March 13, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-A sellout crowd was expected for a sensational Japanese middleweight title bout on Saturday, but Naotaka Hozumi (21-3-1, 18 KOs), ex-OPBF and ex-national champ, abruptly pulled out of it because of his pain at the Achillesf tendon. The defending champ, WBC #26 ranked Satoru Suzuki (19-3, 12 KOs), making his 10th defense since dethroning Hozumi in 2000, will fight a late substitute Byungchul Oh, Korean super-welter champ, in a non-title bout instead. Hozumi, in their first encounter, was a bit too overconfident and forfeited his national belt via unexpected 8th round TKO defeat by the simon-pure Suzuki. Hozumi afterward dethroned previously unbeaten Kevin Palmer, the OPBF 160-pound champ, to enter the world top ten, and had an ambitious crack at the WBA belt against William Joppy only to be annihilated in 10 lopsided rounds last October. Suzuki grew up so strong that he kept his national throne nine times to his credit to welcome an anticipated rematch with Hozumi. It will be eventually postponed until July.
(3-13-03)
March 13, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Upcoming lefty hard-puncher Tatsuki Kawasaki, 150, ran his mark to 10-1, 10 KOs when he bloodied and battered ex-Japanese welter champ Yoshio Nakano (16-8-4, 3 KOs), 147.25, en route to a seemingly premature stoppage at 1:40 of the 5th round in Tokyo, Japan.
Kawasaki swarmed over the ex-champ from the outset, continually pinning him to the ropes with a barrage of punches. They mixed up toe-to-toe with Kawasaki having the upper hand. Though Nakano still attempted to fight back, the referee abruptly stopped the affair in favor of the upcoming prospect. The loserfs corner protested against the stoppage.
Puzzling southpaw Shigeo Hori (9-5, 3 KOs), 126, surprisingly decked a prefight favorite Go Katada (12-3, 7 KOs), 126, in the opening canto and pounded out an upset unanimous decision (77-76 twice and 79-75) over 8.
(3-13-03)