WBO flyweight titleholder Anthony Olascuaga (7-1-1, 6 KOs) had an early night at the office when mandatory challenger Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-3-2, 14 KOs) with a cut eye withdrew from the fight after a accidental headbutt in the opening round at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday night.
Boxing in the opening bout of the world title triple-header that also seeks to defend Kosei Tanaka’s WBO super flyweight belt against Phumelele Cafu and WBC bantamweight belt holder Junto Nakatani against Tasana Salapat, the 25-year-old Olascuaga of Las Angeles turned up the heat. Gonzalez early, pressing the Puerto Rican southpaw and using angles to create openings for his two-handed power shots.
Gonzalez was cut over the left eyebrow as both boxers jumped in. He was sent to the neutral corner where the ring doctor examined the cut and allowed him to continue. Not long after action resumed, referee Robert Hoyle asked Gonzalez if he could see. The 33-year-old said no, and the fight was abandoned.
Our first fight is considered a no decision after Jonathan Gonzalez took a R1 cut. #NakataniChitpattana | LIVE on @ESPNplus pic.twitter.com/utU2iXsBOO
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) 14 October 2024
The fight was ruled a no contest at the official time of 2:25 of the first round.
The Rudy Hernandez-trained Olascuaga, boxing in Japan for the fourth consecutive time, was touted as the future of the division after his highlight-reel knockout of Riku Kano in the third round of their vacant WBO 112lb title fight in March.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a chance to show his credentials. Gonzalez was quick to find a way out of the fight and he will be lucky to get a meaningful fight in the immediate future.
Olascuaga, ranked No. 8 flyweight by The Ring, will hopefully get another fight sooner rather than later against a more willing opponent. In an ideal world, it would come against WBA titleholder Seigo Yuri Akui (21-2-1, 11 KOs), who is coming off a 12-round split decision victory over Thailand’s Thananchai Charunphak (25-2, 15 KOs) achieved at the same location. last night
The only loss on Olascuaga’s ledger is against the talented Japanese boxer Tanaka, who now boxes one division north.
