November 4, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Slick-punching Japanese #5 ranked bantam Jun Toriumi (20-3-1, 7 KOs), 119.25, took command, steadily piled up points and finally caught Masayoshi Tachiki (8-5-2, 2 KOs), 119.25, with a solid one-two combo to drop him en route to a fine stoppage at 0:53 of the eighth and final session on Tuesday night in Tokyo, Japan. In an encounter of southpaws Toriumi showed his ringcraft with busier combinations in the close quarter, hurting the shorter opponent from the third round on. Toriumi is gunning for a shot at the OPBF 118-pound belt against WBC #5 ranked gJapanese Pernell Whitakerh Hozumi Hasegawa.
In a card featuring four competitive 8-roundes there happened a stunning upset, when unranked Kohei Kono (10-2, 1 KO), 115, scored an unexpected split decision (77-76, 78-76 and 77-78) over Japanese #4 ranked 115-pounder Teppei Kikui (14-4-3, 3 KOs), 115, over eight. Kikui easily dominated the first two rounds, but Kono desperately turned loose with a sharp straight right from the fourth, effectively shaking him up to be in complete command in the second half.
Japanese #10 ranked 140-pounder Kenshi Toda (16-7-3, 8 KOs), 139.75, was so careless that he dropped his hands at the bell to end the second session only to be floored for the mandatory eight despite his protest, but recklessly mixed it up to overpower the less experienced Norihito Nakamura (9-7, 3 KOs), 139.75, winning a hairline but unanimous nod (all 77-76) over eight. Pugnacious and powerful as he is, Toda had better sophisticate his skills to zoom up to the top notch.
Takeya Kusakabe (8-6, 4 KOs), 118, eked out a unanimous verdict over Munefumi Ohmura (7-8-2, 3 KOs), 118, over a lousy eight.
Co-promoters: Watanabe and Hanagata Promotions.
(11-4-03)