YOKOHAMA, Japan, 24 June 2003 — Mexican champion Jose Antonio Aguirre quashed the challenge from Japan’s Keitaro Hoshino yesterday with a technical knockout in the 12th round to defend the World Boxing Council (WBC) minimum-weight title.
The result came two minutes and 15 seconds into the round when Aguirre went for it against the Japanese challenger, who stood up after a knock but could not unleash a punch afterward. “It was a difficult match, because Hoshino hit a good right counter. I feel relieved that I won,” said Aguirre.
Hoshino got off to a good start, connecting several hooks to the face in the first round, but Aguirre soon got into his rhythm, hitting a left straight to the chin in the second.
In the fifth round Aguirre fired a fierce right straight to the face which staggered the Japanese. He then he hit another left hook, right straight and a left uppercut in the seventh.
Hoshino suffered a couple of heavy lefts in the eighth round but he never gave up, fighting back from close range to excite a partisan crowd in the 10th round at the Yokohama Arena. But his efforts left him tired, allowing Aguirre to hit back.
Hoshino lost his balance when he received a left hook in the 11th round and was hit by a right straight followed by a left hook. Aguirre hit another left hook to send Hoshino down in the 12th round before the referee stopped the fight.
