November 30, 2008
GINOWAN, OKINAWA
WBC#4/WBA#14 light-fly Munetsugu Kayo (17-2-2, 9 KOs), 108, impressively kept his national 108-pound belt as he kept battering OPBF#2/JBC#1 mandtory challenger Katsuhiko Iezumi (25-7-3, 18 KOs), 108, from the outset, accelerated his lopsided attack and finally halted him with the referee’s intervention at 2:49 of the fourth session on Sunday in Ginowan city, Okinawa, Japan.
Having a couple of lackluster wins by a technical decision in his latest defenses, Kayo’s stock dropped to the bottom, but he displayed his determination and dynamics in hurting the awkward challenger with his trademark southpaw lefts before a jam-packed 5,000 hometown crowd
Promoter: Shirai Gushiken Promotions.
(11-30-08)
November 24, 2008
Newly crowned PABA flyweight champ Richard Garcia (18-9, 4 KOs), 114, a slick-punching Filipino sharpshooter, stunned the crowd as he landed a beautifully-timed right counter, twice dropping ex-Japanese 112-pound champ Kenji Yoshida (13-9, 5 KOs), 114, to win a well-received unanimous decision (76-72 twice and 77-74) over eight in Tokyo on November 24.
Garcia, who annexed the PABA 112-pound belt by an upset majority decision over then WBA#3 champ Ratanapol Sor Vorapin this October, was a much better counterpuncher than his mediocre credentials indicated. The Filipino impressed our spectators with his smooth mobility, good reflexes and razor-sharp right crosses. We just wonder why the WBA hasn’t reflected his big win over the WBA#3 contender Ratanapol. Garcia’s sharpness was by far beyond unintelligent workman Yoshida’s aggressiveness, which cost a couple of points penalized for his repeated headbutts in the seventh and eighth. Garcia is slated to come back here to face up-and-coming light-fly prospect Masayuki Kuroda on January 24.
Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-24-08)
November 24, 2008
KOGA, JAPAN
WBA#12 veteran, ex-OPBF and national champ Kengo Nagashima (35-3-2, 17 KOs), 136, displayed a one-punch stoppage when he exploded a vicious southpaw left and badly stretched Thailander Leopard Jockey-gym (7-10, 3 KOs), 135.75, at 0:25 of the second round in a scheduled ten in Koga, Japan, on November 24. On the Thanksgiving Day (of course, a holiday here), JBC people probably wished to go home early and take a rest. Nagashima, in this regard, contributed to their shorter work with his quick demolition.
Promoter: 18 Koga Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-24-08)
Japan-based Venezuelan Jorge Linares (26-0, 17 KOs) impressively acquired his second world belt as he displayed sharp and accurate combinations to halt Wyber Garcia in five fast rounds last Friday in Panama. Japanese papers described Jorge as “our” seventh current world champ, along with Sakata, Naito, Nashiro, Hasegawa, Nishioka and Kobori. Logically, in Venezuela, Linares was greeted as its only current world titlist. It might be a double count, but it shows Linares’ popularity due to his strength, likable personality and linguistic ability here in Japan. The 23-year-young Linares amazingly speaks our language very fluently since he first came to Japan, departing from a political turmoil then in his mother country at the age of sixteen.
(11-30-08)