March 27, 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-OPBF champ Yoshinori Nishizawa, 168, and Australian Heath Stenton, 167 1/4, battled a grueling fight en route to a majority draw in an OPBF super-middle elimination bout over 12 heats, and their rematch will take place to dispute the regional championship.
It was a hot affair, as Nishizawa took the initiative in earlier rounds with his aggressive rallies. But the 35-year-old Japanese became visibly tired in the second half, and Stenton, 25, came back to score more accurate punches to dominate later rounds.
There were no knockdowns, but the give-and-take bout greatly entertained the crowd. Scored: referee Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) 116-116, Tom Ferrauto (Australia) 114-114, and Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) 116-114 for Nishizawa, 17-13-5, 9 KOs, who had forfeited the same title to Guy Waters last year and attempted to regain it after his relinquishment. Stenton, 7-13-1, 2 KOs, showed a much better performance than his credentials indicated.
Hard-hitting Katsushige Kawashima, JBC No.6 super-fly, 118, displayed his superior power in demolishing Thailander Yodchai Poh Kungphaoratchada, 117 1/4, at 2:22 of the second session to boost his ledger to 18-2, 13 KOs.
Kawashima failed to win the OPBF bantam laurels via 12 hard-fought decision by Filipino veteran Jess Maca here last December, but he this night showed his improvement. The Thai loser slipped to 5-4, 2 KOs.
WBC #16 ranked and OPBF top ranked super-fly Sangchareon Mahasapcondo, 115, wasted time without hitting his rival in earlier rounds, scored a beautiful countering right to drop a Japanese aggressor Satoshi Usui, 115, with heavy damage in the 6th, but lost an upset majority decision (77-74, 78-76 and 77-77) over 8.
Sangchareon, reportedly 3-3, 1 KO, fought much better than his mediocre mark indicated, but we wondered why he had entered the WBC’s top 30 with such a poor record. Usui, unranked by the JBC, is 11-5-4, 4 KOs.
Andrei Bunta, a Hawaiian import, 129 1/4, decked a unanimous decision over Thai national super-bantam champ Wichit Chuwatana, 130, over 8.
Andrei, who was once unsuccessful in taking the national lightweight title from Rick Yoshimura years ago, had a superior physique, with which he overpowered the much shorter Thailander. Scored: 23-8, 8 KOs.
Promoter: Kenji Yonekura’s Yonekura Promotions.
The OPBF president Frank Quill, Australia, was in attendance.
(3-27-01)