Kosei Tanaka seized the vacant WBO light flyweight title on Saturday, improving to 8-0 in his career with a fifth-round technical knockout of Mexico’s Moises Fuentes.
The 21-year-old Tanaka, who previously held the WBO minimumweight crown, matched compatriot Naoya Inoue’s feat of winning world championships in two different weight classes in just eight pro fights.
Tanaka, who entered the fight ranked second by the WBO, negated Fuentes’ 10-centimeter reach advantage by using his trademark speed and good footwork. It was the new champ’s fifth knockout. The 29-year-old Fuentes, the top-ranked contender, fell to 24-3 with one draw.
==Kyodo
