August 31, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN
WBC#5 ranked Thailander Wethya Sakmuangklaen (83-4, 52 KOs), 121.5, kept his OPBF 122-pound belt as he proved too strong and aggressive for Japanese challenger Hiroki Sakamoto (13-5-3, 6 KOs), 121.75, winning a unanimous decision over twelve lopsided rounds on Thursday in Osaka, Japan. The official scores were as follows: Bruce McTavish 117-111, Hisatoshi Miyazaki 116-112 and Anan Meksawan 118-113, all in favor of the southpaw defending champ.
The 30-year-old Thailander, who had lost to Manny Pacquiao and Guty Espadas Jr. but is still unmatched in Asia, kept stalking the defensive footworker all night, and steadily piled up points to confirm his victory. Wethya had his challenger at bay with a flurry of body shots in the seventh, but Sakamoto showed his determination to refuse to go down. Sakamoto occasionally retaliated in the ninth and eleventh, which wasnft enough to overcome his early deficit on points.
WBC#11 ex-world challenger Ken Nakajima (16-3, 10 KOs), 110.25, finally caught durable Thailander Petchsakda Sor. Thiabkhun (6-6, 3 KOs), 110, to halt him at 1:25 of the sixth round in a scheduled ten. Petchsakdafs toughness won the praise of the audience, but Nakajima persistently connected with busy solid combinations and effectively weakened him to cause the reffs intervention.
OPBF#10/JBC#4 middleweight Tetsuya Suzuki (16-6, 12 KOs), 154.25, had a tough time coping with game and gallant Jomhoad Dokplamorkoo (6-3, 3 KOs), 152.75, but dropped him with a southpaw left hook to be awarded a TKO victory at 1:39 of the sixth in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Shinko Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the all three bouts).
(8-31-06)