‘Tough Boy’ Kohei Kono passes test to make Rex Tso fight official
Japanese star easily wins his warm-up bout in Tokyo before signing contract as ‘Clash of Champions 3’ becomes reality at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 7
It’s official: Hong Kong’s Rex Tso Sing-yu will fight Kohei Kono in a much-anticipated bout in October after the Japanese star returned to winning ways over the weekend – the pre-set condition that he had to meet to make the fight happen.
Hong Kong promoter Jay Lau Chi-yuen was at ringside in Tokyo on Sunday and watched Kono pummel Thai boxer Rambo Sithsaithong in a fifth-round TKO to clear the path for the October 7 showdown at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fight was rubber-stamped when Kono and his manager, Hitoshi Watanabe, signed a contract in Tokyo on Monday.
“Tough Boy” Kono, coming off two straight losses against Panama’s Luis Concepcion and Japanese superstar “Monster” Naoya Inoue, was desperate for victory and despite playing it safe at first, the 36-year-old veteran eventually stopped his Thai opponent.
Impressed by Kono’s comeback victory, which raised his record to 33-10-1, 14 KOs, Lau was excited that the fight, billed as Clash of Champions 3, will finally go ahead.
“Kono had to win the fight and he couldn’t suffer any cuts or injuries so he played it safe,” said Lau. “Usually Kono likes to go forward but he had to be careful because if he suffered any cuts during the bout, the showdown against Rex would be called off because he wouldn’t have time to heal and prepare for the October fight,” he said.
