RESULTS
Unless otherwise designated, all cards in Tokyo are held at Korakuen Hall, mecca of boxing here in Japan.
Dec. 15
TOKYO--Former Japanese flyweight champ TAKATO TOGUCHI, 115, engaged in
his third comebacking fight, still looked a little ring-rusty, but
overwhelmed a flexible Filipino named ROY CLAVE, 113 3/4, en route to a
TKO win at 1:06 of the 5th in a scheduled 10. Toguchi failed to win the
WBC fly throne, losing to Japanese-based Russian Yuri Arbachakov on a
9th round TKO route in Tokyo on August 26 of the previous year. Having
brutally demolished Eric Chavez last Jul. and Jaime Aliguin in Sept.,
Toguchi was expected to show his previous quick agility, this time, but
he seemingly needs more time to horn his fists as sharply as
previously. Toguchi, now coached by ex-WBA junior bantam champ Katsuya
Onizuka, bettered his mark to 21-3, 18 KOs. Toguchi, though ranked #1
in the JBC fly ratings, wishes to have a shot at the WBC super-fly
throne against Gerry Penalosa in the future. Clave, the GAB #1 junior
fly, reportedly fell to 18-8, 7 KOs.
A semi-final 10-rounder saw SHIGEO OKAYAMA, 140, display a one-punch KO
over TAKAYUKI YOSHIOKA, 140, with a vicious overhand right at the button
at 2:12 of the 2nd. Yoshioka took the opening canto so lopsidedly as to
land solid left hooks and straight rights, but his lantern jaw betrayed
him in the next round. Okayama is 10-3, 7 KOs. Yoshioka fell to 9-3, 5
KOs.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(12-015-97)
AKIRA OHIGASHI KO 4 TAKANORI TAKANAMI
Dec. 15
OSAKA--Osaka Prefectural gymnasium #2--Japanese junior middle champ
AKIRA OHIGASHI, 154, kept his national title for the 5th time, as he
flattened less experienced TAKANORI TAKANAMI, 153 1/2, with a wicked
left hook at 1:47 of the 4th round in a scheduled 10. Ohigashi, a
rugged banger, utilized effective jabs to bloody the challenger's nose,
and finally caught him prone. Ohigashi, who scored all his 5 defenses
this year, will face ex-champ and grudge rival Tatsufumi Ito next Feb.,
and it will be a hot war.
Vaunted left-hooker NOBORU HIRASE, 122 3/4, was held to a draw by HIDEKI TAKAYAMA, 123 1/4, over 10. Hirase had failed to win the Japanese feather title from Koji Matsumoto and the OPBF 126-pound title from Samuel Duran. He may be declining and deteriorating, but still a dangerous left-hooker.
Lefty hard-puncher KOJI FUJIWARA, 118, halted Filipino ROLANDO BACLAYO,
117, who turned his back with the former's assault at 2:33 of the 5th in
the first 10-rounder.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.
(12-15-97)
Dec. 14
KOBE--Sambo Hall--Is ex-WBC straw champ Napa Kiatwanchai still
fighting? Oh, yes. He came to Japan to fight in a bantamweight bout.
Japanese-based Korean CHULHO KANG, the JBC #9 bantam, 119 1/2, defeated
NAPA KIATWANCHAI, 117, by a unanimous decision over 10. Scored: 100-95,
100-92 and 99-94. Kang was more aggressive all the way, while
Kiatwanchai occasionally threw few big shots. There were no
knockdowns. Napa was just a shell of his old self shown in his hot
performances against Hiroki Ioka and Hideyuki Ohashi. Kang, 12-3-3, 6
KOs, often attacked Napa's breadbasket to pile up points steadily.
Napa, 30, fell to 16-5-1, 8 KOs.
Lefty hard-puncher HIROYUKI FUKUMOTO, 121 3/4, dug a vicious left
uppercut to the belly of another Thailander CHET CHITALADA, 121 1/2, and
sunk him for the count at 1:01 of the 5th in a semi-final 10. Fukumoto
is 18-12-2, 15 KOs. Chet reportedly dropped to 19-4, 3 KOs.
Promoter: Senrima Kobe Promotions.
(12-14-97)
Remarks: Although our Commission, JBC, applies the spelling for the winner of this night's main eventer as CHOLUHO KANG, this reporter thinks that CHULHO KANG must be a proper spelling due to my long experience in covering Korean fights. Chulho can be spelled as Cholho, since the pronounciation is between Chul and Chol. But Choluho is a wrong spelling.
YUTAKA MANABE TKO 10 KYOSHIRO FUKUSHIMA
Dec. 13
KUMAMOTO--Suizenji Park Gymnasium--YUTAKA MANABE, 121 1/4, from Tokyo,
showed his determination in capturing the national junior feather title
by a fine TKO victory over the defending champ KYOSHIRO FUKUSHIMA, a
local favorite at 121 3/4, at 1:58 of the 10th and final session. It
was a grudge fight, as Fukushima barely kept his throne on a close
verdict over Manabe to retain his crown in Nov. of the previous year.
Manabe, working at a stockbrokerage firm, expected his first baby to be
born on the next day of the fight, so he dedicated his coronation to the
baby. From the 4th round on, Manabe was in command in mixing up with
the less powerful champ. Manabe had him at bay in the 9th, and went all
out for a KO in the final session. Manabe dropped Fukushima with a
straight left, and referee Kazumasa Kuwata intervened upon Manabe's
furious follow-up. The newly crowned Manabe is 19-5-1, 13 KOs.
Fukushima fell to 16-5-1, 3 KOs. It was an encounter of southpaws.
Dec. 9
OSAKA--Osaka Prefectural gymnasium #2--Having upset Filipino champ Joe
Escriber on hit-and-run tactics in his previous bout on Oct. 20, ATSUSHI
TAMAKI, 128, surprisingly hit the deck thrice and lost a unanimous
decision to neglected and unheralded ISAO OHNO, 128, over 10. Tamaki,
who was not in good shape, was floored in the 2nd, 6th and 7th. Ohno, a
sparring partner for the current WBC bantam champ Joichiro Tatsuyoshi,
decked an important triumph over the JBC #5 ranked veteran campaigner.
Dec. 9
TSUKUBA--Tsukuba First Hotel--JBC #8 ranked EIICHI ODAKA, 120 1/4,
decisioned SEISHI IWAISAKO, 120 1/4, over 8.
Promoter: Yamaguchi Promotions.
KOJI ARISAWA TKO 7 YOSHINORI TAKENAKA
Dec. 8
TOKYO--Japanese junior light champ KOJI ARISAWA, 129 1/2, registered his
12th consecutive KO and ran his unbeaten mark to 18-0, 15 KOs, as he
dropped YOSHINORI TAKENAKA, 130, with a flurry of punches and prompted
the referee to intervene at 1:05 of the 7th. It's Koji's 5th defense
since he acquired the vacant throne by finishing ex-champ Kenichiro Kojo
in 2 round on Apr. 8, 1996. Arisawa, a picturesque hard-puncher, had a
tendency of being a notorious slow-starter, but he always scores a
come-from-behind KO in exciting fashion. Koji, a twin brother along
with Kazu Arisawa, is slated to meet former OPBF junior light champ
Takanori Hatakeyama, also unbeaten, who failed to win the WBA crown on a
split draw with Korean Yongsoo Choi on Oct. 5, at Ryogoku Sumo Arena
this coming Mar. or Apr. Takenaka fell to 11-2, 9 KOs.
Unbeaten ex-high school amateur champ ARASHI YANAGAWA, 113 3/4, had a
tough time but eraned a unanimous nod over TORU SE, 113 1/4, over 8.
Yanagawa, piloted by ex-WBA jr. fly champ Yoko Gushiken, is a stylish
boxer who needs more physical power, but his future looks bright. He is
5-0, 2 KOs. Se dropped to 14-5-3, 7 KOs.
Promoter: Soka Arisawa Promotions.
REYNANTE JAMILI KO 2 HIDETOSHI TANAKA
Dec. 7
TAGAWA--The WBC #3 ranked OPBF junior feather champ REYNANTE JAMILI, 121
1/2, proved too strong and powerful for a local prospect HIDETOSHI
TANAKA, 121 1/2, as he sank him with wicked body shots at 2:36 of the
2nd round in a scheduled 12. Jamili had acquired the vacant OPBF title
on an 8th round TKO over Fusaaki Takenaga, a glass-jawed but devastating
lefty hard-hitter, at great ease in Nov. of the previous year. Jamili,
27-4, 21 KOs, must be the best 122-pounder in the Orient. Tanaka, who
lost a close decision to Kyoshiro Fukushima in a bid for the national
jr. feather title last Jul., fell to 11-6, 7 KOs.
HIROAKI NISHIMURA, 117 1/4, unanimously decisioned Filipino HENRY LINPIN, 116 1/2, over 6.
Promoter: Chikuho Promotions.
Dec. 6
TSURUGA--Tsuruga City Athletic Park Gymnasium--OPBF junior bantam champ
RAFFY MONTALBAN, who is fighting here as MANGORO ISHIMARU as he belongs
to Ishimaru Gym of Japan, 115, kept his regional throne as he dropped
Japan's HIROAKI MURAKOSHI, 114 3/4, in the 6th and pounded out a
unanimous decision over 12. Scored: 118-113, 119-112 and 118-113, all
for Montalban. Murakoshi, a local hard-puncher, reckelessly attached
the more skillful champ, but Montalban connected with sharper
combinations with precision to weaken the Japanese challenger. The 6th
saw the champ land a vicious left uppercut following a right hook,
dropping him for the compulsory 8 count. Montalban had some chances to
finish his opponent thereafter, but Murakoshi's fighting spirit made him
refuse to go down again. Montalban is 23-4-4, 13 KOs. Murakoshi
dropped to 10-4-2, 8 KOs. Despite Murakoshi's latest KO wins, it looked
a mismatch, considering the difference of their careers.
Promoter: Hokuriku Ishimaru Promotions.
Dec. 6
TOKYO--TETSUYA SHINOZAKI, 126, scored an upset decision over JBC #7
ranked TOSHIHARU SAOTOME, 126, over 10. MANABU FUKUSHIMA, 123 1/2,
halted TAKAYUKI YOKOYAMA, 123 1/2, at the end of th 7th round in the
first 10.
Promoter: Miyata Promotions.
Dec. 2
TOKYO--Lefty ex-amateur speedster KAZUHIRO RYUKO, 114 1/2, floored
Filipino ALPONG NAVAJA, 113 1/2, in the 4th and 9th to gain a lopsided
decision over 10. Ryuko attempted to score his first KO win as
professional, but in vain due to Navaja's durability. The winner is
7-1, no KO. Scored: triple 100-90.
JBC #6 straw SATOSHI YOSHIDA, 108, drew with JBC #4 jr. fly KIMIHIKO
IDE, 108, OVER 10. Yoshida is 11-9-2, 1 KO. Ide is 10-3-5, 3 KOs.
JBC #7 straw HIROSHI NAKAJIMA, 107 1/2, unanimously outscored KAZUHIRO
HIRAIDE, 108, over 8.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
Dec. 1
TOKYO--Once-beaten ex-amateur high school champ GO KANEUCHI, 129, had a
tough time with the flexible mobility and crafty defense of Mexican
hombre MOI RODRIGUEZ, 128 1/2, but earned a unanimous decision due to
his persistent body bombardments over 10. Scored: 99-94, 98-95 and
99-95. Kaneuchi, a lefty hard-puncher with frequent injuries and
cancellations therefor, went on his comeback and raised his mark to 9-1,
5 KOs. Rodriguez, Mexican #8 super-father, fell to 19-16-1, 8 KOs, but
he displayed a tough performance.
JBC #7 middle NOBUNAO OTANI, 159 1/2, was awarded a split decision over Korean JONGKWAN LIM, 160, over a close 10. Scored: 99-97 and 98-96 for Otani, and 97-96 for Lim. Otani, who lost to Hiroki Tomi in the All Japan Novice King tourney in Feb. of the previous year, is 11-2, 9 KOs.
Mongolian import ISOODOLIN BATNASAN, 147, decked his second pro fight
under the management of Teiken Promotions in stopping MASAAKI SAKAI, 146
3/4, at 2:16 of the 4th in a scheduled 6. Batnasan is now 2-0, as many
KOs. Sakai fell to 3-5, 1 KO.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
Nov. 30
SHIZUOKA--Local prospect KOJI SANO, 107 3/4, forced deteriorating
ex-national straw champ KUSUO EGUCHI, 108, to win a unanimous verdict over
10. Scored: 98-95, 96-95 and 98-94, all for Sano, 11-2-5, 3 KOs.
Eguchi, a tricky switch-hitter, dipped to 14-11-2, 5 KOs.
Promoter: Hiraiwa Promotions.
Nov. 30
KURASHIKI--Upcoming local prospect WOLF TOKIMITSU, 104 1/2, scored a
couple of standing counts on YUSUKE OKABE, 105 1/4, before he finished
him at 1:40 of the 4th canto in a scheduled 10. The victor is 9-2, 5
KOs. The loser fell to 4-6, 3 KOs.
Promoter: Okayama Moriyasu Promotions.
Nov. 27
OSAKA--Having failed to win the Japanese jr. welter title from Hisao
Arai last Jun., KIYOSHI ADACHI, 138 1/2, maintained pressure all the way
to score a unanimous nod over SEISAI YOSHIDA, 139 1/2, over 10. There
were no knockdowns despite a nearly lopsided processing. Adachi is
12-4, 8 KOs. Yoshida fell to 9-9-1, 5 KOs, having suffered 4 defeats in
a row.
Promoter: Harada Promotions.
HISAO ARAI D 10 HIROMU KUWATA
NOLITO "SUZUKI" CABATO TD 7 (AGAIN) MASAMORI TOKUYAMA
Nov. 25
OSAKA--A double national title bout was an attraction. Having dethroned
a then so-called stable champ on an upset 7th round TKO in the champ's
11th defense in Oct. of the previous year, lefty hard-hitter HISAO ARAI,
139 1/4, responded to a challenge of former champ HIROMU KUWATA, 138
3/4, and barely kept his title, as he came off the deck in the 3rd, and
showed his last surge in the 9th and 10th rounds to be saved with a
controversial draw over 10. Scored: 96-96, 97-97 and 96-95 for Arai.
Kuwata made a good start and took the initiative with fast left-right
combos. But the lefty champ fought back with his specialty, a southpaw
left, to mix up with the more experienced ex-champ. The 3rd saw Kuwata
land a well-timed right to the champ, who fell for the mandatory 8
count. Kuwata, who had moved Shinko Gym in Osaka to Kyoei Gym in Tokyo,
dominated the 6th through 8th stanzas. Arai, the son of former tough
boxer Kogen Arai, showed his willingness to keep the title and
desperately fought in the last 2 sessions. Their 3rd encounter will be
anticipated.
Filipino import NOLITO "SUZUKI" CABATO, over-rated #3 by the WBA, 111 1/4, again kept his Japanese fly title on a technical decision over MASAMORI TOKUYAMA, 111 1/2, at 1:50 of the 7th in a scheduled 10. Cabato, making his 4th defense, fought negatively, as usual, and attempted to counter the younger opponent. The champ, as usual, repeated clinching to cause the crowd's booing. It is a great question why the WBA ranks this mediocre Cabato so highly as #3 in the junior fly division, as Cabato will never be able to make the 108-poound limit. In his 5 previous national title bouts, including his title-winning bout with Eiji Shigeyasu in Nov. of the previous year, Cabato was a winner on a technical decision due to his own bleeding on 3 occasions(!). It was a rematch between them, as they fought to a draw with Cabato's title at stake in Osaka last Apr. Cabato, a least crowd-pleasing campaigner, is 35-15-2, 14 KOs. His Japanese campaigns results in 12-3-2, 5 KOs. Cabato reportedly has a managerial problem with his Japanese manager Taichi Suzuki, but he must concentrate on fighting to keep his national title to earn more dinero. Tokuyama fell to 14-2-1, 2 KOs.
Nov. 25
TOKYO--MONSTER NISHIYAMA, 125, survived a 2nd round visit to the deck
and came back hard to win a unanimous nod over KOICHI HONDA, 124 3/4,
over 8. Nishiyama, 7-2-4, 2 KOs, had him take a standing count in the
7th to have the upper hand on him. The loser impaired to 7-9-3, 4 KOs.
Nov. 20
NAGOYA--A dual 10-rounder ended each in a first round stoppage. JBC #2
middle HIROKI TOMI, 159 1/4, dropped Korean KWANGBOK CHOI, 156 3/4, with
a vicious left hook, followed up and scored a fine KO win at 2:56 of the
opening canto. Tomi, who had failed to win the national title from
Yoshinori Nishizawa in his previous bout in Tokyo, is 10-2-2, 5 KOs.
In a companion 10, fast-rising prospect KOZO ISHII, 121 1/2, ran his mark to 12-1, 7 KOs, as he floored Korean YONGJIN AHN, also 121 1/2, twice and halted him at 2:35 of the first session. Promoter: Tenyu Maruki Promotions.
AKIRA OHIGASHI KO 2 KATSUTOSHI SATO
Nov. 18
OSAKA--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. Sato had a 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.
In a main event, former 2-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 in his unsuccessful bid for the WBA flyweight throne last Feb. Ioka didn't look sharp 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 more fights prior to his last attempt to win the flyweight or junior bantamweight title, 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.
The first 10 saw TADASHI YUBA, 140, polish off HIROSHI IKEHATA, 140, at
3:01 of the 2nd round. Yuba is a left prospect with a 9-1, 6 KOs mark.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.
Dec. 23, Nagoya, Japan: WBA junior bantamweight title bout between defending champ YOKTHAI SITH-OAR (Thailand) vs. #2 contender SATOSHI IIDA (Japan)
Feb., Korea: WBA junior lightweight title bout between defending champ YONGSOO CHOI (Korea) vs. GILBERTO SERRANO (Venezuela)
Mar. 8, Yokohama, Japan: WBC bantamweight title bout between defending champ JOICHIRO TATSUYOSHI (Japan) vs. TBA
BEST REGARDS
JOE KOIZUMI