Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo hosted the bout on Saturday, April 11, in the early morning hours for the American audience, where Tenshin Nasukawa delivered the most significant win of his young professional boxing career, stopping former world champion Juan Francisco Estrada after nine rounds in a WBC bantamweight title eliminator.
Nasukawa (8-1, 3 KOs), a former kickboxing star, showcased a composed and technically sharp performance, controlling the fight from the outset with superior speed, movement, and a well rounded offensive attack. His consistent work to the body proved especially effective in breaking down Estrada over the course of the bout.
Estrada (45-5, 28 KOs), 35, appeared undersized in his bantamweight debut and struggled to impose his experience against a naturally bigger and more dynamic opponent. While he had brief moments of success, his output was limited, and by the seventh round signs of frustration were evident.
An accidental clash of heads further compounded the damage for the Mexican veteran, who entered the later rounds visibly worn down. Following the ninth round, Estrada’s corner opted to stop the fight, awarding Nasukawa a TKO victory.
With the win, Nasukawa moves into position for a potential rematch with WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue, who defeated him last November. Inoue is scheduled to defend his title on May 2 against Kazuto Ioka.
Both fighters showed mutual respect after the bout, with Nasukawa raising Estrada’s hand in the center of the ring in acknowledgment of his accomplished career.
Undercard Results:
Tomoya Tsuboi vs. Pedro Guevara ended in a technical draw after an accidental head clash in the second round left Guevara unable to continue. Under Japanese commission rules, the bout was ruled a technical draw.
Jose Calderon (15-3, 6 KOs) scored a mild upset over Katsuma Akitsugi (14-1, 4 KOs), winning a majority decision (96-94, 96-94, 95-95) in a competitive fight where his consistency proved decisive.
Keita Kubotera (3-0, 3 KOs) remained unbeaten with a fifth-round TKO over Crisaldy Beltran (5-2, 4 KOs). Kubotera rebounded from a third-round knockdown to finish strong, though the stoppage was considered somewhat premature.