Hayato Tsutsumi vs. René Antonio Alvarado Sánchez & Sei Shiraishi vs. Tsuyoshi Satō RBR

Round 6

Satō is pumping out a southpaw jab coming forward. Shiraishi lines him up for straight rights backing up, then anchors himself and throws uppercut combos with both hands. Clinch. Shiraishi hits on the break for the second round in a row. Satō lands a left on the body and takes a right hand skimming his temple. Left hook on the body by Shiraishi. Short right by Shiraishi. Big right hand by Shiraishi, ducked. Satō leaps in and taps a right hook on the body as they collapse into a brief clinch. Satō down, slip. Shiraishi extending the left arm fully so that Satō runs facelong into it and can't reach him with flurries on the body. Shiraishi jabbing and moving to his right. Satō runs into a partially landing 1-2. Lead left on the body by Satō. Head clash.

10-9 Shiraishi

60-54 Shiraishi

 

Round 7

Satō is catching a lot of Shiraishi's jabs between his forearms while in pursuit now. Frequent clinches. Satō doubling the right jab feint, and catching Shiraishi's counter jabs on his palm. Left on the body by Satō. Shiraishi backing up and roping out right hands, missing. Right hook and left hand by Satō, scoring as he chases Shiraishi against the ropes. Overhand left by Satō, falls short and they clinch. Shiraishi hit with another right hook while pawing out a lazy left jab. Satō pressuring now, swatting down Shiraishi's left hand with his right. Another right hook for Satō. Shiraishi with a hit on the break at the bell.

10-9 Satō

69-64 Shiraishi

 

Round 8

Satō is whipping up those right hooks at the face of Shiraishi while dashing in, always getting a piece, landing cleaner and cleaner as he persists. Shiraishi ties him up in the corner. Satō is throwing away high right jabs and plunging lefts downstairs. Shiraishi desperately tossing jabs and rights in retreat, and tying up when Satō rushes up to him. Both landing fouls in the clinch, rabbit and kidney punches. Ref losing control here with two minutes left in the contest. Overhand left and right hook in the pocket for Satō. Shiraishi bounces himself off the ropes and lurches in to hold. Left on the body by Satō. Straight right up top by Shiraishi. Straight left on the body by Satō. Rough awkward clinch. Ref breaks them up. Yet another charging high right hook by Satō, partially obstructed by Shiraishi's left arm but still getting through as he is backed into the ropes. Wild spinning clinch. Shiraishi puts Satō in a headlock.

10-9 Satō

78-74 Shiraishi

 

Official cards:

Toshio Sugiyama 77-75
Katsuhiko Nakamura 77-75
Tetsuya Iida 78-74

UD for Shiraishi

 

Hayato Tsutsumi vs. René Antonio Alvarado Sánchez, 10 rounds @ super featherweight

 

Round 1

Tsutsumi with strong hard left jabs dead center in Alvarado's torso, a few inches above the navel. Alvarado stretches out a wide base and tries getting a rhythm with his own jab. Tsutsumi countering sharply with his own jab and 1-2, keeping his elbows pinned together and face tightly caged. Lead rights on the body by Tsutsumi. Alvarado tries a line drive right from a crouch and Tsutsumi easily backsteps. Tsutsumi changing levels, squatting and rising, catches Alvarado in transition with another straight right on the body.

10-9 Tsutsumi

 

Round 2

Tsutsumi is making Alvarado miss his jab just past his cheek while stepping around, and accurately countering with his own. Body jab and right on the face by Tsutsumi. Alvarado having a hard time getting anything going, punished whenever he leads, looking much slower than his opponent. Hard whipping left hook downstairs by Tsutsumi. They grind together and Alvarado throws some uppercuts, hitting arm. They hand-fight and wrestle inside for a moment, then step apart. Tsutsumi feeds a few jabs between the guard. Alvarado jumps away from a right hand. Alvarado knocking on the guard of Tsutsumi with his jab, then lands a gavel right on the braids. Flurry by Alvarado as they are separating from a lean-in. Check left hook by Tsutsumi. Body jab by Tsutsumi. Right hand up top by Tsutsumi. Dancing around Alvarado now, Tsutsumi getting his mojo working spinning his right wrist in a watch-the-birdie motion.

10-9 Tsutsumi

20-18 Tsutsumi

 

Round 3

Tsutsumi stepping left and jabbing Alvarado in the mouth. Tsutsumi dropping the right hand from up by his ear into the stomach of Alvarado. Slow reach-in jabs by the Nicaraguan easily ducked, with a hook on the body given as receipt. Tsutsumi slipping to either side of Alvarado's jabs, stalking. Double jab by Alvarado pumped into the air. Left hook downstairs again by Tsutsumi. Alvarado grabs onto his arms and pushes down on them. Alvarado tries fighting his way off the ropes but Tsutsumi's inside defense proving very tight as he surgically works the body of Alvarado and zaps him with rights on the face at mid-range.

10-9 Tsutsumi

30-27 Tsutsumi

 

Round 4

Tsutsumi with a jab on the lip first thing. Alvarado trying to force a brawl, but getting the worst of things when he rushes in letting his hands go. Tsutsumi active with a counter uppercut. Clinches getting frequent. Alvarado able to get in a few blows, but taking three for one. Hard jab by Tsutsumi as they step apart. 1-2 by Tsutsumi, ducked but with the right hand clanging atop Alvarado's head. Tsutsumi walking Alvarado down, stabbing him in the body with both hands. Alvarado with a slow double jab up top, then dives in to hold. Hard left hook on the liver by Tsutsumi

10-9 Tsutsumi

40-36 Tsutsumi

 

Round 5

Tsutsumi is letting Alvarado jab into his goalposts with impunity. Alvarado gaining confidence, and tries a looping right. Tsutsumi keeping his gloves up, circling in either direction in hemispheres. Alvarado trying for body shots and getting picked off with Tsutsumi's flared out elbows. 1-2 by Tsutsumi, just falling short as Alvarado skitters back. Alvarado puts out several slow range-finding jabs and then starts hurling right hands in from outside, missing. Tsutsumi hurts Alvarado with a right hand and pushes him into the ropes with a blistering combination. Alvarado able to wriggle free but is soon in trouble on the opposite set of ropes, and forced to hold. A minute left on the clock. Uppercut on the body by Tsutsumi. Alvarado desperately jabbing. Lead left hook by Tsutsumi. Heavy pendulum body shots by Alvarado. 1-2 into the guard by Tsutsumi, then a quick uppercut. Alvarado drifts around tossing light jabs.

10-9 Tsutsumi

50-45 Tsutsumi

 

Round 6

Tsutsumi coming in and trading jabs and rights with Alvarado now. Tsutsumi landing more and more sharply, but Alvarado getting in his licks. Tsutsumi mixes in left hooks on the body. Alvarado tries a wavy high hook off the jab but it's very slow and easily spotted and avoided. Almost the whole round has been fought at mid-range. Alvarado now tries leaning in with some uppercuts. Tsutsumi's arms shield him. Right hand by Tsutsumi. Flurry climbing up the body by Alvarado. Left hook by Tsutsumi.

10-9 Tsutsumi, closer

60-54 Tsutsumi

 

Round 7

Tsutsumi is letting Alvarado punch himself out, stalking without opening up much, collecting shots on his folded up forearms. Alvarado circling and flurrying, then clinching when he runs low on steam. Jab over the head and right cross flush on the nose by Tsutsumi as Alvarado ducks. They both miss a flurry and end up in a rough headlock. Alvarado backing up and rowing out slow left jabs. Another clinch, Alvarado grinding his head into Tsutsumi's chest. Broken up. Another exchange where neither lands and they clinch. Overhand right by Alvarado grazes.

10-9 Tsutsumi, close and ugly

70-63 Tsutsumi

 

Round 8

Tsutsumi jabs the face and hooks the body. Alvarado holds. Alvarado now tossing a jab with every step, but always moving backward. Overhand right by Alvarado. Tsutsumi giving Alvarado respect but closing in on him. Tsutsumi with a throwaway jab and hard right on the face. Alvarado jabs his way off the ropes and takes a left hook on the body. Now a let hook up top. Another. Alvarado hurt. Tsutsumi starts chopping at him with rights and Alvarado is sitting on the ropes, blinking, barely defending himself. Ref jumps in.

TKO8!

 

Undercard:

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(Sei Shiraishi vs. Tsuyoshi Satō at 1:45:00)

Main event:

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Bittersweet to see Kazuto Ioka sitting ringside to cheer Tsutsumi on. He's wearing a mask - guess the concern is that he may have picked up whatever contagion Pumita Martínez had at some mutually attended event (presser maybe? Was the fight canceled before they even showed up at the weigh-in yesterday?)

We got a good competitive fight in Shiraishi vs. Satō, and fun breakout performance by Tsutsumi - but damn it, NYE is supposed to be Ioka's rodeo. Shame they couldn't find him a late sub for a tuneup before the rescheduled Martínez rematch in February.