December 20, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Formerly world-rated Hiroyuki Maeda (27-7-2, 17 KOs), 146.5, seized the Japanese welter interim belt as he displayed a very quick demolition of Kazutaka Aihara (14-2-1, 6 KOs), 146.25, at 1:20 of the opening session in a scheduled ten on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan.
The elongated Maeda had previously won the national 135-pound and 140-pound titles, and acquired his third title in his second attempt. Maeda sent the nervous opponent with a solid left hook, and dropped him again with a barrage of punches to flatten him on the deck. The national champ Hidekazu Kobayashi has been long inactive due to his retinal injury, but will come back to meet Maeda in a national unification bout in the Carnival of Champions next April.
WBC #22 ranked ex-national 122-pound champ Junichi Watanabe (29-4, 20 KOs), 121.5, was trailing on points in the first three rounds, but turned loose and downed game and busy Mitsumasa Ikeda (11-6-1, 7 KOs), 122, to the ropes en route to a less impressive KO win at 2:40 of the fourth session in a scheduled ten. In Japan, a referee can continue counting if a boxer does not show he can go on by raising his hands. Ikeda, who won the first and third rounds, claimed he could fight on afterward, but the third man had counted him out due to the loser still showing his back at the fatal ten.
Japanese #2 light-fly Makoto Miyagi (14-2-1, 7 KOs), 107.5, floored Keisuke Furukawa (7-3-1, 3 KOs), 108, twice in the first and second rounds, and finally halted him with a furious unanswered combo at 2:42 of the sixth session in a scheduled eight. The short southpaw scored his latest four wins within the distance.
Lanky lefty Akio Mikami (10-1-1, 5 KOs), 129.5, proved too sharp and busy for Atsushi Maruyama (6-5-5, 2 KOs), 130, winning a unanimous nod (80-73, 80-74 and 79-73) over eight.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
(12-20-03)