MEXICO may have lost Canelo Alvarez as a reigning champion, but it gained a new star on Sunday as Christian Medina Jimenez ripped the WBO bantamweight title from Yoshiki Takei in devastating fashion.
Fighting in the co-main event to Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev at the IG Arena in Nagoya, Medina carried extra motivation, determined to win in memory of his late father. From the opening bell, the 25-year-old unleashed a relentless assault that left Takei struggling for survival.
Medina targeted the body early, creating openings for his thudding right hand, which carried as much menace as his left. With 45 seconds remaining in the first round, a crushing right hand flattened Takei, handing Medina a 10-8 start.
The Japanese champion never recovered his footing. In round two, Medina’s heavy shots buckled Takei once again, while the third saw Takei rally briefly before being subdued by more punishing rights and body blows.
By the fourth, Medina had his man trapped on the ropes. A furious flurry of uppercuts forced referee Ramon Pena to intervene, sparing Takei further punishment. The stoppage sealed Medina’s breakthrough victory and established him as a new force at 118 pounds.
Takei, who had been linked to a potential Riyadh Season appearance later this year, left the ring in tears, his dreams of unification derailed. Medina, meanwhile, celebrated an emotional triumph and Mexico’s newest world champion status.
