Big in Japan: Gonzalez dethrones Hasegawa; Nishioka, Aoh retain crowns

In the big boxing event held at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, the defending Japanese boxing champions failed to sweep their foreign oppositions as the popular WBC featherweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (29-4, 13 KOs) fell to Jhonny Gonzalez (48-7, 41 KOs) of Mexico.

Hozumi Hasegawa was the lone casualty among the Japanese champions when the referee stopped the fight in the 4th round of the scheduled 12- round championship fight. 


After being knocked down by a powerful right to the chin by Gonzalez, Hasegawa was able to beat the count but was unsteady on his feet prompting the referee to waive the fight off with only a token protest from the champion.

The two protagonists started out fast and strong but Gonzalez was obviously the better and faster fighter as he outhustled and outlanded the game and eager Hasegawa in the first two rounds. 

In the third round, Hozumi Hasegawa turned the fight around as he got the better of Jhonny Gonzalez with accurate body punches in their exchanges but with 2 minutes left in the 4th, the Mexican landed a powerful counter right hand to the chin of Hasegawa that sent the Japanese champion on the seat of his pants en route to the stoppage.

WBC junior lightweight champion Takahiro Aoh (21-2-1, 10 KOs) retains his belt in impressive fashion by knocking out the pesky Humberto Gutierrez (28-3-1, 20 KOs) with a single punch to the body after both fighters traded hard and powerful shots for the first three rounds. The time was 1:43 in the 4th. 

WBC super bantamweight Toshiaki Nishioka (38-4-3, 24 KOs) was victorious in his sixth defense of the crown he won in 2009 but had to sweat it out a little before disposing off Mauricio Munoz  (21-3, 9 KOs) in the 9th round with a powerful straight left to the face that sent the Argentine fighter reeling to the corner and on the seat of his pants for the count.