November 24, 2002
NAGOYA, JAPAN-WBC #16 ranked Hideyasu Ishihara (11-2-1, 9 KOs), 114.75, kept his OPBF 115-pound belt as he recklessly mixed up with switch-hitting ex-Korean champ Dongkil Shin (5-2-1, 1 KO), 114, in the first five rounds but effectively changed his strategy to outpunch the shorter rival en route to a TKO win at the end of the 8th in Nagoya, Japan.
Shin claimed that he couldn’t see well, and decided to retire after the 8th, which referee Ukrid Sarasas accepted to declare a halt. Scored after the 8th: Sarasas (Thailand) 79-76, Takaomi Ito (Japan) 78-75, both for Ishihara, and Soonchul Hwang (Korea) 77-77.
WBC #3 ranked OPBF bantam champ Jess Maca (42-17-5, 17 KOs), 120.75, engaged in a non-title affair and dropped a controversial decision to unheralded Masakazu Sugawara (15-2-4, 7 KOs), 120.75, over 10. Scored: 97-96 twice for Sugawara, and 97-95 for Maca.
Japanese top ranked flyweight Hayato Asai (17-5-3, 13 KOs), 114, was losing on the process, but dropped unbeaten Japanese #2 super-fly Shin Ogata (12-0-2, 4 KOs), 114.75, with a vicious right in the 8th and swept the last three sessions en route to a well-received split draw (96-95, 95-96 and 96-96) over 10. Asai had an ambitious crack at the WBC 112-pound title against Pongsaklek Kratindaeng-gym only to be dismantled in 5 rounds here in July last year.
Japanese #5 welter Yosuke Otsuka (16-2, 13 KOs), 146.75, hit the deck in the first round and lost an unexpected decision to a heavy underdog Fumiaki Matsushita (8-7, 1 KO) over a unanimous 10.
Promoter: Matsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-24-02)