Lanky and five inches taller, Japan’s Ryoichi Taguchi (21-2-1, 8 KOs), 108, captured the WBA light-flyweight belt as he floored defending champ from Peru, Alberto Rossel (32-9-1NC), 108, twice to win a unanimous decision over twelve heats on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies were as follows: Jose Roberto Torres (Puerto Rico) 116-110, Michael Lee (Korea) 116-111, Jose Cova (Venezuela) 117-109, all in favor of the aggressive challenger. The referee was Silvestre Abainza (Philippines). Taguchi, ex-national champ dethroned by Naoya “Monster” Inoue last year, decked Rossel with a body shot twice in rounds eight and nine. Rossel might have left his fighting spirit in Peru only to keep circling and retreating to absorb Taguchi’s busy combinations.

Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.