December 19, 2002
OSAKA, JAPAN-A dual world title bout will take place in Osaka, Japan, today. WBC 115-pound champ Masamori Tokuyama (27-2-1, 8 KOs), Japan, will risk his belt against ex-champ and top contender Gerry Penalosa (46-4-2, 29 KOs), a southpaw Filipino, in an anticipated rematch. The 28-year-old Tokuyama, a North Korean residing in Osaka, captured the title by beating previously unbeaten Korean Injoo Cho by an upset decision in August 2000. Since then, the champ kept it 5 times, defeating Akihiko Nago (W12), Injoo Cho (KO5), Penalosa (W12), Kazuhiro Ryuko (KO9) and Erik Lopez (TKO6) to his credit.
Penalosa, 30, once wrested the WBC throne by unanimously whipping Japanese Hiroshi Kawashima on points in Tokyo in 1997, and retained it 3 times before he forfeited it to Korean footworker Injoo Cho in 1998. Penalosa failed to regain his belt twice, losing a close decision to Cho in 2000 and to Tokuyama in the previous year. This will be his last opportunity to fight in a quest for the WBC 115-pound crown.
Tokuyama tipped the beam at the 115 pound class limit, while Penalosa 114.75.
Referee is Eddie Cotton (US), and judges are Tom Kaczmarek (US), Duane Ford (US) and Richie Davies (England). The supervisor is the WBC president Jose Sulaiman (Mexico).
In another world title go, Venezuelan Noel Arambulet (19-2-0-1NC, 10 KOs) will put his WBA 105-pound title on the line against ex-champ Keitaro Hoshino (23-8, 6 KOs), Japan, in a grudge fight. Fast-moving Arambulet regained the WBA belt by outclassing Hoshino en route to a unanimous nod in Yokohama last July. Arambulet lost his title to Filipino Joma Gamboa, who forfeited it to Hoshino, who lost it to Thailander Chana Porpaoin, who yielded it to Japanese Yutaka Niida. With a sudden and surprising retirement of Niida, Hoshino faced Gamboa to win a vacant belt but failed to defend it against Arambulet. We have seen the WBA minimum belt change hands so busily that we might not be able to correctly remember.
The defending champ Arambulet weighed in at 104.75, while Hoshino 104.25.
Referee is Joe Cortez (US), and judges are Guy Jutras (Canada), Luis Pabon (Puerto Rico) and Silvestre Abainza (Philippines).
(12-20-02)