Tanaka Moves Up To Flyweight
Unbeaten two-time world champion Kosei Tanaka (10-0, 6 KOs) announced he will vacate his WBO junior flyweight championship and move up to the flyweight division to pursue a third division title.
His manager/promoter and ex-122-pound titlist Kiyoshi Hatanaka sent a formal letter to the WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel to declare his champion’s decision to vacate, saying as follows:
“We, Tanaka and I, express our utmost appreciation of your precious guidance and leadership in Tanaka having acquired the WBO 105-pound and 108-pound championships, and sincerely wish that the WBO will newly rank Tanaka in the 112-pound category so that he will try to obtain his third WBO belt.”
Tanaka is currently the youngest world champion at 22 years old and would become the youngest fighter ever to win a title in 3 different weight classes. He is coming off a 9th round stoppage win over Palangpol CP Freshmart in September in which he suffered fractures in both eye sockets. The injuries prevented a planned December unification bout against WBA light flyweight champion Ryoichi Taguchi.
By: Chris Henderson
You can follow Chris on Twitter @4CornersBoxin
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