Takuma Inoue wins WBC bantamweight interim belt

Undefeated brother of “the Monster” Naoya, Takuma Inoue (13-0, 3 KOs), 118, successfully followed in his footsteps, by winning  the vacant WBC interim bantamweight belt via  a unanimous decision over Petch CP Freshmart (AKA Tasana Salapat (48-1, 33 KOs), in Tokyo.

No easy feat since Petch, a taller southpaw, was an aggressor stalking the fast-handed Takuma, who often countered him with pinpoint precision. After the eighth, the open scoring system showed Takuma leading on points—77-75, 78-74, 79-73.

Petch, in round twelve, had Takuma at bay with a flurry of punches, pinning him against the ropes, but Takuma desperately fought back hard to triumph. The third man was Frank Garza (US).

All the judges agreed with a 117-111 tally for Takuma.

Photos by Finito Yamaguchi