Minimumweight Prospect Ryusei Matsumoto Defying Expectations
Some fighters have that extra talent and maturity, allowing them to move up the rankings quicker than most prospects. That appears to be the reality for Japanese minimumweight Ryusei Matsumoto (4-0, 2 KOs).
The 105-pounder picked up boxing growing up in his hometown of Tokyo. Feeling that the sport was his calling, Matsumoto made his way up the rigorous local amateur boxing system. He went on to have a stellar record, fighting nearly 100 times in the unpaid ranks before deciding to turn pro in February 2023.
3Kings Boxing witnessed the second professional fight of his career – a six-round unanimous decision victory over Darwin Boyones in September 2023. Matsumoto has excellent timing and a keen sense of space and distance. His punches are fast, sharp, and accurate. He’s very patient and is equally effective at fighting on the front and back foot while maintaining discipline and being defensively responsible.
A BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Matsumoto’s handlers decided to step up the opposition in his most recent outing as he faced veteran Katsuki Mori on September 25 at the storied Korakeun Hall in Tokyo. Fighting in his first scheduled ten-round contest and facing an opponent expected to give him problems, Matsumoto was dominant. The unbeaten lefty showed plenty of skill and power. He put on a virtuoso performance en route to a seventh-round stoppage.
With the win, the Tokyo fighter won the vacant Japanese minimumweight strap. Local observers now view the 26-year-old as an elite prospect who has the look of a future world champion. A fighter loaded with natural and physical gifts, he’s worth keeping an eye on moving forward in boxing’s lower-weight divisions.
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