TRIPLEHEADER IN JAPAN TOMORROW!

TOKYO, JAPAN-The official weigh-in for tomorrow’s three world title bouts took place on Friday afternoon in Tokyo, Japan. WBC bantam champ Veeraphol Nakhornluang-Promotion (41-1-1, 29 KOs), Thailand, tipped the beam at the 118-pound class limit to 117.5 for top ranked Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka (23-3-2, 14 KOs) (right picture). WBA super-fly champ Alexander Munoz (23-0, 23 KOs), Venezuela, scaled in at the 115-pound class limit as Japanese lefty Hidenobu Honda (26-2, 14 KOs). Ex-WBA four-time champ Leo Gamez (34-9-1, 25 KOs), Venezuela, weighed in at 117 to 117.25 for ex-WBA 115-pound champ Hideki Todaka (20-3-1, 10 KOs), Japan.

Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions, Inc. presents this star-studded card titled “Star Wars 3+2” featuring a couple of sensational and competitive bouts along with the tripleheader. WBC #7 ranked OPBF champ Masakazu Satake (17-2-4, 10 KOs), 140.75, Japan, will cope with unbeaten Venezuelan 140-pound champ Richard Reyna (13-0, 12 KOs), 140.25, over ten. WBC #7 ranked lightweight Kengo Nagashima (24-2-1, 14 KOs), 135, will face a US veteran Rick Yoshimura Roberts (38-6-2, 20 KOs), 134.75, who had registered 22 defenses of his Japanese national 135-pound belt in six years from 1995, over ten.

The preview on each world title go is as follows:

WBC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

Toshiaki Nishioka, handled by Akihiko Honda, is the most expected and brightest prospect here in Japan. The tall southpaw hard-puncher already had a couple of world title shots against Veeraphol Nakhornluang-Promotion, seven years his senior at 34, losing a hard-fought decision in 2000 and battled to a split draw (Tom Kaczmarek’s 116-113 for him, 115-113 for the champ and 114-114) in the next year. In his second encounter with the Thai champ Nishioka landed a vicious straight left and almost toppled him midway in the close affair. Nishioka was once slated to face him for the third time early in the previous year, but had the Achilles’ tendon torn during his workout in December 2002 and was obliged to take a long rest. Nishioka decked his comeback bout by dispatching Panamanian veteran Evangelio Perez in the first round in Las Vegas last December. Veeraphol, making his eleventh defense, captured the WBC belt by flattening Japanese hero Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in six rounds in Osaka, Japan, in December 1998. Since then, the short but sturdy Thailander kept his throne on ten occasions, beating Mauro Blanco (TKO5), Tatsuyoshi (TKO7 in Japan), Adan Vargas (W12), Nishioka (W12 in Japan), Oscar Arciniega (TKO5), Ricardo Barajas (KO3 in France), Nishioka (D12 in Japan), Sergio Perez (W12), Julio Colonel (W12) and Hugo Dianzo (W12). His title defenses took place in Thailand unless otherwise designated. Veeraphol, in his last four defenses, failed to score a knockout victory despite winning a unanimous verdict in each bout. The Thailander is a skillful boxer who can fight, punch and box at any range, but he seems to lose his previous zip and speed. The younger Japanese is willing to show a do-or-die attack to dethrone the long-reigning champ in their third encounter.

WBA SUPER-FLYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

Alexander Munoz, Venezuela, boasts of his unblemished mark to 23-0, 23 KOs. The hard-punching Venezuelan captured the WBA 115-pound belt by dropping Japan’s Celes Kobayashi time and again to dispose of him in eight lopsided rounds in Tokyo in March of the previous year. Munoz successfully kept his belt by embalming ex-OPBF champ Eiji Kojima with a single right shot in two quick rounds in Osaka, Japan, in July that year. Munoz, in the politically unstable Venezuela, was shot at his left knee with the bullet remaining therein, and underwent a surgery to remove it. He was scheduled to defend his WBA belt against Martin Castillo in the US, but Munoz sustained a right knee injury as he attempted to protect his once-injured left knee and supported his imbalance on the right knee. He then had to receive another surgery on the other knee and was forced to be inactive until some months ago. Munoz, a highly-talented KO artist, has been inactive for 14 months since his last defense against Kojima. Honda, on the contrary, is such a skillful dodger that his defensive ability has been highly evaluated by our experts. The Japanese southpaw previously served well as a sparring partner for Marco Antonio Barrera in his preparation for his showdown with Prince Naseem Hamed. Honda kept his Japanese 108-pound title six times to his credit, and moved up to the flyweight division in 1999. Honda, with his winning streak in 19 bouts, had a shot at the WBC 112-pound belt against lefty Thailander Pongsaklek Kratindaeng-gym only to lose a close but unanimous nod in Osaka last November, but he averted most of the champ’s vaunted hard punches to show his trade-mark defensive skill. Honda, an inch taller than Munoz, may attempt to outbox and outmaneuver the devastating puncher whose previously smooth mobility might be lost through his two-time surgery. Honda, however, must watch Munoz’s devastating right shots, even one of which may be able to send the challenger to dreamland. It will be a very interesting bout between the KO artist versus the skillful dodger.

WBA INTERIM BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

It is a grudge fight. Leo Gamez, now 40, wrested the WBA 115-pound belt by breaking the jaw of the then defending champ Hideki Todaka en route to a seventh round knockout in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2000. Gamez, in his first defense, yielded his title to Japanese lefty Celes Kobayashi by a 10th round TKO in Yokohama, Japan, in March 2001. The Venezuelan veteran moved up to the bantam division and had an ambitious shot at the WBA crown against Johnny Bredahl, losing a unanimous decision in Denmark last November. Gamez already conquered the four WBA thrones from the 105-pound to 115-pound divisions. Should he win this fight, even though it is for the interim belt, Gamez will acquire his fifth WBA belt in as many different classes. It is true that Gamez might become older and slower than he used to be, but he displayed his power punching in training here. He predicts that he will repeat a victory over Todaka. The Japanese fighter scored three wins straight since his shocking defeat by Gamez. Todaka, ten years his junior at 30, is reported to be in good shape by training strenuously in Los Angeles with his long-time trainer Mack Kurihara. Todaka said, “This time I’ll destroy Gamez’s rib cage.” Gamez counterpunched, saying, “I’ll return the same words to Todaka. I’ll be the winner again by a knockout.” The rematch of the ex-champs also has produced great attentions of our aficionados.

(10-3-03)

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