August 22, 2013
TOKYO, JAPAN
It might be long-accepted common sense that Japanese boys are strong only at the home turf, but not so abroad. There were, however, a few exceptions such as Shozo Saijo, Kuniaki Shibata, Toshiaki Nishioka, Takashi Miura, etc. Reviewing many results of our outstanding boxers having fought abroad in a quest for word championships, we see a large majority of them taste bitter defeats in foreign countries. But boxing doesn’t necessarily follow statistics, and we sometimes watch an upset happen in reality.
Japanese veteran Hiroyuki Hisataka (22-10-1, 10 KOs) will make his fourth attempt to win a world belt, this time, from formidable Argentine southpaw Omar Narvaez (39-1-2, 20 KOs), WBO super-fly ruler, on this coming Friday in Trelew, Chubut, Argentina. Narvaez, a 38-year-old two-time champ, is making his eighth defense against the Japanese puncher who previously failed to win the belt from Takefumi Sakata in 2008, from Denkaosen Kaowichit in 2009 and from Hugo Cazares in 2010?all on points. Hisataka, in his last fight, defeated ex-WBC flyweight champ Sonny Boy Jaro by a unanimous nod in Osaka this April. He may have a puncher’s chance as he can punch better than his credentials indicate.
On Saturday, in Thailand, former two-time WBA super-fly champ Nobuo Nashiro (19-5-1, 13 KOs) of Japan will meet also ex-WBA fly ruler Denkaosen Kaovichit (61-3-1, 26 KOs) of Thailand with the vacant WBA interim 115-pound belt on the line. After Nashiro forfeited his WBA throne to Mexican Hugo Cazares in a rematch (with the first encounter resulting in a unanimous draw) in 2010, he failed to win back the belt three times in a row, losing to WBC titlists Tomas Rojas and Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, both in 2011, and WBA ruler Tepparith Kokietgym in the previous year.
Denkaosen, five years his senior at 36, has been undefeated in eleven bouts since his annihilation by Luis Concepcion in the first round?with the WBA 112-pound belt at stake?in Panama in 2010. Both already passed their peak, but they will fight in a bid for the right to have a mandatory shot at the full WBA belt against Liborio Solis of Venezuela who recently seized the vacant belt by beating Japan’s Kohei Kono via hairline verdict here this May. Should Nashiro be able to overcome the tremendous heat and traditional long ceremony prior to the contest, he may have a chance to acquire the interim belt, if fortunate.
On August 31, in Mexico city, unheralded Japanese Atsushi Kakutani (13-3-1, 6 KOs) will have an ambitious crack at the WBC light-flyweight belt against Adrian “El Confesor” Hernandez (27-2-1, 16 KOs) at the Gimnasio San Juan de la Barrera. The hard-hitting Mexican will make his third defense since he regained the 108-pound throne by avenging his previous defeat in Thailand with a sixth round stoppage of Kompayak Porpramook in Mexico last October. Kakutani had entered the world top ten by upsetting rated Filipino Rey Loreto in his native Osaka last November. This reporter confesses that El Confesor is a much better boxer than Kakutani in terms of the quality of opposition in his career. Kakutani may show his heart, as other Japanese warriors, before Mexican aficionados but will most probably yield to the talented Mexican champ sooner or later.
Lately our optimistic fans here suppose whoever may challenge a world champ, he will win the belt. But boxing isn’t so easy, nor self-centered with the axis of Japan. The aforementioned three Japanese contestants will be all underdogs at the champs’ or the opponent’s home turf. We just pray a good luck for each of the brave warriors from Japan.
(8-22-2013)