July 16, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unheralded and lightly-regarded Thai national champ Kumarnthong Poh Pluemkamal (only 15-19-1, 4 KOs), 118, surprisingly captured the OPBF bantam belt as he floored WBC#8/WBA#10 defending champ Jun Toriumi (23-5-1, 9 KOs), 118, a Japanese lefty, with a smashing left hook in the third and put on a give-and-take performance en route to an upset majority verdict over twelve hard-fought rounds on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan. Scored: scoring referee Jaebong Kim (Korea) 115-114 and Sinchai Goonlawong (Thailand) 115-112, both for the Thai challenger, and Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) 114-114. Toriumi, who had acquired the vacant regional throne by outscoring Indonesian champ Ringgo Jaguar in his previous bout last February, made a good start in the opening session, but he mistakenly attempted to bring home the bacon early and mix it up with the shorter Thailander. Kumarnthong often rocked the champ with good combinations and sent him to the deck with a well-timed left hook in the third. Toriumi had a very narrow escape, and fought back hard in the close quarter in order to overcome the deficit on points. The champ’s overconfidence, however, cost his title, as Kumartnthong showed his resilence and recuperative power in outhustling the champ in later rounds. The newly crowned Kumarnthong is the elder brother of the current OPBF 122-pound champ Wethya Sakmuangklaeng, who lately dethroned Japan's Masamazu Sugawara via thrid round KO in Nagoya on June 26. It might be the second example of the brothers hold the OPBF belts simultaneously, following the footstep of Filipino Dennis Laurente and Pedrito Laurente, both of whom are no more OPBF champs.
Japanese #7 ranked 115-pounder Teppei Kikui (18-4, 4 KOs), 118, turned the tables and pounded out a unanimous nod (78-76 twice and 78-75) over Japanese #2 bantam Kohei Kohno (14-3, 4 KOs), 118, over an eight-round rematch. Yoshinari Hayamizu (18-5-2, 3 KOs), 139.75, earned a less spectacular but unanimous decision (all 79-74) over bloodied Kenji Ogiso (6-4, 5 KOs), 139.75, over eight. Ekawit Sith Sorwor (3-3, 1 KO), 130, amazingly battered Japanese Yoshihiro Muroi (9-4-1, 1 KO), 130, all the way and won a one-sided verdict (80-75, 79-74 and 79-75) over eight. Formerly four-time Japanese national amateur champ Takashi Uchiyama (1-0, 1 KO), 131, made a successful pro debut by dispatching Thailander Chandetch Sithramkhamhaeng (1-3, no KO), 130, just 35 seconds into the opening canto in a scheduled six. Uchiyama’s overhand right was a haymaker.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-16-05)