May 14, 2002
May 14, 2002
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #5 Naotaka Hozumi (20-2-1, 17 KOs), 160(right photo), impressively kept his OPBF middleweight belt as he kept battering a tremendously game and durable Korean Kwangjin Choi (6-2-1, 6 KOs), 158.5, and finally flattened him with a fusillade of punches to upwards and downwards at 1:06 of the 8th round in Tokyo, Japan.
Hozumi, who upset and dethroned previously unbeaten Kevin Palmer via a KO route last year, was so impressive that he kept whipping the Korean from all angles in every round. The OPBF #8 Korean displayed his remarkable tenacity and resilience to weather the storm and kept retaliating to show his heart, which won the praise of the witnesses.
The 8th saw Hozumi connect with accurate and effective combinations to the face and belly to produce a flattened pancake.
Japanese top-ranked 154-pounder Shunji Kaneyama (12-3, 11 KOs), 154, made short work of unranked Thailander Mekenner Kingstar (reportedly 12-4-1, 3 KOs), 152.75, with a single right uppercut to the breadbasket at 1:30 of the opening canto.
Upcoming Japanese #7 welter Yuji Yamaguchi (5-0, 4 KOs), 143, proved to be a bright prospect as he showed quick combinations with precision and floored Thai #1 ranked 140-pounder Chalaamdam Sishtradtrakaam (6-6-1, 3 KOs), 143.5, twice, each with a smashing right, to cause the ref to halt the affair at 1:53 of the 4th.
Promoter: Kenji Yonekura’s Yonekura Promotions.
(5-14-02)