February 24, 2008
NAGOYA, JAPAN
Unbeaten local prospect, WBC#12 Kohei Ohba (21-0-1, 10 KOs), 117.75, captured the Japanese bantamweight belt as he was awarded a close but unanimous decision (97-95 and 97-94 twice) over WBC#16 defending champ Masayuki Mitani (21-3, 10 KOs), 118, over ten close rounds on Sunday in Nagoya, Japan.
The elongated jabber Mitani took the leadoff by utilizing his trademark jabs in the first three rounds, while Ohba kept circling to-and-fro before his adherents. They put on a see-saw fight with each landing a punch at a time. It was such a close affair that either could be the winner.
Tadanori Yamashita, the dethroned champ’s manager, strongly protested against the verdict, claiming Mitani’s victory and saying, “All the judges come from Nagoya, which doesn’t seem fair and square. I’ll protest to the JBC and demand a rematch.” The newly crowned Ohba, a flashy footworker with good speed, may defend his national belt against world-rated Japan-based Russian Sasha Bakhtine in his initial defense, and the winner is hoped to meet Mitani with the belt at stake to cease the controversy.
Promoter: Space K Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(2-24-08)