Hiroto Kyoguchi Beats Up Esteban Bermudez on the Way to an Impressive Stoppage Win!
Plenty was on the line at the Domo Alcalde in Guadalajara, Mexico, as Hiroto “Mad Boy” Kyoguchi made the fourth defense of the WBA “super” junior flyweight title against “regular” champion Esteban Bermudez.
A two-division world champion, Kyoguchi has established himself as one of the more accomplished fighters in the lower divisions.
The 28-year-old was previously the IBF champion at minimumweight, defending the title twice before moving up to 108 pounds and capturing the WBA strap with a convincing win over Hekkie Budler in December 2018. Coming into this bout, the popular champion from Japan aspires to make a name for himself in North America; following the footsteps of his friend and countryman, current unified bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.
He faced a stiff test in Bermudez, who was fighting in his home country of Mexico. The challenger came into this battle with all the confidence in the world. He surprised many experts in his last bout as the 26-year-old overpowered and overwhelmed previously undefeated and highly-regarded contender Carlos Canizalez to capture the “regular” title in May 2021.
ON POINT EARLY
Kyoguchi started the fight very well. He was sharp with the jab and repeatedly was able to land with hooks and uppercuts to the chin of Bermudez in the opening two rounds. The damage was evident on Bermudez, who was bleeding heavily from the nose, mouth, over his right eye, and hairline by the end of round three.
ROUGH AND RUGGED AFFAIR
But starting in the fourth, Bermudez started to rally. Gritting his teeth, he charged forward, looking to land his pound of flesh. Despite his determined effort, Kyoguchi still landed his share of hard shots. The action got rough as the champ had a point taken away from him in round six for headbutting.
At the end of the seventh round, there was controversy. Kyoguchi had a second point taken away for a punch to the back of the head. While the decision was technically correct, Bermudez was in trouble and on the verge of going down. A referee who had less discretion probably would have ruled otherwise.
PUTTING HIM AWAY
Still, it didn’t matter as Bermudez was out of gas. Sensing his opponent was wounded, the champ went beast mode at the beginning of round eight. He went on an all-out assault, pummeling his foe until the referee had no course but to stop the fight twenty-four seconds into the round.
Overall, it was an impressive performance for the victor, who dominated Bermudez on his home turf in an exciting fashion. Afterward, Kyoguchi said his next goal is to fight one of the other world champions at 108. Many pundits feel he’s on a collision course with countryman and WBC champ Kenshiro Teraji later this year.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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