April 8, 2002
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-WBA light-fly champ Keiji Yamaguchi (29-8-1, 11 KOs), 122, miserably hit the deck four times and was stopped by ex-Japanese 118-pound and 122-pound champ Setsuo Segawa (16-3, 7 KOs), 122, at 0:35 of the third round in Tokyo, Japan.
Southpaw Yamaguchi, who once dethroned WBA champ Carlos Murillo of Panama on points in 1996, now suffered three KO defeats straight to Masayuki Arinaga (KO4), Gerry Penalosa (TKO1) and ex-Olympian Segawa.
Formerly world-rated Segawa, after a 14-month layoff, proved too powerful for the flabby ex-WBA boss, a Naseem Hamed stylist, dropping him twice in the first, each once in the second and the fatal third.
OPBF top ranked Japanese 154-pound champ Joya Kawai (15-3, 4 KOs), 152.75, persistently mixed up to fully frustrate top contender Eiji Shida (11-3-2, 6 KOs), 153.5, to retain his national belt on a unanimous decision over 10.
Scored: Kumazaki 99-94, Yoshida 98-95 and Uchida 98-94, all for the lefty champ making his third defense.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions in association with Force.
(4-8-02)