ALA Promotions hard-hitting road warrior Rocky Fuentes successfully defended his OPBF flyweight title with an 8th round TKO over mandatory challenger Yasuto Aritomi of Nagoya, Japan via 8th round TKO.
Chad Canares of ALA Promotions told the Inquirer that Fuentes started a bit sluggish as he tried to go for a quick knock-out and got caught with well timed counter punches which enabled the challenger to take the opening round on the scorecards of two of the three judges.
Fuentes fought back in the second round catching Aritomi with solid jabs and hooks to the face evening up things after the end of the round. The champion slowly found his rhythm and started connecting with power shots to the body that according to Canares obviously took its effect on Aritomi with Fuentes winning the third and fourth rounds.
The Japan Boxing Commission applied the open scoring system wherein the scorecards are announced after rounds four and eight. At the end of the fourth round Fuentes was ahead on the scorecards of two judges with only the Korean scoring judge/referee seeing the fight even.
Canares reported that the venue which was the International Convention Center “ suddenly got a bit louder with fans trying to urge on the local boy to take the fight to the Filipino road warrior which he did, but the veteran Fuentes managed to keep the Japanese challenger at bay with lead jabs and body shots.
Aritomi was successful at times landing straights to the face of the Filipino champion but Fuentes was too focused and steady finding his comfort zone and landing powerful body shots with ease.
The end came in the eighth round when both fighters beganto slug it out, throwing power punches with Fuentes beating Aritomi to the punch. A solid straight to the body hurt the Japanese and as Fuentes followed through with combinations to the head and body sending Aritomi to the ropes and not fighting back, the referee called a halt at 2:13 of the round.
It was Fuentes’ second defense outside the Philippines having defended his belt in Tokyo last June against rated Japanese brawler Shigetaka Ikahara in a war which the Japanese media said was a contender for “Fight of the Year” in Japan.
Filipino Marjohn Yap failed to win his debut fight outside the Philippines when he dropped a close decision to relentless Japanese Hiromasa Ohashi. Yap was boxing beautifully the first half of the fight but Ohashi gamely took the fight to Yap in the middle rounds and appeared to be the more aggressive fighter which earned him the nod of the judges.
Team Fuentes will be leaving Nagoya, Japan for the Philippines 9 a.m. September 6, 2010 via Manila aboard a Philippine Airlines flight. Team Fuentes composed of OPBF champ Rocky Fuentes, trainers Edito Villamor and Joseph Baldago is accompanied by ALA Promotions Public Relations Head Chad Canares. They will also be joined by OPBF judge Edgar Olalo on their flight back to the Philippines.
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