August 12, 1999
OSAKA, JAPAN-Fast-rising prospect HARUHIKO OKUDA(right photo), Japan's #3 ranked
featherweight contender, 126, displayed his remarkable progress in
impressively demolishing ex-Filipino champ NOEL HAMMER PAN(left photo), 125 1/2, at
2:52 of the second round in a scheduled 10.
Okuda is handled by Eijiro Murata, ex-WBA & WBC #1 ranked bantam contender as well as the OPBF kingpin who once kept his regional title no less than 12 times. Pan had displayed his durability and fighting spirit against the OPBF feather champ Takeo Imaoka in a quest for the title, though losing on an 8th round KO in Tokyo last May.
Okuda sent Pan on the deck with a beautiful countering right in the
opening canto, and had him staggering with a flurry of punches in the
second, when the referee intervened to save the loser. Okuda, 14-1, 10
KOs, scored 11 consecutive victories since his sole second round KO by
Tatsuyuki Nakamura on Sept. 25, 1996.
Okuda is fast and sharp, and can punch. His manager Murata failed to win the world throne, having drawn with Lupe Pintor and Jeff Chandler and lost to Chandler twice. But his pet boy Okuda may become a good opposition against WBC #2 ranked OPBF champ Imaoka, or WBC #6 ranked Japanese national champ Takashi Koshimoto. Let's watch this upcoming prspect.
The Filipino loser Pan sagged to 11-9-4, 7 KOs.
In a supporting ten, veteran jabber ATSUSHI TAMAKI, 128, survived a third-round visit to the deck, but fought back hard to weaken a fading Filipino AGUI FRANCISCO, 127 1/4, en route to a fine come-from-behind KO at 1:50 of the 6th round.
Tamaki had been unsuccessful in obtaining the Japanese feather title, losing to Koji Matsumoto in 1992, to Matsumoto again in 1995, and to Takashi Koshimoto in an elimination bout in 1996. Tamaki, a sharp jabber who has a suspect chin, also failed to win the OPBF feather belt on a first round KO defeat by Takeo Imaoka in 1998. He was unfortunate in four attempts to win the throne, but he still has a hot motivation to win a title.
Tamaki, 31, bettered his mark to 26-9-7, 9 KOs. The Filipino loser is reportedly 5-4, one KO.
Eddie Taunsend Promotions.
(8-12-99)