February 17, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBA#3/WBC#9 ranked OPBF feather champ, unbeaten Hiroyuki Enoki (26-0-1, 19 KOs), 128, engaged in a non-title bout and scored a fine KO victory over durable Thailander Kularbdaeng Kietkreerin (24-15, 5 KOs), 128, at 0:31 of the sixth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
Having defeated world-rated Nedal Hussein by a unanimous nod in his previous defense, Enoki wasn’t as sharp as usual, but took the leadoff with stinging lefts. Enoki applied the pressure all the way, and caught the defensive-minded Thailander to drop him twice in the fourth, when Enoki carelessly took a big right of his opponent to be almost stunned in the closing seconds. Enoki accelerated his attack and finally floored him again with a double right hook for the count in the fatal sixth. Enoki will need more speed and more variation in combination punching if he should face the WBA champ Chris John or the WBC ruler Injin Chi in the near future.
Yuta Nagai (19-3-2, 12 KOs), 126.75, failed to make the stipulated 122-pound, so had to use ten-ounce gloves to face ex-OPBF challenger Yasuo Kijima (19-10-3, 5 KOs), 122, but eked out a majority decision (97-96, 97-95 and 96-96) over ten.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Enoki-Kularbdaeng bout).
(2-17-07)
February 16, 2007
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN
Ex-world challenger Daigo Nakahiro (14-2, 5 KOs), 115, proved too sharp and fast for ex-OPBF superfly ruler Masayuki Arinaga (21-6-1, 10 KOs), 114.75, and halted him at 2:34 of the fourth round in a scheduled ten on Friday in Hiroshima, Japan.
Nakahiro, a university graduate, scientifically outpunched the southpaw opponent and had him on the deck twice with solid right shots to the face in the fourth. He furiously followed it up to prompt the referee’s intervention.
Promoter: Hiroshima Sanei Promotions.
(2-16-07)