They mixed up from the beginning to the end. Tunacao, making his first defense, showed a good start, but Kobayashi displayed his persistent retaliations from the third round on. Tunacao was penalized twice for headbutts by the referee Jay Nady (US) in the 6th and 9th. The tide very busily turned for each other.
Tunacao showed his last surge in the last three sessions and barely kept his belt. Scored: David Chung (Korea) 115-113 for Tunacao, Anek Hongtongkam (Thailand) 115-112 for Kobayashi, and Carol Castellano (US) 113-113.
The stylish Filipino is 11-0-1, 7 KOs, and the Japanese body puncher is 22-4-3, 13 KOs.
Filipino hard-puncher Joma Gamboa, 105, acquired the vacant WBA minimum throne on a split but well-received decision over Venezuelan footworker Noel Arambulet, 106 1/2, over 12.
Arambulet had forfeited his WBA belt on the scale due to his failure to make the class limit.
Gamboa, 29-5-1, 20 KOs, revenged his previous defeat in Venezuela last October, as he kept stalking Arambulet, 12-2-1, 7 KOs, with his improved left hand. The ex-champ occasionally responded with his light but busy combinations, but Gamboa effectively shook him up with desperate combos to confirm his victory.
Scored: Moohong Moon (Korea) 116-114, Derek Milham (Australia) 116-115, both for Gamboa, and Harmodio Cedeno (Panama) 106-105 for Arambulet. The referee was Kazunobu Asao (Japan).
Promoter: Akihiko Hondafs Teiken Promotions.
(8-20-00)