June 11, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN
Hard-hitting local prospect, WBC#6/WBA#7 Nobuto Ikehara (25-1, 18 KOs), 118, acquired the vacant Japanese bantam belt (renounced by Sasha Baktin after a scandalous street-fight) as he fully displayed his superior power to pound out a unanimous decision (97-94, 97-93 and 96-94) over ex-OPBF ruler Jun Toriumi (24-6-1, 10 KOs), 118, over ten on Sunday afternoon in Osaka, Japan.
Ikehara of Osaka, who had entered the WBC/WBA top ten thanks to his upset stoppage of Medgoen Sinsurat (ex-conqueror of Manny Pacquiao in his flyweight days) in his previous bout, had the upper hand on the skillful but less powerful southpaw opponent. Toriumi fought back well, but Ikehara showed his determination to sweep the second half. Ikehara’s manager Hiroshi Yoshii is very much willing to stage his prospect’s world title shot in either of the 118-pound or 122-pound division within this year hopefully.
Filipino 122-pound champ Alex Escaner (22-11-5, 10 KOs), 123.5, was behind on points because of previously unbeaten southpaw Kenji Yoshimura (5-1, 2 KOs), 126, outclassing him in the first three rounds, but the Filipino impressively exploded solid combinations to drop the Japanese twice and halted him at 1:48 of the fourth round in a scheduled eight. Japanese top minimum contender Shigeru Kunishige (16-2, 2 KOs), 108, was awarded a majority nod (77-76, 77-75 and 76-76) over Goro Tachibana (7-4-1, 1 KO9, 108, over eight.
Promoter: Osaka Teiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(6-11-06)
June 11, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN
In a separate show on the same venue on the night, ex-OPBF 154-pound champ and currently Japanese top contender Nobuhiro Ishida (15-5-2, 5 KOs), 159.75, was badly rocked by a right cross of Korean Hyungwon Chung (5-4, 3 KOs), 159, to become rubbery-legged in the second, but came back hard to drop him three times en route to an automatic KO at 2:39 of the fourth in a scheduled ten on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.
Ishida decked Chung with a beautiful countering right, and floored him twice more with furious follow-up combinations in the fatal session. The 6’1” winner is gunning for a forthcoming mandatory shot at the national super-welter belt against Crazy Kim, to whom he had lost a close verdict twice.
Lanky speedster Takashi Miura (8-2-1, 5 KOs), 130, almost toppled Thailander Dhirasak Yoochumphol (7-5, 7 KOs), 129.5, with a solid double right and prompted the ref’s intervention at 2:26 of the sixth round in a scheduled eight. Bantam Kazuhiro Matsuda, 118, landed a vicious straight right to drop Thailand’s Manachai Sithsaithong, 117.25, at 2:26 into the first round in a scheduled six.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(6-11-06)