May 14, 2001
May 15, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Elongated ex-Japanese middle champ Naotaka Hozumi, 161 1/4, made short work of Indonesian top middle contender Sikat Pasaribu, 162, with a single body shot at 2:00 of the opening canto.
Hozumi forfeited his national belt to unheralded Satoru Suzuki on an upset 8th round TKO last August. This was his first appearance since, and he scored a very easy KO triumph that raised his mark to 17-2-1, 14 KOs. Pasaribu, who showed nothing to our crowd, dipped to 11-6-2, 6 KOs.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.
Matchmaker: Shuki Murayama.
(5-15-01)
May 14, 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN-Regarded as the brightest prospect and future world champ, unbeaten WBC #7 and WBA #11 ranked minimum Yutaka Niida(right photo), 104 1/4, astonishingly hit the deck twice in the opening canto and struggled to overcome his deficits on points in earlier rounds en route to a unanimous draw with Daisuke Iida, Japanese top contender, 105, in barely retaining his Japanese national 105-pound title.
The fast and hard-hitting prospect Niida rose up to the stardom with a very spectacular stoppage of Makoto Suzuki in capturing his national diadem last January. Niida, 22, entered the world top ten thanks to this sensationally fine victory. His adherents are eager to get him a world title shot at the WBA crown against the 35-year-old champ Chana Porpaoin.
Surprisingly did Niida down as he took a countering left hook when he was about to throw a wild trade-mark left hook. He immediately beat the count and attempted to punch back with a big shot and absorbed another countering right, hitting the deck again. The bell barely came to his rescue.
After Iida dominated the second and third rounds, Niida began to fight back with his powerful left hooks and right crosses, piling up points in the 4th through 6th. But it became a see-saw affair from the 7th onward, as Iida displayed a fine footwork to avert the younger champ’s big shots and scored compact blows to the face. The last session saw Niida desperately go forward to win a point, which seemed successful to barely retain his national belt and unbeaten mark.
Scored: Kanaya 95-95, Morita 96-96 and Fukuchi 94-94. All judges saw it a draw, which is a very rare case. This reporter also tallied it 94-94.
Niida, 13-0-3, 7 KOs, is handled by ex-world #1 featherweight contender Mitsunori Seki, who says that Niida is the most talented boy that he has seen in his fistic life for 40 years. Iiida, who claimed his victory, is 15-3-1, 7 KOs.
Busy southpaw Nobuyuki Enomoto, 105, decked his tune-up bout prior to his OPBF title shot at Korean Pilkoo Kang on August 13, as he earned a unanimous decision over Masanori Suga, 105, over 10.
Enomoto, a light-punching but busy boy, bettered his ledger to 13-1-2, 2 KOs. Suga impaired to 5-7-2, 2 KOs.
Promoter: Mitsunori Seki’s Yokohama Hikari Promotions.
(5-14-01)
OSHIMA SCORES ONE-PUNCH KO OF THAILANDER NOPPARATNOIMay 9, 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN-Hard-hitting lightie Hironari Oshima(right photo), 137 3/4, landed a very vicious overhand right and sank Thailander Nopparatnoi Wor Warapin, 137 3/4, at 0:35 of the 5th round.
Oshima, 14-1, 10 KOs, dumped ex-WBA world junior middle champ Koichi Wajima as his manager and joined his previous trainer Cheyenne Yamamoto’s new gym. It was his first after he moved under Yamamoto’s management. The Thailander fell to 18-13, 7 KOs.
Promoter: Misako Promotions.
(5-9-01)