December 3, 2001
OSAKA, JAPAN-Unbeaten southpaw prospect Eiji Kojima (5-0, 2 KOs), 115, acquired the vacant OPBF 115-pound belt as he dropped Korean champ Keunshik Lee (3-2, 1 KO), 114.5, twice but sustained a nasty gash caused by an accidental butt to be awarded a lopsided technical decision at 0:44 of the 7th round.
Both were formerly excellent amateur boys. Lee’s amateur mark was surprisingly 140-20, 80 stoppages. Lee captured the Korean national title in his just third pro fight.
Kojima, a taller lefty, exploded a vicious right hook following a solid southpaw left and sent Lee to the deck in the opening session. Lee was so groggy as to be almost counted out, but showed his gameness to go on.
The Japanese youngster repeated a same combination, dropping the Korean again in the 5th, when Lee was penalized a point due to hitting twice when Australian referee Brad Vocale called a break-away.
Lee sustained a cut over the right eyebrow and bled from the nostrils, fighting with his face in crimson. But Kojima also suffered such a deeper gash over the left optic that he couldn’t continue fighting upon the ring physician’s examination.
The technical decision including the unfinished 7th was as follows: Brad Volacle (Australia) 69-61, Ichiro Uenaka (Japan) 69-63, and Sungil Lee (Korea) 67-64, all for the hard-punching southpaw.
The OPBF 115-pound throne had been vacated by Kazuhiro Ryuko, who decides to face Masamori Tokuyama for the WBC super-fly title in Yokohama on March 23.
WBA #10 ranked super-welter Kevin Kelly (27-7-4, 12 KOs), 155.75, Australia, badly hit the deck in the first round, barely resumed fighting, but showed his experience in outhustling ex-OPBF 154-pound champ Nobuhiro Ishida (6-2-1, 2 KOs), 156.5, Japan, in later rounds en route to a split draw over 10.
Ishida, a taller Japanese, connected with a well-timed overhand right to the face, and sent him to the canvas in the opening canto. Kelly looked very shaky and groggy, but barely survived with his gameness. Ishida was controlling the first half to have the crowd convinced of his victory.
But the tide unexpectedly turned in the second half. Kelly kept onrushing the fading opponent with busy, if not accurate, combinations to overcome his early deficits on points.
Scored: Yasuda (Japan) 96-94 for Ishida, Vocale (Australia) 97-94 for Kelly, and Okubo (Japan) 95-95.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(12-03-01)