February 25, 2001
February 25, 2001
NAGOYA, JAPAN-33-year-old veteran Filipino southpaw Tiger Ari(left photo), 129 1/4, kept his OPBF super-feather title as he was befuddled by constant rallies of previously unbeaten Yohei Sugita(right photo), 129 1/4, but scored more effective punches in later rounds to win a majority decision over 12 hot frames.
Scored: referee David Chung (Korea) 117-113 and judge Virgilio Garcia (Philippines) 117-111, both for the champ, and Takaomi Ito (Japan) 115-115.
This triumph raised WBC #4 ranked Ari’s credentials to 58-5-3, 25 KOs. Sugita, managed by ex-WBC super-bantam champ Kiyoshi Hatanaka, tasted his first bitter setback and dropped to 19-1-1, 16 KOs.
Sugita was an aggressor all the way, often pinning the champ to the ropes. But Ari counterpunched the willing mixer though he was forced to the ropes. Sugita showed his best in the 8th, when he overwhelmed the champ with incessant combinations and had him at bay.
Ari, however, took the initiative back in the 9th through 11th cantos by connecting with solid counters to the face of the younger opponent. Sugita was command in the 12th and final session, which wan’t enough to overcome his deficits on points.
OPBF fly champ Hiroshi Nakano, 113 3/4, engaged in a non-title affair, and flattened Thailander Wanmeechok Kannorfasing, 112 3/4, with a single southpaw left at 2:04 of the third round.
Nakano improved his unbeaten mark to 15-0, 9 KOs. The Thailander impaired to 7-5, 2 KOs.
Japanese #8 fly Yosuke Kobayashi, 114 1/4, ran his good ledger to 15-1, 9 KOs when he dropped Thailander Saithong Sriprachan, 113 1/4, twice in the first and second, and impressively halted him at 1:34 of the second round. The Thai loser fell to 8-9-1, 1 KO.
JBC #4 super-feather Kanezo Nakamura, 129 1/2, barely outcored Tokuhito Nakamura, 129 3/4, over 10. Nakamura, who lacked convincing power, overwhelmed him with much more punches to raised his mark to 15-1, 7 KOs. The loser fell to 7-4, 2 KOs.
Promoter: ex-WBC super-bantam champ Kiyoshi Hatanaka’s Hatanaka Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(2-25-00)