December 14, 2003
MUNAKATA, JAPAN-Unbeaten OPBF top ranked Japanese feather champ Dainoshin Kuma (25-0, 11 KOs), 126, barely kept his national belt as he mixed up with also unbeaten Motokazu Abe (11-1-2, 8 KOs), 125.75, all the way and was awarded a unanimous but controversial decision (98-95, 97-94 and 100-92) over ten heats on Sunday evening in Munakata, Japan. The peek-a-boo stylist, Abe, maintained the pressure on the lefty champ, who retaliated with southpaw lefts to respond to the challengerfs aggressiveness. Some people claimed that Abe should have been the victor, while local adherents of the defending champ supported Kumafs victory.
WBC #5 ranked OPBF feather champ Takashi Koshimoto (34-1-2, 16 KOs), 126.75, floored Thai #10 super-feather contender Ratanasak Sakkavi (11-11-1, 6 KOs), 126.75, with a southpaw left and dropped him again with a flurry of punches to prompt the refereefs intervention at 0:40 of the fourth round in a supporting ten.
Ryuji Nishihara (11-4, 6 KOs), 135, survived a crisis in the fourth and earned a unanimous nod (78-75 twice and 78-76) over Thailander Seesawat Sakmuangreen (6-5, 3 KOs), 135, over eight. Chikara Hashimoto (11-1, 4 KOs), 117.5, stopped Thailander Noppadetch Sungiranoinai (5-5, 5 KOs), 117.5, at 1:05 of the eighth and final round.
Promoter: Fukuma Sports Promotions.
(12-14-03)