December 20, 2001
OSAKA, JAPAN-Korean ex-OPBF champ Youngin Cho (13-3, 8 KOs), 122, surprisingly regained his OPBF 122-pound belt as he exploded powerful left hooks to sink previously unbeaten WBC #8 bantam Akihiro Kanai (15-1, 12 KOs), 121.25, Japan, at 2:01 of the opening round in Osaka, Japan.
It was a shocking defeat for Kanai, the prefight favorite, who hit the deck on each throwing a left hook and Cho’s hitting the button a moment earlier. Kanai, ex-amateur star winning all pro outings, barely stood up only to collapse with Cho’s another left hook.
His damage was such that David Chung, a Korean referee, promptly declared a halt without taking a count. (This is registered as a knockout, not a TKO, by the Japanese Commission.)
Cho had forfeited his OPBF throne to Japan’s Osamu Sato last year, but Sato recently renounced it to prepare for his shot at the WBC 122-pound crown against Willie Jorrin in Tokyo on February 5. So, the ex-champ Cho and the highly expected Kanai battled in a quest for the vacant throne. But the unexpected result happened before the stunned crowd.
On the same card, WBC #9 ranked 154-pounder Akira Ohigashi (34-7-3, 23 KOs), 153.5, Japan, and ex-OPBF champ Kookyul Song (22-3-2, 16 KOs), 153.25, Korea, fought to a technical draw due to the former’s bad bleeding at 1:40 of the 8th round in an eliminator to decide the interim OPBF 154-pound titlist.
It didn’t became as easy a fight as expected, for Ohigashi, since he previously disposed of Song in 9 rounds without the Korean’s OPBF title at stake in 1998.
Song displayed his determination by sweeping the first three rounds, though Ohigashi, a slow starter, began to land solid shots to the breadbasket of the older Korean from the 4th round on.
The 7th saw Ohigashi start bleeding from a gash on the forehead caused by an accidental butt. It became worsened so badly in the next session that a technical decision was taken including a score in the fatal 8th.
Scored: referee Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) 77-77, Japanese judge 77-76 for Ohigashi and Korean judge 77-76 for Song.
Though Australian Nader Hamden is the legitimate OPBF champ by lopsidedly whipping Korean Taesan Lee, he became unable to face the leading available contender Ohigashi owing to his injury suffered in the said OPBF elimination bout in Australia. Therefore, Ohigashi went to face Song with the interim OPBF 154-pound belt at stake.
In the first of the tripleheader, Japanese feather champ Eiichi Sugama (22-2, 19 KOs), 125.5, proved too aggressive and powerful for Momotaro Kitajima (18-3, 12 KOs), 125.25, hating him at 2:21 of the 10th and final round.
It became a lopsided affair, as Sugama gave a lesson to the highly expected opponent with his fine display of left jabs and left hooks. In the last canto, Sugama turned loose and released a wicked shot right, dropping him face first to the deck. Kitajima barely resumed fighting but Sugama accelerated his attack so furiously as to prompt the referee’s intervention.
Promoter: Taiho Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Ohigashi vs. Song OPBF interim eliminator).
(12-20-01)