July 16, 2000
TAKASAGO, JAPAN-WBC #14 ranked lefty speedster Masakazu Satake(right photo), 139 3/4, made good use of his by far faster footwork, outmaneuvered and outpunched WBC #22 ranked ex-champ Jongkil Kim(left photo), 139 3/4, Korea, to keep his super-light title of the Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) by a nearly onesided decision over 12.
Scored: referee Ichiro Uenaka (Japan) and judge Takeo Harada (Japan) 119-111, and judge Eungmyung Bae (Korea) 115-114, all for Satake, the remarkably fast-rising southpaw, 10-2-4, 5 KOs. Kim, the outclassed flat-footed veteran, dipped to 22-12-4, 16 KOs. The third judge’s score seemed very questionable as it was an obviously lopsided affair.
Satake, who had dethroned Kim last year, gave him a rematch, but his progress was such that Kim was unable to cope with the speed and agility of the younger defending champ.
Hidekazu Furuhashi, 139 3/4, chalked up a fine KO win over Thailand’s Singdam Vacharin, 139 3/4, in the 5th.
Promoter: Shinnosuke Minoriyama’s JM Kakogawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-16-00)
July 16, 2000
NAGOYA, JAPAN-Ex-amateur star Hideyasu Ishihara, Japan’s #5 ranked fly, 115, battered a durable Filipino Rocky Roger, the GAB’s #5 super-fly, 113 1/2, to the punch in every round, and finally halted him at 2:28 of the 10th and final round.
Ishihara, 5-2, 4 KOs, had been too ambitious to win the national title in his third pro bout only to be stopped by Celes Kobayashi last year and too less experienced to beat ex-WBA world champ Jesus Kiki Rojas, Venezuela, only to be flattened last March. But the elongated southpaw is a vastly talented prospect, who will become the national champ soon. The Filipino loser impaired to 7-6-2, 5 KOs.
WBA #8 ranked minimum Satoru Abe, 105, fought to a technical draw with WBC #18 contender Masanori Suga, 107 3/4, due to the latter’s bad gash caused by accidental butts at 2:12 of the 4th in a scheduled 10.
Abe, 23-3-2, 10 KOs, failed to win the vacant interim WBA minimum throne via 6th round TKO by Filipino Joma Gamboa last December. The tiny southpaw failed to deck his comeback go, but he was leading on points upon the stoppage recommended by the ring physician. Suga is 5-5-2, 2 KOs. (Suga had entered the WBC’s top 30 thanks to his upset triumph over WBC-ranked Jun Arlos last August.)
Upcoming unbeaten hard-hitter Yosuke Ohtsuka, Japan’s #4 ranked super-light, 140, ran his unbeaten mark to 11-0, 10 KOs, as he withstood the opening attack of Nonoy Gonzalez, the Philippine No.2 lightie, 138 1/4, in the first 3 rounds, wore him down with aggressive rallies and finally caught him en route to a fine stoppage at 0:47 of the 10th and last round. The aggressive Filipino fell to 14-7, 7 KOs. It’s a rather close affair with the official tallies after the 9th: 87-87, 87-85 and 87-84 both for Ohtuska.
Promoter: Koji Matsuda’s Matsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-16-00)