July 31, 2002
OSAKA, JAPAN-Hard-punching Venezuelan Alexander Munoz, 114.75, kept his WBA super-fly belt as he extended his perfectly unblemished mark to 23-0, 23 KOs by dispatching ex-OPBF ruler Eiji Kojima (6-1, 1 KO), 115, prone with a single right at 2:18 of the second session in Osaka, Japan.
The taller Japanese southpaw kept stalking the circling champ who apparently tried to feel him out in the first round. Kojima missed a big left and almost fell out of the ropes, while Munoz, making his first defense, landed a left hook following a short right to take a point.
The second saw Kojima turn loose and release big southpaw rights to the champ, who kept cool and moving to-and-fro. They threw a solid shot so simultaneously that they almost hit the deck together-a la double knockdown. But it was Kojima that took the champfs countering right and again almost jumped out of the ropes.
No sooner the fight resumed than Munozfs devastating right caught the rubbery-legged Japanese, who was flattened and counted out by Panamanian referee Julio Cesar Alvarado.
Scored after the opening session: Oscar Perez (US) and Chalerm Prayadsab (Thailand) 10-9 for Munoz, and Hector Hernandez (Mexico) 10-9 for Kojima.
Munoz, who had displayed his awesome power-punching in dropping Celes Kobayashi five times en route to a title-winning 8th round KO this March, again showed his blitzkrieg here before the stunned audience. Munoz will defend his WBA belt in an upcoming defense in the US according to his manager Andres Gomez.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-31-02)