Jun 09, 1998
NAGOYA--Nakamura Sports Center--Upcoming KOZO ISHII(right photo), 121 1/2, decked an
important victory over WBA #5 ranked bantam and WBC #8 super-bantam
YONGHOON LEE(left photo), 122, as he almost made him groggy in the 7th and 10th
rounds to win a well-received unanimous decision over 10. Ishii scored
8 wins in a row and raised his ledger to 15-1, 9 KOs. Lee, a seasoned
veteran, dropped to 31-2-1, 15 KOs. Scored: referee Ito 97-95, judge
Sakaitani 98-95 and judge Tomoto 99-96, all for Ishii.
Ishii registered two valuable wins in a row, demolishing ex-OPBF bantam champ Changkyun Oh in 5 on Mar. 22 and defeated the formidable Lee to his credit. Ishii, piloted by ex-world challenger Takao "Tenyu" Maruki, showed a rapid progress lately.
It was a hard-fought battle. Lee, who had battled Victor Rabanales for the vacant WBC interim bantam title only to lose on a 9th-round technical decision in Los Angeles in 1992, had not lost to anybody but to Rabanales. The taller Lee landed solid overhand rights, but Ishii fought inside of Lee and scored with solid shots. After the see-saw proceedings, Ishii had Lee rubbery-legged with a solid left hook, twice, in the 7th and 10th, which carried him to a convincing triumph.
JBC #6 middle Kenji Tamaoki, 161, utilized his left hand and earned a
split decision over Hiroki Tomi(right photo), JBC #2 middle, 156 3/4, over 10.
Scored: 97-95 and 99-95 for Tamaki, and 98-97 for Tomi. Tamaoki is 8-3,
6 KOs. Tomi, who had failed to win the Japanese national middle title
from Yoshinori Nishizawa (Tamaoki's stablemate) in the previous year,
dropped to 12-3-2, 6 KOs.
Promoter: Tenyu Promotions.
(6-7-98)
June 7
HAMAMATSU--Hamamatsu City Gymnasium--Yasunori Tsukamoto, 134 3/4, scored
a TKO win over Arigosa, Indonesian #2 ranked lightweight, at 1:34 of the
8th round in a scheduled 10.
Promoter: Seien Promotions.