## JAPANESE #1 RANKED 115-POUNDER ISHIHARA STOPS KOREAN KIM IN 8

March 17, 2002

NAGOYA, JAPAN-Lanky hard-punching southpaw Hideyasu Ishihara (9-2-1, 8 KOs), the Japanese top ranked super-fly, 115.5, whipped Korean #3 Seunghoon Kim (3-3, 2 KOs), 115.5, lopsidedly before he finally caught him to drop him with a wicked body shot and prompted the referee to intervene at his furious follow-up at 2:50 of the 8th round in Nagoya, Japan.

Ishihara, ex-amateur KO artist, defeated the then national fly champ Nolito Suzuki Cabato in his pro debut without the title at stake, but failed to win the same belt via TKO by future world champ Celes Kobayashi and also failed to enter the world top ten on a bitter KO defeat by ex-WBA champ Jesus Rojas.

Since then, his manager/promoter abandoned his too great ambition to lead him to the world throne in less than 8 pro fights to break the record of Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, reflected his hasty matchmaking and made Ishihara improve steadily under the tutelage of Korean trainer Hwaryong Yuh, who seemingly remodeled the golden rookie remarkably.

#### UNDERCARD

OPBF #5 lightie Yosuke Otsuka (15-1, 12 KOs), 146.75, appeared at much heavier weight than in his previous defeat by Filipino Dennis Laurente in a bid for the vacant OPBF 135-pound belt, and pounded out a unanimous decision over Thai #1 lightie Thitima Kiatprasanchai (8-3, 3 KOs), 143.75, over 10.

WBA #27 super-bantam Masakane Sugawara (14-2-3, 7 KOs), 123, looked fresh after his controversial but important victory over then rated Mexican Cuauhtemoc Gomez here, and scored a beautiful one-punch KO of Korean #2 122-pounder Kyongsoo Chung (6-4-1, 2 KOs), 123, at 3:01 of the second canto.

Unbeaten OPBF #4 super-fly Shin Ogata (11-0-1, 4 KOs), 114.75, battered former Thai national champ Panomdet Au Yuthanakorn (23-10, 6 KOs), a tremendously durable lefty, 114.75, all the way, winning a onesided decision over 10.

Promoter: Matsuda Promotions.

Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

(3-17-02)

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