February 25, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN-Fast-punching jabber Masamori Tokuyama (31-3-1, 8 KOs), Japan, will risk his WBC superfly belt against perennial top contender Jose Navarro (23-1, 11 KOs), a stylish southpaw Mexican-American out of California, at the Osaka Central Gymnasium, Osaka, on Monday. It will be a highly anticipated game between the competitive contestants. Tokuyama, 31, captured the throne by dropping Korean defending champ Injoo Cho to win an upset decision in 2000, and kept it eight times to his credit. The Japan-born North Korean, however, forfeited his belt by a shocking first round KO at the hand of Japanese Katsushige Kawashima (whom he previously outscored in his seventh defense in 2004) in his ninth defense in June 2004. The newly crowned Kawashima, a hard-hitting swinger, faced top contender Jose Navarro in his second defense in January of the previous year, when a controversial split verdict was given to the Japanese champ. Tokuyama then impressively recaptured the crown by a unanimous nod over Kawashima in their rubber battle, though hitting the deck in the final stanza last July.
The WBC had strongly recommended a rematch between Kawashima and Navarro, but now that Tokuyama became the champ again, it was he that was obliged to meet Navarro. Once it was scheduled in October, but was postponed until January 3, and again put off until this coming Monday. While killing time before his second title shot, Navarro decked a couple of victories over Miguel Del Valle (TKO3) and Juan Alfonso Keb Baas (KO5). Tokuyama had the right hand injured, but has so fully recovered that he is willing to comply with the WBC’s order to face Navarro with pleasure.
Tokuyama, 7 years his senior, is an experienced boxer, whose stinging lefts nullifies his opponent’s weapons and whose good judgment of distance makes himself an elusive target. He had been unbeaten for six years before he carelessly suffered a first round demolition by Kawashima 20 months ago. But Tokuyama showed his determination and technical superiority in outclassing his grudge rival to win back the belt and show his real power. He is half an inch taller than Navarro, and has a bigger torso than the lefty challenger. What Navarro has to respect in Tokuyama is his greater ring experience in previous eleven world title bouts.
Navarro, 24, is a stylish and aggressive boxer-puncher in a southpaw stance. Having competed in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, he turned professional thereafter at the Madison Square Garden in the next year. He kept winning and acquired the WBC Continental Americas belt in the 115-pound division by unanimously defeating Nicaraguan Adonis Rivas in August 2003. Navarro impressively outpunched the then WBC #2 ranked Colombian Reynaldo Hurtado in November that year, and accordingly moved up highly in the WBC ratings.
Navarro made his first attempt to capture the belt, but lost a highly debatable split verdict (113-115, 114-115 and 120-109) to Kawashima in Tokyo in January of the last year. It was such a strangely scored affair that the views of the judges were quite different, as the more aggressive Kawashima kept boring in and swinging with less precision, while Navarro scored with light but more accurate punches to the bloodied champ. The WBC’s recommendation to give Navarro another shot kept his top rank, but he had to enter a long waiting game due to Tokuyama’s injury. Navarro might improve technically and mentally while waiting for the second opportunity to finally gain the world belt.
It might become a very technical game, as both are skillful and speedy. But neither is a hard-puncher, if being a sharpshooter. The younger Navarro may be more aggressive with busy combinations, while the more experienced Tokuyama a better counterpuncher. If Navarro should recklessly keep going forward, Tokuyama may find a range and timing to counter the southpaw challenger. Tokuyama lately showed fine sparring sessions with the WBC bantam kingpin Hozumi Hasegawa, a fast and aggressive southpaw, and showed his technical advantage in outclassing him to impress the witnesses. For Tokuyama, a physically bigger boxer, it is also a battle to make the weight. If successful, he may show his superior physical power and speed in controlling the fight. If unsuccessful, he may be sluggish enough to be outpunched by the combination puncher Navarro. It will be a very interesting competitive bout that whichever may have the upper hand depending on the condition on the night.
Tokuyama predicted, “It’ll be my last fight in the 115-pound division.” Does it mean he may call it quits afterward, or move up to the 118-pound category? Navarro coolly said, “I don’t care whatever decision he will make after I dethrone him.” There is a verbal war between them, but the fight itself will become so furious that neither will pull punches with the prestigious belt at stake.
This show is presented by Hideo Kanazawa’s Kanazawa Promotions.
(2-25-06)