November 8, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-Itfs a sensational show featuring confrontationsof four world-rated 105-pounders. WBC#4/WBA#8 ranked Japaneseminimumweight champ Satoshi Kogumazaka (24-6-3, 9 KOs), 105, kept hisbelt as he utilized his advantageous height and his southpaw stance,effectively connecting with big countering shots to win a unanimousverdict (97-94 twice and 98-93) over WBA#6/WBC#14 Junichiro Kaneda(12-3, 8 KOs), 104.5, ten heats on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The leftychamp, making his seventh defense, had the shorter challenger staggeringwith a solid left in the closing seconds of the second, and the refereecounted a mandatory eight against Kaneda despite not hitting the deck,which was corrected as no knockdown by the commission after this round.Kaneda, who had dropped a decision to the champ in their firstencounter, busily kept smoking the champ from the third round on, whileKogumazaka, retreating and circling, countered him well with roughhousesouthpaw right hooks.
A supporting ten saw WBC#11/WBA#13 Teruo Misawa (16-2-3, 6 KOs), 104.5,pound out a hairline split decision (97-96, 97-94 and 96-97) overWBC#10/WBA#11 ex-national champ Makoto Suzuki (18-9-2, 11 KOs), 104.75,over ten close rounds. There happened an unexpected fiasco as theannouncer declared the eighth as the last session. Although bothcorners understood itfs a 10-rounder and itfsprinted in the program, the commission officially regarded it as an8-rounder because the promoter had submitted the bout sheet with thissemi-final of the two world contenders as such. While they wereexchanging hot blows in the eighth, both managers and the JBC hurriedlytalked and confirmed itfs a tenner while the crowd wasjeering loudly.
Promoter: Shirai Gushiken Promotions.
(11-8-05)