April 22, 2008
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC#18 OPBF super-welter champ Kazuhiko Hidaka (27-5, 19 KOs), 153, Japan, barely kept his regional belt as he absorbed incessant right shots of lanky but game compatriot challenger Akio Shibata (9-5-1, 5 KOs), 154, but dropped him in the fourth and finally floored him for the count at 2:41 of the seventh round on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.
It was such a see-saw affair before the trick happened, as scored 57-56 twice for the southpaw champ and 57-57. Hidaka had no defense against Shibata’s direct rights without leading lefts and repeatedly had the face bounced off with the challenger’s attack. But the champ displayed his superior power and sent him to the deck with a solid southpaw left. Shibata barely regained his feet, but the ref Fukuchi saw him unfit to go on and counted him out.
OPBF#12/JBC#5 middleweight Fukutaro Ujiie (12-6-1, 7 KOs), 160, badly decked JBC#8 Tomohisa Nakabori (14-5-1, 6 KOs), 159.25, with a solid left-right combo and furiously followed it up to cause a referee’s intervention at 2:40 of the fifth canto in a supporting ten.
Promoter: Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions.
(4-22-08)