February 20, 2005
NAGOYA, JAPAN-Japanese footworker Masakazu Sugawara (22-2-4, 11 KOs), 122, captured the OPBF superbantam belt as he continued using hit-and-grab tactics and barely kept his early lead on points, winning a split decision over WBC #8 ranked defending champ Yasuo Kunimi (16-6-4, 6 KOs), 121.75, over twelve rounds on Sunday in Nagoya, Japan. It might be the lousiest OPBF title bout ever seen in history, as they kept clinching, holding, sumo-wrestling, head-butting, etc. all the way. WBC #32 ranked Sugawara took the initiative with his powder-puff jabs and one-two combos in the first three rounds, and Kunimi, making his second defense, sustained a cut over the left eyebrow caused by an accidental butt in round three. It became a terrible affair from the fifth on, since Sugawara just continued throwing pit-a-pat combos in the air, while Kunimi only kept going forward without throwing effective punches only to grab each other time and again. Charlie Lucas, the referee from Australia, penalized a point from Sugawara for his numerous head-butts in the tenth. The official scores were as follow: Lucas 114-113, Uchiyama 115-113, both for Sugawara, and Ito 117-112 for Kunimi.
Unbeaten WBC #34 ranked 115-pounder Akio Konishi (13-0, 11 KOs), 118.25, absorbed much punishment at the hand of Thailander Kaonah Khlongphajon (9-9, 6 KOs), 117.25, but swarmed over him in retaliation and finally dropped him twice in the fifth and once more in the fatal sixth at 0:39 in a scheduled ten. Konishi had better master how to defend himself more properly. Shoji Kawase (11-1-3, 6 KOs), 134.5, won a unanimous nod (98-94, 100-91 and 98-95) over Thai #8 ranked 130-pounder Klachana Jockey-gym (2-5, 1 KO), 133.5, over ten. Shinnosuke Yasuda (9-1, 2 KOs), 115.25, sank Thailander Koheng Chuwatana (3-3, no KO), 115.25, for the count at 1:45 of the second round in a scheduled six.
Promoter: Matsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for all the above-written bouts).
(2-20-05)