## ORIENT UPDATE By Joe Koizumi As of June 13, 2000

### WBA LIGHT FLY MANDATORY TITLE BOUT BETWEEN PICHIT AND ALVAREZ SET IN THAILAND ON JULY 15

The long-anticipated WBA light-fly mandatory title bout between Pichit Cho Siriwat and top contender Rosendo Alvarez has been finally set in Thailand on July 15. The negotiation has met a deadlock between a Thai impresario Songchai Ratanasuban and Don King, but it was finally straightened out by the coordination of Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions.

The southpaw champ Pichit has been training here in Tokyo with his former trainer Ismael Salas since he accompanied his stablemate Yokthai Sith-Oar, who made his unsuccessful attempt to regain the WBA super-fly title from Japanfs Hideki Todaka via 11th round TKO in Nagoya on April 23. The Cuban coach Salas had moved here from Thailand years ago and now trains ex-OPBF light champ Hiroyuki Sakamoto at Kadoebi Gym.

### FIGHT PLACE OF WBC BANTAM TITLE GO OF VEERAPHOL AND NISHIOKA IS TAKASAGO, NOT TOKYO

Though the WBC Newsletter says that the WBC bantam title bout of defending champ Veeraphol Sahaprom and lefty challenger Toshiaki Nishioka(left photo) will take place on June 25 at Tokyo, but the fight site is TAKASAGO, about an hour from Osaka. It is a city close to the Japanese southpawfs hometown Kakogawa. The Thailander will arrive here on June 19. It may be a very tough fight for Nishioka, an upcoming hard-puncher, since Veeraphol is a very excellent boxer based on his accurate attack and tight defense.

### YAMATO RISKS OPBF SUPER-BANTAM BELT AGAINST KOREAN CHAMP CHO ON JUNE 17

WBC #10 ranked lefty speedster Shin Yamato(right photo), the 122-pound champ of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), will risk his regional title against Korean ruler Yongin Cho in Tokyo on June 17.

Yamato, 16-2-4, 4 KOs, piloted by Akihiko Honda, acquired the vacant OPBF throne by dropping the then Korean champ Kioh Kil in the opening session and earned a unanimous verdict last@February. Cho, 8-2, 4 KOs, was previously dismantled by Japanese hard-hitter Yoshiaki Matsukura in 3 rounds here in 1997.

But Cho, who had dethroned Kioh Kil this year, is said to have improved so well as to be expected to show a good fight against the skillful Japanese sharpshooter.

### WEHBEE PUT OPBF FEATHER TITLE AGAINST KOMATSU IN OKAYAMA ON JUNE 18

WBC #2 ranked featherweight Tony Wehbee, Australia, will take on an unheralded local prospect Shinichi Komatsu(left photo), 13-1, 11 KOs, in Okayama on June 18. The awkward but hard-punching Aussie, who captured the OPBF title on an stunning one-punch KO of Takeo Imaoka in Tokyo last October, is expected to make an easy defense.

### HOW GOOD IS GUTY ESPADAS JRfS CHALLENGER?

The WBC featherweight champ Guty Espadas Jr. will meet Thailandfs Wethya Sakmuangklang in Merida, Mexico, on June 23. The Thailanderfs record is so remarkable as to be 56-1, 40 KOs. My news source in Thailand, however, say that Wethya is a rugged SOUHTPAW fighter who always shows a give-and-take performance. The then WBC #18 rated Wethya fought WBC #17 rated compatriot Roonsurin Lookongchan in Bangkok in March of the previous year. They put on a grueling fight and hit each other time and again with Wethya finally emerging victorious on a 6th round KO. The less skillful but game Thailander may show a good performance against the elongated Mexican champ.

### BANTAM KO ARTIST NAKA MAKES FIRST NATIONAL TITLE DEFENSE

WBC #28 ranked sensation Nobuaki Naka(right photo), newly crowned Japanese bantam champ, will make his first defense against Taiji Okamoto on the undercard of the WBC bantam title bout on June 25. This semi-final will be as interesting as the main event, because both are devastating hard-punchers: Naka 11-0, 10 KOs and Okamoto 13-2-2, 11 KOs.

Naka, a lanky left hooker, amazed the crowd at the Korakuen Hall with his stunning second round demolition of Eiichi Ogata in an elimination bout last March. He has scored a string of 10 consecutive KO wins, and it is our concern whether Naka will be able to finish the iron-chinned Okamoto who went the distance in his losing but hard-fought efforts with then world-rated Jose Rafael Sosa, OPBF bantam champ Jess Maca and then Japanese national champ Toshiaki Nishioka.

Back to Oriental Boxing

Go to Top