Yesterday the East Japan Boxing Association announced their monthly award winners for the month of April, naming 3 award winners for the month.
The MVP for the month was the newly crowned Japanese champion at 140lbs, Kuntae Lee (7-0-1, 2) [李健太], who scored a career best win when he took a clear decision over the hard hitting Homura Fujita (12-2, 10) [藤田裕崇] on April 9th. The talented former amateur standout, was giving a good test by Fujita, but did run away the very clear winner in what was a really good match up, that did more than just pit his skills against the power of Fujita, showing that Lee could also hit hard enough to get Fujita’s respect.
The Fighting Spirit Award winner was actually on the same as Lee, and that was Hironori Mishiro (15-1-1, 4) [三代大訓], who claimed the Japanese Lightweight title as he beat Shuma Nakazato (14-3-3, 8) [仲里周磨], in what was their second bout. This bout, like Lee’s, was a Champion Carnival bout, and showed the quality that the Japanese domestic title scene gives us every year, and seems to show that Mishiro is ready for regional title fights at his new weight, having previously won regional honours at Super Featherweight.
The Newcomer of the Month was Ohashi gym prospect Taiga Imanaga (5-0, 4) [今永虎雅] who impressed in the Asia’s Strongest Lightweight tournament by stopping Chinese fighter Qiang Ma (6-4-2, 4) [马强] on April 25th, to progress to the final 4 of the 6 man tournament.
The winners will all be able to take part in an award ceremony on June 1st at Korakuen Hall as part of "WHO's NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT Vol.17".
