Apr. 12, 1999
TOKYO-Korakuen Hall-Slick-punching JUNICHI ONO(right photo), WBA's #7 ranked
contender, 140, very barely kept his Japanese super-lightweight title,
as he was awarded a highly controversial split decision over HIROYUKI
MAEDA(left photo), 140, over 10 close frames.
Scored: Fukuchi and Date, both 97-96 for Ono, and Tezaki 97-96 for Maeda.
It was their grudge fight, as they battled to a hard-fought draw in Feb.
of the previous year. Ono seemed to pay too much respect, and kept
circling and showboating until the end of the 6th round.
Maeda, a constant aggressor, threw more punches, stalking the elusive champ. The taller challenger seemed to dominate some 4 rounds in the first 6 rounds due to his obvious aggressiveness.
Ono turned loose from the 6th onward. He scored with occasional left-right combos, and swept the last 4 rounds even by a small margin, though Maeda kept coming forward and missed plenty of punches.
Some angry adherents of Maeda threw programs and cans into the ring in protest against the official verdict. There almost happened a riot. Ono should have thrown more punches to counter the willing mixer, Maeda, but he was somehow negative and defensive throughout the contest though he was superior in terms of precision in the last 4 sessions. Maeda deserves a rematch.
We found a good flyweight prospect in the semi-final, though he eventually became a loser.
Upcoming hard-puncher MOTOICHIRO SATO, JBC #6 fly contender, 113, was declared a TKO loser to ex-national champ and Japanese-based Filipino NOLITO "SUZUKI" CABATO, 113, at 1:56 of the 9th round due to his badly swollen eyes, though Sato fought well and dropped the ex-champ with a vicious right in the 5th.
Scored after the 8th: double 76-76 and 76-75 for Sato, who dropped to 11-2-1, 8 KOs. Cabato raised his mark to 35-19-5, 14 KOs.
The taller Sato outjabbed and outpunched Cabato, who occasionally landed solid punches to the newcomer. It was a see-saw affair with both throwing hot rallies. Sato made Cabato kneel down with a beautiful overhand right in the 5th. But Cabato came back hard to retaliate with all-out attacks in the 8th. Sato's optics became swollen and almost closed at the referee's intervention.
Shin-Nihon Kimura Promotions.
(4-12-99)
RYUKI STOPS VETERAN IWASA IN 6OSAKA-Osaka Prefectural Gymasium-Unbeaten ex-amateur boxer and JBC #3 ranked super-feather KENJI RYUKI(right photo), 125 1/4, opened a gash on veteran TOMOAKI IWASA(left photo), 125, with his legal blows, and was awarded a TKO win at 2:03 of the 6th round in a scheduled 10.
There happened a post-fight fiasco, as Iwasa's cornermen claimed that
the cut was caused by an accidental butt, so a technical decision, not a
TKO, should have been rendered. But the JBC insisted that Ryuki's legal
punches opened the laceration of Iwasa, who dropped to 23-7-3, 16 KOs.
Ryuki ran his unbeaten mark to 7-0, 5 KOs. Ryuki, a legitimate
126-pounder despite being ranked in the 130-pound division by the JBC,
is gunning for a title shot at the Japanese feather champ Takashi
Koshimoto or the OPBF feather champ Takeo Imaoka in the near future.
UNDERCARD:In a clash of hard-punchers, JBC #5 super-light KIYOSHI ADACHI, 138 3/4, outscored JBC #4 contender YOSHINORI TAKENAKA(right photo), 139 1/2, over 10.
Adachi, Ryuki's senior stablemate, is 15-4-1, 9 KOs. Takenaka fell to 13-3, 11 KOs.
Harada Promotions.
(4-15-99)