Unbeaten 18-year-old Filipino Allan Tanada (10-0-2, 5 KOs), 130, surprisingly acquired the vacant OPBF super-feather belt as he quickly caught WBA#11 ranked prohibitive favorite Rikiya Fukuhara (24-4-1, 18 KOs), 129.75, Japan, with solid and accurate combinations en route to an upset KO victory at 1:47 of the third round beneath a world title twinbill on Monday in Saitama, Japan. The OPBF elimination bout took place due to a sad retirement of former ruler Koji Kawamura because of a detached retina.
Tanada stunned the highly favored boxer-puncher Fukuhara with a countering right in the fatal third. The Japanese managed to raise himself to resume fighting, but the much shorter Filipino who looked like a featherweight or less fiercely swarmed over the fading rival, decking him with furious combos again. Fukuhara went on again, but Tanada went for a kill and the ref Pinit Prayadsab declared a well-timed halt. Tanada decked a very impressive coronation. Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
