May. 17, 1999
TOKYO, JAPAN-Slick-punching RICK "YOSHIMURA" ROBERTS(right photo), 134 1/4,
registered the 18th defense of his Japanese national lightweight title,
as he gave a sound boxing lesson to TAKAYUKI YOSHIOKA(left photo), 134 3/4, an
elongated but slower opponent, to win a shutout decision over 10.
Rick, a New Yorker living in Japan, proved too sharp and ringwise for
the awkward opponent by piling up points steadily with his accurate jabs
and left-right combinations.
Scored: Asao 100-91, Fukuchi and Tezaki both 100-92, all for the defending champ, ranked #9 by the WBC, who raised his ledger to 35-5, 20 KOs, including his two defeats in the beginning of his career in New York. It means that Rick, an Alexis Arguello stylist, lost just thrice after he began campaigning here. Yoshioka, who previously scored an upset stoppage of formerly world-rated Hiromu Yoshihiro Kuwata, fell to 10-5-1, 6 KOs.
Upcoming OSAMU SATO(right photo), JBC #4 super-bantam, 121 1/2, battered Filipino
veteran JAKE CARTE, 122, so lopsidedly as to prompt the referee Ukrid
Sarasas's intervention at 2:40 of the opening canto in a scheduled 10.
Through there were no knockdowns, the Filipino absorbed Sato's persistent peppering with his back to the ropes without his retaliation. Sato bettered his mark to 14-1-1, 7 KOs. Carte, who had been previously fighting as Ricarte Cainiela (or Cainela), suffered consecutive TKO losses, following his stoppage by Kozo Ishii in Nagoya last Dec.
JBC #3 ranked light fly RYUJI MURAMATSU, 110 1/4, struggled to earn a majority decision over game and durable HIROKI HIRANO, 110 1/4, over 8.
It was a give-and-take affair with Muramatsu dominating later rounds to carry him to a victory. Scored: 79-77, 78-77 and 78-78.
Muramatsu, who had failed to win the Japanese light fly title on four occasions, improved his mark to 18-5, 9 KOs. Hirano dropped to 6-7, 1 KO.
Kyoei Promotions in association with Ishikawa Promotions.
(5-17-99)