Within the wake of Naoya Inoue’s emphatic decimation of Mexico’s tremendous bantamweight old-guard Luis Nery, Japan has displayed on the world stage that it’s the epicentre of the decrease weight divisions.
Extra-so than ever earlier than, Japanese fighters have been establishing themselves on the pinnacle, highlighting the sheer pedigree of the small island nation. Amongst the flurry of fighters and brouhaha of brawlers, there’s one title that has been criminally undervalued.
This fighter, a brilliant flyweight expertise, shares accolades on the extent of Vasyl Lomachenko; they each share the file for the shortest period of time taken to develop into a three-weight world champion. A powerful feat, one largely uncared for by the boxing institution.
This fighter goes below the title of Kosei Tanaka (20-1), a 28 yr previous resident of Nagoya, Japan. Regardless of having Legg-Calve-Perthe illness, Tanaka would excel as an novice boxer. ‘Dream Boy’, as he’s generally referred to, would compete within the gentle flyweight division at the moment, the place he would earn himself quite a few accolades throughout the nationwide and regional scenes.
Sources are conflicted on his precise novice file, with some stating that it stood at 46-5, while Boxrec solely has eight formally listed bouts. Both method, what is understood is that Tanaka was a superb prospect; he was not stopped in his novice profession.
In 2013, on the younger age of 18, Tanaka would hit the skilled ranks with minimumweight pressure, choosing up two unanimous determination wins earlier than an important knockout of 17-7-2 Crison Omayao would put him on the radar within the Japanese scene.
It could additionally put him on the map of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation Minimumweight champion; on the time 18-0 Ryuji Hara. Tanaka would placed on a high quality show in his first 12 spherical bout, securing a TKO end within the tenth spherical in a extremely contentious, busy bout. It was Tanaka’s willingness coming into the second half of the rumble that may safe him the distinguished OPBF belt in solely his fourth struggle.
In solely his subsequent struggle, the spectacular ‘Dream Boy’ would morph into the ‘Monster of Chukyo’ one can see right this moment, as he would problem WBO World Minimumweight champion Julian Yedras, then 24-1. Tanaka would shatter the file established by the extra well-known ‘Monster’, Naoya Inoue, as Yedras would have his gold torn from him by Tanaka, incomes a world title within the fewest quantity of fights, in a bout that showcased his successful ability.
Overcoming a knock-down from Filipino Vic Saludar, Tanaka would knockout the artful Saludar one spherical later. Transferring as much as gentle flyweight, it will solely take Tanaka one stoppage victory to regulate to the burden, then making a play for the WBO World Gentle Flyweight belt; which had been vacant since Donnie Nietes left it to pursue larger weight courses.
His opponent can be Mexican warrior Moises Fuentes, whom Tanaka would brutally dominate, regardless of the willpower of the spirited ‘Moy’. Tanaka would drop Fuentes in spherical 5 and he may merely not get well from there, holding up till the referee would waive the bout in favour of Tanaka.
For his first defence, the spry Japanese champion would face Angel Acosta, a problem who had ended all 16 of his earlier bouts by way of knockout. Tanaka, nevertheless, proved too keen for the Puerto Rican to deal with and, regardless of the struggle being scored extremely in favour of Tanaka, it proved to be an thrilling bout, with Acosta having moments.
Yet one more TKO for Tanaka, towards 14-1 Palangpol CP Freshmart, would put together him for higher pastures – or, not less than, larger pastures; he would transfer up in weight as soon as extra, establishing himself as a flyweight with a ninth spherical stoppage over Ronnie Baldonado.
His twelfth bout can be one for the historical past books. In an act solely carried out as soon as earlier than by novice genius {and professional} technician Vasyl Lomachenko, Tanaka would earn the WBO World Flyweight title in a hard-fought battle with fellow Japanese expertise Sho Kimura; who had travelled throughout Thailand and China to hone his observe.
With a majority determination win to his title, in addition to a extra historic file, Tanaka would make two dramatic defences of his title, earlier than arising towards the most important problem of his profession to this point; the surging Japanese prodigy Kazuto Ioka.
On the closing day of 2020, the 2 males would go to warfare in Ota-Metropolis Normal Gymnasium, for Ioka’s WBO trinket. Ioka, at this level in his profession, was seasoned and versatile.
In an all-action bout, the 2 ring-technicians would interact in gloved warfare, in a bout that was decided to not go the gap. And, that was the case.
Within the eighth spherical of the championship struggle, Ioka, regardless of being peppered with hard-hitting pictures from Tanaka, was faster to counter. With one single jolt, Tanaka was caught considerably, stuttering on his toes. The stoppage was swift; virtually too swift, but, Tanaka would endure the primary – and solely – lack of his profession.
Tanaka’s enterprise into the fourth weight class of his profession had faltered in a method not too dissimilar to Ioka’s uncle, Hiroki Ioka. But, very like the elder Ioka, Tanaka was not deterred. And, in contrast to the elder Ioka, luck can be on the facet of the Japanese ‘Dream’.
Gathering the WBO Asia Pacific title with a fifth spherical TKO of Masayoshi Hashizume, undefeated in 21 bouts on the time, Tanaka would put in diligent performances on the Asia Pacific degree to stabilise himself throughout the rankings at tremendous flyweight.
On the undercard of Alexandro Santiago versus Junto Nakatani, Tanaka can be one more Japanese fighter on the roster to show victorious; successful the vacant WBO World Tremendous Flyweight title towards Christian Bacasegua Rangel, with the Mexican ‘Rocky’ succumbing to a unanimous determination.
And, his ambitions have but to cease.
So, in consideration of his nicknames, Tanaka is a fighter that would naked the names ‘Dream Boy’ and ‘Monster of Chukyo’ in equal measure; he’s a boxer of multitudes, one who will solely hold going.
