## SIRIMONGKOL AND LARIOS WIN IN DOUBLEHEADER

August 24, 2002

TOKYO, JAPAN-The Japanese crowd gloomily witnessed bad results for our local prospects in a WBC doubleheader in Tokyo, Japan.

Hard-punching Thailander Sirimongkol Singwangcha Singmanassak (38-1, 22 KOs)(right photo), 130, seized the vacant WBC super-feather belt as he exploded with devastating rights to Japanese southpaw Kengo Nagashima (21-2-1, 12 KOs), 130, dropping him three times en route to a quick KO victory at 2:22 of the second round.

Sirimongkol, 25, was formerly a WBC 118-pound champ, having jumped up three classes after forfeting his belt on a 7th round TKO by Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in 1997, which was his first and last defeat in his career. Nagashima, in the first, cautiously kept moving and jabbing in his lefty stance, while the Thailander occasionally attempted to score with solid rights.

Early in the second, Sirimongkol caught the 26-year-old Japanese southpaw with a vicious and well-timed right just at the button, sending him to the deck with a thud. Nagashima barely pulled himself up and resumed fighting only to fall again with another right of Sirimongkol, who mistakenly threw an additional shot to the opponent on the canvas. Richard Davies, a British referee, penalized a point for his illegal shot, which seemingly gave some moments for Nagashima to recover, but in vain. The aggressive Thailander promptly connected with another wicked right and collapsed him for the third time, so the fight was over.

Pugnacious Mexican Oscar Larios (45-3-1, 32 KOs)(left photo), 122, kept his WBC interim super-bantam belt when he decked Japanese Manabu Fukushima (22-5-1, 16 KOs), 122, in the opening canto and swept all rounds before the referee wisely halted a lopsided onslaught at 2:27 of the 8th round.

All scoresheets were identical 70-62 after the 7th round by Duane Ford, Lou Filippo and Gale Van Hoy, all from the US.

Itfs also a onesided affair though Fukushima displayed his heart, not his skill, nor finesse. Larios, who had acquired the WBC interim belt by a 12-round stoppage of Israel Vazquez last May, swarmed over the shorter Japanese from the outset, dropping him with a looping left hook following a solid one-two combo. Fukushima barely had a narrow escape with his rubbery legs.

Larios, 3 years his junior at 25, kept battering the game but methodical opponent with good jabs and solid overhand rights, winning all rounds thereafter.

Victor Drakulich, a US ref, wisely declared a halt to save the loser from further punishment when the Mexican overwhelmed him with a fusillade of punches almost at will.

### Undercard:

Fast and game Nobuhito Honmo (20-4-1, 5 KOs), 130, acquired the vacant Japanese 130-pound belt relinquished by Nagashima, as he kept peppering WBA #15 ranked Kinji Amano (19-7-3, 9 KOs), 130, to win a unanimous nod (98-93 twice and 98-94) over 10.

Promoter: Akihiko Hondafs Teiken Promotions.

(8-24-02)

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