December 6, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-WBA 115-pound champ Yokthai Sith-Oar (29-3-3, 18 KOs), 121, Thailand, fought to a majority draw with WBC #15 ranked 122-pounder Manabu Fukushima, 24-6-2, 17 KOs, 120.5, Japan, in ten hard-fought rounds on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan. Scores: 96-96 twice and 97-96 for Yokthai.
Having been annihilated by Oscar Larios in eight lopsided rounds in August of the previous year, Fukushima, on his comeback trail, acquired the vacant OPBF belt but lost it to Filipino Pedrito Laurente this summer. Yokthai defeated ex-world challenger Akihiko Nago and drew with ex-WBA 122-pound champ Osamu Sato, both in Tokyo, to his credit. The veteran Thailander was in command by maintaining his strong pressure on the Japanese footworker with effective left hooks in earlier rounds. But Fukushima desperately fought back with his overhand rights despite his absorption of crisp punches to dominate the last two sessions.
Yasutomo Yuki (13-3-5, 7 KOs), 115, halted ex-Japanese minimum and light-fly champ Keisuke Yokoyama (18-11-2, 10 KOs), 114.5, at 0:47 of the fourth round in a scheduled eight.
Unbeaten lefty hard-puncher Yoshimitsu Yashiro (9-0, 6 KOs), 125.5, scored a one-punch KO over Hitoshi Onishi (10-7, 9 KOs), 126, with a smashing left counter at 2:42 of the second session in a scheduled eight.
Hard-pitting Shintaro Yazawa (18-3, 11 KOs), 125.5, forced Taku Yaegashi (10-8-4, 6 KOs), 125.25, to take a standing count in the seventh and pounded out a unanimous nod (77-74, 78-74 and 79-75) over eight.
Former high school champ Takahiro Ao, 126, impressively ran his unbeaten mark to 2-0, 2 KOs as he dropped Takashi Sahari (4-4, 1 KO), 126, three times with his solid and quick combinations en route to an automatic stoppage at 2:26 of the opening canto in a scheduled six. Ao, handled by influential promoter Akihiko Honda, had won six amateur titles before entering the paid ranks, and looked very promising.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Yokthai vs. Fukushima bout).
(12-6-03)