July 5, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unheralded Yoshihiro Araki (12-1, 6 KOs), 159.5, from Osaka, stunned the crowd as he unexpectedly captured the Japanese middleweight belt by scoring an upset split but well-received decision over WBA #10 ranked defending champ Satoru Suzuki (20-4, 13 KOs), 159.5, over 10 heats on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
Scored: 97-95 and 97-96 for Araki, and 97-96 for the prohibitive favorite Suzuki (ridiculous!). The taller Suzuki, making his 10th defense, looked so sluggish and slow that Araki kept moving to avert his roundhouse shots and landed more left-right combinations with precision. Reportedly there had been a negotiation on Suzukifs ambitious shot at the WBA 160-pound throne against William Joppy here this coming October, but it thus came to naught.
WBA #14 ranked 122-pounder Jairo Tagliafero (11-0, 9 KOs), 122.5, Venezuela, dropped game Japanese Nobuhisa Doi (13-6-4, 6 KOs), 123, in the 6th and twice more in the 8th to pound out a lopsided decision (99-93, 99-89 and 100-90) over 10. Tagliafero had entered the top ten thanks to his upset stoppage of former WBA bantam ruler Eidy Moya in his previous bout in Venezuela.
Unbeaten Venezuelan 140-pound champ Richard Reyna (11-0, 10 KOs), 140.75, withstood some shaky moments and exploded a vicious right, dropping Filipino champ Dindo Castanares (12-2-1, 9 KOs), 141, twice en route to a fine stoppage at 2:50 of the second session. Reyna looked stiff, but displayed his hard-punching ability.
Shuto Mifune (7-1-2, 4 KOs), 130, defeated durable Filipino Pedro Marco (7-6-2, 3 KOs), 130, by a unanimous nod over 8.
Promoter: Hachioji Nakayama Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Reyna vs. Castanares and Mifune vs. Marco bouts).
(7-5-03)