January 8, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBC 105-pound champ Eagle Kyowa (14-1, 5 KOs), a Japan-based Thailander, will put his belt on the line against Japanese Ken Nakajima (14-2, 8 KOs) tomorrow in Yokohama, Japan. Eagle, 27, had lost his belt by a bizarre fourth-round stoppage by Mexican Isaac Bustos due to his shoulder injury in December 2004. Bustos yielded his belt to fast-punching Japanese Katsunari Takayama in his first defense in Osaka, and Eagle recaptured the throne by unanimously defeating Katsunari Takayama on points in Tokyo last August. Nakajima, also 27, is a stablemate of Takayama and wishes to revenge his defeat to bring back the crown to his Green Tsuda stable. Eagle, however, is a prohibitive prefight favorite due to his superior experience against name oppositions, although Nakajima, two inches taller, is a physically bigger boxer moving down from the 108-pound category. Nakajima recently defeated a couple of world contenders such as then WBC international champ Arman dela Cruz of the Philippines and Francisco Rosas of Mexico to his credit. Nakajima previously lost just twice to future OPBF ruler and currently WBC top contender Rodel Mayol in a six-round bout in 2001 and ex-WBA kingpin Chana Porpaoin, in Thailand in 2004-both by a decision. Nakajima isnft so sophisticated as Eagle, but his gameness and willingness to mix it up could be evaluated highly in his important crack at the world title.
Today there was a weigh-in ceremony, where both tipped the beam at the 105-pound class limit. The WBC officials are as follows: referee Nobuaki Uratani (Japan); judges Tony Castellano (US), Herminio Cuevas (Mexico) and Hisatoshi Miyazaki (Japan) and WBC supervisor Eric Buhain (Philippines).
In a supporting event Katsushige Kawashima, former WBC superfly champ, will appear for the first time since losing his belt to ex-champ Masamori Tokuyama and face Thai champ Phetchklongphai Soh Dharnthip over ten rounds.
This show is presented by Green Tsuda Promotions.
(1-8-05)