Nagoya, Japan (My Sportsbook) - Hozumi Hasegawa and Takahiro Ao each won featherweight titles Friday night. Hasegawa captured the vacant WBC featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos, while Ao claimed the WBC super featherweight belt from Vitali Tajbert with a unanimous decision. The 29-year-old Hasegawa formerly held the WBC bantamweight title until losing to Fernando Montiel back in April. Montiel scored a fourth-round TKO to win that bout. Hasegawa (29-3, 12 KOs) returned to the ring on Friday and won by scores of 117-110 on two cards and 116-111 on another to send Burgos (25-1, 18 KOs) to his first-ever defeat. It was also Burgos' first-ever title fight. Ao (20-2-1, 9 KOs) won his second title with Friday's decision, having also been WBC featherweight champ in 2009. He lost that crown to Elio Rojas last July and has now won three straight fights since that setback. The judges scored Friday's bout 115-112, 117-112 and 116-110 in favor of Ao, who sent Tajbert to the canvas in the third round. Tajbert (20-2, 6 KOs) was making his second title defense since capturing the belt last November. |
