Tanaka broke the record of Naoya Inoue, who won the WBC junior flyweight title in April 2014 in only his sixth pro fight?
Saturday night at the Park Arena, in Komaki, Aichi, Japan, 19-year-old Kosei Tanaka (5-0, 2 KOs), from Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, decisioned Julian Yedras (24-2, 13 KOs), from Ciudad Del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico, to win the vacant WBO minimumweight title vacated by Katsunari Takayama earlier this year.
Kosei broke the record of countryman Naoya Inoue, who won the WBC junior flyweight title in April 2014 in only his sixth fight as a pro, but fell short of Vasyl Lomachenko and Saensak Muangsurin, both of whom won titles in their third professional fights.
After compiling a respectable 46-5 (13 KOs) record as an amateur, Kosei entered the professional ranks a year and a half ago. Ranked No. 2 by the WBO coming into Saturday?s fight, Tanaka displayed maturity beyond his years.
The judges scored it 117-111 twice and 115-113 for the new minimumweight champ.
?As I had thought,? he said after the fight, ?the match became a fight of mental strength. The cheers from the crowd really helped me. I am fortunate to have the best supporters in the world.
?I want to continue fighting tough opponents.?
