June 25, 2006
NAGOYA, JAPAN
Up-and-coming Shoji Kawase (14-2-4, 9 KOs), 134.75, impressively scored an important victory as he lopsidedly battered OPBF#7 ranked ex-Indonesian 130-pound champ Smile Brown (9-9-4, 5 KOs), 134.75, and pummeled him into submission with a barrage of punches at 2:15 of the ninth round on Sunday in Nagoya, Japan. Kawase, coached by Korean trainer Hwaryong Yuh (who cultivated ex-WBA 130-pound champ Takanori Hatakeyama and world 115-pound challenger Hideyasu Ishihara), showed his improvement in combination punching, and had the upper hand all the way until the ref Fukuchi declared a halt.
Awkward but hard-hitting WBC#29 superfly Akio Konishi (19-0, 16 KOs) sank Takahiro Takeda (6-7, 2 KOs) with a vicious left hook at 0:49 of the third round in a supporting ten. Konishi lately moved up to the 122-pound category, and will be matched with a superbantam world contender this fall.
Unbeaten 108-pound prospect Tomoki Sano (6-0-1, 3 KOs), 107.75, scored a clearcut one-punch KO over Thailander Samkolek Chuwatana (4-5, 1 KO), 106.75, at 0:45 of the fourth round in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Matsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Kawase-Brown bout).
June 22, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-world lightweight challenger Hiroyuki Sakamoto (39-7, 29 KOs), 140, dropped unranked Thailander Samrong Wor Surapol (reportedly 3-3-1, no KO), 137.75, twice with his trade-mark left hooks prior to his quick KO win at 2:27 of the opening session in a scheduled eight on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Sakamoto, having suffered a perennial lumbago, made a comeback last year only to be badly and disappointedly stopped by Tsukasa Kashiwagi, and then scored a couple of victories over mediocre Thailanders. The 35-year-old left hooker is still popular among aficionados in Tokyo.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.
(6-22-06)
June 19, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
Japanese top ranked flyweight Tomonobu Shimizu (8-1, 3 KOs), 112, swept all rounds before he finally caught Thai #3 contender Prabpram Khlongphajon (8-15, 3 KOs), 112, with a flurry of punches to prompt the referee’s intervention at 0:30 of the seventh round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Shimizu is gunning for a shot at the winner of the forthcoming confrontation of OPBF fly champ Noriyuki Komatsu and Japanese ruler Daisuke Naito with both belts at stake on June 27.
Thai superfly champ Petchkhlongphai Soh Darnthip (11-10, 1 KO), 119, displayed a top form in one-sidedly battering Yuji Nukaga (16-5, 9 KOs), 119, en route to a unanimous decision (99-93, 99-95 and 98-94) over ten. We didn’t expect it to be such a lopsided affair as Petchklongphai toyed with the nervous and negative Japanese opponent. The Thai champ is already slated to face Filipino import Rolly Lunas on July 23.
Promoter: Kaneko Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(6-19-06)