## TANAKA WINS VACANT OPBF LIGHT FLY TITLE ON TECHNICAL DECISION IN 8

January 15, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unbeaten speedster KOHKI TANAKA(right photo), 107 1/2, acquired the vacant OPBF light flyweight throne, as he showed good aggressiveness in earlier rounds, piled up points and was declared a winner on a split but well-received decision over Philippine champ LORITO LAROA(left photo), 108, midway in the 8th round as Tanaka's gash caused by headbutts became worsened.

Scored: referee David Chung (Korea) 69-65 and Kazunobu Asao (Japan) 69-65 and 69-66 both for Tanaka, and Edwin Sese (Philippines) 68-65 for Laroa.

WBC #29 ranked Tanaka, by far taller than the 5-foot Filipino lefty, dominated the first four session with his more accurate shots to the occasionally onrushing opponent.

A gash Tanaka sustained in the third became bigger as the contest progressed, since Laroa kept boring in from the head and there happened plenty of head-collisions. The referee sometimes gave warnings to Laroa, but when he was about to deduct a point, Tanaka's cut was diagnosed too bad for him to go on by the ringside physician.

Tanaka raised his unbeaten mark to 12-0-3, 7 KOs. Laroa dipped to 17-23-3, 3 KOs. Despite his mediocre credentials, he was really a Filipino national champ, and it was true that he showed his fighting spirit, if not his finesse.

### UNDERCARDS:

Sensational KO artist, EUGENIO "YUJI" GOMEZ(right photo), 125 1/2, ran his unbeaten mark to 7-0, 6 KOs, as he needed just 78 seconds of the opening canto to demolish Filipino ULYSIS PUZON, 126, in a scheduled 8.

Gomez, a Puerto Rican living in Tokyo with his Japanese wife, made his pro debut here, and won the All Japan final of the Shinjin-o (Novice King) tournaments in the feather division on a first round demolition of Jun Hirose on Dec. 18.

Gomez, already JBC #10 contender, will become a very popular boy with his tremendous power-punching. Probably no top notchers here will be willing to exchange gloves with this muscular dynamite. Puzon reportedly fell to 18-17-4, 7 KOs.

JBC #2 ranked middleweight SATORU SUZUKI(left photo), 158 1/2, scored a fine KO win over HITOSHI SAITO, 157 1/4, at 1:58 of the second round in a scheduled 8. The winner is 8-3, 5 KOs. The loser fell to 4-7-2, 2 KOs.

Hachiohji Nakaya Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(1-15-00)

Back to Oriental Boxing

Go to Top