February 26, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions has announced that WBC #17 ranked ex-three time world challenger Kozo Ishii suffered such a severe lumbago that he was replaced by Japanese top ranked ex-Olympian Setsuo Segawa (21-3, 12 KOs) against WBC #5 national champ Yoshikane Nakajima (14-5-4, 4 KOs) on the undercard beneath the triple world title bouts in Saitama, Japan, on this coming March 6. Prior to this national title bout Ishii and Segawa disputed the priority to have a mandatory shot at Nakajima in the annual Carnival of Champions, but our union of managers decided to select the world-rated Ishii therein. Segawa, whose amateur mark was 130-16, 75 stoppages, participated in the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, 1988, and once captured the national 118-pound and 122-pound belts. Nakajima abruptly zoomed up by his upset wins over world-rated southpaw Junichi Watanabe (from whom he wrested the national title last June) and also highly regarded world contender Akihiro Kanai (whom Nakajima defeated by a come-from-behind 10th round TKO in November). Despite the short notice Segawa will have a chance to dethrone Nakajima, a workman-stylist with no convincing power. Unfortunately Ishii is hospitalized in Nagoya.
(2-26-04)