May 20, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-OPBF 122-pound champ Pedrito Laurente (15-8-1, 6 KOs), 122.75, Philippines, displayed a fine demolition of up-and-coming OPBF #6 ranked prospect Yuta Nagai (12-2-1, 9 KOs), 121.75, Japan, whom he dropped twice prior to the refereefs well-received intervention at 1:56 of the seventh round on Thursday night in Tokyo, Japan. The elongated Filipino, dethroned by compatriot Jimrex Jaca this January, proved too fast and sharp, if not powerful, for the hard-punching but less experienced Japanese, who absorbed much punishment by Laurentefs long right shots.
Fast-rising Kohei Kohno (12-2, 4 KOs), 118, decked an upset TKO over Japanese #2 ranked bantam Kengo Wakao (11-1, 3 KOs), 117.25, at 1:05 of the seventh session in a scheduled ten.
Promoter: Kadoebi Katsumata Promotions.
(5-20-04)
May 17, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Up-and-coming pupil of ex-WBA 108-pound champ Yoko Gushiken, OPBF #7 ranked Junichiro Kaneda (9-1, 6 KOs), 105, very impressively scored a TKO victory over WBA #10 ranked ex-OPBF champ Genki Ohnaka (13-4-1, 6 KOs), 105, at 1:40 of the fifth round on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan. Kaneda caught the much taller southpaw with a fusillade of punches, flooring him in the third. He furiously followed it up and sent him sprawling to the deck with a vicious right in the fatal fifth. Kaneda, a very short but hard-hitting prospect, seems very bright.
Unbeaten Japanese top ranked 108-pounder Munetsugu Kayoh (10-0, 5 KOs), 107.5, looked sluggish from the outset, but finally disposed of Yasuaki Goto (6-3-4, 1 KO), 113.5, at 2:40 of the sixth round in a scheduled eight. OPBF #3 heavyweight Ryosuke Tahahashi (13-3-1, 7 KOs), 209, was held to a split draw (78-75, 76-78 and 77-77) by OPBF #7 Auckland Aumatagi, 255, Australia, over eight. Takahashi kept moving all night to avert mixing it up with the much heavier Aussie, who kept stalking the fleet-footed Japanese.
This card was dedicated to the latest passing of Japanfs first world champ Yoshio Shirai, whose widow Toshiko made a beautiful speech in the ring to pray the future prosperity of Japanese boxing world.
Promoter: Shirai Gushiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for Takahashi vs. Aumatagi bout).
(5-17-04)