On May 2 (May 3 Japan time), Reito Tsutsumi — a nine-time amateur champion — made his professional debut in a 6-round super featherweight bout at Times Square in New York. The fight took place as part of the “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” event, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom Boxing. Tsutsumi (Shisei Boxing Gym) faced Lavell Whittington (USA), who entered with a record of 1 win (1 KO), 2 losses, and 1 draw. Tsutsumi won by unanimous decision.
In his corner was renowned Las Vegas trainer Ismael Salas. The southpaw-vs-southpaw matchup began with a jab battle. Tsutsumi applied steady pressure, gradually closing in on Whittington. Although taller, Whittington moved backward while throwing jabs and right hooks, but Tsutsumi took control later in the round, pressing the action.
In round 2, Tsutsumi landed a sharp left straight that sent Whittington retreating. With his back to the ropes and a tight guard, Whittington absorbed Tsutsumi’s calm, calculated punches as the Japanese fighter looked for and created openings.
In round 3, Tsutsumi worked in close and threw a left uppercut, but Whittington maintained a tight guard. In round 4, Whittington connected a jab into a one-two and a right hook, though he mostly stayed on the defensive, looking for counter opportunities behind a solid guard.
In round 5, Tsutsumi tried to break through with left and right uppercuts, but Whittington’s high guard proved difficult to penetrate, leaving Tsutsumi without a clear breakthrough. In the final round, Tsutsumi remained on the offensive while Whittington stuck to his defensive strategy, occasionally countering. The bout ended with scores of 60-54, 60-54, and 58-56, all in favor of Tsutsumi.
Minister Turki Alalshikh, who leads the Saudi Arabian government’s flagship project “Riyadh Season,” reviewed footage of Tsutsumi’s amateur fights and recognized his immense potential. As a result, Tsutsumi was offered the opportunity to appear on this major fight card, making his professional debut on an unprecedentedly grand stage.
Tsutsumi has also been appointed as an ambassador for The Ring magazine, owned by Minister Alalshikh, drawing further attention to how his professional career will unfold going forward.
Minister Turki Alalshikh, who leads the “Riyadh Season” project, watched footage of Tsutsumi’s amateur fights and personally selected him — all eyes are now on Tsutsumi!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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