February 17, 2002
February 17, 2002
NAGOYA, JAPAN-Mexican veteran Javier Jauregui(right photo) (43-10-2, 31 KOs), 131.25, was in hot water as he was held to a controversial technical draw with OPBF #2 and Japanese top 130-pound contender Ryuhei Sugita(left photo) (21-1-2, 18 KOs), 130, due to the latterfs bad bleeding at 2:39 of the 5th round in Nagoya.
Jauregeui, who failed to win the WBO belt via first round annihilation by Acelino Freitas in March 2000, displayed his favorite triple left uppercut to the onrushing Japanese from the outset.
Sugita, whose sole setback was inflicted by Filipino southpaw Tiger Ari in his quest for the OPBF belt last February, kept bobbing and boring in to work the body of the Mexican who aimed solid shots exclusively to the face.
It became a hot war, but Jauregui looked more effective and pugnacious enough to hurt Sugita, who sustained a swollen cheek and a nasty gash over the left optic.
The ringside physician declared that Sugita was unfit to go on at his second examination of the laceration, when Jauregui believed that he was a TKO winner. But a technical decision was taken as the ref Tomoto thought it had been produced by an accidental butt, and all the judges surprisingly saw it 48-48.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(2-17-02)