February 12, 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN-Hiroyuki Yoshino(right photo), 153, barely kept his Japanese super-welter title as he came off the canvas in the first, dropped top contender Toshiharu Kaneyama, 153 3/4, in the third, 7th and 9th despite running out of gas, and finally sank him with his trademark left hook at 0:36 of the 10th and final round.
It was a really give-and-take extravaganza with the crowd roaring on its foot. Though the champ dropped his opponent three times after surviving his visit to the deck in the opening canto, the official tallies after the 9th turned out it was a one-round fight to decide the winner. Yoshino, running out of stamina, seemed so groggy and exhausted as to be close to collapsing with his absorption of punishment.
But Yoshino, a 33-year-old veteran who had fought Juan Martin Coggi despite a 5th round KO defeat in 1993, exploded a vicious left hook to finish the game opponent.
The dramatic triumph raised Yoshino’s credentials to 35-8-1, 26 KOs. The crestfallen loser fell to 8-3, 7 KOs.
Former national 154-pound champ Joya Kawai, 150 1/4, decisioned Teppei Yasuda, 150, over 10. The lefty Kawai, whom Yoshino dethroned last September, is 11-3, 4 KOs. Yasuda dipped to 9-2-1, 1 KO.
Promoter: Noguchi Promotions.
(2-12-01)