November 26, 2000
November 26, 2000
SAKAIDE, JAPAN-An OPBF super-welter unification bout between the full champ Kookyul Song, 153 1/4, Korea, and the interim champ Seiji Takechi, 153 1/2, Japan, pitifully ended in a technical draw at 0:55 into the third round when the latter abruptly suffered such a deep laceration by an accidental butt for him to go on in a 12-round rematch ordered by the OPBF.
The lefty Japanese dropped the taller Korean with a straight left to the breadbasket in the opening canto. Though referee Ukrid Sarasas duly took a mandatory 8 count against the Korean champ, his visit to the deck was seemingly caused by the effect partly of the Japanese’ body shot and partly of a headbutt. But Song fought back to be in command in the second, whipping Takechi with sharp jabs and right uppercuts. The third session saw a collision of heads occur with Takechi bleeding so profusely to go on.
Scored after the second round: referee Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) and judge Wangsoo Yuh (Korea) both 19-18, and judge Ichiro Uenaka (Japan) 20-18, all for Takechi (9-2-2, 2 KOs). Song, an ex-amateur boy, is 20-3-2, 15 KOs.
Their first encounter on July 23 last ended so controversially as Takechi sustained a gash caused by an unintentional butt in the closing seconds of the 10th, but a Korean referee at first declared a TKO win for Song, and then the verdict was reversed to a technical decision for Takechi by the OPBF supervisor (the local commissioner of the Japan Boxing Commission) afterward.
After hot and furious exchanges of protests by both parties thereafter, the OPBF president Frank Quill finally persuaded them to accept his proposal of arbitration that they should meet again in a unification bout with Song as the full champ and Takechi as the interim champ. This fantastic proposal, however, eventually came to naught with respect to an expected elimination into one legitimate 154-pound OPBF champion.
Basically they will have to fight again on three occasions in a row, but yours truly, the matchmaker, propose that each may make a voluntary defense and the winners will fight in an ultimate unification bout.
Anyway, the technical draw in this rematch greatly disappointed the OPBF, JBC and both parties as well since all efforts to settle this muddy situation resulted in futility.
Promoter: Suehiro Yamamoto’s Chugai Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-26-00)
November 26, 2000
NAGOYA, JAPAN-Hard-punching southpaw Hideyasu Ishihara(right photo), 114 1/2, sent a durable Thailander named Pornchai Sitpraprom, 112 1/4, sprawling to the deck with a smashing left in the opening canto and furiously followed up to make him a human dummy and prompted the referee to intervene at 0:42 of the second session in a scheduled 10.
Ishihara, a very highly expected amateur KO artist, beat then Japanese champ Nolito Suzuki Cabato in a sensational 6-round pro debut in 1998, but failed to win the national belt from Celes Kobayashi via KO route in his third pro bout, and also failed to beat ex-WBA world kingpin Jesus Kiki Rojas in his 7th outing on a come-from-behind KO defeat last year. But his lanky southpaw can so really punch as his manager Koji Matsuda who had produced a couple of world champs, Kiyoshi Hatanaka and Yasuei Yakushiji, eventually made a mistake in his attempt to guide Ishihara to the top too hurriedly.
Unbeaten Japanese #2 ranked super-light prospect Yosuke Otsuka, 139 3/4, extended his fine mark to 12-0, 11 KOs as he banged out ex-Thai champ Nopparatnoy Voraphin, 137 1/2, dropped him once prior to a well-received stoppage at 1:59 of the second canto in a semi-final 10.
Otsuka, formerly named best boxer in the 1998 Novice King tourney, is a busy and hard-punching prospect, who is expected to have a shot at the national belt against tall and durable Hiroyuki Maeda next year.
The first tenner witnessed unranked ex-amateur boy Masakane Sugawara, 122 3/4, outscore Indonesian super-bantam champ Virgo Warouw, 121 3/4, over 10.
Scored: 97-94, 98-95 and 97-95, all for Sugawara, 10-2-3, 4 KOs, who lacked convincing power but displayed a fine hit-and-run, dancing all night.
Promoter: Koji Matsuda’s Matsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-26-00)
November 23, 2000
NAGOYA, JAPAN-In a supporting 10, Japanese #9 welter Hiroshi Watanabe(right photo), 148 1/2, dropped Thailander Sakeddao Kietphutorn, 147 1/2, three times to score an automatic KO at 2:27 of the 5th round. The winner, 11-2-1, 8 KOs, sometimes absorbed big punches of his opponent, but finally caught him with busier combos. The loser fell to 4-2, 1 KO.
Unranked local prospect Yoshinobu Nakamura(left photo), 114, made it 8-1-2, 6 KOs in finishing Chaloemchat Kietprasanchai, 115, at 0:43 of the 5th canto in a scheduled 8. Nakamura also had a tough time with the tremendous durability of the rival before the trick happened. The Thailander dipped to 4-1, 2 KOs.
Masanori Sugita(right photo), 123 1/2, failed to extend his KO streak to six, but scored a shutout decision over Thailander Veerachai Chuwatana, 121 1/2, over 6. Sugita is 6-0, 5 KOs. The loser fell to 4-1, one KO.
Promoter: Takao Maruki’s Tenyu Maruki Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-23-00)