Kansai's sports media wastes very little time turning Umemoto's victory over Liam O'Connell into something considerably larger than a WBO ranking bout.
Within days, his seventh-round stoppage is being treated as if he has not merely defeated the WBO number-one contender, but kicked down the front door of the lightweight division and announced that he owns the place now.
The headlines are suitably modest, considering the fact that Umemoto has just beaten the WBO's number-one contender.
UMEMOTO DESTROYS WBO NUMBER-ONE CONTENDER!
THE RAMPAGING BEAST HAS ARRIVED!
UMEMOTO IS READY FOR THE WORLD TITLE!
But the rest of the coverage is considerably less modest. The columns are filled with competitive hostility, wounded pride, and the kind of territorial language that makes the lightweight division sound like disputed ground.
"Umemoto Kimitada has just dismantled the WBO's number-one contender, and there is no longer any convincing argument for keeping him behind anyone else."
