February 12, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBA#5 Kohei Kono (18-3, 7 KOs), 115, captured the Japanese national 115-pound belt as he dropped WBC#3/WBA#6 defending champ Teppei Kikui (21-5, 4 KOs), 115, with an opening attack in just fifteen seconds into the first round, kept overpowering him with aggressive combinations all the way and pounded out a unanimous decision (98-93, 97-93 and 97-94) over ten heats (Kikui’s mandatory defense) on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.
Kono, who had entered the WBA’s top ten thanks to his upset stoppage of world-rated Prosper Matsuura last year, displayed a furious blitzkrieg and floored the champ with a vicious right following a busy combo in the opening canto. Since then, Kono kept boring in with a fusillade of punches to nullify Kikui’s vaunted jabs and overwhelmed him with his superior physical power. Less skillful as he was, Kono proved more energetic and more pugnacious than the lanky jabber in mixing it up in the close range, damaging the champ and piling up points steadily. It resulted in a more one-sided affair than people had expected. This reporter saw it 99-92 by giving only the eighth to the disappointing Kikui who mistakenly forgot to utilize his left hand and footwork. Kono’s abundant stamina was beyond description.
Once-beaten OPBF#5 ranked 19-year-old prospect Futa Nakagishi (10-1-1, 6 KOs), 123, proved too aggressive and persistent for Wihok Chuwatana (10-10, 3 KOs), a 36-year-old lefty Thailander, 121.5, halting him at 2:44 of the fifth round in a scheduled ten. Nakagishi is scheduled to have an ambitious shot at the OPBF 122-pound belt against Wethya Sakmuangklaen in Kanazawa on April 1.
Formerly world-rated Junichiro Kaneda (15-3, 10 KOs), 107, had a tough time coping with durable and hard-hitting Thailander Mgaoprajan Sithsaithong (5-4, 4 KOs), 107, but earned a unanimous nod (78-74, 78-75 and 79-73) over eight.
Promoter: Hanagata Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Nakagishi-Wihok bout).
(2-12-07)