December 3, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unheralded Keisuke Ayukawa (16-6-1, 12 KOs), 124.5, exploded a southpaw left cross to previously world-rated Japanese #2 and OPBF #10 ranked 122-pounder Norihisa Tomimoto (9-3, 5 KOs), 124.25, and sank him so badly that the referee didn’t bother to count and declared a KO at 2:14 of the opening session in a scheduled tenner on Wednesday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Tomimoto, ex-bronze medalist of the Asian Games whose amateur mark was 86-16, 51 stoppages, was a prohibitive favorite against the hard-hitting but less skillful opponent, as he previously lost just twice to then world-rated national champ Junichi Watanabe with the Japanese 122-pound belt at stake, but won all other bouts. Tomimoto, a lanky southpaw, had scored a unanimous decision over the WBC #8 ranked current champ Yoshikane Nakajima who later dethroned Watanabe last June. It was just a tune-up go for the up-and-coming Tomimoto prior to his next campaign against some world contender. But an upset happened as Ayukawa, handled by ex-WBA feather champ Shozo Saijo, recklessly made an opening attack, which eventually stunned and shocked the crowd.
Noriyoshi Suzuki (6-4-1, 4 KOs), 119.25, dropped Kohei Aida (7-4, 4 KOs), 119.25, at 2:50 of the sixth and final round en route to a unanimous decision (58-55, 59-55 and 58-56). Yuichiro Komuro (5-3-1, no KO), 121.5, floored Koji Sata (4-5, 1 KO), 122, in the final stanza, winning a unanimoud nod over six.
Promoter: Kokubunji Saito Promotions.
(12-3-03)