Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs) claimed a unanimous choice victory immediately towards Joshua Franco (18-2-3, 8 KOs, 1 NC) in Tokyo, Japan. With the win, he’s as soon as once more tremendous flyweight champion as he picked up the WBA title within the course of. Regardless of dominating, the scores appeared a contact shut as the 2 judges had it 116-112 whereas the third scored the competition 115-113.
Franco beforehand held the WBA belt however misplaced it on the scales as he got here roughly six kilos over the restrict. The 2 had met beforehand on New 12 months’s Eve in a battle that led to a draw. That bout had the WBA and WBO titles on the road. Ioka selected to vacate his WBO title to be able to pursue a rematch with Franco.
With the win, Ioka is now a two-time tremendous flyweight champion. Moreover, he’s a 4 division world champion having beforehand received titles at minimumweight, gentle flyweight, and flyweight.
Consideration now turns in direction of Ioka’s subsequent potential battle. After coping with an unusually excessive variety of mandatories whereas he was WBO tremendous flyweight champion, battle followers will hope that his subsequent battle will see him unify towards certainly one of Juan Francisco Estrada, Junto Nakatani, and Fernando Martinez.
Franco vs. Ioka 2 recap
Ioka had many of the success within the early rounds as he landed the heavier pictures. Within the second spherical, he staggered Franco and proceeded to stroll him down. Regardless of being shocked, Franco was capable of recuperate shortly. The fourth spherical was higher for Franco as Ioka dropped his punch output. That drop was non permanent, nevertheless, as Ioka let his arms go to have a really lively fifth spherical. It was a spherical the place Franco was capable of land heavy pictures, however they had been few and much between as Ioka claimed the fifth with better exercise.
In spherical seven, Ioka was capable of again Franco up with relentless physique work. Franco additionally started to bleed from a minimize on the skin of his proper eye on this spherical. Within the later rounds, blood continued to trickle as Franco struggled to take care of Ioka’s clear energy pictures. Because the rounds went on, Franco’s possibilities of successful diminished as Ioka continued to outbox him. Ioka continued to claim his dominance until the ultimate bell as he went on to win a unanimous choice.
