April 25, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Mexican hard-puncher Oscar Larios (47-3-1, 33 KOs) will put his WBC 122-pound title on the line against Japanese hard-hitter Shigeru Nakazato (23-5, 18 KOs) at Ryogoku Sumo Arena, Tokyo, Japan tomorrow. Both tipped the beam at the 122-pound class limit at the official weigh-in at the Korakuen Hall.
Larios is a prohibitive favorite, having demolished Israel Vazquez (TKO12), Manabu Fukushima (TKO8) and Willie Jorrin (TKO1) to his credit in the previous year. Larios is usually an aggressive puncher, throwing many punches in combination incessantly. He can also finish his opponent with a single lethal shot as shown in his destruction of Jorrin. Nakazato, 4 years his senior at 30, comes from Okinawa that has produced so many world champs as Yoko Gushiken, Yasutsune Uehara, Tsuyoshi Hamada, Akinobu Hiranaka, et al. Nakazato, a bit slow but powerful puncher who iced his last six opponents, captured the OPBF 122-pound crown by disposing of Korean Yongin Cho in three rounds last May and kept it by an impressive stoppage of Indonesian champ Virgo Warou in 7 heats last October. Only when Larios should become so careless due to his overconfidence, there may be a chance for Nakazato to explode his vaunted right cross or left hook. Whichever may win, it will not go the distance in this sensational confrontation of the hard-punchers.
The WBC officials are as follows:
Referee Toby Gibson (US), judges Tony Castellano (US), Gale Van Hoy (US) and Malcolm Bulner (Australia).
This main event is supported by a couple of highly competitive OPBF title bouts. WBC #10 ranked OPBF 140-pound champ Masakazu Satake will risk his belt against unbeaten Filipino champ Dindo Castanares over 12. Former victim of Larios, Manabu Fukushima and unbeaten Korean champ Jaekwang Chung will fight in a quest for the vacant OPBF 122-pound belt recently renounced by Nakazato.
(4-25-03)