March 23, 2003
MUNAKATA, JAPAN-WBC #4 ranked tall lefty Takashi Koshimoto (32-1-2, 14 KOs), 126, kept his OPBF feather belt by a split but well-received decision over game Filipino Jaime Barcelona (19-18-1, 5 KOs), 126, over 12 heats at Munakata, Japan.
Koshimoto falied to keep his balance, when Barcelona threw a right and the champ averted it but slipped down. The referee called it a knockdown, but the champ readily stood up and resumed fighting. Koshimoto, whose sole defeat was inflicted by Freddie Norwood years ago, sometimes caught the Filipino in the second half to keep his regional belt. Scored: referee Kenjiro Makizumi 116-111 and judge Kazumasa Kuwata 115-111, both for the champ, and Teodoro Alivio 117-113 for Barcelona.
Newly crowned Japanese feather champ Dainoshin Kuma (22-0, 11 KOs), 125.75, retained his national feather belt as he surprisingly dropped hard-hitting Puerto Rican Eugenio Yuji Gomez (17-3, 16 KOs), 124.75, with a triple southpaw left with a towel tossed in at 1:38 of the opening canto.
A collision of heads accidentally happened with a big and deep laceration over the right eyebrow of Gomez, who looked a bit dazed but continued fighting only to be floored by the champfs effective combo.
Promoter: Fukuma Sports Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Koshimoto vs. Barcelona main event).
(3-23-03)