## WBC #7 RANKED TIGER ARI KEEPS OPBF SUPER-FEATHER TITLE

February 20, 2000
OKAYAMA, JAPAN-Slick-punching Filipino lefty TIGER ARI(right photo/right boxer), 129 3/4, kept his OPBF super-feather title as he controlled the fight to earn a split but popular decision over previously unbeaten KAZUNORI FUJITA(left photo), 129 1/4, over 12.

Scored: referee Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) 117-115, Virgilio Garcia (Philippines) 119-110, both for the defending champ, and Ichiro Uenaka (Japan) 117-115 for Fujita, who fell to 10-1, 7 KOs. Ari, 11 years his senior at 32, raised his mark to 56-5-2, 25 KOs.

It was a nearly onesided affair. Fujita, a karate expert as well as a professional boxer, waited for the openings and tried to sporadically throw big punches. Ari, who reportedly had a weight problem, paced himself and didn't attempt to finish the less experienced hard-puncher.

The WBC #7 ranked 130-pounder Ari, who had acquired the vacant regional title via a third round KO of Kenji Ryuki in Osaka last Nov., piled up points steadily, though Fujita occasionally released jolting blows.

It was a rather monotonous fight with Ari being just content to land plenty of shots to the peek-a-boo guard of the Japanese, who didn't throw enough to win.

### UNDERCARDS:

Ex-OPBF minimum champ and WBC #4 ranked contender WOLF TOKIMITSU(right photo), 108, halted Filipino KID PAYES, 105 1/2, at 2:07 of the 5th round in a scheduled 10.

It's his second comeback go since he failed to win the WBC title from Thailand's Wandee Singwangcha via a 12th round TKO in Kurashiki last May. Tokimitsu is 15-3, 8 KOs. Payes reportedly fell to 28-11-1, 10 KOs.

Unranked SHINICHI KOMATSU(left photo), 125 1/2, needed just 18 seconds of the opening canto to polish off Filipino TONY BERNALES, 125 1/4, in a scheduled 10. Komatsu, 13-1, 11 KOs, is still unranked by the JBC probably due to the quality of his previous oppositions.

Japan's #6 ranked lightie DRAGON HIDEKI, 129 3/4, chalked up a TKO win over KENTA OKADA, 128 1/2, at 3:00 of the 8th session in the first 10. Hideki bettered his mark to 14-5-1, 8 KOs. Okada dropped to 7-3-1, 2 KOs.

Ryuya Moriyasu's Kurashiki Moriyasu Promotions.
(2-20-00)

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