June 14, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC #13 ranked Japanese 154-pound champ Toshiharu Kaneyama (20-3, 17 KOs), 154, very barely kept his national belt as he was awarded a unanimous but highly controversial decision (95-94, 96-95 and 96-94) over WBC #18 Nobuhiro Ishida (11-5-1, 4 KOs), 153.75, over ten heats on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan. It was really Fight of the Month here in Japan, though it was a sort of local decision in favor of a boxer based in Tokyo. The 6’2” Ishida, ex-OPBF champ, completely dominated the first four rounds with his fine display of countering left hooks and right uppercuts to the onrushing slow starter. The shaven skulled champ Kaneyama caught him with a vicious overhand right, flooring Ishida in the closing seconds of the sixth. It became a give-and-take affair as Keneyama worked the body and Ishida battered him with sharper combos to the face. In the tenth and final session Kaneyama exploded a wicked right cross and almost dropped him again, but Ishida desperately grabbed the champ to keep himself from going down. Ishida then showed a furious retaliation with a barrage of punches thereafter. This reporter had it 96-94 in favor of Ishida.
WBC #7/WBA #9 ranked lightfly Tatsuo Hayashida (17-4-1, 8 KOs), 110.25, surprisingly dropped a majority decision (97-96 twice and 96-96) to even national unranked Takahisa Masuda (14-5-3, 4 KOs), 109.25, over ten. It’s a close affair, but Hayashida’s usual hit-and-grab tactics couldn’t persuade the judges to award a victory to him throughout a lousy and boring bout. Masuda, a much taller youngster, remained aggressive, though missing plenty of big shots. Japanese #3 welter Teruyoshi Ohmagari (13-4-3, 12 KOs), 147.25, looked too stiff and slow to catch a mediocre Thailander named Kompayak Sithdaenchai (5-5, 2 KOs), 144.5, but the referee called a halt to the lopsided proceedings at 1:24 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.
(6-14-04)