GAMEZ RISKS WBA FLY BELT AGAINST UNBEATN THAILANDER

LEO GAMEZ, WBA flyweight champ of Venezuela, will put his WBA flyweight title on the line against Thailander SORNPICHAI KRATCHINGDAENG in Mukdahan, Thailand, on September 3. Gamez, a 35-year-old veteran, captured the throne by demolishing defending champ Hugo Soto, Argentina, in three upset rounds on the undercard of the controversial Holyfield vs. Lewis unification bout in New York on Mar. 13. Gamez, on May 29, acquired the WBA interim super-fly title-his 4th belt of the WBA--by stopping Josue Camacho in 8 losided rounds in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but promptly renounced this interim belt. The tiny Venezuelan, standing just 5'1", has welcome his second (or third, or fourth?) peak, and still can punch with either hand. Sornpichai, super-fly champ of PABA (Pan Asian Boxing Associaiton belonging to the WBA), is an unbeaten hard-hitting prospect who boasts of a 16-0, 13 KOs mark. Sornpichai, who moves down to the 112-pound division, lately retained his PABA 115-pound title by disposing of Korean Muncho Chon in 4 rounds at Samut-Sakorn, Thailand, on June 16. For Gamez, 32-6-1, 24 KOs, this upcoming Thailander is a formidable challenger based on his local advantage. But Gamez has some experiences in fighting in the hot and humid country, as he drew with Hadao CP Gym, flattened the current WBA 108-pound champ Pichit Chor Siriwat and lost to Saen Sow Ploenchit-all with the WBA title at stake. Gamez's experience and power punching cannot be denied, but Sornpichai is such a talented prospect as to be worth becoming the new titlist.

SOGKRAM ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN HIS STRIPPED INTERIM TITLE

SONGKRAM PORPAOIN, a former WBA interim minimum champ, was lately stripped of his belt, as he lost to Hiroshi Matsumoto by a shamefully onesided decision in Japan on May 16-without reporting his participation in a non-title bout to the WBA beforehand. But the generous WBA has sanctioned an elimination bout to decide the new WBA interim 105-pound titlist between #4 ranked Songkram and #3 ranked NOEL ARAMBULET, Venezuela, in Thailand. Niwat Laosuwanwat, manager/promoter of the Thai legend Khaosai Galaxy, the Porpaoin twins (Chana and Songkram both of whom became world champs) and Sornpichai, has reportedly decided to book this eliminator along with the Gamez vs. Sornpichai WBA fly title go on the same card on September 3 due to the WBA's strong order to materialize it early by giving a special pardon to Songkram, a 33-year-old declining veteran.

LET'S FIGHT, GUSHIKEN!

HIDEKI TODAKA(right photo), the new WBA super-fly champ of Japan, 15-2-1, 7 KOs, is planning to risk his title against a sensationally unbeaten lefty compatriot named AKIHIKO NAGO, 15-0, 11 KOs, managed by Yoko Gushiken, in Tokyo this coming November. We, in Japan, make it a rule to celebrate a post-fight press conference at 10:00 am of the next day that our Japanese boy decks a victory in a world title bout. Todaka, his manager/promoter Toshiro Matsuo and his trainer Mack Kurihara verbally attacked Gushiken, formerly a great champ who kept his WBA 108-pound title 13 times but quite ignorant in the boxing business, due to his prefight careless comments without common sense--throughout the post-fight press conference after Todaka wrested the WBA belt. Gushiken had made a straightforward approach to the defending champ Jesus Rojas's manager Jairo Cuba before his defense, saying, "Let's make a fight of Rojas and my boy Nago after you beat Todaka." Gushiken commented that Nago would be promised to get a shot at Rojas after the Venezuelan's fight with Todaka, which meant that it was taken for granted that Todaka would lose to Rojas. Gushiken is a likable ex-champ and still a well-known celebrity, plus eagerly anticipates his golden boy Nago's coronation. So, Todaka's party cried, "Let's come out fighting, Gushiken and Nago!" The Todaka vs. Nago encounter will see a financial success without doubt.

DON'T IMITATE HAMED IMPROPERLY, YAMGUCHI!

KEIJI YAMAGUCHI(right), handled by ex-world junior light champ Hiroshi Kobayashi, is training strenuously under his strict and stubborn manager's supervision in preparation for his crack at the WBA super-fly title against unbeaten Korean speedster INJOO CHO(left), 15-0, 7 KOs, at Ryogoku Sumo Arena, Tokyo, on Sept. 5. The cocky lefty Yamaguchi, 28-4, 11 KOs, possesses a fast hand and a swift foot, though lacking convincing power. Yamaguchi's flaw is his tendency to hang his guard too low-a la his idol Prince Naseem Hamed, who can dodge his opponent's punches with his fantastic reflexes almost perfectly, but Yamaguchi tends to imitate Hamed imperfectly. Yamaguchi forfeited his WBA light fly title with a single southpaw right hook of Pichit Cho Siriwat in just two rounds while he hung his hands low in 1996-to be severely criticized by the press and experts (in Japan, our so-called experts are so traditional and stubborn as to stick to the fundamental theory). It's interesting how the hard-headed Kobayashi, who kept his world throne 6 times with his excellent and tradiitonal skill, will correct Yamaguchi's oft-castigated style. Cho, whose amateur mark was 89-6, 45 stoppages, says he will not be worried about the Japanese rival's southpaw stance.

WBA SUPER-FEATHER KINGPIN SIM MAKES HIS FIRST DEFENSE

LAKVA SIM, new WBA super-feather champ, is reported to put his title on the line against unbeaten Korean JONGKWON BAEK, 20-0, 18 KOs, in Korea on October 17. Sim, 11-1-1, 10 KOs, captured the WBA title on a very impressive 5th round TKO over Takanori Hatakeyama in Tokyo on June 27. He belongs to a Korean Dae-A gym with a Korean manager named Youngdae Bae, and Bae once planned to accept an offer from Korean #1 national contender Kyuchul Choi. But Bae finally accepted the offer from the unbeaten and popular hard-puncher Baek, the current OPBF lightweight champ, who will have to reduce some poundages from 135 to 130 out of his muscular physique. Both can punch, but Sim seems to be technically more skillful.

SAMAN GOES TO KOREA TO RISK HIS WBC LIGHT-FLY TITLE

SAMAN SORJATURONG, WBC light flyweight champ, will face the top contender YOSAM CHOI, 20-1, 10 KOs, in Korea in October. Choi and Jongkwon Baek both belong to Sungmin Promotion with good sponsorship despite a still stagnant recession in Korea. It may be hard that Sungmin Promotion will stage a double world title bout on the same October 17, so there may be a possibility that this Saman vs. Choi title go will take place on October 17, and the Sim vs. Baek title bout may be postpone for some weeks. Meanwhile, Saman was slated to risk his 108-pound belt against WBC minimum champ Ricardo Lopez on August 21, but was abruptly cancelled by Don King Productions. Lopez will shift his target to the IBF light fly champ Willie Grigsby on the same date. It is rumored that Don King could not afford to guarantee big paydays to both small men, Saman and Lopez, since US fans still don't pay great attentions to title bouts in such a light division as 105-pound.

MONTALBAN'S INURY CAUSES OPBF ELIMINATION BOUT

RAFFY MONTALBAN, OPBF super-fly champ rated #6 by the WBA, suffered a hand fracture during his workout in Manila on July 28, and became unable to participate in his scheduled defense against Japanese speedster Masamori Tokuyama in Osaka on September 17. An excellent matchmaker successfully persuaded Marty Elorde, the youngest son of legendary ex-world junior light champ Flash Elorde and Montalban's co-manager as well, to make him renounce the regional title and allow Tokuyama and WBC #11 ranked Thailander Pone Saengmorakot to dispute the vacant title under the condition that Montalban shall be given a mandatory shot at the new champ upon his recovery. This eliminator was sanctioned by the flexible-minded OPBF president Frank Quill of Australia. Hideo Kanazawa, ex-world rated Orient junior middle champ and manager/promoter of Tokuyama, had a headache after hearing the news of Montalban's injury, as he had already been selling many tickets of the Montalban vs. Tokuyama title go. Kanazawa was saved by Quill's sanction. Tokuyama is a remarkable speedster who halted ex-two time world champ Hiroki Ioka into retirement and beat WBA #15 ranked Takuya Kiya with ease.

JAPAN'S HOT SUMMER

What a terrible pace our Japanese boxing fraternity takes! There have been many important cards almost everyday. On July 31, Hideaki Todaka dethroned WBA super-fly champ Jesus Rojas in Nagoya. On August 2, ex-OPBF welter champ Hiroyuki Yoshino(right photo) decisioned Filipino titlist Bert Bado in Tokyo. On August 3, Japanese middle champ Naotaka Hozumi sank Indonesian Wahyu Widodo in the opening session in Tokyo. On August 6, in Tokyo, ex-two time world challenger Yuji Watanabe flattened Thai #1 feather contender Siengthipya Sitsyasei in 2. On August 7, Japanese super-light champ Junichi Ono, WBA #4 ranked contender, retained his title by lopsidedly decisioning Masayuki Uchida in Sendai. On the same night, in Tokyo, fast-rising Japanese bantam champ Toshiaki Nishioka stopped Thai champ Yodsingh Chuwatana in 4. On August 8, WBC #8 ranked super-bantam contender Kozo Ishii acquired the vacant OPBF title on a first-round demolition of Filipino champ Dino Olivetti in Nagoya. On August 9, WBC #11 ranked super-welter and ex-Japanese champ Akira Ohigashi embalmed Filipino Florence Galicia in 2 in Osaka. On the same night, in Tokyo, Kazu Arisawa, one of the popular fighting twins, avenged his previous KO defeat by outscoring Toshiharu Saotome in 10. This reporter is the matchmaker of seven cards out of the aforementioned. Our promoters, let's take summer holidays!

REMARKS: This reporter often describes a fight involving a Thai boxer like a Saman vs. Lopez bout, or a Gamez vs. Sornpichai fight. It may be against the traditional English grammar that advises us to put the surnames parallel. But Thai boxers usually have same surnames, if they belong to same gyms or sponsors such as Galaxy, Cho Siriwat, Chuwatana, et al. So, we distinguish them with their first names, calling Khaosai, Saman, Pichit, etc. In my previous and future reports, Thai boxers will be called by his first name by this reason. Usually their first names of the noms-de-guerre are given names by their parents.