May 15, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #10 ranked bantam Manabu Fukushima (26-6-2, 17 KOs), 120, so lopsidedly battered Korean Hosup Noh (6-5-1, 2 KOs), 120, upstairs and downstairs, and finally made the referee intervene on his last assault at 1:51 of the tenth and final round on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan. Fukushima, who had decisively defeated then WBA #4 ranked ex-WBA champ Yokthai Sith-Oar in his last bout, proved faster and stronger than the overmatched Korean, opened a cut over the left optic in the fifth and doubled him up with persistent body shots in the eighth. Ex-OPBF champ Fukushima, who had failed to win the WBC 122-pound belt on a via eighth round TKO by Oscar Larios in 2002, is gunning for a world title shot again.
Rugged puncher Kenshi Toda (17-7-3, 8 KOs), 153.25, displayed a blitzkrieg in halting Shingo Asatsu (16-10-2, 4 KOs), 154, at 0:58 in the second round. Ex-national 105-pound and 108-pound champ Keisuke Yokoyama (19-12-2, 11 KOs), 112, dispatched Thailander Somyot Vor Surapol (9-4, 2 KOs), 112, at 0:54 of the sixth session. Charlie Navarro (3-0, 3 KOs), 145, battered Thai lightweight champ Kongdhorani Poh Surasak (9-7, 7 KOs), 142, to the punch and finally sank him for the count with a wicked body shot at 2:20 of the fifth round.
Promoter: JB Sports Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(5-15-04)