Tsutsumi Retains WBA Crown After Grueling Draw with Higa – World Boxing Association

Seiya Tsutsumi successfully defended his WBA bantamweight world title after battling to a unanimous draw against Daigo Higa at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. The judges were in complete agreement, all scoring the fight 114-114 across the board.

In a razor-close war from start to finish, Tsutsumi remained unbeaten, now boasting a record of 12-0-3, while Higa moved to 21-3-2.

Higa found early success, landing sharp shots to the champion’s face, even opening a nasty cut over Tsutsumi’s right eyebrow. Blood streamed down Tsutsumi’s face for much of the fight, but the champion never wavered.

Despite the adversity, Tsutsumi dug deep, attacking Higa’s body and firing crisp combinations upstairs, allowing him to stay in the fight and trade until the final bell.

The bout was an all-action slugfest, a relentless exchange of punches that had the Ariake Arena crowd on their feet. The unanimous draw was an unusual outcome, but it reflected just how evenly matched and fiercely contested this championship fight truly was.