December 3, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-OPBF top ranked Japanese 140-pound champ Norio Kimura (24-5-2, 10 KOs), 140, kept his national belt as he battered Hiroyuki Ioku (11-11-3, no KO), 139.75, to the punch, winning a shutout verdict (100-91 twice and 100-94) over ten rounds on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Kimura, making his second defense, maintained the pressure to the game but overmatched challenger, steadily piling up points. The southpaw champ is slated to meet top ranked ex-champ Motoki Sasaki, a university graduate, in the carnival of champions (where all the national champs risk the belts against the mandatory contenders) next spring.
Hard-punching Japanese #9 ranked lightweight Ichitaro Ishii (11-1-1, 11 KOs), 135, collected another victim in blasting out Yasusi Fujiwara (9-8-2, 4 KOs), 135, at 2:28 of the first round in a scheduled eight. Unbeaten Takashi Miura (5-0-1, 4 KOs), 135, was held to a split draw (77-76 for him, 77-78, and 77-77) with Akinori Suzuki (8-6-2, 2 KOs), 134, over eight.
Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions.
(12-4-04)
December 2, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Ex-Japanese 130-pound champ Koji Arisawa (33-3-2, 23 KOs), 135, struggled to eke out a split nod over Koji Ozawa (10-3, 3 KOs), 135, over ten give-and-take rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Arisawa’s last surge barely carried him to a hairline victory over the busy punching opponent.
Promoter: Soka Arisawa Promotions.
(12-2-04)
November 30, 2004
TOKYO, JAPAN-Sensational Japanese top ranked 130-pounder Keita Manabe (20-1-1, 18 KOs), 132, impressively scored a quick demolition by stopping Tyson Sawajiri (11-5-1, 5 KOs), 132.25, at 1:23 of the opening canto on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.
Manabe caught the overmatched foe with a direct right, dropping him for the mandatory eight count. He swarmed over the fading opponent with a right-left-right combo, sending him to the deck to prompt the referee’s intervention. Manabe, handled by ex-Japanese light champ Keiichi Ishikawa, is scheduled to face WBA #7 ranked national titlist Nobuhito Honmo in the carnival of champions early next year. Manabe, from the ring, declared that he would finish and dethrone Honmo, an excellent jabber, but Manabe’s inferior defense and his superior power punching may be factors to decide the outcome.
Promoter: Ishikawa Promotions.
(11-30-04)