## JAPAN UPDATE as of March 8

NEW JBC COMMISSIONER

Mr. Shinji Kushiro, the current president of Tokyo Dome Co. Ltd., lately succeeded Mr. Yuko Hayashi(right photo) as the commissioner of Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) after his eighteen-year administration. Also, Nobuaki Uratani newly replaced the JBC executive secretary Ken Morita. Both Morita and Uratani had been formerly well-reputed third man in the ring for many years.

MARUKI FINISHES MUNGKORNDAM

Japanfs #11 super-light Kazuya Maruki (18-3, 12 KOs), 27, impressively dropped Thailander Mungkorndam Sith. Varunee (12-9-2, 2 KOs), 139, three times and scored an automatic KO victory at 1:56 of the third round in Inuyama city, Japan, on Sunday (March 1). In Japan, when a boxer floored his opponent on three occasions in a same round, it is registered as a knockout (not a TKO) in the JBCfs record book. Kazuya is the first son of former world junior lightweight challenger Takao Maruki, who failed to win the WBA belt from Samuel Serrano on points in Nagoya in 1978. His younger son Ryosuke is scheduled to meet Petchsuriya Singwancha in quest of the WBC youth super-welterweight belt in Nagoya on March 29.

YAEGASHI TO MAKE A COMEBACK

Having been demolished by Pedro Guevara in a bid for his third world belt in the 108-pound category, two-time champ Akira Yaegashi announced to make a comeback in May. It was announced by his manager/promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, ex-WBC/WBA 105-pound champ, who said, gI hope Yaegashi will fight on at his best weight between the light-fly and super-fly categories.h Yaegashi finely said, gPeople may love watching me exchanging punches with my foe, but I wish to return to my original style of utilizing my footwork to punch without getting hit.h We hope to see the ex-champfs speedy hit-and-run way of fighting once again.

JAPANESE HURRICANE CARTER RETURNS TO THE HALL

Having been released from a jail after 48 years in March of the previous year, gJapanese Hurricane Carterh Iwao Hakamada, formerly Japanfs #6 featherweight contender, returned to the Korakuen Hall for the first time to watch his younger followers fighting hard on Thursday. The WBA super-feather champ Takashi Uchiyama welcomed the 77-year-old ex-boxer who had to endure such a long confinement despite his innocence, and shook hands before the crowd that welcomed the tragic herofs return to the Hall.

(3-8-2014)

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