Thursday night at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, WBA Super World super featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama (23-0-1, 19 KOs) and WBA World light flyweight champion Ryoichi Taguchi (23-2-1, 10 KOs) both stopped their respective foes to bring the New Year in right.

Thirty-six-year-old Uchiyama, the long-reigning super featherweight champ fighting out of Tokyo, successfully defended his title for the 11th time by stopping Oliver Flores (27-2-2, 17 KOs), the 24-year-old southpaw from Leon, Nicaragua, at 1:47 of the third round. A left to the liver did the trick.

In the co-main event, WBA titleholder Ryoichi Taguchi (23-2-1, 10 KOs), the slick boxer-puncher from Tokyo, had a harder time of it against Luis de la Rosa (24-6-1, 14 KOs), the underdog from Arboletes, Colombia, before forcing him to quit on his stool at the end of the ninth round.

Uchiyama had been plagued by hand and elbow injuries over the years, but he was injury-free when he climbed into the ring against Flores.

“I am in very good condition,” said Uchiyama after the bout. “I tried to take it easy in the first few rounds. I saw his belly open. So I was like, ‘Oh, it’s open.’ Then I hit there and it was over.”

The win was significant and not just because his WBA title was at stake. Uchiyama has never fought outside of Japan, but Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes former WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters, has floated the idea of Uchiyama and “The Axe Man” fighting in Las Vegas.

“I know there are talks on that,” Uchiyama said earlier this week. “Yet I’m only focusing on beating Flores now. I’m just concentrating on winning this one. If I win this fight, a potential big match might take shape. I’ll think of setting a new goal after January 1st.”

This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.