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Philippines, 19 Feb 2026 |
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OPBF FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION HIROSHIGE OSAWA UNIFIES WBO ASIA PACIFIC TITLE BY STOPPING ROBERT KOPA PALUE VIA 9TH RD TKO PhilBoxing.com Mon, 30 Apr 2012  Kansai, Japan - In a historical regional organization match up between two reigning regional champions, OPBF Featherweight champion Hiroshige Osawa utilized his skills by stopping Interim WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Robert Kopa Palue for the unified regional title at the Sakaishi Min Kaikan Auditorium Monday. It was an action packed bout from the get go where both champions visited the canvas right in the very first round as it appeared it was to be an early night for the Japanese boxing fans who packed the Arena. It was the sheer determination of Osawa whose relentless jabs to Palue's face in every round had set the pace and set-up the power straights and hooks that ended matters in the 9th round where International referee Hisatoshi Miyakaki had seen enough and rightfully stopped the contest at 1 minute 34 second into 9th round. In a conversation with the handlers and promoters of Hiroshige Osawa who is now the reigning OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific featherweight interim champion, they had informed that since Robert Palue was the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion, they were interested in a unification and had it proposed to JBC. The JBC had reluctantly allowed it but agreed with the condition that as long as the WBO regional winner will be presented with the belt after the match, they would have no problem with it and considered it a unification. It was agreeable and Japan now holds the first unified OPBF / WBO Asia Pacific champion in their country. Mediamen crowded Osawa's dressing room when WBO Asia Pacific Chairman Leon Panoncillo, Jr., who supervised the fight at ringside awarded Hiroshige Osawa with his brand new belt and now recognized as OPBF / WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion. Panoncillo informed that Osawa will now enter into the top fifteen in the WBO World ranking which will take effect next month. Mexico's Orlando Salido is the reigning WBO champion in the division. "This is history in the making and great news that Japan has finally recognized WBO as a respected boxing organization and I can see they want it to flourish in their country. I do respect their tradition of having just two organization bodies and I am giving them all the room to get adjusted to our WBO organization. We do mean well, our WBO is the most democratically representative institution in professional boxing, and accordingly our champions and championship matches are accorded the greatest esteem in professional boxing. Time will come, and I will be there helping their prize fighters when they fully acknowledge and accepts us," informed Panoncillo. Panoncillo, who will be supervising the Brian Viloria-Omar Nino Romero WBO flyweight bout in the Philippines on May 13, has been credited for helping Asian fighters rise in the world rankings and helping WBO succeed in the Orient. Photo: Unified OPBF and WBO regional champion Hiroshige Osawa poses with WBO Vice-President Leon Panoncillo in Kansai, Japan.  |
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