March 23, 2002
March 23, 2002
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN-Sharp-punching Masamori Tokuyama (26-2-1, 7 KOs), 115, impressively kept his WBC super-fly belt as he completely swept all rounds before he sank Japanese southpaw Kazuhiro Ryuko (13-2-3, 4 KOs), 115, with a smashing right to make him unable to go on at 2:42 of the 9th session at the Yokohama Arena, Yokohama City.
All the official tallies after the 8th were identical: Carol Castellano (US), Gale Van Hoy (US) and Ken Morita (Japan), all 80-72, giving all rounds to the defending champ.
It was the 4th defense of Tokuyama, a North Korean born and residing in Japan, since he dethroned previously unbeaten Korean Injoo Cho by an upset onesided decision in Osaka, Japan, in August, 2000. The unheralded new champ showed his remarkable progress in every defense, beating hard-hitting Japanese Akihiko Nago (W12), stretching ex-champ Cho with a single right in Korea (KO5), and outscoring formidable ex-champ Gerry Penalosa (W12) to his credit.
It became much more lopsided than expected, as Tokuyama, two years his junior at 27, kept throwing straight rights to the face, and broke Ryuko’s bridge of the nose in the second.
Ryuko, ex-amateur University boxer, tried to avert the champ’s direct rights without leading lefts, but as the contest progressed, Tokuyama began to catch the stylish southpaw with precision.
The upright champ accurately landed sharp rights to the face of the cautious challenger nearly at will, and had him in trouble in the 4th and 6th session. It became a matter of time when Tokuyama would accelerate his attack and bring home the bacon by terminating the affair.
In the fatal round, Ryuko surprisingly turned loose and desperately attempted a go-for-broke attack, but the champ exploded a well-timed right at the button, sending him sprawling to the deck. Japanese referee Kazumasa Kuwata tolled the mandatory eight, watched him as to whether he could continue fighting, but the badly damaged challenger obviously looked unfit to go on. He then declared a well-received stoppage.
It was a great disappointment that Ryuko couldn’t show his aggressiveness, nor his favorite hit-and-run tactics only to be unable to win even a round. But it might show Tokuyama’s rapid improvement in power and skills, especially in coping with a southpaw opponent. Having beaten a couple of southpaws, Nago and Penalosa, in his last three bouts, Tokuyama apparently seemed to have mastered how to handle a lefty rival.
Ryuko, after his graduation of Kinki University, once decided to quit boxing after his 110-contest amateur career to become a professional singer. While receiving vocal lessons, he went to Watanabe gym to kill time and shape himself up for the future stage. But he happened to turn professional and went up to fighting for the world throne. He will certainly hand up gloves for good to consider his original plan to perform on the stage, not on the ring. In the near future, Ryuko may have an opportunity to sing the national anthem for Tokuyama’s title defense. If so, it may seem ironical.
Ex-Japanese light champ Tadashi Yuba (18-1-2, 11 KOs), 140, seized the vacant national 140-pound belt when he dropped Kiyoshi Adachi (20-6-1, 14 KOs), 140, with a solid southpaw left in the opening canto, onesidedly led on points and finally sent him badly reeling to the ropes, prompting the ref to intervene at 1:33 of the 7th round.
Lefty speedster Seiji Tanaka (11-4-8, 1 KO), 115, scored a fine KO over Thailand’s #7 ranked Prabpram Khlongphajon (6-5, 2 KOs), 114.25, at 2:25 of the 5th round in a scheduled 8.
Heavyweight Ryosuke Takahashi (9-3, 5 KOs), 209, decked Australian Scott Parker (4-9-1, no KO), 249.25, with a left hook and had him badly reeling to the ropes with a follow-up combo, halting him at 1:31 of the 4th round in a scheduled 8.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(3-23-02)