May 17, 2008
TOKYO, JAPAN
Unbeaten lefty Yoshimitsu Yashiro (20-0-1, 11 KOs), 129.5, displayed his career-best performance as he impressively halted JBC top ranked Kiyoshisa Morita (12-6-1, 4 KOs), 129.5, at 2:56 of the fifth round to acquired the vacant Japanese super-feather belt on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The national throne had been recently renounced by Yusuke Kobori who will have an ambitious shot at the WBA 135-pound belt against Jose Alfaro here on Monday.
The talented lanky southpaw Yashiro overcame his previous hand fracture and long hiatus thereafter, and finally gained the national belt to his credit. Yashiro, from the outset, looked too sharp and accurate for the slower opponent, showing stinging southpaw jabs and smashing right hooks. Yashiro opened a slight gash over the right optic of the awkward opponent in the first, and became sharper and sharper as the contest progressed. He had another southpaw Moritafs face grotesquely swollen with the probably broken nose bone and a big lump on the forehead, when referee Abe had it examined by the ring physician. It terminated then and there. If Yashiro can utilize his right hand so effectively as today, his future may be bright.
Muscular and game Koji Kawamura (14-1-1, 5 KOs), 128.5, came back from his lopsided decision by Yashiro in his previous bout, and earned a split duke (78-76, 77-76 and 76-77) over JBC#2/OPBF#9 feather Keisuke Akiba (11-5-3, 2 KOs), 129, a durable warrior, over eight. JBC#7 feather Noriyuki Ueno (10-8-3, 3 KOs), 126, was awarded a hairline majority decision (77-76, 77-75 and 76-76) over Tomoki Kanazawa (11-3-1, 5 KOs), 126, over eight.
Now Akihiko Hondafs Teiken Gym can be called house of champions, holding WBC feather champ Jorge Linares (25-0, 16 KOs), WBA super-feather ruler Edwin Valero (23-0, 23 KOs), WBC#12 OPBF middle kingpin Koji Sato (12-0, 11 KOs), WBA#4/WBC#5 Japanese 122-pound titlist Akifumi Shimoda (18-0-1, 8 KOs), WBA#3/WBC#11 126-pound champ Takahiro Aoh (16-0, 8 KOs) and 130-pound ruler Yashiro. Amazingly, all six champs are unbeaten. The Ring Magazine recently listed up Yashiro as the most protected in the super-feather category in the annual State of the Game in the July issue, but Yashiro will be zooming up against name oppositions in the future.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
(5-17-08)