[WOWOW Inc.] New champion Kosuke Takami and the struggling Daigo Higa look back on their previous matches! “Exciting Match SP: Vargas vs. Daigo Higa” and “Rosa vs. Kosuke Takami” will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW from 9:00 PM on Monday, October 20th!
WOWOW Co., Ltd. Press release: October 20, 2025 To Members of the Press New champion Kosuke Takami and the struggling Daigo Higa look back on their previous matches! “Exciting Match SP: Vargas vs. Higa Daigo and Rosa vs. Takami Kosuke” will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW from 9:00 PM on Monday, October 20th!
https://www.wowow.co.jp/sports/excite/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8483/1355-8483-028d7d0b77f91384dd9be43c2f3bfa2a-1200×834.jpg WBA World Light Flyweight Champion Kosuke Takami (23, Teiken) and former WBC World Flyweight Champion Daigo Higa (30, Shisei) appeared on WOWOW’s “Excite Match SP.” The two guest commentated on the matches held at BUNTAI in Yokohama on July 30th. Takami’s bout with Eric Rosa (25, Dominican Republic), which he won by TKO in the 10th round, earned him the title. Higa’s bout with Antonio Vargas (29, USA), which ended in a draw in the 12th round, was the WBA World Bantamweight Title bout. Takami, who won the world title in his 10th professional fight, reflected, “I was able to fight the way I wanted,” while Higa, who had failed in three consecutive world title challenges, analyzed himself by saying, “Close combat was more difficult than I thought.” ■ “I really wanted to beat him,” said Takami in the final stages. The WBA World Light Flyweight Title match featured Rosa, who was 8-0 (2 KOs), against Takami, who was 9-0 (7 KOs). Even before the bout, many predicted a new champion would be crowned. “Rosa is a skilled fighter with an amateur background and knows how to play a match. But I was extremely confident,” Takami said. The challenger lived up to expectations, attacking aggressively from the beginning and taking the lead. It was Takami’s first professional fight against a southpaw, but he didn’t seem hesitant. “I felt like I couldn’t lose in terms of power,” he said, reflecting on the early exchanges. Rosa is a two-division champion nicknamed “Mini Pac-Man,” but Takami didn’t give him any openings, steadily racking up points even in the middle of the match. In addition to his signature right straight and left hook, Takami’s body blows were also effective. “The punches to the face were off-center, but I could feel the punches to the body,” he said. In the seventh and eighth rounds, Rosa’s apparent retreat from injury heightened the mood that a new champion was on the way. Towards the end of the round, Takami said, “I thought about going the full round, or just focusing on winning, but I really wanted to beat him,” and true to his words, he never let up on his attacks. Takami’s longest fight to date had been eight rounds, so the ninth and tenth rounds were uncharted territory, but his concentration and physical stamina were no problem. His chance came in the tenth round. After a flurry of left and right punches, Takami landed a right to knock Rosa down. The injured Rosa slipped and fell to the ropes after the fight resumed. The referee saw this and stopped the bout. After watching the match, Takami reflected, “I could sense Rosa’s mental strength, and it was a worthwhile fight.” Though Takami has realized a dream he’s had since elementary school, he says this is just a milestone. He spoke of his vision for the near future, saying, “I’d like to become a
multi-division champion or win a unification match in the
not-too-distant future.” Specifically, he said, “I’d like to fight Ricardo Sandoval (USA – WBA and WBC World Flyweight Champion), who has defeated (WBO champion) Rene Santiago (Puerto Rico) and Kenshiro Teraji (BMB).” He also held a training camp in September in
preparation for his first title defense, scheduled for later this year. The 23-year-old new champion continues his sprint.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8483/1355-8483-b126c6f926f9185c86eb4387ebd90f9e-1200×905.jpg ■ “I didn’t know if I was winning or losing.” Higa, who has won the WBC World Flyweight Championship and has recorded 15 consecutive knockout victories, including two title defenses, this was his third consecutive world title challenge in the bantamweight division. In last September’s WBO title bout, he knocked Higa down in the 11th round, but was defeated by a narrow decision by a fierce attack from Yuki Takei (Ohashi) in the final round. In February of this year, he challenged Seiya Tsutsumi (Kadoebi Houseki) for the WBA title, knocking him down first but then going down himself in the same round. This shifted the pace to his opponent, resulting in a 12-round draw. “They say, ‘What happens twice happens three times,’ but I believe in the saying, ‘third time’s the charm.'” Going into the fight against Vargas, Higa said, “The distance wasn’t too far, so it felt good. But I think that was true for both of us. My impression of my opponent was what I expected, and his punching power was within my expectations. I didn’t feel his power, but I thought he was physically strong.” Higa won the left jab exchange and never lost ground in the mid-range exchanges. In the fourth round, Higa knocked his opponent down with a left hook. “I think it was a good hook. But for me, the problem comes after I knock him down,” he reflected, somewhat admonishingly. He said his corner had instructed him, “Don’t rush. Start with the jab.” Higa was gaining the upper hand, but Vargas occasionally fought back. The following rounds were tricky, making it difficult to assign points. “Close-range combat was more difficult than I thought. Mid-range combat was easier,” Higa said. Regarding the flow of the bout, he revealed, “My stamina was fine, but I wasn’t sure whether I was winning or losing.” It was undoubtedly a close bout, and both fighters needed to secure points in the final 12 rounds to win. Higa had the first chance, but with less than 50 seconds left, Vargas landed a right uppercut followed by a left hook, knocking Higa down. These two points cost Higa a lot, and all three judges scored the bout a 113-113 draw. After the bout, Higa, who said it was his first time watching a full round, said, “What was missing…I wonder…that’s why I couldn’t score.” After the match, Higa said he wasn’t training, but avoided making a clear statement, saying, “As for my future plans, well, I think I’ll start with walking.” It will be interesting to see what conclusion he comes to.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8483/1355-8483-4e69f7f1b1783d7f3e617d85982a9c5c-1200×818.jpg “Exciting Match SP: Vargas vs. Higa Daigo” and “Rosa vs. Takami Kosuke” will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW from 9:00 PM on Monday, October 20th. ◆◆◆WOWOW program information◆◆◆ ★ “Exciting Match SP “Vargas vs. Daigo Higa” and “Rosa vs. Kosuke Takami” This special program looks back on two fierce Japanese double title matches with commentary from Daigo Higa and Kosuke Takami themselves. Broadcast/Streaming Date> Monday, October 20th, 9:00 PM [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] Cast> Special Guests: Daigo Higa, Kosuke Takami Commentary: Toshiaki Nishioka, Ryota Murata Fight Card> WBA World Bantamweight Title Match / Antonio Vargas vs. Daigo Higa WBA World Light Flyweight Title Match / Eric Rosa vs. Kosuke Takami ★ “Exciting Match SP “Kenshiro Teraji vs. Sandoval”‘ Two-division world champion and WBA/WBC World Flyweight Champion Kenshiro Teraji will face Ricardo Sandoval in his second defense of his World Flyweight title. Broadcast/Streaming Date> Monday, October 27th, 9:00 PM [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] Fight Card> WBA/WBC World Flyweight Title Match / Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval ■Program HP■
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