July 14, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBA#10 ranked 105-pounder Junichiro Kaneda (12-2, 8 KOs), 107, Japan, was awarded a controversial split technical decision (49-48, 48-47 and 48-49) over WBA#3 ex-world champ Chana Porpaoin (54-4-3, 19 KOs), 107, Thailand, at 2:42 of the fifth round in a scheduled ten on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Kaneda, a pupil of ex-WBA 108-pound champ Yoko Gushiken, made a good start in the opening session, but the 39-year-old ex-champ had the upper hand over the less experienced prospect, 22, with accurate counters in the second and fourth. Porpaoin sustained a gash over the right eyebrow midway in the fifth, and the ring physician saw him unfit to go on. Porpaoin deserves a rematch, if he should still continue fighting.
Japanese #2 light-fly Munetsugu Kayo (12-1, 7 KOs), 110.25, didn’t look as sharp as usual, but his southpaw right hook floored overmatched Samin Twins-Gym (3-8, 1 KO), 108.75, Thailand, for the count at 3:08 of a supporting eight. Japanese #8 super-bantam Daisuke Yamanaka (16-2, 11 KOs), 126, was rendered an inexplicable TKO win over Chatisuk Twins-Gym (3-7, 1 KO), 126, at 3:00 of the eighth and final round. Yamanaka, handled by Gushiken, furiously attacked the Thailander in the fifth and sixth, but Chatisuk retaliated in the last two rounds. Though the Thailander didn’t look helpless but still aggressive, the ref arguably declared a halt at the bell of the last round. The TKO at 3:00 of the final round must be the first in history here in Japan.
Promoter: Shirai Gushiken Promotions.
(7-14-05)