RESULTS
HIROKI IOKA W10 PINOY MONTEJO
JAPANESE Jr.MIDDLE TITLE BOUT
AKIRA OHIGASHI KO2 KATSUTOSHI SATO
OSAKA
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #1-- Former two-time world champ HIROKI IOKA ,117, showed a lackluster performance, but earned a shutout decision over Filipino PINOY MONTEJO, 114 3/4, over 10. It was Ioka's first appearance since he was badly stopped by Jose Bonilla in 7 lopsided rounds last Feb. Ioka didn't look harp though his opponent was a mediocre boy who had been previously stopped in the opening session by Ioka's stablemate Koji Fujiwara. Ioka intends to have another shot at the world throne to become the first Asian boxer that acquire 3 titles in 3 different divisions. But Ioka will need several fights prior to his last attempt to win the flyweight throne, as he already failed to win the 112-pound crown against David Griman, Saen Sow Ploenchit and Jose Bonilla--all within the distance. Ioka, an elongated boxer, is 31-6-1, 16 KOs. Montejo, GAB #9 fly contender, reportedly fell to 8-9-3, 2 KOs.@Scored: double 100-90 and 100-91.@@
In a semi-final, Japanese junior middle champ AKIRA OHIGASHI, 154, exploded his opening rallies, and kept his national title on a quick stoppage of KATSUTOSHI SATO, 153 1/2, at 0:24 into the 2nd round of a scheduled 10. Ohigashi, making his 4th defense, battered him with a flurry of punches and sent him to the deck in the first session, and Sato had a very narrow escape at the bell. But the stout-built champ swarmed over the groggy foe, dropping him again to prompt the referee's intervention. Ohigashi, who had dethroned Tatsufumi Ito in the previous year, upped his mark to 22-7-1, 15 KOs. The lefty Sato fell to 6-11, 4 KOs.
The first 10 saw TADASHI YUBA, 140, polish off HIROSHI IKEHATA, 140, at 3:01 of the 2nd round. Yuba is a lefty prospect.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.
Nov. 19
TOKYO--What a fiasco! YOSUKEZAN NISHIJIMA, the OPBF cruiser champ as well as the WBF ruler, announced that he would break the managerial contract with Osamu Watanabe who had cultivated since 1992, and campaign in the US by renouncing the OPBF title. Yesterday, his manager Watanabe reached an agreement with the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) that his boy would relinquish the WBF title to engage in a scheduled defense of the OPBF crown in Kitakyushu City on Dec. 20. But the situation seemingly has drastically changed. Nishijima intends to forfeit his Japanese license and move to the US for his future activity there. Nishijima, 18-1, 12 KOs, is a rare and talented 190-pounder who is popular among our aficionados. Watanabe guided his boy properly from nowhere, even though the manager himself is a flamboyant and problematic person. If Nishijima cancels his schedule to fight Lightning Lupe in his OPBF title defense, there will be a great trouble between Watanabe and the local promoter in Kitakyushu. It is true that Nishijima cannot find suitable oppositions if he continues campaigning here in Japan, but the modest and soft-spoken speedster, 24, has made a startling resolution that renders a great shock to our boxing fraternity. Within days, Watanabe and Nishijima will talk again and draw a conclusion between them.