## JAPAN UPDATE

### INOUE, YAEGASHI TO MAKE YEAR-END DEFENSES

Unbeaten Japanese prodigy Naoya Inoue (8-0, 7 KOs) will make his initial defense of the WBO junior bantamweight belt after a one-year hiatus due to a hand injury against #1 ranked Warlito Parrenas (24-6-1, 21 KOs) of the Philippines in Tokyo, Japan, on December 29. On the same show, formerly two-time world champ Akira Yaegashi (22-5, 12 KOs) will have an ambitious crack at the IBF junior flyweight throne against Javier Mendoza (24-2-1, 19 KOs), a southpaw Mexican puncher handled by Erik Morales. If successful, it will be his third belt in addition to the WBA light-fly and WBC fly belts that he previously he held.

### WBC#14 HEAVYWEIGHT FUJIMOTO HALTS MEXICAN TORRES

Japanese heavyweight champ, WBC#14 Kyotaro Fujimoto (13-1, 7 KOs) utilized his speed in hand and foot and showed a quick demolition of Mexican David Torres (10-2, 9 KOs) at 1:05 of the third round in Tokyo on October 21. Kyotaro, formerly a kick-boxer, showed his improvement in dispatching the heavier opponent in quick fashion.

### HOSONO, MATSUMOTO VICTORIOUS

Japanese feather champ Satoshi Hosono (29-2-1, 20 KOs) barely kept his national belt on a hairline majority nod (96-96, 97-94, 95-95) over Takuya Watanabe (26-6-1, 12 KOs) over ten hard-fought rounds on October 22. It was a main event with the female WBC/WBA 102-pound unification bout as a semi-windup on the show. Unbeaten WBO#4 bantam prospect Ryo Matsumoto (16-0, 14 KOs) patiently weakened a durable Thailander Saensak Sith. Varunee and finally stopped him at 0:35 of the fifth canto in a scheduled eight. Matumoto, tall and hard-hitting, looked promising and progressive enough to welcome a near-future world title crack next year.

### FUJIOKA WINS THIRD FEMALE BELT

Naoko Fujioka (14-1, 6 KOs), WBA female super-fly champ, acquired her third belt when she, 40, won the vacant WBO bantamweight belt by defeating Korean Hee-Jung Yuh (15-3, 6 KOs) on a nearly shutout decision (100-90 twice, 99-91) over lopsided ten in Tokyo on October 19. Fujioka proved too fast, elusive and effective for Yuh, who fought well but was apparently outclassed by the quicker contestant.

### OMORI TO FACE FILIPINO TAPALES FOR WBO #1 POSITION

Unbeaten bantam prospect, WBO#3 Shohei Omori (15-0, 10 KOs) will face Filipino lefty, WBO#1 Marlon Tapales (27-2, 10 KOs) in Kyoto city on December 16. It was announced by Shoji Omori (no relation to the headliner) of Woz Promotions. The winner will be promised a world title shot to WBO 118-pound titlist Pungluang Sor. Singyu of Thailand. It is rare to see such a big fight to be held in the old ex-capital with many traditinal temples and shrines.

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