OPENING SHOT DRAMATIC TENSHIN: Coming off his first professional defeat, Japanese bantamweight star Tenshin Nasukawa could have been forgiven for taking an easy assignment. Instead, the 27-year-old southpaw made the audacious choice of targeting Mexican great Juan Francisco Estrada. On April 11, at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Nasukawa rose to the occasion. The former kickboxing legend was too quick and sharp for Estrada, who struggled to land with consistency. While a head clash in Round 6 compounded the ex-champ’s problems, Nasukawa was the superior fighter on the night, working well off the jab and mixing up his punches to head and body. In November, Nasukawa dropped a decision to Takuma Inoue in a WBC title fight.
Naoki Fukuda
4 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
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