March 27, 2009
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC#2/WBA#3 minimum Yasutaka Kuroki (20-3-1), 105, a Japanese southpaw, barely kept his OPBF 105-pound belt as he was held to a technical draw with OPBF#10 compatriot Junichiro Kaneda (19-3-1, 12 KOs), 104.75, because of the latter’s nasty laceration at 2:00 of the third round in a scheduled twelve on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.
Kaneda, in round two, connected with a roundhouse right that had Kuroki so rubbery-legged that another shot would have dropped the apparently groggy champ. Kaneda, however, became too nervous to score a knockdown with an accurate follow-up only to make the champ have a narrow escape. Aware that the champ was still hurt in the beginning of the third, Kaneda furiously attacked the unstable champ and then an accidental headbutt occurred to have the aggressor suffer a wide and deep gash under the right eyebrow. Blood badly streaming down the optic and cheek, referee Uratani finally declared a halt to stop the gory challenger from going on though they once resumed fighting. Kaneda deserves a rematch.
Promoter: Yamaguchi Tsuchiura Promotions.
(3-27-09)
March 28, 2009
The OPBF 108-pound title bout between defending champ Yukio Wadamine and lefty challenger Katsuhiko Iezumi, both of Japan, on Sunday has been abruptly postponed as the newly crowned champ sustained an auto accident and a whiplash neck injury. Upon Wadamine’s recovery it will be rescheduled most probably in June or July.
(3-28-09)