December 2, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-sumo wrestler Keiji Eguchi (13-1, 9 KOs), 159.25, wrested the Japanese national middleweight belt as he maintained the aggressiveness and showed better defensive skills in winning a unanimous decision (97-93 twice and 96-94) over OPBF#2 ranked defending champ Toshihiko Itagaki (20-8, 11 KOs), 159, over ten on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
The crafty southpaw challenger took the initiative from the outset and piled up points steadily. Itagaki, making his third defense since dethroning Satoru Suzuki, hit the deck in the fifth, but desperately fought back down the stretch. Eguchifs accumulation on points was too much for the champfs last surge.
Unbeaten Japanese #4 feather Aozora Nishida, 130, flattened Koseki Nakama, 130, at 2:21 of the second session with the loser carried out on a stretcher. Unbeaten Japanese #9 feather Koji Kawamura, 125.75, dropped Kazuki Murakami, 126, with a thud and the ref promptly declared a halt. Japanese #8 superbantam Yuta Nagai, 122, decked a fine TKO win over Hiroki Hirano, 121.5, at 0:11 of the seventh round. Japanese #6 lightfly Tsutomu Yamanaka, 107.5, earned a unanimous nod (79-75 twice and 78-76) over Takumi Ishide, 108, over eight.
Promoter: Kisarazu Greenbay Promotions.
(12-2-06)