April 8, 2001
April 9, 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unbeaten speedster Takefumi Sakata, 110 3/4, acquired the vacant Japanese national flyweight title when he struggled to mix up with more experienced Masaki Kawabata, 110 3/4, and barely eked out a close but unanimous decision over 10.
Scored: double 97-95 and 96-95, all for Sakata, a light but busy puncher, 15-0, 6 KOs. Kawabata, who had failed to win the WBC flyweight belt from Thailander Medgoen last year, fell to 17-5-2, 9 KOs. The younger Sakata kept punching even on the tight guard of the sturdy opponent, which carried him to a hairline victory.
Ex-national 140-pound champ Junichi Ono, 139 3/4, returned to the ring warfare and pounded out a unanimous verdict from Ryu Bando, 139 1/2, in a supporting ten.
Ono, once highly rated by the WBA, lost his title to the current ruler Hiroyuki Maeda in April of the previous year, moved down to the 135-pound division only to fail to win the vacant national title via technical decision to Tadashi Yuba last October.
Ono, 20-3-2, 8 KOs, scored a beautiful left hook, flooring his opponent, but could not follow up well to finish the affair. Bando, a taller boxer, dipped to 12-5-1, 5 KOs.
Russian sensation Matvei Tsyndyjapov, fighting as Mal Matvei, 126, scored a fine KO victory over Korean #4 super-bantam Kyungsoo Chung, 125 1/4, at 2:26 of the second round in a scheduled 10.
Matvei, who was born on Jan. 24, 1981, reportedly registered an amateur mark of 74-10, 34 stoppages. The 19-year-old Russian displayed a very vicious right hand with which he sank the Korean twice to prompt the referee to intervene. Matvei is 3-0, 3 KOs. Chung fell to 7-3, no KO.
Co-promoters: Shin-Nihon Kimura Promotions and Kyoei Promotions.
(4-09-01)
April 8, 2001
WAKAYAMA, JAPAN-Takayuki Korogi(right photo), 107 1/2, retained his Japanese light-fly title by winning a close but unanimous decision over top ranked Takahiko Mizuno, 108, over 10.
Scored: 97-95, 96-94 and 96-95, all for Korogi, 9-0-2, 3 KOs. Mizuno, 12-4-1, 5 KOs, announced his farewell to the ring after this defeat.
Korogi, making his second defense, kept outboxing against the game infighter, who could not catch the faster champ in the close quarter.
Promoter: Kuratoki Promotions.
(4-8-01)
April 8, 2001
ODAWARA, JAPAN-Formerly WBC-rated Hirohisa Ishikawa, 122, decked a fine triumph in finishing Naoki Matsuda, 120 3/4, at 2:35 of the 6th session in a scheduled 10.
(4-8-01)
April 8, 2001
FUKUOKA, JAPAN-Momotaro Kitajima, 125 3/4, disposed of Filipino Leo Ramirez, 125 3/4, at 2:29 of the third round.
Koji Otsuka, 139 1/4, chalked up a TKO win over Filipino Jong Jong Abao, 140, at 0:59 of the third canto.
Promoter: Fukuoka Teiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Shuki Murayama.
(4-8-01)