Fuentes defends OPBF flyweight belt in Japan

ROCKY Fuentes of the ALA gym of Cebu successfully retained his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight title Tuesday night with a unanimous decision win over Japanese challenger Yuki Nasu in a fight held at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The scores from the three judges were 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112. This is the fourth time that Fuentes made a successful defense on Japanese soil and reaffirms his status as a certified “road warrior.”

Fuentes has reigned as the OPBF champion in the 112 lb division since March 9, 2010 when he beat Japanese Masafumi Okubo by majority decision in a fight also held in Tokyo.

Fuentes scored his 35th career victory with 20 KOs, 6 loses, 2 draws while Nasu dropped to his seventh loss with 26 wins, 16 by KO. Nasu previously lost to Fuentes by split decision in a non-title contest held in Osaka in 2006.

Fuentes was accompanied in Japan by ALA gym trainers Edito Villamor and Joseph Baldago and ALA Promotions CEO Michael Aldeguer.
The ALA fighter is now looking at a possible challenge against WBC world flyweight champion Toshiyuki Igarashi of Japan. Igarashi became champion when he dethroned Filipino Sonny Boy Jaro last July by split decision in a fight held in Saitama, Japan. /correspondent Rene Bonsubre jr.