April 19, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-Japanese 140-pound champ Motoki Sasaki (21-5, 14 KOs), 139.25, impressively dropped Shota Haruyama (7-7, 4 KOs), 139.75, three times en route to a fine stoppage at 1:12 of the third round on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan. Sasaki, who had captured the national belt by a stunning demolition of Tadashi Yuba but lost it by an upset TKO by Shingo Eguchi in his first defense last year, sent him sprawling to the deck with a solid left hook following a straight right twice in the second. The short but sturdy Sasaki, a flamboyant Univ. graduate, floored him again with a vicious left hook to end the affair.
Unbeaten ex-amateur lefty prospect Tomohiro Mitsunaga (2-0, 2 KOs), sent Thailander Sornsuk Twins-gym (4-4, 2 KOs), 145,5, twice and finished him for the count at 1:57 of the second round. Ex-amateur high school flyweight champ Gooh Onaga (3-3, 3 KOs), 114.25, decked Shin Kiryu, 114.5, four times and halted him at 1:26 of the fifth canto. Also unbeaten Koseki Nakama (3-0, 1 KO), 128.5, displayed such a fine form that he dropped Makoto Yuji (7-9, 2 KOs), 128, in the first, second and fourth to stop him at 3:00 of the fourth session. Koseki is the son of Shigeru Nakama, the manager of Shigeru Nakazato who lost to Oscar Larios in a quest for the WBC 122-pound belt this March. These three green boys looked promising.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(4-19-04)