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It wasn’t the finish anyone expected, but it was enough to crown a new world champion. On September 14 at the IG Arena in Nagoya, Ryusei Matsumoto (7-0, 4 KOs) captured the WBA minimumweight title with a unanimous technical decision over countryman Yuni Takada (16-9-3, 6 KOs).
The fight, scheduled for twelve rounds, came to an abrupt halt in the fifth when an accidental clash of heads left Takada unable to continue. After medical evaluation and consultation with the referee, the bout went to the scorecards. All three judges had Matsumoto comfortably ahead: 50-45, 50-45, and 50-46.
At just 27 years old, Matsumoto—honed in Tokyo’s prestigious Teiken Gym—looked every bit the polished prospect. He controlled center ring, worked behind straight shots, mixed in feints, and dictated the tempo. Takada, the more seasoned fighter, tried to find space and angles, but Matsumoto’s sharper rhythm and cleaner accuracy kept him in charge from the outset.
The anticlimactic stoppage did little to diminish Matsumoto’s achievement. “It’s an honor to win a world title at home, though not in the way I hoped,” he said afterward. “I wish Takada a quick recovery—he’s a true warrior.”
Takada was stretchered out of the ring but later declared out of danger, bringing relief to fans inside the arena.
With the belt now around his waist, Matsumoto joins the new wave of Japanese champions emerging in boxing’s lighter divisions. His fast rise, crisp technique, and composure under pressure mark him as a fighter to watch at 105 pounds.
Nagoya’s fight night once again underscored Japan’s growing dominance on the global stage—and Ryusei Matsumoto, with his first world title secured, has begun writing a story of his own.
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