Fuentes retains OPBF crown

ROCKY Fuentes retained his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight crown after scoring another technical knockout victory on Japanese soil yesterday.

Fuentes, 24, successfully defended his belt, for the second time, after stopping Japanese challenger Yasuto Aritomi in the eighth round at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya.

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

“We are pleased with what Rocky has done in Japan. It is not easy winning two straight TKOs in Japan against a Japanese because they don’t usually give up because of their tradition. I am happy for Rocky because he is now showing his potential,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.

Fuentes won the OPBF strap after dethroning Masafumi Okubo by majority decision. He successfully defended his title after stopping another Japanese, Shigetaka Ikehara, three months after.

With the victory, Fuentes improved to 27-6-2 with 16 knockouts, while Aritomi fell to 17-2-2 with eight knockouts.

Aldeguer said he will place Fuentes in the undercard of the upcoming blockbuster bout of Milan Melindo and former world champion Carlos Tamara in November in Cebu City, to
showcase the Cebuano-born fighter in front of his fellow Cebuanos.

Meanwhile, Filipino prospect Marjun Yap (13-4, 7 KOs) dropped a decision loss to Japanese veteran Hiromasa Ohashi (21-9-3, 15 KOs).