Top-ranked challenger Julian Lorcy of France took a hard-fought unanimous decision from Takanori Hatakeyama on Sunday to wrest the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title from the Japanese champion.
Both boxers exchanged fierce blows from the outset at Saitama Super Arena, with Hatakeyama throwing a rally of body blows while Lorcy, on the defensive for most of the 12-rounder, countered with uppercuts and left jabs that stung the champion.
Lorcy, 29, a former WBA lightweight champion, hit Hatakeyama with combinations to the head throughout the fight but the tenacious Hatakeyama continued to back the Frenchman into the corner with body blows.
In the end, Erkki Meronen of Finland scored the fight 117-112, Stan Christodoulou of South Africa saw it 117-111 and Lou Tabat of the United States had it 118-112 -- all for Lorcy. "I have nothing to say. I lost the fight fair and square. He was simply the better fighter. He had more stamina than I did and was greater in all respects and he prevailed," Hatakeyama said after the fight.
Lorcy explained later that "My punches were more accurate than Takanori's punches. This was the big difference in the fight."