“Who is the Strongest in the Bantamweight Division?” #shorts
Hozumi Hasegawa praised Seiya Tsutsumi’s “resolve” after he overturned the odds to become the WBA Bantamweight Champion. The bantamweight division is heating up as Japanese fighters dominate the four major boxing organizations. On October 13 and 14, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, two world title matches took place during the ‘Prime Video Boxing 10’ event, where Tsutsumi (Takahashi) captured the WBA title from Takuma Inoue (Ohashi), while the WBC champion Junto Nakatani (MT) defended his title with a solid performance. Additionally, rising star Tenshin Nasukawa (Teiken) crowned the WBO Asia-Pacific title in his fifth fight, making for an exciting two-day event. Hozumi Hasegawa, a former three-weight world champion, reflected on the event.
Hasegawa’s Thoughts on Tsutsumi’s Resolve
Firstly, Hasegawa focused on the surprise of Tsutsumi defeating Takuma in the WBA title match. This fight resonated strongly with Hasegawa, who previously defended the WBC Bantamweight title ten times.
“Tsutsumi’s intensity, volume of punches, determination, and resolve—these factors surpassed technical skills. Of course, Tsutsumi has skills too, but in comparison, Takuma’s technical level is higher. However, Tsutsumi overcame that with his spirit and determination. His hard work exceeded his natural talent.”
Before the fight, predictions largely favored Takuma. Hasegawa shared this sentiment as well.
“Takuma is an all-rounder who can execute his boxing style against anyone. He can adapt to any opponent and impose his style. Because of that, I thought it would be difficult for Tsutsumi to win. However, Tsutsumi’s victory is attributed to his hard work and the weight he’s carried.”
Before the match, when asked about the source of his power, Tsutsumi replied that it was “inferiority complex.” He had lost to Takuma in the semifinals of the inter-high school tournament during their high school years. Although Tsutsumi has always been a strong performer since his student days, it has been Takuma, born in ’95, who has consistently taken the lead, along with Kosei Tanaka (Hatanaka), who achieved a four-weight world title. Tsutsumi’s desire to catch up and surpass them fueled his motivation, serving as his driving force behind hard work.