July 6, 2009
TOKYO, JAPAN
Formerly three-time world challenger Shingo Yamaguchi (24-6-2, 10 KOs), 111, returned to ring warfare despite his previous announcement to hang up gloves for good, and impressively halted game and tough Thailander Ngaotawan Sithsaithong (9-8-1, 4 KOs), 111.5, at 0:14 of the fifth round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.
Yamaguchi had three unsuccessful world title shots against Yosam Choi in 2002, Takefumi Sakata and Daisuke Naito, both in the previous year. The crestfallen 29-year-old Japanese warrior gloomily said after his eleventh-round stoppage by Naito last December, gIfve no more motivation to go on.h Yamaguchi, however, made a gallant comeback due to his manager and ex-WBA champ Katsuo Tokashikifs advice. Yamaguchi, a busy-punching speedster, decked the free-swinging Thailander twice with solid rights in the third, but Ngaotawan amazingly displayed a furious retaliation in the fourth. Yamaguchi then came back hard to floor the fading foe again to have the referee declare a well-received halt.
Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-6-09)