## LEE STOPS FUKUHARA

August 6, 2011

TOKYO, JAPAN

Former WBA super-bantam champ Retsuri Lee (AKA Ryol-li Lee; 18-2-1, 9 KOs), 125.75, decked his comeback go since his forfeiture of his world throne to compatriot Akifumi Shimoda (who was lately dethroned by Rico Ramos in Atlantic City), as he landed a well-timed countering right, dropped ex-national titlist Rikiya Fukuhara (24-6-1, 18 KOs), 126, and chalked up a TKO victory at 2:39 of the fifth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Lee had a very brief four-month reign as he captured the WBA 122-pound crown via upset verdict over Poonsawat Kratingdaeng-gym last October but yielded it to Shimoda this January. Lee, a Japan-born Korean, returned to his legitimate 126-pound category and engaged in a contest with Fukuhara, a hard-puncher with suspect chin, who seemed to be leading on points. Lee looked cautious, nervous and stiff probably because he aimed to counter the footworker with his favorite right. Time came in round five. Lee beautifully scored a vicious right that dropped Fukuhara, who barely regained his feet but was apparently unable to go on with rubbery legs.

In a supporting event, WBA#6/WBC#8 OPBF middleweight champ Koji Sato (20-1, 18 KOs), 160, registered his third defense since regaining the regional belt when he caught compatriot Fukutaro Ujiie (16-9-1, 11 KOs), 160, with a barrage of punches, badly floored him and halted him at 1:33 of the sixth session in a scheduled twelve. Sato was once unsuccessful to wrest the WBA 160-pound belt from Felix Strum only to be stopped in seven lopsided rounds in Germany in 2009. The flat-footed puncher recaptured the OPBF belt by decisioning southpaw compatriot Tetsuya Suzuki in Osaka in December 2009. Sato has stopped five opponents in a row since.

Bantam prospect Ryosuke Iwasa (9-1, 7 KOs), 119.25, proved too sharp and smart as he connected with a beautiful southpaw left to the nose of former Indonesian champ, OPBF#15 Rasmanudin, 119, at 0:41 of the second canto in a scheduled eight. Iwasa failed to win the national belt from also unbeaten Shinsuke Yamanaka, suffering a tenth-round stoppage this March, but he looked still vastly talented enough to have the crowd expect his bright future.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Iwasa-Rasmanudin bout).

(8-6-11)

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