October 20, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #8 OPBF 108-pound champ Shingo Yamaguchi (14-3-2, 7 KOs), 109.25, and WBC #9 Japanese national champ Masato Hatakeyama (11-2-2, 4 KOs), 108.75, battled to a well-received majority draw over 10 hot frames on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Scored: 97-97, 96-96 and 97-95 for Hatakeyama. Yamaguchi, who had acquired the vacant OPBF belt by beating Filipino Wendyl Janiola in his previous bout, took the initiative by trickily moving to score with looping left hooks and direct rights to the cautious opponent in the first five rounds. Yamaguchi, a busy footworker, sustained a cut on the right eyebrow in the fifth, and the tide turned thereafter. Hatakeyama turned loose and was in command in the last half, connecting with right uppercuts and left hooks in the close quarter.
Super-light Koji Ozawa, 139.75, won a unanimous nod over Kazuhito Misaki, 139.75, over eight. More experienced Nobuhisa Doi, 118, outscored hard-hitting but less skillful Masamitsu Ikeda, 118, over eight.
Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.
(10-20-03)
October 19, 2003
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN-Unbeaten Japanese #9 ranked super-bantam Shoji Kimura (16-0, 7 KOs), 122, dropped ex-WBA fly champ and currently WBA #11 115-pounder Saen Sor Ploenchit (43-3, 14 KOs), 122, Thailand, with a left hook in the fifth and finally stopped him at 1:12 of the tenth and final session on Sunday evening in Yokohama, Japan.
After they fought cautiously in the first three rounds, Kimura began to be in command, occasionally pinning the ex-champ to the ropes with a flurry of punches. Kimura, piloted by ex-world fly champ Susumu Hanagata, almost stunned Saen with a vicious right midway in the tenth, when the referee declared a well-timed halt.
Unbeaten Japanese #7 super-light Ryosuke Tatsumi ran his mark to 9-0 by unanimously decisioning Shota Haruyama over a hard-fought eight. Feather Keiji Hondo was dropped by Thailander Chawan Sor Voraphin in the second, but was saved in a technical draw at 1:02 of the third round.
Promoter: Hanagata Promotions.
(10-19-03)
October 18, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Japanese 140-pound champ Shingo Eguchi (15-1, 11 KOs), kept his newly acquired belt by copping a lopsided decision (99-94 twice and 100-93) over top contender Shinji Kanayama Ph.D., 140, on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Eguchi, who dethroned Motoki Sasaki by an upset stoppage in his last bout, effectively connected with body shots to the hard-hitting peek-a-boo stylist, piling up points steadily. Kanayama, powerful but stiff, failed to become the first Ph.D. to win the national belt.
Unbeaten Venezuelan Jorge Linares (6-0, 3 KOs), 124.25, showed his speed and skills in scoring a nearly shutout decision (100-91, 99-92 and 99-94) over OPBF 122-pound champ Pedrito Laurente (13-6-1, 4 KOs), 124.5, over a non-title ten. Laurente’s regional title was not at stake. Linares, handled by influential promoter Akihiko Honda, landed solid left uppercuts to shake up the Filipino in the opening canto, and swept all rounds by showing his vast talent.
WBA #6 ranked 115-pounder Katsushige Kawashima (24-3, 16 KOs), 117, appeared for the first time since his unsuccessful shot at Masamori Tokuyama’s WBC belt four months ago, and pounded out a onesided decision (100-90 twice and 100-91) over Korean #4 super-fly Hosub No (6-5-1, 2 KOs), 117, over ten. Kawashima often had him at bay, but the Korean kept refusing to go down to show his admirable resilience.
Promoter: Ohashi Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Linares vs. Laurente bout).
(10-18-03)