October 3, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Former WBA 122-pound champ, currently a full-fledged featherweight Akifumi Shimoda (30-4-2, 13 KOs), 126, looked very impressive as he regained his previous form dependent on hand speed and footwork, and lopsidedly battered Filipino Jerry Nardo (21-8, 11 KOs), 126, into submission at 2:55 of the fifth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Shimoda, a shifty southpaw, made good use of his lateral mobility to fully confuse the Filipino, dropped him in the second and finally halted him with a fusillade of punches with the referee Tsuchiya’s intervention. Back from an upset KO defeat by Marvin Sonsona in Macao last year, Shimoda showed his determination to regain a belt in the 126-pound category.
Having suffered a couple of setbacks to Robert Guerrero and Alfonso Gomez in the US, former OPBF welter champ Yoshihiro Kamegai (26-3-1 23 KOs), 153.75, returned to the Hall after a year and a half, and flattened Filipino Nelson Gulpe (8-6, 3 KOs), 153.75, with a vicious right shot at 3:09 of the third session.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
(10-3-2015)
September 30, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC#6/IBF#10 Yukinori Oguni (15-1-1, 4 KOs), 122, successfully retained his Japanese super-bantam belt when he outlegged and outspeeded hard-punching challenger Taiki Minamoto (10-5, 9 KOs), 122, to win a unanimous decision (97-93 twice, 98-93) over ten heats on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Having tasted his one and only defeat at the hand of the current OPBF ruler Shingo Wake two years ago, Oguni, a stylish speedster, acquired the vacant national belt by beating Yasutaka Ishimoto last December and kept it for the second time. Oguni should improve more power and more precision to go forward to the top.
Japanese welter boss Suyon Takayama (23-1, 7 KOs), 147, kept his national belt by a unanimous but less impressive verdict (97-93 twice, 97-94) over Ryoji Tanaka (8-5-1, 2 KOs), 146.5, over ten. Takayama made his sixth defense, but couldn’t show his best performance in the monotonous affair.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.
(9-30-2015)
October 2, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Formerly two-time world champ Hozumi Hasegawa will return to the ring warfare again in Kobe, his native turf, on December 11. The veteran southpaw, 34, showed a fine comeback victory in defeating previously unbeaten Mexican prospect, then WBC#9 Horacio Garcia on points with a very fine performance after a one-year hiatus, and was considering whether to go on or not. But Hasegawa, ex-WBC bantam and feather champ, made up his mind to fight on and pursue another coronation. IBF female #1 ranked junior flyweight Etsuko Tada will also appear to fight for the vacant IBF 105-pound throne lately renounced by Nancy Franco on the undercard.
(10-2-2015)