someone who didn't want to lose to a kid half his age. Sadly for Ichino not wanting to lose didn't help him win, and the speed of Sasanoike was a major difference maker through the opening round.
 
In round 2 we saw real hunger from Ichino, he knew he had lost the opening round and that he had to turn things around, something he tried to do with a lot more offensive work than in the opening round. Sadly for him the extra energy didn't really pay off too well, and later in the round Ichino was put on the canvas, as Sasanoike scored the first knockdown of his professional career. By the end of round 2 Ichino, was clearly down on the scorecards and sporting a swelling under his right eye, but still hungry and still fighting like a man with a point to prove. He was still the aggressor, the one coming forward and the man who seemed to want to turn the fight around, something he showed again in round 3. Unfortunately for him he wasn't good enough, Sasanoike had settled into his groove, was picking some very nice shots and as round 3 ticked on he was really letting shots fly. Those shots forced some rather nasty swelling, that forced the doctor to take a look before allowing the bout to continue.
 
Down by a wide margin as we entered the final round Ichino had nothing to lost by going all out and trying to take out the young upstart, who had been embarrassing him at times. Sadly for him however Ichino was merely seeing his younger, more talented rival going through the gears and showing what he could do. The older man some success late in the round, but that merely forced a response from the youngster. By the final bell Ichino bloodied, beaten and bruised, a clear loser, but had been his part in the debut of a really promising youngster.
 
This is not a fight that will get FOTY talk, or even be considered in the top 1000 fights of 2020. It was however a fun 4 rounder and the first showcase of someone who looks like he has the potential to be a notable figure on the Japanese boxing scene. For those that haven't seen this one, it's about Sasanoike, a teenage prospect who looks like he has the tools and youth to reach some heady heights. It's a good solid bout every all, if somewhat one sided, but it's worth a watch to see the teen in action.
 
(Note - The first bell rings around the 8:50 mark of the below video)

One of the things particularly notable about 2020 was the huge number of upsets we had, all over the planet. It seemed not a week could go by without at least one major favourite slipping up in a bout where they were expected to win, and to win with ease. Today we look at one such bout as we head back into the 2020 Treasure Trove and find a bout that was worthy of attention, especially if you missed it the first time around.
 
Koki Inoue (15-0, 12) vs Daishi Nagata (14-2-1, 5)
Before we get on to the bout we need to really go into some details about what the world was like in July 2020. By that point boxing was pretty much on a global standstill waiting for governments to asses their strategy to deal with the Covid19 pandemic. As a result the Ohashi promoted "Phoenix Battle 71" was the first card at Korakuen Hall since late February and was only the second card in Japan upon the sport restarting the country, and was fought in front of an eerie and empty Korakuen Hall. It was also a chance for the long over-due Champion Carnival to continue.
 
As part of the Champion Carnival Japanese Light Welterweight champion Koki Inoue, the cousin of Naoya Inoue, had to defend his title against mandatory challenger Daishi Nagata.
 
The Polish betting website STS bet had Inoue as a very clear favourite, the polls on Japanese websites had Inoue favoured with 67% of the vote backing him and a lot of people saw this as a formality. After all Inoue was an Inoue, he had already won and defended the title, he had also won the WBO Asia Pacific title and seemed like a man with the ability to compete at a very high level. He was an unbeaten and talented southpaw, with explosive combinations heavy hands, a good amateur pedigree and an Ohashi gym fighter.
 
Nagata on the other hand was a guy who had already lost twice, including a TKO loss to Vladimir Baez, and had struggled past both Min Ho Jung and Cristiano Aoqui. He wasn't a bad fighter, not by any stretch, but was a technically limited boxer, with a pretty basic style. There was nothing that really stood out as being in his locker that should have been too much for Inoue. He had been a good amateur, but hadn't really shined on the professional ranks and his best performance, to this point, had come in a regional title fight against Rikki Naito, a bout he had lost.
 
Despite being the under-dog Nagata was hungry and straight from the opening bell he came out and rushed Inoue, putting the champion on the back foot and under pressure. The speed, aggression and tenacity from Nagata was great to see as he consistently pressed forward and forced Inoue to use his feet through out the first minute of the fight. Not only was Nagata pressing forward, but he was also landing quite frequently and connected with a very nice left hand. The pressure and Nagata was incessant through the entire round and it was clear that he wasn't there to make up the numbers. He was there for the belt and if Inoue wanted to keep it he'd have to earn a victory, rather than just turn up as many had originally expected. To his credit Inoue did have some success late in the round, but it was too little, too late to turn the round in his favour.
 
The pressure of Nagata continued into round 2 and he managed to really lay the shots off on Inoue in one particular sequence around 40 seconds into the round. Inoue didn't seem capable of responding the to the fast start of Nagata, who looked like a man possessed. Inoue looked the more talented boxer, and he showed more boxing ability, but he was being forced into a fight, and Nagata was getting the better of it, by far.
 
Round 3 we saw more of the same, though we also saw a massive headclash that left Inoue cut. It was a nasty headclash but the resulting cut wasn't a particularly bad looking one, even if it did seem to bother Inoue who was again backed up time after time and was even rocked to his core at one point, with his legs buckling after a shot.
 
After 5 rounds all 3 judges had Nagata in the lead. Inoue had tried to fight his way back into things, in rounds 4 and 5, but it wasn't nearly enough and the open scoring had Nagata up 48-47, twice, and 49-46. The champions title reign wasn't just slipping away, but it was being ripped away by a super determined challenger, who was forcing his fight on the bout. Inoue was slowly finding his feet though and knew he had to turn things around.
 
Round 6 turned out to be Inoue's best round as he gritted his teeth and stood his ground, trying to turn things around. He let Nagata continue to come forward but this time fired off shots on the inside, finding room for some brutal uppercuts and excellent straight left hands, despite blooding dropping from his right eye, which was a repeated target for Nagata's jabs. It felt, for the first time, like the tide might be swinging and that Inoue was being forced to show his champion's spirit. He was still under pressure, and he couldn't make Nagata go away, but he was landing his own leather, and was slowly getting Nagata's respect.
 
Sadly for Inoue his success in round 6 was for nought as Nagata came out even hungrier in round 7 and ended up connecting repeatedly with the swollen and cut right eye of Inoue. The eye, was quickly becoming a swollen, grotesque lump of flesh and it was clear that the doctor was going to want a look at it sooner, rather than later. With around 45 seconds of the round left Michiaki Someya took Inoue over to the corner, with the doctor waving the bout off and saving Inoue from further punishment.
 
For those wanting an all out war. This isn't one of those. It's a very good bout, regardless, but isn't a war. Instead it's a great example of will over-coming skill. Nagata wanted it so much more than Inoue, he jumped on him from the opening bell, and ripped up the odds on the bout. He put in a career defining performance and showed what he could do.
 
Sadly for Inoue he would announce his retirement soon after this loss and begin a journey into his other love, anime, with the plan being for him to become an animator in his post boxing life.

One of the best things about Japanese boxing is the competitive match ups that take place at the lower end of the domestic scene. These bouts typically don't feature fighters with the potential to be regarded as prospects, but are often some of the most compelling fights to just sit and watch. The bouts typically feature two men who come in to the ring to win and as a result give us something a lot better than the typical low level squash matches we see in the west.
 
Today we're lucky as this weeks Treasure Trove article is set to be one of the best 4 rounders from 2020, and is a legitimately thrilling action bout between two men who were incredibly hungry to prove a point. The fact both men came into this feeling like they could win ended us making for a brilliant, hotly contested, back and forth thriller.
 
Yusuke Endo (2-2-1, 2) vs Takahiro Nakatsuka (2-2-1)
Many bouts at this level in Japan have fighters with similar records and potential and this was a great example as we saw Yusuke Endo and Takahiro Nakatsuka clash. Both men were in their early 20's, with Endo being 23 and Natasuka being 21, both had debuted in 2018, were 2-2-1, and both men had lost on debut, won their second bout and lost their third bout. Interestingly both men had also fought to a draw with Weed Taichi. Both were also, obviously, here to win.
 
Endo was fighting out of the Shonan Yamagami Boxing Gym, a relative small gym based in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Stood at 5'10" he was taller than many fighters he had shared the ring with, and had competed at the 2019 East Japan Rookie of the Year, being eliminated follow a draw with Weed Taichi in June. Following that set back he had fought just once, beating Hoshi Saito in October 2020 and was now hoping to build some career moment with back to back to back wins. Notably in all his bouts, except for his draw, the bout had finished early with both of his wins and both of his losses finishing in the first 3 rounds. He was proving to be a glass cannon.
 
Nakatsuka on the other hand was fighting out of the JB Sports Gym, which is run by Hajime No Ippo creator Jyoji Morikawa. He stood at 5'8", slightly shorted than Endo, but was certainly a tall guy for the Feather and Super Featherweight divisions, between which he was plying his trade. Going through his first 5 bouts he had done the distance every time, but was certainly developing into a talented young man, maturing physically and building on his experience. The hope was clearly to build up his power and strength as he became a man. Sadly for him he had been out of the ring since January 2020, when he fought to a draw with Weed Taichi, and it was clear he was hungry to get back to winning ways.
 
On paper this was a bout that was easy to over-look, despite the evenly matched records of the two men. However this bout is not one to ignore!
 
Given this was a 4 rounder it's fair to say this was a sprint, and not a marathon, and both men came out throwing punches almost immediately. Within seconds of the bout starting we were having exchanges in the middle of the ring, with Endo getting the better of things, before Natasuka began to fire back, and then Endo came for more. The entire first round was back and forth brilliance, fought at an incredible tempo. Both men proved themselves willing and able to go to war, but both also showed some nice touches of boxing. Albeit those were mere flashes of boxing before both men resumed a high tempo action fight. Towards the end of the round Endo was staggered, but came back well and seemed to finish the round strong. This was 3 minutes that genuinely flew by. It was brilliant, hugely entertaining and impossible to look away from.
 
With the first round being brilliant it would have been fair to have assumed both teams would have told their men to slow down entering round 2. If they had, they were ignored as the two continued to put on a fire fight in the second stanza. There was a little bit more technical work here, but very little as both continued to fight at an ultra high tempo and trade shots back and forth in 3 minutes of brilliant, brutal action. This was a much easier round to score than the first one though, with Nakatsuka clearly taking it on our cards, despite a spirited effort from Endo.
 
Given how good Natasuka had things in round 2 he seemed determined to not let the momentum slip and he started round 3 fast, really fast. Endo had to respond, and he did, even rocking his man with a straight right hand and knocking his gumshield out moments later. This lead to a weird break where covid19 safety kicked in and the gumshield had to be picked up with what appeared to be tongs. Soon afterwards the action resumed, and the men were straight back to unloading bombs on each other, with Endo getting the better of things overall, though Natasuka really wasn't making things easy for him. Given this was round 3, and both men and thrown an incredible amount of leather, it was amazing to see them getting more intense, rather than slowing down.
 
Given that we'd had 3 brilliant rounds, and that the first could have gone either way, we were not going to get a quiet final 3 minutes. Instead we got another all out battle to win the round. Once again both men stood their ground and let big shots go, defense was rarely thought about as both fighters hunted a stoppage. Neither wanted this to be in the hands of the judges. Early in the round Natsuka was sunned, and rocked, though as the round went on he managed to shake Endo. Both looked like they could end up hitting the canvas, both seemed to be fighting to a stand still and both looked amazingly well matched that they were made for each other.
 
This was a bout all about aggression, work rate and hunger. Defense, intelligent boxing, and counter punching traps were out of the window. The fans knew they were getting something special and this really is a must watch bout.
 
In the end it felt like neither man deserved to lose and thankfully for both, the judges agreed, scoring this 38-38, 38-38 and 39-37, to Endo, to give us a majority draw.
 
If you have the time to enjoy a great fight, seriously watch this one. It's amazing and one that truly deserves to be watched, even if it is "only a 4 rounder".
 
(Note the bout starts about 6:25 into the video below)

Whilst many bouts featured in our Treasure Trove series are rather obscure, and not particularly well known, not all of them are and today's Treasure Trove bout is one of the most notable bouts from 2020. In fact it's one of the bouts that should have been included in any legitimate "Bout of the Year" short list from the major media outlets, but because it took place in January 2020, it was really forgotten by the end of the year. Especially given how boxing was put on the back burner just a few weeks later.
 
Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6) vs Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10)
Over the past few years the Super Bantamweight division has been slowly, but surely bringing through a new era of fighters as the division has repeatedly shifted it's focus from big names and established fighters, to newer younger fighters. Whilst that was happening there wasn't really any focus point for the division, which was in many a good thing, as it was a division that had really spent a while not doing much.
 
As we entered 2020 there were two men to focus on at the top of the division. One of those was the exciting Emanuel Navarrete, though he was a man who's time in the division seemed very limited and he would leave the division later in the year, and there was IBF and WBA "Super" champion Daniel Roman.
 
Roman had done everything he could to get his head above the rest and to show his ability globally. He had won the WBA title in Japan, beating Shun Kubo, had defended it in Japan against Ryo Matsumoto and then returned to the US for two more defenses before unifying with a 2019 FOTY contender against TJ Doheny, in which Roman won the IBF title. In his first defense of the unified titles he took on the rising Murodjon Akhmadaliev. In the ring Roman was a tough, exciting fighter, who didn't hit hard, but hit a lot, and really was a high tempo, high schooled fighter who had real grit, determination and an amazing will to win. He had long been under-rated and was now starting to get the respect he deserved.
 
Akhmadaliev was one of the many rising hopefuls in the division, and had been moved a lot more aggressively than any of the others. He, along with Stephen Fulton, Brandon Figueroa, Carlos Castro and Angelo Leo, looked like the new generation of fighters that the division needed. They weren't big names going into the year, though they were all expected to be part of the scramble to become the #1 man in the division. As part of that scramble Akhamadaliev had the first major opportunity as he took on Roman for the unified throne, in just his 8th professional bout. He had been a fantastic amateur, but had only been a professional for around 2 years and had only fought 28 professional rounds prior to this bout.
 
Heading in to this bout there was a genuine sense of excitement and anticipation. Could Akhmadaliev really be this special this early in his career? Was Roman going to have the experience and tools to over-come the confident upstart? From the off fans had a sense of anticipation and it was genuinely a fight that delivered.
 
The opening round was faster than a typical opening round. It wasn't a war, or an all out slugfest of an opening round, but it was a high tempo start to the bout, with both men boxing really well, and both showing some really high level stuff. Both were respectful of the other and both mixed stuff up really nice. For the most part Akhmadaliev was on the front foot, putting the pressure on, but Roman picked his spots well and it was a really close round fought at an incredible level.
 
In round 2 we saw the tempo step up again, as Akhmadaliev picked up his work rate, and forced Roman to come with him. This resulted in a genuinely brilliant round that saw Akhmadaliev being tagged early on, before recomposing himself and getting his own shots off. It was a continuation of the high level action of the opening round, with both men picking some fantastic shots, but it was high level action with an offensive edge. Both men were happy to lets shots fly, neither seemed happy to just sit back and instead both wanted to prove they could fight coming forward as well as going backwards.
 
The tempo again picked up in round 3, with Roman likely 2-0 and knowing he had to turn the heat up. It was heat that Akhmadaliev coped with without too many issues, and as the round went on he came back into the round himself, picking some sensational combinations and looking very composed for such a professional novice. Roman was having plenty of success but it never fazed Akhmadaliev who seemed very comfortable, and showed his brilliant amateur pedigree.
 
In round 4 Roman began to get a foot hold in the bout, amping up his pressure, working the body, and it seemed like momentum began to shift in the middle rounds. The champion was beginning to find his grove and it seemed to be at the right time. After all Akhmadaliev had only been beyond 6 rounds once, and there were question marks about his gas tank. The body work and extra aggression of Roman continued to play a factor through the middle rounds, along with some brilliant uppercuts that he used when Akhmadaliev left a gap up top. It was a sign that the champion had got a read on the challenger and that the momentum was turning.

Going into final rounds the scores could easily have been all over the place, though Akhmadaliev seemed to do enough in rounds 10 and 11 to take them. Albeit narrowly.

Heading into the final round it was clear this was a close one. Both men had had some great success at times, but it was going to be a hard one to confident say who was winning. Akhmadaliev had started so well, before Roman came back. And then Akhmadaliev gritted his teeth and showed his fire in the later stages, but was it enough for him to be in the lead?

Prior to the final round Roman's corner seemed unsure if their man was up, and told him he had to go for it. It seemed however that Akhmadaliev had been told it was in the bag as he got on his bike, a very risky strategy and one that could have bit him in the backside. Through the entire final round Akhmadaliev threw very little and let Roman dictate the round, until the dying seconds when Akhmadaliev finally let his hands go. By then he had given away the round. In fact it was the clearest round of the fight and the only one that seemed impossible to make any case of going the other way.

At the bell Roman celebrated, likely feeling the final round had been enough to see him keep the title, even if it was going to be a draw.
​
The three judges all turned in scores cards reading 115-113, showing just how close and competitive this was. Though thankfully for Akhmadaliev all 2 of those cards favoured him, crowning him the new champion in just his 8th bout. It was, however, a nail biter. A razor thin, highly competitive, totally compelling, highly skilled, high tempo chess match. This was brilliant... and sadly because it took part in January, was all but forgotten by fans come the "awards season" in December.

It's fair to suggest the Welterweight to Middleweight divisions in Japan do go a bit over-looked, especially by international fans who don't typically get the chance to see many Japanese fighters above 135lbs. Despite that the divisions often give us some amazing battles, and the Japanese Middleweight title consistently gives us barn burners. In 2020 we got several great Japanese battles above 135lbs including today's Treasure Trove bout, which took place at 154lbs and matched a Japanese ranked Welterweight against a Japanese ranked Middleweight, with the two men compromising on weight class.
 
Junpei Tsujimoto (6-1-3, 4) vs Nath Nwachukwu (5-0-2, 2)
For this bout we go all the way back to February 1st 2020.
 
In one corner was 25 year old Teiken prospect Junpei Tsujimoto, a promising puncher who had cracked into the JBC's Welterweight rankings, with a #15 ranking coming in to this bout. He had been stopped on his debut, in 2014, then taken almost 2 years out of the ring before returning with some success. He had draw 3 of his next 5 bouts before reeling off 4 straight wins. He was fighting at a low level, but had impressed in 2018, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year at Welterweight, and had won both of his 2019 bouts.
 
In the opposite corner was 22 year old Nath Nwachukwu from the little known Marvelous Gym. He had began his professional career in 2017 and had built his name in 2018, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year at Middleweight, and had scored two wins in 2019 as he continued to build some career momentum. Given his success he had earned a #13 ranking with the JBC at Middleweight and had ran up a 7 fight unbeaten run up to this point.
 
With both men having won Rookie of the Year, in 2018, there was an interesting sub story in regards to their Rookie triumphs. As well as that story there was also intrigue coming from the fact this was two Japanese ranked fighters and the fact they were meeting between the natural weight of the two men. Would moving up in weight be an issue for Tsujimoto? Would Nwachukwu be able to make 154lbs without any issue?
 
There was also a big of a strange aspect to the two men. Despite being the supposedly smaller man, Tsujimoto was the much bigger man. He looked like the natural Middleweight here, and towered over Nwachukwu, who was dwarfed, despite being the man who was typically fighting at a higher weight.
 
The bout started fast, though it wasn't long until Tsujimoto looked to create some space, use his reach and establish control of the tempo. Despite Tsujimoto trying to control the range and use his jab Nwachukwu had other ideas in mind and pressed forward, applying continual pressure through the round. Nwachukwu wasn't able to land too much of note, but was doing enough to get in and get shots off before Tsujimoto managed to create some space.
 
The opening round wasn't a spectacular round, but it was a very solid way to start the fight, it was a much better opening round than we typically see, and it was one that saw both men having moments. It was a round that left us engaged, wanting more and excited about what we were set to get. The pressure of Nwachukwu was exciting, but there was a chance that he was going to walk on to something and that Tsujimoto's long levers would detonate something big.
 
Nwachukwu started round 2 much like he had fought round 1 and right at the start of the round Tsujimoto looked to fight fire with fire. Soon afterwards Tsujimoto tried to get back to moving and boxing, realising that getting into a war with Nwachukwu wouldn't end well for him. Despite trying to box more and fight less Tsujimoto couldn't stop Nwachukwu from walking forward, and pressing.
 
Despite the pressure from Nwachukwu we saw Tsujimoto having success at range and half way through the round he seemed to be settling into the bout. That was until a looping right hand from Nwachukwu landed clean, dropping Tsujimoto hard. The knockdown had been a big one, but Tsujimoto got back to his feet. He wobbled, but he easily beat the count. Upon the restart Nwachukwu went for the kill whilst Tsujimoto tried too survive. The pressure ended up forcing the referee to jump in and save Tsujimoto.
 
Whilst certainly not a Fight of the Year contender this was a really fun 2 rounder. It was a bout that helped Nwachukwu earn a fight with Takeshi Inoue later in 2020, in what was a tough bout for Inoue, and was certainly a big win for Nwachukwu. As for Tsujimoto it proved his weakness, it showed up his relatively poor chin, and his ability to be hurt. That was an ability that ended up rearing it's head again in his sensational bout with Daiki Ogura, which took place 9 months later.
 
This is short, but fun and well worthy a watch with both men firing off bombs, a huge knockdown and a good chance to see Nwachukhu's exciting style.