December 18, 2000
December 18, 2000
OSAKA-Unbeaten prospect Akihiko Kanai(right photo), 121, ran his mark to 12-0, 10 KOs, as he outpunched WBC #22 ranked Mexican Cruz Carabajal(left photo), 120 1/2, overcame his visit to the deck in the 8th and earned a majority decision over 10.
The WBC #27 Kanai, ranked atop by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), dominated the first four rounds by utilizing his superior speed. Carbajal, however, took the initiative from the 5th round onward and floored the Japanese with a left hook in the 8th. Kanai displayed his fighting spirit to be in command in the last two sessions.
Scored: 96-94, 96-95 and 95-95. Carabajal reportedly dropped to 19-10-1, 15 KOs.
Promoter: Kenbun Taiho’s Taiho Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(12-18-00)
December 18, 2000
TOKYO-Unbeaten fly Takefumi Sakata, 112, decked his tune-up bout prior to his participation in an elimination bout for the Japanese fly title next March, when he disposed of Korean Seungho Kim, 112, at 1:01 of the third session.
Sakata, 14-0, 6 KOs, floored the Korean with a flurry of punches twice and had him counted out. Kim impaired to 5-14-3, 1 KO.
Sakata, a busy-punching prospect, will square off against more experienced Masaki Kawabata in Tokyo in their quest for the vacant national 112-pound title recently renounced by Celes Kobayashi.
JBC #7 ranked Tomohiro Ide, 156, was pushed down with his back head bouncing on the canvas by Yukiharu Shinyasiki, 146 3/4, to be counted out by the ref at 1:12 of the second round in a scheduled 8. The third man probably couldn’t see Ide’s visit to the deck caused by Shinyashiki’s push, so he tolled the fatal ten against the former who barely stood up staggering, and raised Shinyashiki’s hand. Though problematic, it is registered as Shinyashiki’s KO win. If so, the winner is 8-5, 5 KOs, and the loser 7-9-2, 6 KOs.
Promoter: Keiichiro Kanehira’s Kyoei Promotions.
(12-18-00)
December 13, 2000
TOKYO-Ex-national minimum champ Keisuke Yokoyama, 108, demolished Thalander Singhdam Kaewishanu, 108 1/4, at 1:35 of the second round. Yokoyama, 15-7-2, 9 KOs, won a couple of fights after losing to Keitaro Hoshino in their rematch.
Mitsuharu Yamamoto, 154, decisioned Japanese-based Korean Tyson Takei (previously fighting as Seungchun Lee), 158 1/2, over 10. Yamamoto is 12-6-4, 5 KOs.
Hiroyuki Kusaka, 130, scored a KO win over Thailand’s Songkom Kiatshkungthai, 129 1/4, at 2:26 of the 6th in the first 10. Kusaka is 13-2-4, 5 KOs.
Promoter: Hiroshi Saito’s Kokubunji Saito Promotions.
(12-13-00)
December 12, 2000
OSAKA-On the undercard of the WBC super-fly title bout between Tokuyama and Nago, unbeaten Nobuhiro Ishida, OPBF #8 ranked super-welter, 153 3/4, extended his credentials to 5-0, 2 KOs, when he blasted out Filipino Ramil Nituda, 147 1/4, at 0:59 of the second session in a scheduled 10.
Ishida will have a crack at the OPBF super-welter title against Korean Kookyul Song in Osaka on March 1.
Seiji Tanaka, 115, eked out a unanimous decision over Filipino Ricky Protacio, 115, over 10.
Promoter: Hideo Kanazawa’s Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(12-12-00)
December 11, 2000
TOKYO-Crafty Filipino veteran Jess Maca, 116 3/4, kept his OPBF bantam throne, as he proved too ringwise and fast for a hard-hitting Japanese challenger named Katsushige Kawashima, 118, winning a unanimous decision over 12.
Scored: referee Masakazu Uchida (Japan) 116-114, Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) 118-113, and Vicent Rodriguez (Philippines) 118-110, all for Maca, 47-12-4, 22 KOs. Kawashima, who looked a bit too stiff to cope with the champ’s versatile mobility, fell to 17-2, 12 KOs.
Masaaki Morooka, JBC #4 ranked super-light, 139 1/2, fought to a draw with elongated footworker Tatsuhisa Kawashima, 140, over 10. Morooka is slated to have a crack at the OPBF 140-pound title against Masakazu Satake in the champ’s home-turf Akashi City on February 12.
Satoshi Kogumazaka, 105 3/4, stopped WBC #17 ranked Masanori Suga, 106, at 2:59 of the 8th round in a scheduled 10. Kogumazaka, a hard-hitting southpaw, 14-5-3, 8 KOs. Suga fell to 5-6-2, 2 KOs.
Promoter: Shichiro Kimura’s Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions.
(12-11-00)
December 9, 2000
TOKYO-JBC #8 ranked bantam Hisataka Ikemori, 120 1/4, chalked up a TKO win over Yasuo Kijima, 120 1/4, at 0:32 of the 5th round in a scheduled 10. Ikemori is 14-3-3, 7 KOs. Kijima fell to 8-6-2, 2 KOs.
Promoter: Kiyoshi Kawashima’s Eighteen Promotions.
(12-9-00)
December 5, 2000
TOKYO-Unorthodox Yoshio Nakano, 147, amazingly scored an upset decision over Toshiharu Kayama, 147, to capture the Japanese welter title over 10.
Kayama, making his 6th defense, was befuddled by Nakano’s persistent infighting only to lose points steadily. Scored: 97-95, 100-93 and 99-93, all for the 31-year-old Nakano, only ranked #7 by the JBC, 15-5-4, 3 KOs.
Kayama, who had failed to win the vacant OPBF welter title via majority decision to Korean Sukhyun Yun last August, might have lost his confidence, and showed a poor performance. He dropped to 16-2-1, 9 KOs.
Unbeaten fly Daisuke Naito (17-0-1, 12 KOs), 111 1/4, outpointed Masamitsu Ikeda (8-5, 3 KOs), 113 3/4, over 10. The JBC #7 ranked Naito is not such a good boxer as his unbeaten ledger indicates, as he lacks finesse and sharpness despite having beaten mediocre opponents.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
(12-5-00)
December 4, 2000
SOKA-Hard-punching Koji Arisawa, 130, successfully kept his Japanese super-feather title as he cautiously fought to defend himself well and scored more accurate punches to earn a majority but well-received decision over 10.
Scored: 98-94 and 97-95 both for Arisawa, and 97-97. It was their rematch after the hard-fought draw five months before.
Arisawa, 25-1-1, 19 KOs, is gunning for a shot at the WBA 130-pound title against Joel Casamayol. Shinozaki dropped to 13-7-7, 6 KOs.
Koji’s twin brother Kazu Arisawa engaged in an exhibition with the current WBA light champ Takanori Hatakeyama, and then announced his farewell to the ring following his failure to win the Japanese feather title from Toshikage Kimura last November.
Promoter: Soka Arisawa Promotions.
(12-4-00)
December 4, 2000
TOKYO-JBC #10 feather Toshiharu Saotome, 128 1/2, decisioned Thailander Ballast Sakthavi, 130, over 10.
Saotome is 20-9-2, 9 KOs.
Promoter: Miyata Promotions.
(12-4-00)