## KAWAI KEEPS JAPANESE SUPER-WELTER TITLE AGAINST KANEYAMA

January 25, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Lefty speedster JOYA KAWAI, 154, kept his Japanese national super-welter title as he absorbed some good shots of top contender TOSHIHARU KANEYAMA, 154, in earlier rounds but positively mixed up to take back the initiative in the second half en route to a split decision over 10.

Kawai, who acquired the vacant national belt via an 8th round stoppage of Shogo Yamamoto last Sept., had a tough time, coping with the hard-hitting opponent's solid rights. But Kaneyama, formerly an excellent amateur boxer of Hosei Univ., was forced to come to a standstill as Kawai abruptly changed his strategy and began to fight at the close quarter after the 6th round on.

Scored-Masakazu Uchida and Kazuo Abe both 97-96 for the champ, and Hiroyuki Tezaki 97-94 for Kaneyama, 6-2, 5 KOs. Referee was Ken Morita. Kawai bettered his mark to 9-2, 4 KOs.

### UNDERCARDS:

Japan's #2 ranked welter TERUO NAGASE, 147, aggressively attacked ex-Philippine welter boss BERT BADO, 146 1/4, and battered him into submission at 2:23 of the 6th round in a semi-final 10.

Bado, 9-8-3, 5 KOs, fought back with solid left-right combos in the second and third, but Nagase overpowered him with a fusillade of punches. A towel came fluttering to save the loser from further punishment. Nagase, who had failed to win the national title twice from Jintoku Sato and Makoto Nakahara, raised his ledger to 16-5-1, 11 KOs.

Ex-sumo wrestler Rikijo Yoneda, 197 1/2, made a bitter and unsuccessful debut, as he lost a unanimous nod to Ryosuke Takahashi, 199 1/2, over 4. The tricky Yoneda got floored in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but dropped his rival back with a wicked shot at the bell of the 4th and final session. The ref continued counting up to 8 and then declared Takahashi victor on points. Had he not regained his foot, the sumo wrestler would have scored a come-from-behind KO win before his ex-colleague wrestlers at the Hall.

Promoter: Tetsuro Kawai's Orchid Kawai Promotions.
(1-25-00)

January 28
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unranked feather JIRO NISHIYAMA, 124 1/4, chalked up a TKO win over KIYOTAKA KATO, 123 1/2, at 0:22 of the 6th round in a scheduled 8.

The winner is 11-4-4, 5 KOs. The loser is 7-7-1, 5 KOs.

Promoter: Kamitaki Promotions.
(1-28-99)

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