NORWOOD LOSES WBA FEATHER TITLE ON SCALE BUT STOPS MATSUMOTO IN 10

WBA FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT
FREDDY NORWOOD TKO10R KOJI MATSUMOTO

Sep. 22
TOKYO, JAPAN-- Unbeaten FREDDY NORWOOD(right photo), 127 3/4, US, failed to make the weight and lost his WBA feather title on the scale, but completely overpowered and overwhelmed Japanese KOJI MATSUMOTO(left photo), 126, en route to a TKO win at 0:25 into the 10th before some 4,000 fans at Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium.

The crowd got stunned at Norwood being introduced as former world champ by the ring announcer before the fight. Norwood scaled 135 lbs. a day before the weigh-in, and made his strenuous effort to reduce his weight up to one pound and 3/4 over the feather limit at the official weigh-in. He had been desperately running and squeezing sweat in a sauna bath. Norwood was allowed to make his weight in two hours after the weigh-in, but he was so drained and groggy as to give up another attempt to reduce his weight.

Matsumoto, who passed the weigh-in at the class limit, had a chance to become the WBA titlist if he beat the former champ. But it resulted in a lopsided affair.

It was an encounter of lefties. Norwood, who dubbed himself 'Li'l Hagler'due to his resemblance with Marvelous Marvin, overpowered him from the outset. In the closing seconds of the opening canto, Noowood caught the taller Japanese with very solid left crosses to the neck and had him at bay.

The 28-year-old Norwood, who acquired the vacant title by beating Venezuelan Antonio Cermeno on points in Puerto Rico last Apr., was also in command in the 2nd, as he often landed heavy left crosses followed by solid right right hooks that reddened his opponent's face.

Matsumoto, also 28 and formerly Japanese national feather champ and the OPBF ruler, showed his best in Round 3, when he threw many jabs and scored with double right hooks to the face. Norwood tossed a punch at a time in anxiety of his stamina, but his sporadic punches looked more powerful than the light-punching Japanese.

The 4th saw Norwood landing solid shots to have Matsumoto forced to keep circling with few jabs.

Norwood dominated the 5th, but was penalized a point as he repeated hitting lower than the belt despite the South African referee Stanley Christodoulou's warnings.

The 6th and 7th were all Norwood, who had him on the defensive with destructive shots to the face and breadbasket. Matsumoto could only jab and block Norwood's assault.

Norwood, in the 8th, had him on the verge of a knockdown when he pinned Matsumoto to the ropes and tossed a barrage of punches. It's a really onesided round with Matsumoto saved by the bell.

It was surprising that Norwood, after such a drastic weight reduction, maintained his zip and kept punching positively and powerfully without showing a sign of his expected fatigue in the second half.

After another lopsided round in the 9th, the third man said to the manager and chief second Kenji Yonekura, "The next may be the last round. Your boy will be stopped without showing something."

As the 10th started, Norwood's southpaw right hook had him reeling to the ropes. Then, the ref wisely declared a well-received stoppage to save the loser from further punishment.

Matsumoto showed his big heart and great durability by withstanding Norwood's terrific attacks without hitting the deck, but their difference of power was so obvious for Matsumoto to overcome.

Scoring after the 9th: Medardo Villalobos (Panama) 89-80 (which means that Norwood didn't lose even a round except being penalized a point in the 5th), Hector Hernandez (Mexico) 87-84, and Moohong Moon (Korea) 88-83, all for Norwood, who raised his mark to 32-0-1, 20 KOs. Matsumoto, a crestfallen and nose-bleeding loser, fell to 26-6-1, 15 KOs.

Matsumoto failed to win the world throne in his 3rd attempt, as he suffered an 11th round KO by the then WBA feather champ Yungkyun Park in 1992 and lost to Yongsoo Choi on a close but unanimous verdict in a bid for the WBA super feaher title in the previous year, both in Korea. He couldn't show any of his usual skill, as he was overpowered by the shorter but more muscular ex-champ.

Norwood said after the victory, "I got diappointed at myself, losing my title on the scale. But I will win back the world title soon." He defended his title by beating Genaro Rios (TKO8) in Jun. and Luis Mendoza (W12) in Jul., but he failed in his 3rd defense because of his loss to the scale.

In Japan, it was just a second time that a world champ lost his title on the scale since Chartchai Choinoi, Thailand, lost his WBA fly title at the wigh-in and Japanese challenger Susumu Hatangata became the new champ by stopping him in the 6th in Yokohama on Oct. 8, 1974.

UNDERCARD:

Hiroki Shinozaki, 114 1/4, chalked up a TKO win over Filipino Ricky Sales, 115 3/4, at 2:31 of the 5th in a scheduled 10. The JBC#10 light fly Shinozaki is 13-3-1, 4 KOs. Sales reportedly fell to 12-15-6, 9 KOs.

SCORECARDS

MEDARDO VILLALOBOS (PANAMA)

HECTOR HERNANDEZ (MEXICO)

MOOHONG MOON (KOREA)

DEDUCTION OF A POINT IN THE 5TH: DUE TO LOW BLOWS

REFEREE: STANLEY CHRSTODOULOU
WBA SUPERVISOR: RENZO BAGNARIOL (NICARAGUA)

PROMOTER: YONEKURA PROMOTIONS IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEIKEN PROMOTIONS.
(9-22-98)

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