We make it a rule to have the annual Carnival of Champions in Japan, where all the national champions must defend their titles against the #1 contenders in the first four months of the new year. The cards will take place as follows:
STRAWWEIGHT: KEITARO HOSHINO VS. MAKOTO SUZUKI, FEB. 24, TOKYO
JR. FLYWEIGHT: HIDENOBU HONDA VS. TRASH NAKAMUMA, FEB. 3, OSAKA
FLYWEIGHT: NOLITO SUZUKI CABATO VS. CELES KOBAYASHI, APR. 4, TOKYO
JR. BANTAMWEIGHT: YOSHIAKI MATSUKURA VS. AKIHIKO NAGO, MAR. 9, TOKYO
BANTAMWEIGHT: JIRO MATSUSHIMA VS. SHIN YAMATO, JAN. 27, TOKYO
FEATHERWEIGHT: TAKASHI KOSHIMOTO VS. ATSUSHI HAGIWARA, FEB. 15, MUNAKATA, FUKUOKA
JR. LIGHTWEIGHT: KOJI ARISAWA VS. TAKANORI HATAKEYAMA, MAR. 29, TOKYO
LIGHTWEIGHT: RICK ROBERTS YOSHIMURA VS. YOICHI IWAMOTO, MAR. 16, TOKYO
JR. WELTERWEIGHT: HISAO ARAI VS. JUNICHI ONO, END OF APR., SENDAI
WELTERWEIGHT: MAKOTO NAKAHARA VS. TERUO NAGASE, FEB. 23, TOKYO
JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT: AKIRA OHIGASHI VS. TATSUFUMI ITO, FEB. 3, OSAKA
MIDDLEWEIGHT: YOSHINORI NISHIZAWA VS. ATSUSHI SASAWAKI, MAR. 24, TOKYO
The best card is the junior light champ Koji Arisawa vs. Takanori Hatakeyama at Ryogoku Sumo Arena which has been used just for the world title bouts and the capaicity of which is some 10,000. Arisawa, unbeaten KO artist, has registered 12 KOs in as many latest fights, while Hatakeyama fought to a draw with Yongsoo Choi in a quest for the WBA junior light title last year. Plus, the junior bantam Yoshiaki Matsukura, who also scored 11 consecutive KOs, will square off against unbeaten hard-puncher Akihiko Nago, ex-All Japan high school champ, piloted by ex-WBA jr. fly champ Yoko Gushiken.
JAPAN
Jan. 25
NAGOYA--JUNICHI NAKAMURA, 126, stopped Filipino FRED LANOHAN, 124, at
2:45 of the 2nd round in a scheduled 10. Nakamura floored him with an
uppercut following a body shot. After Lanohan hit the deck again,
Nakamura battered him with a barrage of punches, when the towel cam
fluttering to save the loser. Nakamura, who had failed to win the
national feather title from Takashi Koshimoto twice in the previous
year, is 19-3-1, 15 KOs. Lanohan reportedly dipped to 12-11-4, 3 KOs.
In a main event, WBA #5 ranked minimum SATORU ABE, 105, dug a wicked
body shot to Filipino RUDY GUILOS, 104 1/2, at 0:39 of the 3rd round in
a scheduled 10. Abe is 19-2, 6 KOs. Guilos reportedly fell to 15-6, 7
KOs.
Promoter: Matsuda Promotions.
KOREA
The WBA junior lightweight mandatory title bout between defending champ Yongsoo Choi, Korea, and Gilberto Serrano, Venezuela, has been definitely rescheduled on March 7 in Korea. It was reportedly by Kukdong Promotions, Korea.