November 24, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN
Busy-punching Tomonori Nakagawa (15-5-4, 4 KOs), 136.5, took the initiative all the way and scored an upset shutout decision over OPBF#3 ranked ex-Korean national lightweight champ Woosung Woo (8-3, 1 KO), 136.25, on Friday in Osaka, Japan.
Nakagawa, a late bloomer, showed a fine opening attack to have Woo retreating and absorbing good punishment. He continued to dominate the following rounds until the end to produce a stunning upset. Nakagawa will most probably have an ambitious shot at the OPBF 135-pound belt against Filipino hard-hitter Randy Suico in Osaka next March.
(11-24-06)
November 23, 2006
KOBE, JAPAN
Unheralded and unranked Yoshio Kojima (8-7, 2 KOs), 127.75, was amazingly awarded a split technical decision (67-66, 68-66 and 66-67) over OPBF#5 ranked Japanese top feather contender Zaiki Takemoto (20-6-1, 12 KOs), 127.75, at 2:08 of the seventh round in a scheduled ten on Thursday in Kobe, Japan.
Kojima kept on boring in with busier but less accurate combinations, while Takemoto, much more experienced, responded to his attack with a fewer but more effective counterpunches. As Takemoto sustained a too nasty cut to go on, the referee called a halt to take a technical decision that supported Kojimafs aggressiveness. Takemoto was already slated to have a shot at the OPBF feather belt against world-rated Hiroyuki Enoki in Tokyo next February. Keitoku Senrima, the manager of Takemoto as well as the WBC bantam ruler Hozumi Hasegawa, filed a protest against the split verdict with the JBC.
(11-23-06)