April 20, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Japanese 38-year-old veteran Yoshinori Nishizawa (25-14-5, 13 KOs), 168, became the OPBF 168-pound champ for the third time as he acquired the vacant belt by scoring a fine KO victory over Paula Tuilau (15-11-5, 11 KOs), 168, Fiji, at 2:59 of the fifth round in an elimination bout on Tuesday night in Tokyo, Japan. Nishizawa had dropped WBA super-middle champ Anthony Mundine in the second despite being finally stopped in the fifth in a bid for the world belt in Australia last January. The Japanese tonight decked the Fijian with an overhand right in the second and twice more with a vicious left hook in the third and fifth. Referee Brad Vocale tolled the fallen loser a fatal ten.
OPBF 154-pound champ Toshiharu Kaneyama (AKA Crazy Kim; 19-3, 17 KOs), 156.5, halted Korean Daeyoung Kim (15-8-2, 10 KOs), 156.5, with a towel fluttering at the loserfs first visit to the deck at 2:17 of the second round in a scheduled non-title ten. Unranked Toshiaki Nitta (7-1-1, 1 KO), 115, eked out an upset split duke over Japanese #2 ranked 115-pounder Satoshi Usui (14-9-4, 6 KOs), 115, over eight.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.
(4-20-04)