Olascuaga TKOs Iimura In Nine, Masuda Stops Donaire, Iwata Works Technical Decision Over Niyomtrong

On Teiken Promotions Yokohama Title Night!

By: Hideaki Fukada

Sunday, March 15th, Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan: Akihiko Honda - Teiken Promotion streamed live on ESPN+, Los Angelas, California’s Anthony “Princesa” Olascuaga made the fifth successful defense of his WBO Flyweight title with a one-sided ninth round TKO of Tokyo, Japan’s, Jukiya Iimura.

The battle of once beaten fighters saw the 25-year-old, champion, Olascuaga deliver a composed and technically sharp performance against his Japanese challenger Iimura.

Controlling the pace and distance throughout of the action Olascuaga established his rhythm early behind a crisp jab and steady footwork, using his reach to keep Iimura at the end of his punches. Iimura attempted to close the distance and apply pressure, but Olascuaga consistently disrupted his advances with straight right hands and quick combinations.

As the bout progressed, Olascuaga’s accuracy and timing began to separate the fighters. He mixed body shots with clean counters upstairs, often catching Iimura as the Japanese fighter stepped forward. Iimura showed toughness and continued pressing the action, but he struggled to sustain offense against Olascuaga’s disciplined defense and ring control.

In the middle rounds Olascuaga intensified his output, landing sharp combinations that forced Iimura onto the back foot and drew reactions from the crowd. Despite Iimura’s determination and willingness to exchange, Olascuaga remained the cleaner, more precise puncher.

By the later rounds, the Los Angeles native had clearly taken command of the fight dictating the tempo and landing the more effective punches in most exchanges. Iimura continued to battle hard but was unable to consistently break through Olascuaga’s jab-and-counter rhythm.

The bout ultimately showcased Olascuaga’s composure, technical discipline, and ring generalship against a durable and game challenger in Iimura.

The decisive moment came in round seven, when Olascuaga dropped Iimura with a big left hook. Iimura fortunate to survive that round couldn't survive the ninth.

In the ninth, Olascuaga's dominance evident throughout “Princesa” capitalizing on Iimura's fatigue overwhelmed his challenger with a sustained barrage of power shots, targeting the body and head, that left Iimura defenseless against the ropes forcing referee Mark Nelson stepped in and stop it at 1: 19 of round nine. Judges' scores at stoppage were 79–72, 80–71, 80–71 all for the champion Olascuaga. Olascuaga with his third straight TKO finishes in moves to 12-1, 9Ko’s. Iimura unbeaten in his previous six outings falls to 9-2, 2Ko’s.

In the WBA Bantamweight Title Eliminator co-feature, Tokyo, Japan’s, Riku Masuda stopped nine-time four division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire in eighth rounds.

At 43 years old, Donaire started the sharper fighter. Masuda was cautious early, spending much of the opening rounds on the back foot while the veteran controlled center ring behind a crisp jab and clean combinations. By the fourth, however, Masuda finding his rhythm let his speed and volume take charge landing a snapping right-left combination late in the round.

The turning point arrived in the fifth when an accidental headbutt opened a cut above Donaire's right eye. Masuda immediately pressed the advantage, closing distance and dictating the pace.

Donaire had his best moment in the sixth, briefly staggering Masuda with a left hook and right hand, but the rising 28-year-old, shook it off and kept coming.

Donaire moved sluggishly in the seventh, tentatively pawing at his cut, only to pay the price hitting the deck compliments of a Masuda timely left hook as the round closed. The former champion, beat the count but the fight appearing all but over when the Donaire corner received a referee Bence Kovacs point deduction for stepping on the ring apron at the start of round eight.

Masuda continued the assault unleashing sustained heavy combinations forcing Donaire into survival mode drawing a towel from the Donaire corner forcing referee Kovacs to call the bout at 1:12 of round eight. Masuda on a seven bout run moves to 10-1, 9Ko’s. “The Filipino Flash” facing father time 1-4 in his last five appearances falls to 43-10, 28Ko’s.

In a special attraction on a Shokichi Iwata seized his second world title with an eight-round technical decision win over Surin, Thailand’s reigning WBC Light Flyweight Champion Thammanoon "Knockout CP Freshmart" Niyomtrong.

The 30-year-old, taller, longer, stronger former WBO Light Flyweight Champion Iwata appearing

more confident and technically refined than in earlier performances took the initiative from the outset, keeping the slower champion under pressure with sharper jabs and combinations throughout.

With the physical advantages obvious from the start—Iwata’s four-inch height edge and a three-inch reach advantage would prove instrumental in allowing him to control distance and dictate the pace.

An accidental head clash in round three opened a cut over Niyomtrong’s right eye that the ringside doctor checked several times. Iwata stepped up his attack and had the champion on the defensive in rounds six and seven, leaving little doubt the fight was swinging clearly in his favor.

In round eight, Iwata pressed forward with another sustained attack that aggravated the cut, prompting referee Cesar Castañon to called for another examination. The ringside physician ruled the injury too severe for Niyomtrong to continue, sending the bout to the scorecards. All three judges had Iwata comfortably ahead, and he was awarded a 78–74, 79–73 times two eight round unanimous technical decision.

The newly crowned WBC Light Flyweight Champion Iwata two victories from a March 2025 twelve round unanimous decision WBO World Light Flyweight title loss to Rene Santiago moves to 16–2, 12Ko’s. A bitter end to a title campaign for a fighter whose career durability has few parallels in the modern era the 35-year-old former WBA Minimumweight Champion Niyomtrong slips to 29–2, 11Ko’s.

Other Action

WBA Strawweight Title:

Ryusei Matsumoto, 8–0, 4Ko’s W12 Yuni Takada, 16–10–3, 6Ko’s

In an immediate rematch the savvy southpaw champion pitched a 120-108 x3 shutout, leaving many critics questioning the merit of an immediate rematch despite the WTDU5 50-46, 50-45 x 2  anticlimactic ending to their first meeting this past September.

Featherweights:

Hayato Aiko DSD4 37–39, 39–37, 38–38 Natsuki Kuramochi

Akihiko Honda's Teiken Promotions is one of Japan’s most historic and influential boxing companies. Founded in 1925 by Akira Honda (with the linked Teiken Boxing Gym established in 1926 by Sadayuki Ogino), the promotion is headquartered in Tokyo. Akihiko Honda (born September 9, 1947) took over as president in 1964 at age 17 after his father’s death and has led it for more than 60 years. A Rikkyo University graduate, he adopted the motto “Pro Deo et Patria” (For God and Country).

Under Honda’s leadership, Teiken has promoted and managed dozens of world champions, including: Masao Ōba, Jirō Watanabe, Jorge Linares, Román González, Edwin Valero, Shinsuke Yamanaka Toshiaki Nishioka and many others.

Key milestones include bringing Mike Tyson to Japan (1988–1990), staging Japan’s first world-title tripleheader (1998), and pioneering overseas title wins for Japanese fighters. Honda was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009 as a non-participant.

Teiken Promotions (and its gym) remains active today, focusing on talent development, high-profile international cards, and elevating Japanese boxing globally.