Apr. 24, 1999
KAKOGAWA, JAPAN-WBA #15 ranked prospect TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA(right photo), 118, kept his
Japanese bantam title as he impressively chalked up a TKO victory over
JBC #1 contender SHIGERU NAKAZATO(left photo), 117 1/2, at 1:21 of the 8th round.
Nishioka proved to be one of the brightest prospects here, along with
the Japanese super-fly champ Akihiko Nago, by lopsidedly whipping the
highly regarded opposition.
Nishioka, a hard-hitting lefty, dropped the sturdy puncher from Okinawa with a stunning southpaw left in the 2nd. The champ effectively caught him with sharper punches, piling up points steadily.
Nishioka's right jab opened a gash on the left eyebrow of Nakazato. It grew so wide and deep that the referee had the cut examined by the ringside physician in the 8th. After the fight was allowed to go on, Nishioka had him reeling to the ropes with a flurry of solid punches. The ref declared a halt to save the loser from further punishment.
Nishioka, ranked #18 by the WBC, lately showed his rapid progress in registering 11 wins in a row, including 7 KOs. He is 17-2-1, 10 KOs. Nakazato, a sensational KO artist, failed to show his potential power and fell to 16-3, 11 KOs.
Nishioka, 22, beat Indonesian champs Armado Fandi (W10) and Fazi Armes
(KO6) before he became the national champ by finishing Junichi Watanabe
in 2 rounds last Dec. He may be a good candidate to succeed our
superstar Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, if he improves his defensive skill.
Apr. 26
OSAKA, JAPAN-Though the OPBF title wasn't at stake, Japanese
super-welter champ AKIRA OHIGASHI, 155 3/4, scored an important trimph,
as he floored the OPBF ruler KUKYUL SONG, 155 1/2, ranked #6 by the WBC,
with a barrage of punches for the count at 1:14 of the 9th.
Song showed light but sharp combinations to the shorter Japanese in the opening session. Ohigashi, however, went forward to land heavier punches to take back the initiative. Song occasionally regained his pace with his faster combos. After see-saw proceedings, Ohigashi turned loose and pinned Song with a solid right following a short left hook. Song went down. When he raised himself, the ref had tolled the fatal ten.
Ohigashi improved his mark to 28-7-2, 18 KOs. Song dropped to 17-2-1,
12 KOs.
Taiho Promotions.
(4-26-99)
Apr. 27
TOKYO-Unbeaten TOSHIHARU KAYAMA, 146 3/4, kept his Japanese welter title
on a fine TKO win over #1 contender SHINJI SAEKI, 146 1/4, at 0:30 of
the 5th round.
It's Kayama's finest performance. He impressively outjabbed him from the outset, and sent him to the deck in the 4th. In the next and fatal session Kayama followed up with a fusillade of punches to prompt the referee's intervention.
Kayama raised his unbeaten mark to 13-0-1, 9 KOs. Saeki, who failed to win the national title for the third time, fell to 14-4, 12 KOs.
Hard-punching JUNICHI WATANABE, 121, JBC #4 bantie, scored a TKO win
over MASAKI HIRAMARU, 121 1/4, at 2:51 of the 4th round in a semi-final
10. Watanabe, 17-2, 14 KOs, failed to win the vacant Japanese bantam
throne only to be KO'd by Toshiaki Nishioka in the 2nd last Dec.
Hiramaru is 10-3-2, 7 KOs.
Watanabe Promotions.
(4-27-99)