February 21, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-OPBF 122-pound champ Manabu Fukushima (25-6-2, 17 KOs) (right photo), 120.75, impressively defeated WBA #4 ranked ex-WBA champ
Yokthai Sith-Oar (29-4-3, 18 KOs), 120.75, Thailand, by a close but unanimous decision (97-96 twice and 97-94) over ten grueling
rounds on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan.
It was a total war following their first encounter that ended in a split draw here last December. Fukushima showed his better physical condition than previously and started fireworks with good speed in the first two rounds. Yokthai had decisively defeated Japanese prospect Akihiko Nago, and battled to a draw with ex-WBA 122-pound champ Osamu Sato and Fukushima to become well-known for his strength in Japan. The Thailander occasionally laded a solid left hook at a time and shook up the Japanese footworker, but Fukushima continually threw more punches in combinations. Fukushima finely displayed his last surge as he battered the ex-champ with a barrage of punches to confirm his victory in the final canto. Fukushima jubilantly said, “I will go down to the bantam division to look forward to another world title shot.” The 29-year-old Japanese once had an ambitious crack at the WBC 122-pound throne against Mexican kingpin Oscar Larios only to succumb on a TKO route.
Fast-rising 122-pounder Yuta Nagai (12-1-1, 9 KOs), 121.75, scored a beautiful one-punch knockout when he exploded a vicious right uppercut and sank Kazuo Morikawa (11-4-3, 2 KOs), 122, for the count at 1:49 in the seventh round in a scheduled ten. Takahisa Masuda (13-5-3, 4 KOs), a lanky switch-hitter, 111, eked out a hairline majority nod (78-77, 77-76 and 77-77) over formerly two-time national champ Yusuke Yokoyama (18-12-2, 10 KOs), 112, over eight. Tricky left-hooker Yukio Sekiguchi (8-1-1, 2 KOs), 121.5, was held to a split draw (77-75 for him, 76-77 and 76-76) by Yasuyuki Endo (7-3-1, 4 KOs), 121.25, over eight. Daisuke Okabayashi (11-2, 7 KOs), 104.5, was awarded a technical decision over Yuki Hashiguchi (9-12, 4 KOs), 104.25, at 0:53 of the fifth round in the first eight.
Promoter: JB Sports Promotion.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Fukushima vs. Yokthai main event).
(2-21-04)