January 2, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-A twinbill for the world championships will take place tomorrow (Monday) at the Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan. The weigh-in ceremony was held at Grand Palace Hotel before many press people. WBC 115-pound champ Katsushige Kawashima (27-3, 18 KOs), Japan, tipped the beam at 115 pounds, the class limit, while Jose Navarro (21-0, 9 KOs), US, scaled in at 114.5. Also, WBA flyweight ruler Lorenzo Parra (24-0, 17 KOs), Venezuela, weighed in at 111.25 to 111.5 for Japanese challenger Masaki “Trash” Nakanuma (25-5, 11 KOs).
The WBC officials are as follows: referee Mark Green (UK); judges William Boodhoo (Canada), Gelasio Perez (Mexico) and Noparat Sricharoen (Thailand); and supervisor Edward Thangarajah (Thailand).
The WBA officials are as follows: referee Armando Garcia (US); Raul Caiz (US), Erkki Meronen (Finland) and Ungmyung Bae (Korea); and supervisor Renzo Bagnariol (Nicaragua).
Kawashima, making his second defense, captured the WBC superfly belt as he stunned the world by an unexpectedly quick demolition of defending titlist Masamori Tokuyama in the first round in Yokohama last June. Having dropped Mexican challenger Raul Juarez three times to beat him on points last September, Kawashima will face the WBC’s top contender Navarro, who was previously a US representative in the Sydney Olympic Games and has been unbeaten since turning in the paid ranks. Kawashima is a sturdy hard-puncher, while Navarro is a slick-punching southpaw boxer. Navarro moved up to the WBC’s top rank thanks to his impressive victory over Reynald Hurtado in November 2003. Navarro, accompanied by his trainer Frank Rivera, arrived here in Tokyo three weeks before his first crack at the world throne in order to get acclimated to the cold climate and time difference as well. The Mexican-American now can speak some Japanese words to communicate with people here. Kawashima has done many strenuous sparring sessions with ex-WBC flyweight champ Malcolm Tunacao, Thai 122-pound champ and OPBF top contender Wethya Sakmunagklaeng and others. Both impressed the Japanese press in the public workout held about a week before to show they were in tip-top shape. It will be a highly competitive fight certainly entertaining the big audience.
The WBA flyweight kingpin Lorenzo Parra arrived here much later than Navarro after celebrating the Christmas in his native Venezuela. Parra, making his third defense, amazingly wrested the WBA belt by an upset decision over previously unbeaten Eric Morel in Panama in December 2003. Since then, he successfully kept his throne twice by decisioning Takefumi Sakata in Japan and ex-WBC 108-pound champ Yosam Choi in Korea. Parra showed a lackluster performance against Sakata here, and could not score a lopsided decision over Choi as he temporarily slowed down in middle rounds though recuperating in later rounds. Though unbeaten, the reputation of Parra here is not so high, and Japanese aficionados think Nakanuma, a flamboyant puncher, may have a puncher’s chance. Nakanuma, who calls himself trash due to his bad-boy days, previously failed to win the WBC belt from Pongsaklek Wonjongkam just a year ago. The short Japanese swinger recently captured the OPBF flyweight belt by revenging his previous defeat against Noriyuki Komatsu last September. Nakanuma always punches one at a time, but his power punching is highly appreciated by his adherents. Parra, however, looks in a very good condition this time to show his best performance against the lion-hearted challenger. Whichever may win, we may see an outcome by a knockout.
This twinbill is presented by Ohashi Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
(1-2-04)