August 24, 2003
OSAKA, JAPAN-Unbeaten WBC #3 ranked Noriyuki Komatsu (17-0-5, 8 KOs), 112, barely kept his OPBF flyweight belt as he kept peppering WBC #13 ex-national champ Masaki “Trash” Nakanuma (23-4, 10 KOs), 111.5, with fast but light combos and withstood the challenger’s onslaught in the eighth to earn a hairline split decision over twelve sizzling rounds on Sunday night in Osaka, Japan.
Scored: referee Takeo Harada 115-113 and judge Masahiro Noda 115-114, both for the champ, and Ken Morita 115-114 for the challenger. It was a nationwide sensational encounter of the fast-rising champ in Osaka and the vaunted big puncher from Tokyo. Nakanuma made a good start with occasional big shots, but Komatsu, making his third defense, positively kept throwing more punches to the peek-a-boo stylist who sometimes unleashed a wild shot at a time. After see-saw proceedings Nakanuma exploded a big right uppercut, almost stunned the champ and desperately threw punches in combination in the eighth. Komatsu, however, dominated the last four rounds as he maintained the pressure with busier combos. It was such a close affair as the spectators strongly suggested a different winner in controversy.
Local prospect Kazuaki Matsumoto (7-1-1, 7 KOs), 138.75, finally finished Thailander Nannamu Kietprasanchai (8-9, 3 KOs), 138.75, with solid combos at 2:18 of the seventh round. Unbeaten Masayuki Mitani (7-0, 3 KOs), 117.25, dispatched Bunchai Kietthairin (4-5, 1 KO), 117.75, at 1:23 of the fourth.
Promoter: Eddie Townsend Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Komatsu vs. Nakanuma title bout).
(8-24-03)