July 25, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unbeaten WBC #7 ranked OPBF middle champ Kevin Palmer, 161, returned to action after a 10-month layoff due to his surgery of lumbago, engaged in a non-title tenner and decked a TKO win over Thailander Chenrainoi Chuwatana, 160 1/4, because of the latterfs bad gash at 2:28 of the 5th round.
Palmer was an aggressor all the way, though Chenrainoi, unranked by the Thai Commission, showed his great durability and withstood his rival's solid combinations. Kevinfs combo, in the 5th, opened a nasty cut at the Thailanderfs right eyebrow, which prompted the ringside physician to advise the ref to halt the affair.
The 35-year-old Kevin, a US military worker based in Japan, raised his mark to 22-0-1, 14 KOs. The loser dipped to 9-7, 5 KOs.
Lanky flyweight Kohei Matsuura, 113 1/2, battered Katsuyuki Kawakami, 113 1/2, from all angles and hurt him so heavily as to retire him after the 7th in a supporting 10. Matsuura, who swept all rounds, improved his ledger to 15-3, 4 KOs. Kawakami, ex-winner of All Japan Novice King tourney, fell to 12-5, 7 KOs.
Minimum Hidekazu Miyagi ran his unbeaten mark to 8-0, 3 KOs by a unanimous nod over Thailandfs Khaosod Chuwatana, 10-6, 3 KOs, over 8.
Promoter: Shigeji Kanekofs Kaneko Promotions.
(7-25-00)