July 14, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #11 ranked lightie Yuji Watanabe, the OPBF champ, 136, showed a very quick one-punch demolition of a Thailander named Khanongsuk Sow Voraphin, 137, at 2:40 of the opening session.
Watanabe’s OPBF title wasn’t at stake. The Japanese hard-puncher, 25-4-1, 24 KOs, landed a vicious overhand right to the Thailander’s neck after they swapped solid shots from the outset. The Thailander, 6-5, 3 KOs, fell face first prone to be unable to beat the count. He was still dazed even after he barely pulled himself up and returned to the corner on rubbery legs, which might show Watanabe’s much superior power.
Watanabe, 30, had a couple of cracks at the world titles only to be dismantled by Genaro Hernandez in 1992 and by Wilfredo Vazquez in 1997. Though his jaw was broken by Vazquez at two places and took 17 months for recovery, he gallantly returned to the ring warfare to show his usual give-and-take performance again. Despite his lack of finesse, Watanabe seized the vacant OPBF 135-pound throne as he can still punch to have registered 24 wins within the distance out of 25 triumphs.
Watanabe will be obliged to participate in an OPBF mandatory defense against Korean Sungho Yuh here in November, as the Japanese battled to a grueling draw with Yuh in an OPBF light elimination bout last January and then acquired it by dispatching Aussie Stuart Patterson in another eliminator this April. Watanabe and Yuh, both rough-and-tumble brawlers, will engage in a grudge fight this coming November.
Upcoming Kenji Toda, 135, pounded out a nearly shutout decision (80-75, 80-75 and 79-76) over Yuichiro Tsukamoto, 134 1/4, over 8. Toda, 12-3-1, 6 KOs, is a Univ. graduate managed by ex-WBA feather champ Shozo Saijo. Tsukamoto, handled by ex-WBA fly ruler, dipped to 7-9-4, 3 KOs.
Promoter: Naohiko Saida’s Saida Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-14-00)
July 10, 2000
OSAKA, JAPAN-Fast-rising feather hard-hitter Kenichi Sugama, 125 3/4, battered lefty speedster Kenji Ryuki, 125 1/4, to the punch and halted him with the towel fluttering from the loser’s corner at 2:04 of the 5th round.
Sugama, Japan’s No.4 ranked 126-pounder, might be one of hardest hitters here in his division, along with a Japan-based Puerto Rican Eugenio Yuji Gomez, and scored a fine mark of 18-1, 15 KOs. Strange enough, only the featherweight class, in Japan, is full of good prospects.
Japan’s #5 ranked super-welter Takenori Sakaguchi, 157, outscored #7 ranked Hideki Morishita, 152, over 10.
The soft-punching winner raised his mark to 12-1, just 2 KOs. Morishita tasted his first setback, dropping to 3-1-1, 2 KOs.
Promoter: Jitsuo Harada’s Harada Promotions.
(7-10-00)
July 6, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Game and busy puncher Toshiharu Saotome, 130, disposed of Filipino Lito Wayan, 126, at 0:26 into the third round. Saotome, 18-8-2, 8 KOs, who shared a win and a loss with the current #1 ranked feather Kazu Arisawa, is now out of the Japanese ratings, but will return into the domestic top ten.
Hidekazu Matsunobu, 130, needed just 126 seconds to pulverize Shinobu Hirato, 130, in a supporting 8. The victor is 16-4-1, 13 KOs, and the loser 6-5-2, 3 KOs.
Unbeaten fly prospect Daisuke Naito, Japan’s #8 contender, 112, decisioned Hideyoshi Ito, 112, over 6.
Kazuhiko Meguro, 145 3/4, finished Filipino Efrem Legaspino, 141 3/4, at 1:08 of the second round in a scheduled 6. This Filipino loser had been reportedly slated to meet Jun Gorres for the PBF (Philippine Boxing Federation) title in Cebu on July 1, but abruptly pulled out of this card and came to Japan to participate in this 6-round bout-according to Antonio L. Aldeguer, Gorres’s backer and adviser.
Promoter: Hiroyuki Miyata’s Miyata Promotions.
Matchmaker: Shuki Murayama.
(7-6-00)
July 2, 2000
SHIZUOKA, JAPAN-Local favorite Masahiro Teraoka, 134 1/2, decisioned Tetsunari Kanayama, 134 1/2, over 10. Both were not ranked by the JBC. Teraoka is 10-2-3, 3 KOs. Kanayama is 7-7-2, 2 KOs.
Promoter: Fuji Promotions.
(7-2-00)