August 16, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unheralded southpaw Keiji Eguchi (10-1, 7 KOs), 159.5, scored an upset majority decision (98-96, 96-95 and 95-96) over ex-OPBF champ Naotaka Hozumi (25-5-1, 21 KOs), 160, over ten heats on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. Eguchi made a good start as he had the ex-champ reeling to the ropes and battered him from all angles in the opening session. The underdog, in the fourth, bloodied Hozumifs nostrils, which kept streaming blood until the end. Hozumi, who had failed to win the WBA belt from William Joppy via tenth round stoppage in 2002, began retaliating with long lefts from the fifth, but his punches lacked usual zip and power. Eguchi gamely fought toe-to-toe though running out of gas in later rounds.
Unbeaten Japanese top welter contender Yuji Yamaguchi (13-0-1, 9 KOs), 146.25, sunk Thai national 140-pound champ Singhtothong Fluoride-gym (7-2, 6 KOs), 146.5, in agony for the count with a single body shot at 1:52 of the fourth session in a scheduled ten. Yamaguchi, a good prospect, is gunning for a shot at the OPBF 147-pound belt against compatriot Hidehiko Hidaka.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.
(8-16-05)
August 15, 2005
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN-Unbeaten Japanese top flyweight contender Daigo Nakahiro (13-0, 4 KOs), 116.5, was a prohibitive favorite, but eked out a unanimous but tough decision (97-95, 98-94 and 99-92) over Hiroyasu Hasebe (6-5-5, 1 KO), 115.5, over ten lousy rounds on Monday in Hiroshima, Japan.
Japanese #3 ranked 140-pounder Seishu Iida (13-1-1, 6 KOs), 140, swept the last three rounds with his superior stamina and speed, winning a unanimous nod (97-93, 98-93 and 99-93) over Ranger Iizuka (7-4-1, no KO), 139, over ten. Unranked Yasumasa Yamaoka (8-5, 3 KOs), 139, impressively overpowered Japanese #8 ranked Tomonori Nakagawa (13-5-4, 4 KOs), 139.25, at 2:48 of the sixth round in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Hiroshima Sanei Promotions.
(8-15-05)
August 8, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBA#13/WBC#14 Takahisa Masuda (16-6-3, 4 KOs), 107.5, captured the OPBF 108-pound belt as he eked out a close but unanimous decision (115-113, 116-113 and 117-114) over WBC#5/WBA#8 ranked defending champ Shingo Yamaguchi (17-4-2, 7 KOs), 108, over twelve frames on Monday (August 8) in Tokyo, Japan. Yamaguchi, making his fourth defense, was leading on points with his light but busy combinations in the first half. Masuda, taller and more powerful, began to start his engine and connected with more effective shots to the champ, who sustained a gash over the left eyebrow in the ninth and kept bleeding badly since. The ex-champfs manager and ex-WBA 108-pound champ Katsuo Tokashiki protested against the verdict, but Masuda seemed a bit more effective in swapping punches in the close quarter.
Japanese top ranked 105-pounder, unbeaten Kuniyuki Aizawa (9-0-1, 7 KOs), 115.5, dropped Filipino Sherwin Manatud (11-16-4, 1 KO), 114, with solid body shots twice in the second and once more in the next round en route to a fine KO win at 2:09 of the third canto in a scheduled ten. OPBF #7 ranked 122-pounder Toshimitsu Sakai (17-3-1, 7 KOs), 123.5, landed a wicked right to the face of Filipino Jojo Arnado (12-23-2, 2 KOs), 121.25, to finish him at 1:48 of the third round in the first tenner.
Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for Aizawa-Manatud and Sakai-Arnado bouts).
(8-8-05)