Tenshin Nasukawa wasn’t thrilled with the way in which he landed his first profession stoppage earlier this yr.
Saturday’s efficiency delivered a much more satisfying final result.
The wildly well-liked fight sports activities star stopped Jonathan Rodriguez within the third spherical of their ESPN+ aired co-feature. Rodriguez was floored and deemed unfit to proceed at 1:49 of spherical three Saturday at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
“Lastly, I acquired my knockout,” Nasukawa exclaimed via in-ring translator Mizuka Koike. “All the things was good bodily and mentally and I used to be so comfortable to get this knockout victory tonight.”
The bout was fought at a 120-pound catchweight, although Nasukawa plans to race in direction of a bantamweight title.
Nasukawa went the gap in his first two professional fights final yr. He earned a third-round stoppage of Luis Robles, who suffered an ankle damage of their January 23 bout at Ariake Area in Tokyo.
The mission this time round was to entertain after which shut the present.
Each field was checked in that regard, with the proper opponent to supply that efficiency. Rodriguez—a Puerto Rican boxer from Pennsylvania—was outgunned from the beginning and supplied little within the ring. Nasukawa shortly established his straight left hand, for which Rodriguez had no response.
Rodriguez was almost stopped on the finish of the second spherical. Nasukawa was so assured of a knockout that he rotated after he slammed residence a left hand. Rodriguez in some way remained upright, to which Nasukawa regrouped and unloaded alongside the ropes. A sequence of energy photographs pressured Rodriguez’s knees to buckle however he averted the canvas and made it to the bell.
He wasn’t afforded that very same luxurious one spherical later.
Nasukawa was in good place to tag Rodriguez with a clear left hand down the pipe. It was adopted by a hook to the physique and a left uppercut. Rodriguez was wobbled after which pushed again by a proper hook. A remaining left hand despatched him reeling into the ropes for the bout’s lone knockdown. He beat the rely issued by referee Michiaki Someya however his physique language prompted the stoppage.
Nasukawa superior to 4-0 (2 knockouts), whereas Rodriguez (17-3-1, 7 KOs) suffered his second straight defeat.
Most boxing followers will all the time connect Nasukawa’s title to the farcical 2018 New 12 months’s Eve exhibition with Corridor of Fame all-time nice Floyd Mayweather Jr. The previous kickboxing star, nevertheless, has come into his personal as a boxer.
A lot, that he has aspirations far past most fighters simply 4 bouts into their professional profession.
“I imagine I’m persevering with to point out you my development,” famous Nasukawa. “I haven’t come near reaching my peak but. I wish to proceed to enhance and to problem for the bantamweight championship.
“All 4 [titleholders] are from Japan, I hope I can get a shot quickly. I do imagine I must take it step-by-step to earn my alternative.”
Nasukawa-Rodriguez was a part of a four-fight livestream. Headlining the occasion, WBC bantamweight titlist Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs) defends versus Vincent Astrolabio (19-4, 14 KOs).
