August 8, 2004
MUNAKATA, JAPAN-Elongated southpaw Takashi Koshimoto (36-1-2, 16 KOs), 125.5, kept his OPBF feather belt as he outboxed and outpunched hard-hitting Korean champ Seungkon Chae (25-2, 19 KOs), 125.5, to win a unanimous decision (118-111, 118-112 and 117-112) on Sunday afternoon in Munakata, Japan.
WBA #2/WBC #4 Koshimoto steadily piled up points by whipping him with precision, but Chae, who had suffered his defeat at the hand of Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao, had the champ in trouble in the eighth. Koshimoto, however, survived it and swept the last three rounds, having him on the brink of a knockdown in the final session.
Thai national 115-pound champ Chikara Hashimoto (15-1, 5 KOs), 118, came off the canvas in the opening canto and battered Thai #5 fly Petchkhlongphai Sor Dhamthkip (7-5-1, 2 KOs), 117.75, lopsidedly to earn a unanimous nod (98-91, 98-92 and 98-93) over ten. Hashimoto is a Japanese boxer who fortunately acquired the Thai belt while training in Bangkok.
Japanese #10 superlight Seishu Iida (11-1, 6 KOs), 140, pounded out a one-sided verdict (100-91, 99-93 and 99-94) over Thai #7 light Hino Kiat Dhoh Boh Ubol (19-8-1, 9 KOs), 139.5, over ten.
Promoter: Fukuma Sports Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Koshimoto vs. Chae main event).
(8-8-04)
August 7, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Japanese 140-pound champ Norio Kimura (23-5-2, 10 KOs), 139.5, impressively kept his national belt by dispatching Koji Yoshida (9-3-2, 2 KOs), 140, with a couple of knockdowns at 2:58 of the third round on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan. Kimura, making his first defense, had gained his second national title in as many weight divisions by overpowering Shingo Eguchi this April. The southpaw Kimura was in hot water, having been thrown by ex-judoist Yoshida. The champ finally caught him with a vicious left, and dropped him again with another solid left for the count.
Unbeaten WBA #11 ranked 122-pound sensation Jorge Linares (10-0, 4 KOs), 124.75, a Japan-based Venezuelan managed by Akihiko Honda, had a tough time coping with awkward and flexible Panamanian Renan Acosta (12-2, 4), 125.75, but cautiously outjabbed and outmaneuvered him to win a unanimous decision (98-95, 97-95 and 98-96) over ten sizzling rounds. The taller Panamanian scored a vicious overhand right to almost stun Linares, who displayed his elusiveness and then showed his effective retaliation to slow down Acosta in the same third round. Linares, whose amateur mark was reportedly 144-6, will appear again in a main event on October 2.
Hard-punching Ichitaro Ishii (9-1-1, 9 KOs), 135, floored Osamu Nakamura (7-5-3, 6 KOs), 126.75, three times to score an automatic stoppage at 2:49 of the opening canto in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
(8-7-04)