September 20, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-A stunning upset happened at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, where WBA#5/WBC#7 ranked Masato Hatakeyama (13-3-2, 4 KOs), 107.5, surprisingly lost his Japanese national 108-pound belt as unheralded Nobuaki Masuda (19-3, 3 KOs), 108, kept boring in and scored many body shots en route to a majority decision (98-96, 96-95 and 97-97) over ten heats on Monday. The much taller Hatakeyama, making his fifth defense, failed to keep his distance and utilize his advantageous height and reach, though it was a close affair.
Japanese top ranked 140-pounder Motoki Sasaki, 140, defeated previously unbeaten one-sided decision over Hisoka Kudo, 139, over eight.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(9-20-04)
September 20, 2004
TOYOAKE, JAPAN-WBC #33 ranked Japan-based Ugandan Peter Okhello (16-3, 15 KOs), 247, kept his OPBF heavyweight belt as he floored Mosese Kavika (11-12-2, 6 KOs), 220.5, Fiji, three times and demolished him at 2:03 of the second round on Monday in Toyoake, Japan. Peter, making his seventh defense, looked too powerful and strong for the shorter rival, overwhelming him with his furious attack.
Promoter: Midori Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(9-20-04)
September 20, 2004
OSAKA, JAPAN-Ex-OPBF 115-pound champ and two-time world challenger Eiji Kojima, 117.75, decked an important victory by posting a close but unanimous nod (95-92, 94-93 and 97-90) over WBC #16 Adolfo Landeros, 116.75, Mexico, over ten frames on Monday in Osaka, Japan. Kojima had failed to win the WBA superfly belt from Venezuelan Alexander Munoz twice. The lanky Japanese southpaw hit the deck in the fifth, but outboxed the Mexican afterwards to carry him to a hard-fought triumph.
WBA #10 ranked bantam Nobuaki Naka, 122, appeared for the first time since his ambitious but unsuccessful crack at the WBA 118-pound throne against Johnny Bredahl in Denmark last spring, and dispatched durable Thailander Konsurin Sishsoei, 122, at 2:03 of the seventh session.
WBC #11 ranked 115-pounder Seiji Tanaka, 118, scored an easy knockout over Thai national flyweight ruler Panomdetch Au Yudhnakorn, 117.75, at 2:51 of the second round in a scheduled ten.
Up-and-coming hard-punching prospect Daigoro Yamamoto, 140.5, landed solid shots and disposed of OPBF #9 ranked Thai national 140-pound champ Songnarong Kiatsinghoy, 137.25, at 2:55 of the fifth round in the first ten. Yamamoto will enter the OPBF ratings thanks to this important victory.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(9-20-04)
HACHINOHE, JAPAN-Japanese #8 superfeather prospect Takanori Kariya, 130, defeated up-and-coming hard-hitter Shintaro Yazawa, 139.5, by a nearly shutout decision (99-92 twice and 99-91) over ten on Monday in Hachinohe, Japan.
Promoter: Hachinohe Teiken Promotions.
(9-20-04)
September 21, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Former Japanese 135-pound and 140-pound champ Tadashi Yuba, 146.25, exploded his southpaw left hand and floored much smaller Thailander Chainarayana Eau Samphandh, 145.25, twice and for the count at 0:36 of the second round on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The southpaw six-footer Yuba is slated to fight to acquire his third national belt against Ryu Bando in a quest for the vacant Japanese 147-pound title to be soon renounced by the current ruler Hiroyuki Maeda.
Unbeaten WBA #5 ranked welter Masa Bakirov (9-0, 6 KOs), 147, a Japan-based southpaw Uzbekistani, had a tough time coping with a game and durable opponent named Takejiro Kato (116-5-2, 9 KOs), 146.5, because of losing his stamina in later rounds, but barely scored a unanimous decision (97-95, 98-93 and 99-92) over ten hard-fought rounds. Bakirov may be a good target for Japanese welter prospects, who may have a good possibility of beating this foreigner, whose durability and stamina are suspect factors.
Promoter: Force International.
(9-21-04)
September 18, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-Japanese middle champ Satoru Suzuki (22-5, 15 KOs), 153.25, decked his first after moving down to the 154-pound division as he badly dropped ex-Korean champ Tyson Yun (10-16-1, 4 KOs), 150.75, and finished him at 1:30 of the second round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
Promoter: Hachioji Nakaya Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(9-18-04)