May 9, 1998
TOKYO, JAPAN--Korakuen Hall--Filipino bantam ruler JESS MACA, 118,
managed to win a majority decision over Japanese defending champ
MASAHIKO NAKAMURA(right photo), 117 1/2, to capture the OPBF bantamweight throne over
12 hard-fought rounds. Scored: referee Carlos Padilla (Philippines)
116-114, judge Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) 116-115, both for Maca, and
Hiroyuki Tezaki (Japan) 115-115. Maca bettered his mark to 32-16-3, 16
KOs. Nakamura fell to 13-2, 9 KOs.
It was a grudge fight for Nakamura, a less skillful, awkward but hard-hitting propsect, as he tasted his first setback, losing a lopsided decision to Maca in Apr. of the previous year. Nakamura wrested the OPBF title by outpowering Korean Insik Koh to win a 12-round decision last Nov. The Japanese puncher disposed of ex-WBC light fly boss Rolando Pascua in just 2 rounds last Jan.
Nakamura, lately coached by Cuban trainer Ismael Salas, was expected to show some improvement and revenge his previous loss, but he was just what he used to be, or worse than in his previous rough-swinging style. Maca himself was not in so good shape as in his first encounter with Nakamura, as he looked slower and sluggish. But he was a better boxer than the more powerful but less accurate hard-hitter Nakamura.
It was a strange bout, as Nakamura was an aggressor all night, while Maca was retreating all the way. The Japanese tried to score body shots and kept going forward. The Filipino occasionally hit the stiff and tight target with light but accurate combinations. Nakamura dominated the 5th and 6th, while Maca was in clear command in the 9th and 12th. All other rounds were lousy and close enough to be scored to either.
It was a fair decision, as some of Japanese aficionados thought that
Nakamura had won by evaluating his futile aggressiveness and protested
against the decision. Maca was not an impressive winner, but he hit the
target a bit more accurately than Nakamura.
In a semi-final 10, WBC #3 ranked lightie HIROYUKI SAKAMOTO(left photo), 135, blasted out a Filipino named ROBERTO RUIZ, 135, with a single body shot at 3:07 of the opening session. Sakamoto had dropped a split verdict to Steve Johnston in a bid for the WBC 135-pound crown last Jul. Sakamoto's right uppercut to the belly was a haymaker, but the Filipino's body might be made of glass. His too easy defeat was jeered by the crowd. Sakamoto, a hard-punching swinger, is 30-2, 21 KOs. Ruiz's mark by Phill Marder's record book by the end of the previous year was 6-14-2, 4 KOs (see Page 575).
In a good matchup, JBC #8 bantam Junichi Watanabe, 118, swarmed over JBC
#7 bantam Kazuo Kuroda, 117, from Nagoya, dropped him once en route to a
quick stoppage at 2:20 in the opening canto of a scheduled 6. Watanabe bettered his ledger to 14-1, 11 KOs. Kuroda fell to 9-2-2, 4 KOs.
Promoter: Kadoebi Promotions.
(5-9-98)
May 11, 1998
TOKYO, JAPAN--Korakuen Hall--Lefty YUTAKA MANABE, 122, less impressively
kept his national title as he bloodied MASAYUKI FURUYA, a game but less
powerful opponent, 121 1/2, had him at bay on many occasions, but had to
be content with a win on points over 10. Manabe, making his first
defense since dethroning Kyoshiro Fukushima in Kyushu last year, is
20-5-1, 13 KOs. Furuya, JBC #10 ranked contender, impaired to 9-6-1, 3
KOs. Scored: double 98-92 and 98-94.
It was a lousy fight, though Manabe had the upper hand all the way. Manabe failed to catch the target with so accurate combinations as to finish him to cause great frustration of the crowd especially in the last two sessions. Furuya desperately threw big rights to the left champ, whose bad habit was a failure to pull his chin--a la Prince Naseem Hamed. Hamed can punch and finish his foe with a single shot, but Manabe temporarily took big shots to be rubbery-legged and grab Furuya. Manabe, a stock-dealer in a security company, should return to his previous hit-and-run style, or improve his defense more and more. Otherwise, his national title will not be kept by him so long.
YUTAKA MANABE(left) and MASAYUKI FURUYA(right)
JBC #7 jr. lightie KENJI FUKUNAGA, 135, slugged it out to win a unanimous decision (98-94, 98-96 and 99-97) over JBC #5 lightie HARUHIKO NAKANE, 135, in 10 hot heats. Fukunaga is 12-5-3, 6 KOs, and Nakane 8-3-3, 5 KOs.
Hidekazu Matsunobu, 128, made short work of Filipino Jimboy Baiok, 128, stopping him at 2:40 of the opening session in a scheduled 8. The victor upped his mark to 11-1, 8 KOs. The Filipino loser's record was announced to be 17-4, 10 KOs, including this unimpressive defeat, but it may be questionable. The Japanese displayed an opening attack and had him reeling to the ropes, when the referee decalred a standing count. His follow-up promoted the third man to halt the affair soon.
Energetic Tadashi Honda, 134 1/2, ran his unbeaten mark to 6-0-1, 4 KOs,
by gaining a nearly shutout nod (double 60-57 and 59-56) over Yasuharu
Yamaguchi, 135, over 6.
Promoter: Miyata Promotions.
(5-11-98)