November 18, 2002
KITAKYUSHU, JAPAN-Ex-WBC flyweight champ Malcolm Tunacao (14-1-2, 10 KOs), 116.75, floored overmatched Kazuyoshi Niki (9-2, 3 KOs), 116.75, twice before the referee intervened at 2:19 of the third round in Kitakyushu, Japan.
WBC #6 ranked Tunacao proved too much for the less experienced Japanese, unranked by the JBC, and also proved it was an obvious mismatch.
WBC #18 minimum Hiroshi Matsumoto (14-3-3, 6 KOs), 104.25, was awarded a TKO win over a dirty-fighting Filipino Jojo Riones (9-1, 3 KOs), 102.5, at 1:02 of the 9th.
The Filipino kept clinching and holding to avert Matsumotofs body attack to be penalized in the 7th and 8th. When Matsumoto dropped him with a southpaw right in the 9th, Riones held his legs so firmly that the ref decided to call a halt.
Promoter: Kokura Takahashi Gym.
(11-18-02)
November 18, 2002
OSAKA, JAPAN-Unbeaten Nobuaki Naka (16-0-2, 11 KOs), 118, kept his Japanese bantam belt by dispatching top ranked Noboru Fukuyama (12-4-1, 8 KOs), 117.75, at 3:09 of the 6th session in Osaka, Japan.
Naka, making his 7th defense, kept outlegging and outpunching the onrushing challenger, and caught him with vicious left hooks to drop him just prior to the bell to end the 6th. The ref kept counting him out.
Japanese top ranked Nobuto Ikehara (16-0, 13 KOs), 123.5, earned a unanimous decision over unranked Toshinobu Nakatani (7-10-3, 3 KOs), 123, over 10.
Promoter: Amagasaki Promotions.
(11-18-02)
November 18, 2002
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #13 ranked ex-national flyweight champ Takefumi Sakata (19-1-1, 7 KOs), 112, disposed of ex-Korean champ Jinho Kim (14-7, 5 KOs), 111, at 3:10 of the second in Tokyo, Japan.
Having been dethroned by Trash Nakanuma in his previous bout, Sakata, a busy puncher, will be given a mandatory shot at the winner of Nakanuma and Takeyuki Kojima who will fight for the belt on December 5.
Japanese #8 lightie Kokichi Tanaka (19-8-1, 10 KOs), 137.25, scored an easy KO win over mediocre Thailander Chalamdam Sishtradtrakam (7-7-1, 3 KOs), 135, at 0:13 of the third. The Thailander left his fighting spirit in Bangkok, hitting the deck in every round.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(11-18-02)