Phumelela Cafu drops Kosei Tanaka in Tokyo to win WBO crown

Phumelela Cafu dropped Kosei Tanaka in the fifth round on his way to winning the WBO junior-bantamweight crown by split decision in Tokyo on Monday.

All three judges scored it 114-113, two in favour of the challenger.

The lead right punch he landed to the head that put Tanaka down proved the difference in the end.

Cafu landed cleaner blows but the Japanese was the busier fighter and spent more time on the front foot, bloodying his opponent’s mouth and nose.

Cafu's win salvages the fortunes of the South African boxing team in Japan after Sivenathi Nontshinga on Saturday lost his IBF junior-flyweight fight via a ninth-round stoppage, surrendering in a fight where he never looked in control.

The South African went down late in round eight after getting tagged with a right hand by Masamichi Yabuki and though he tried to fight his way back in the next round he went down twice more.

Referee Mark Calo-oy waved it over without counting on his third trip to the canvas.