August 05, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBA#4/WBC#8 Teruo Misawa (16-2-4, 6 KOs), 105, and WBA#8/WBC#9 ex-national champ Satoshi Kogumazaka (24-7-4, 9 KOs), 105, fought to a debatable split draw with the vacant Japanese minimum belt at stake on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Busily stepping in and out, the shorter but faster Misawa kept attacking the sluggish southpaw to pile up more points until the end of the eighth. Kogumazaka, in the ninth, roughly pushed him down, which the ref surprisingly saw a knockdown and took a count against the previous aggressor. Without the happening Misawa would have been a winner by a comfortable lead on points. The official tallies were: 97-95 for Misawa, 96-94 for Kogumazaka, and 95-95. They will meet again in a quest for the national belt.
Hard-hitting but lantern-jawed Keita Manabe (24-3-1, 21 KOs), 132.5, was awarded a controversial KO win over Takuya Suzuki (7-5, 5 KOs), 132.5, at 2:44 of the tenth and final session. It was really a see-saw affair. Manabe floored Suzuki with a vicious left hook in the first, kept pressing the action afterwards, but hit the deck with Suzukifs countering left hook in the seventh. Since then, the tide turned and it became a extravaganza. Suzuki dominated the ninth, and had Manabe in great trouble with furious combinations in the last. Manabe fortunately caught the aggressor with a left hook, dropping Suzuki who was on a verge of a come-from-behind KO win. The referee inexplicably counted him out with Suzuki harshly protesting against the stoppage.
Former Olympian Toshiyuki Igarashi, a lanky southpaw, 111.75, impressively made a successful pro debut by dropping Korean #3 Yunwoo Kim (3-5, no KO), 111, twice to deck a quick KO victory at 1:07 of the third round in a scheduled six. Igarashi, whose amateur mark was 72-11 with 16 stoppages, looks promising with his advantageous height and reach in the flyweight class.
Promoter: Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Igarashi-Kim bout).
(8-12-06)
August 12, 2006
KANUMA, JAPAN
Japanese #8 minimum Tomoyuki Handa (8-3-3, 3 KOs), 105, sent Thailander Detchsak Sithsaithong (4-3, 1 KO), 102.75, three times and scored a fine knockout win at 1:38 of the second round in a scheduled ten on Saturday in Kanuma, Japan. Ryota Uchiyama, 139.75, won a close but unanimous decision (97-95, 97-94 and 96-95) over Yoshinari Hayamizu, 139, over ten.
Promoter: 18 Koga Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Handa-Detchsak bout).
(8-12-06)