August 30, 2004
August 30, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions announced a deluxe show to be held at the Ryogoku Sumo Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on October 30. The headliner is the WBA 105-pound unification bout between legitimate champ Yutaka Niida (16-1-3, 8 KOs) (right photo) of Japan and interim champ Juan Landaeta (16-2-1, 14 KOs) of Venezuela. Niida, 25, regained the WBA throne by outscoring Noel Arambulet in a grudge fight this July. Landaeta, a 26-year-old southpaw hard-puncher, acquired the interim belt by earning a close verdict over ex-champ Chana Porpaoin in Venezuela last January. The lanky Venezuelan went Thailand to meet Porpaoin and barely kept his interim title via split draw this May. It will be a very competitive contest.
Three sensational bouts to be competed by all world contenders support the main event. WBC #5 122-pounder Toshiaki Nishioka (23-4-3, 14 KOs) will square off against WBC #4 ranked Japanese champ Yoshikane Nakajima (15-5-5, 5 KOs) over ten. WBC #8 ranked 122-pounder Shigeru Nakazato (24-7, 18 KOs), a bone-crusher who had broken the chin of Oscar Larios, will meet unbeaten WBA #8 contender Shoji Kimura (17-0, 7 KOs) over ten. WBC #4 ranked OPBF bantam champ Hozumi Hasegawa (16-2, 5 KOs), scoring 13 wins in a row, will take on WBA #6 bantam Jun Toriumi (22-3-1, 9 KOs) over ten. These are highly anticipated encounters of outstanding Japanese rivals.
(8-30-04)