November 5, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBA #9 ranked bantam Toshiaki Nishioka, 120, Japan, dropped WBC #8 ranked Gerardo Martinez, 120, Mexico, with a vicious southpaw left in the third and pounded out a unanimous decision over 10.
Nishioka, 21-3-1, 12 KOs, had failed to win the WBC throne, losing a 12-round decision to Veeraphol Nakornluang-Promotion of Thailand last June. In his comebacking fight he displayed finesse in outlegging the hard-hitting Mexican hombre, 21-3-1, 18 KOs, all night.
Nishioka caught him with a well-timed short left and floored him on the seat of his trunks in the third. Martinez, ex-FECARBOX bantam and super-bantam champ, hurt the Japanese lefty with a fusillade of punches in the 6th and 10th, but it was not enough to overcome his early deficit on points.
It was a really good fight with both displaying what they had. Scored: referee Uchida 97-96, judges Tezaki and Kumazaki 98-94 and 98-97 respectively, all for Nishioka.
In the main event, slick-punching Toshikage Kimura, 125 1/2, successfully kept his national feather title when he dropped top contender Kazu Arisawa, 126, twice and halted him at 1:36 of the 5th round in a scheduled 10.
It was a sensational affair as the challenger, one of the Arisawa twins along with the Japanese 130-pound champ Koji, was expected to become the brother-champ. But Kimura, 21-2-4, 11 KOs, landed an effective double right to floor him in the second and sent him to the deck again in the fatal 5th.
His father and trainer Shigenori wisely tossed in the towel to save him from further punishment. Arisawa, ex-national high school champ, dropped to 19-3-1, 14 KOs.
Vastly talented Chikashi Inada, 135, ran his unblemished mark to 4-0, 4 KOs as he swept all rounds before the referee halted it at 2:11 of the 8th and final session. The tall and sturdy Inada, managed by Akihiko Honda, was formerly national amateur champ.
Promoter: Akihiko Hondafs Teiken Promotions.
(This card was shown on pay-per-view to nationwide fight fans.)
(11-5-00)