July 1, 1998
TOKYO--Korakuen Hall--Upcoming but still unheralded hard-hitter MANABU
FUKUSHIMA, JBC #9 ranked superbantam, 123 1/2, stunned the crowd as he
caught free-swinging ARMAN MOLINA, Philippine superbantam champ, 124,
with very effective combinations and dropped him for the count at 1:48
of the 8th session in a scheduled 10. Fukushima raised his credentials
to 12-2-1, 9 KOs. Molina reportedly fell to 34-11-8, 10 KOs. It's an
impressive upset result.
It was regarded as a mismatch because of their difference of careers. Molina became the Philippine national champ by beating Cris Bado on a 6th-round TKO in Jan. of the previous year, and kept it thrice in 1997. Furthermore, he decisioned the then highly ranked WBC contender and compatriot Fernando Montilla on points over 10 heats last Oct. to be currently ranked #20 in the WBC 122-pound division. On the contrary, for Fukushima, this was the 3rd 10-rounder despite his winning streak of 9 including a draw with Naoya Hirahara in his last 10 bouts.
But Fukushima, in his previous bout on Feb. 23, upset Indonesian bantam ruler Fauzi Armes with a single straight right into a come-from-behind KO in 6 rounds. It was an ambitious matchmaking that such a rookie as Fukushima fights foreign national champs in succession. For your reference, Fukushima's amateur mark was just 3-2, 2 RSCs in 5 contests.
It was an interesting battle. Molina kept swinging and stalking the Japanese footworker from the start. The Filipino was much more aggressive, but almost all punches hit the air, or were blocked by the youngster who occasionally landed a few one-two combos. Though Molina was pressing the action, he looked visibly tired because of missing too many blows as the bout progressed. Fukushima was in command in the 5th and 7th with his accurate and effective left-right combos.
In the fatal 8th, Fukushima unleashed a fusillade of punches to the fading Filipino, who amazingly hit the deck and stayed there on the seat of his trunks until referee Ken Morita tolled the fatal ten.
Lefty ex-Kinki Univ. amateur star KAZUHIRO RYUKO, JBC #2 ranked fly, 115, was befuddled by the opening attacks and undaunted spirit of unranked HIROKI SHINOZAKI, 114, but very barely took a split verdict over 10 fast rounds. Scored: Uratani and Date both 97-95 for Ryuko, and Tezaki 97-96 for Shinozaki. Ryuko is 8-1-1, no KO. Shinozaki fell to 12-3-1, 3 KOs.
Shinozaki once won the East-Japan Shinjin-o (Novice King) tourney when he was still a high school boy in 1994. The then unbeaten Shinozaki, a light-punching but fast footworker, engaged in a highly castigated encounter with ex-two time world champ Hiroki Ioka only to be flattened in the 4th in Oct., 1996. His following bout resulted in another defeat via a 9th round TKO by Kimihiko Ide in Apr. of the previous year. The crestfallen ex-prospect had been inactive since, but made a comeback as he changed his Club from Koei Kogyo Odawara Gym to Yonekura Gym. He might be fresh in mind, but his feather-fisted attack was as light and soft as previously, though fast.
Ryuko, who could not win the national fly title from Japanese-based
Filipino Nolito "Suzuki" Cabato last year, was unable to show his
progress. He absorbed Shinozaki's light but quick straight rights with
his face as he failed to move to the right but stayed in front of the
ex-Shijin-o winner. In the second half, as Shinozaki became tired and
slowed down, Ryuko occasionally scored with southpaw right hooks and
overcame his early deficits on points. Ryuko desperately went forward
and won the final session, which carried him to a hairline victory.
Promoter: JB Sports Promotions.
(7-1-98)
Born in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 14, 1974
Amateur record: 3-2, 2 stoppages (KO & RSC)
Manager: Naoto Takahashi, JB Sports Club
All of his previous bouts were fought at Korakuen Hall, Tokyo.
1994
12.05 Yoshiki Eto, TKO3
1995
03.23 Yutapon Maeda, L4
07.24 Tomohiro Terasawa, KO4
10.02 Kazuyuki Tsurushima, L4
12.11 Yoshiyuki Noguchi, KO1
1996
02.13 Yoshihiro Yamamoto, W4
07.21 Shigeru Sakai, KO1
08.27 Tomohiro Morimitsu, KO3
09.27 Naoya Hirahara, D4
1997
03.10 Ryu Shirai, KO4
06.09 Yasuyuki Ishii, W6
09.08 Kenichi Moriyama, W8
1998
02.23 Fauzi Armes, KO6
07.01 Arman Molina, KO8
END