OPBF TITLE BOUTS IN 2008

(Unless otherwise specified, the following OPBF title-bout reports were written by Joe Koizumi, of Japan)

TOKYO, Japan, April 26, 2008.- Muscular Japanese prospect Yuzo Kiyota (15-2-1, 13 KOs), 168, acquired the OPBF Interim super-middle belt as he was awarded a TKO win over Zulfikar Joy Ali (26-7-6-1NC, 22 KOs), 163.75, at the end of the seventh round in a scheduled 12 on Saturday. Though Kiyota was originally slated to have a crack at Wayne Parker Jr, the Australian OPBF champ suffered a thumb injury to become unavailable, so Ali was decided to be an emergency substitute for him in the eliminator.  Kiyota, 24, had the upper hand, battering the southpaw Fijian with left hooks to the face and the breadbasket as the contest progressed. He pinned Ali to the ropes with a flurry of punches to have him at bay in the sixth. Though Ali showed his best with smashing southpaw lefts to the face in the fifth, he abruptly complained of left-hand pain and decided to quit after the seventh. Before the abandonment the official tallies were: Scoring-referee Bruce McTavish ( Philippines ) 69-64, Gus Mercurio ( Australia ) 68-65 and Yuji Fukuchi ( Japan ) 68-66, all for Kiyota.
Undercard: Former Japanese bantam champ, WBC 20 Masayuki Mitani (22-3, 10 KOs), 122, survived a first round visit and fought back hard to earn a well-received majority decision (97-92, 96-93 and 95-95) over Satoshi Niwa (7-10-3, 2 KOs), 122, over 10. Unbeaten JBC 12 Manabu Koguchi (9-0, 5 KOs ), 122, made short work of Narongsak Wor Surapol (8-4-1, 1 KO), 122, at 0:44 into the opening canto of a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Global Kyoei Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, April 22, 2008.- WBC 18 OPBF super-welter champ Kazuhiko Hidaka (27-5, 19 KOs), 153, Japan, barely kept his regional belt as he absorbed incessant right shots of lanky but game compatriot challenger Akio Shibata (9-5-1, 5 KOs), 154, but dropped him in the fourth and finally floored him for the count at 2:41 of the seventh round on Tuesday. It was a see-saw affair before the trick happened, as scored 57-56 twice for the southpaw champ and 57-57. Hidaka had no defence against Shibata’s direct rights. But the champ displayed his superior power and sent him to the deck with a solid southpaw left. Shibata barely regained his feet, but the ref Fukuchi saw him unfit to go on and counted him out.
Undercard: OPBF 12/JBC 5 middleweight Fukutaro Ujiie (12-6-1, 7 KOs), 160, badly decked JBC 8 Tomohisa Nakabori (14-5-1, 6 KOs ), 159.25, with a solid left-right combo and furiously followed it up to cause the referee’s intervention at 2:40 of the fifth canto in a supporting 10.
Promoter: Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, April 19, 2008.- Unbeaten OPBF middleweight champ, WBC 16 Koji Sato (12-0, 11 KOs), 160, kept his regional belt as he floored Indonesian ruler Bambang Rusadi (9-4, 6 KOs), 158, twice before the challenger quit on the stool after the second round terminated on Saturday. Sato, making his third defence since acquiring the vacant throne via ninth-round stoppage of Aussie Adam Vella last year, decked the muscular Indonesian with a combination in the first and with a vicious left hook in the second, showing his superior strength. As Rusadi suffered a completely closed left optic, his corner refused to allow him to go on.
Undercard: WBC 3/WBA 6 super-bantam Toshiaki Nishioka (31-4-3, 19 KOs), 124, exploded a vicious southpaw left to flatten Mexican Jesus Garcia (18-11-3, 9 KOs ), 121, at 0:43 of the third session in a scheduled eight. As the ref Tsuchiya promptly declared a halt at Garcia’s fall with a thud without taking a count, it is registered as a TKO by the JBC. Unbeaten JBC 4 ranked 140-pound bright prospect Yoshihiro Kamegai (8-0, 7 KOs), 141, looked very sharp and strong in dismantling ex-Indonesian champ Monte Carlos (11-8-2, 3 KOs ), 139.75, for the count at 2:25 of the third. Kamegai, former amateur titlist, may be a future national champ, with speed, skills and power. Ex-Olympian southpaw flyweight Toshiyuki Igarashi (6-0-1, 5 KOs), 112, dropped Indonesian Alex BS (6-3-4, 2 KOs ), 111, three times to score an automatic KO at 1:30 of the sixth round.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (Sato-Rusadi, Kamegai-Carlos and Igarashi-BS bouts).

TOKYO, Japan, April 14, 2008.- OPBF 8 Masafumi Okubo (13-2, 4 KOs ), 112, acquired the vacant OPBF flyweight belt, awarded a unanimous nod (116-112, 117-112 and 118-111) over OPBF 4 Korean Jinki Jung (5-4, no KO), 111.75, over 12 terrible sessions. Former champ Masaharu Naganawa, who had been slated to defend his belt against Okubo, had to retire and renounce his belt, because of a detached retina, just weeks before the promotion. The Okubo-Jung elimination bout was sanctioned by the OPBF under such unexpected circumstances, but it resulted in a disaster due to their poorest performance.
Japanese top contender Tomonobu Shimizu (13-2, 5 KOs), 112, wrested the national flyweight belt as he withstood repeated head-butts by the defending champ, WBA 3 Kenji Yoshida (13-7, 5 KOs), 112, and occasionally countered the onrushing opponent to earn a unanimous decision (97-95, 98-95 and 98-93) over 10 often-disappointing foul-studded rounds on Monday. Yoshida was penalised only once for continual butts. The referee should have disqualified the champ.
The crowd was disgusted to watch the very worst OPBF and national title bouts in history on the same night.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, April 5, 2008.- It was the very first show held at the newly-established JCB Hall (just five minutes from Korakuen Hall), the capacity of which is some 3,000. The main event was a sensational confrontation of the OPBF and national champs, both unbeaten, not only with both belts at stake but with the right to be the WBA official challenger on the line. Unbeaten Japanese feather champ, WBA 4/WBC 11 Takahiro Aoh (16-0-1, 8 KOs), 126, cried, believing he had earned victory, when it was announced he was held to a controversial unanimous draw (114-114 twice and 115-115) by the OPBF ruler, WBA 2/WBC 9 Hiroyuki Enoki (27-0-2, 19 KOs), 126, over 12 rounds. All the tickets had been sold because of people’s high expectations. Against this, it resulted in a lousy fight with each displaying only jabs throughout the contest. But Aoh, a 23-year-old southpaw, seemed to have controlled the game with his stinging right jabs against the flat-footed OPBF champ. The faster Aoh caught Enoki with a solid left uppercut to almost stun him in the ninth. Enoki, 28, just kept stalking the shifty footworker with less accurate left jabs, without throwing any right-hand shots.
In a companion title go, WBC 4/WBA 8 Japanese super-bantam champ Akifumi Shimoda (18-1, 8 KOs), 122, repeated his triumph over ex-champ Daisuke Yamanaka (21-4, 14 KOs ), 121.5, and kept his belt in his third defence. Shimoda floored the challenger with a southpaw left in the second and pounded out a unanimous verdict (99-90, 98-91 and 97-92) over 10 heats.  Shimoda looked wilder and more round-house than in their first encounter , at which he had wrested the national belt from Yamanaka, but outsped and outhustled the game ex-champ with his continual aggression.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

NAGOYA, Japan, March 9, 2008.-  WBC 17 OPBF 105-pound champ Toshikazu Waga (16-3, 6 KOs), 104.75, kept his regional belt as OPBF 12 Thai challenger Yoddoy Sishsoei (6-4, 5 KOs), 103.5, abruptly complained of a right shoulder pain and turned his back to be a TKO loser at 2:36 of the ninth round on Sunday. Yoddoy was nervous and stiff from the outset, while Waga took the lead-off with stinging lefts and had the Thailander bleeding from the nostrils with solid straight rights in the fourth. Yoddoy reportedly had begun to feel a pain in his right shoulder in the fifth, but kept fighting until he finally declared “no mas” midway in the fateful ninth. Waga, making his first defence, is handled by ex-WBC 122-pound ruler Kiyoshi Hatanaka.
Undercard: Unbeaten JBC 8 bantam Kosuke Hayashi (15-0, 7 KOs), 117.75, decked an upset triumph in dropping Japanese top-ranked super-fly Daisuke Maruyama (23-2, 17 KOs ), 117.75, twice en route to a fine stoppage at 1:59 of the seventh session in a scheduled 10. Hayashi’s busy combinations were effective enough to weaken the fading veteran as the contest progressed. OPBF 1 bantam Ryuichi Okahashi (17-2, 5 KOs), 117.75, survived shaky moments in the sixth and seventh to earn a close but unanimous nod (95-93, 96-94 and 95-94) over unranked Takahiro Takeda (6-9-1, 2 KOs ), 118, over 10. OPBF 5 feather Makyo Sugita (25-2-2, 16 KOs), 126, defeated Kenji Kumagai (10-4-2, 2 KOs ), 125.5, by a close but unanimous nod (77-76, 77-75 and 79-74) over eight.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, February 16.-  OPBF 7/JBC 2 unheralded challenger Motoki Sasaki (29-7-1, 19 KOs), 114.75, astoundingly captured the OPBF welterweight belt as he impressively chalked up a stunning stoppage of the WBC 19 defending champ, Japan-based Filipino southpaw Rev Santillan (24-4-1, 17 KOs), 146.5, at 2:59 of the sixth round in a scheduled 12-rounder on Saturday.
Also, WBC/WBA 4 OPBF super-fly ruler Kohei Kono (21-3, 7 KOs), 114.5, successfully kept his OPBF and national belts (both were at stake) when he pounded out a close but unanimous decision (114-113, 116-113 and 117-112) over WBA 13 ex-world challenger Kuniyuki Aizawa (13-3-1, 10 KOs ), 114.75, over 12.
Shorter but sturdy Japanese Sasaki, 32, ex-national 140-pound champ, stunned the audience with his furious opening attack to have the defending champ Santillan, 30, bewildered from the outset of the first round. Sasaki, four inches shorter than the 5’11” champ, had the crowd on its feet again when he floored Santillan with a well-timed left hook following a straight right in the closing seconds of the second session. Santillan couldn’t get into his rhythm, absorbing Sasaki’s desperate attack to lose the third and fourth. The champ sustained a gash on the forehead, caused by an accidental butt in the third, and his face became badly puffed by the challenger’s combinations. But the lefty champ, in round five, seemed to find the range and started whipping the elusive challenger with his trademark long southpaw lefts to win back a point. The sixth and fateful round saw Sasaki, moving to-and-fro, seldom throw punches, content only to block Santillan’s retaliations. People thought Sasaki was taking a rest because of his too-high pace in the previous five rounds. Sasaki, however, suddenly turned loose with a four-punch combo and his vicious left hook dropped the champ with only 20 seconds remaining. Going all-out for a kill, Sasaki pinned him in a corner and floored him again with a barrage of punches, when  referee Shimakawa declared a well-received halt. The Filipino had no power left to go on. It was a stunning upset. Rex Wakee Salud, Filipino ex-manager of Santillan, in attendance, surprisingly disclosed an ill-fated schedule of the dethroned champ, saying: “Rev was slated to meet Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on April 26.  He was supposed to take a $200,000 purse.”
Kono, a busy-punching OPBF and national champ, was in command in the first five rounds with ease, as he was aggressive from the start, while Aizawa, as usual, kept circling without taking the initiative. Aizawa, who failed to win the WBA belt from Alexander Munoz in his last bout, began to trade punches with the onrushing champ from the sixth onward. After that, it became a see-saw affair, as Kono kept throwing more punches without precision and the retreating conterpuncher Aizawa sometimes connected with right crosses. Referee Uratani in the 10^th took a point from the champ for punches to the back part of the head, though Kono remained positive and pugnacious. Aware of being behind on points, Aizawa, for the first time in this game, turned loose in the 12th and final stanza, when he occasionally caught the still energetic but less skillful champ to win a point on the scorecards of all the judges. But it wasn’t enough to overcome his early deficit on points. We wonder why Aizawa didn’t start his fireworks a little earlier. Had he done so, he might have had a possibility of winning this competitive game. Though it was never Kono’s best performance, he looked an obvious winner, having dominated more rounds with his volumes of combinations.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, February 2, 2008.- Unbeaten OPBF super-feather champ Takashi Uchiyama (9-0, 7 KOs), 130, impressively kept his regional belt as he continually battered compatriot Akira Yamazaki (10-2-3, 6 KOs), 129.5, with solid shots all the way and finally halted him with the referee’s intervention at 1:37 of the 10th round on Saturday. The hard-hitting champ showed his mano de piedra (hands of stone), while the incredibly durable challenger displayed his cabeza de piedra (head of stone). No matter how hard Uchiyama hit, the game and courageous Yamazaki withstood his attacks and came back fighting despite absorption of great punishment. Finally the ref, Uratani, called a halt to stop the massacre and save the loser from further damage. Uchiyama, ex-national amateur champ (four times) with an amateur mark of 91-22, 59 stoppages, is one of the brightest prospects here, though he is already 28, due to his late entry into the paid ranks. Uchiyama, a muscular hard-puncher, had demolished Aussie Nedal Hussein in eight furious rounds to acquire the vacant OPBF 130-pound belt last September, showing his potential. Official tallies after the ninth were: 90-81 twice and 89-82, all for the defending champ. But it wasn’t an easy defence for Uchiyama, since Yamazaki (whose amateur ledger was 31-9, 8 stoppages) was exceptionally and astoundingly durable as he retaliated furiously despite losing almost every round. Uchiyama repeatedly bounced his head off with solid left-right combinations and dug heavy shots into the belly, but Yamazaki came back fighting to show his tremendously big heart. Should the third man not have declared a halt in the 10th, Yamazaki would have lasted the 12 complete rounds. But his damage was such that the ref made a good decision and the loser’s corner didn’t complain of a premature stoppage. Despite his defeat, Yamazaki raised his stocks with his heart and gameness. Uchiyama is a very good prospect with his hard-punching ability and good skills. But will he be able to compare with superstar Manny Pacquiao, WBC ruler Juan Manuel Marques and WBA champ Edwin Valero at this moment? Uchiyama said at a post-fight interview in the ring: “I want to be world champ before I become 30.” But, he had better wait for a while to become more experienced in the paid ranks before he has an ambitious shot at a world throne.
Undercard: Japanese 9 bantam Konosuke Tomiyama (16-1, 5 KOs), 117, was awarded a highly controversial or dubious decision (77-76, 78-76 and 79-76) over OPBF 1 ranked Thai national champ Norasingh Kiatprasanchai (14-12-1, 11 KOs), 117, over eight. This reporter was the matchmaker of this bout, and Norasingh’s manager Choocharoen was angry about the alleged home-town decision. Probably, there might be only three persons at the Korakuen Hall who believed in Tomiyama’s victory – and, ironically, they were the judges. Choocharoen angrily said: “I will protest to the OPBF by submitting the tape.” The next OPBF rating will be decided by the OPBF president, Frank Quill, upon his viewing of the tape. Yours truly now has a dreadful headache, as being matchmaker might not be compatible with being a fair reporter.
JBC 9 122-pounder Takafumi Nakajima (11-3, 3 KOs ), 121.75, earned a unanimous nod (77-74, 78-74 and 78-75) over southpaw Takayuki Kurita (7-4-1, 1 KO), 121.75, over eight. It might be the worst fight of the month at the Hall. There were head-collisons and clinches time and again. Ref Vinny Martin took a point from both boxers for head-butts in the sixth. Shinya Fukunaga (8-4-2, 4 KOs), 112.75, battled to a unanimous draw (all 76-76) with Nobuki Tateyama (8-2-2, 2 KOs ), 113, over eight.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Uchiyama-Yamazaki and Tomiyama-Norasingh bouts).

KANAZAWA, Japan, January 27, 2008.- WBC 6 ranked Japan-based Filipino Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas (25-6-1, 14 KOs), 117.5, kept his OPBF bantamweight belt, exploding strong rights to twice floor OPBF 2 Indonesian champ Aldo Hummer (12-4-1, 6 KOs), 117.75, so heavily that the referee promptly declared a quick but well-received halt at 2:31 of the first round on Sunday. Lunas, making his third defence since dethroning Malcolm Tunacao last April, showed an opening attack to which Aldo gamely responded with solid punches. The Indonesian had iced then OPBF 8 Kazuyuki Ichikawa in the first session of his previous bout in Tokyo , and wished to collect another victim - and the OPBF throne as well. But the hard-hitting champ caught the Indonesian with a very effective right, which made him fall forward onto the deck. Barely regaining his feet, Aldo resumed fighting only to go down again, on all fours, from the champ’s follow-up assault. The ref, Dongahn Park , had seen enough and promptly raised Lunas’s arm. Lunas had finished Japanese national champ Masayuki Mitani in the final session (with his OPBF belt on the line) last August, and thus has admirably registered three defences, all by knockout. Lunas is willing to make an ambitious crack at the WBC crown against Hozumi Hasegawa here in Japan . Lunas previously had an apparent flaw, his lack of stamina in later rounds. But after being traded to Kashimi Gym in Japan , he overcame that defect and rapidly improved through his hard training here.
Undercard: OPBF 10 Futa Nakagishi (13-2-1, 6 KOs), 123.25, decked an important victory by winning a unanimous decision (100-92 twice and 97-93) over OPBF 3 ex-Philippine 122-pound ruler Jake Verano (18-10-2, 9 KOs), 122.25, by a unanimous decision (100-92 twice and 97-93) over 10 give-and-take heats. Nakagishi, a youngster who had previously lost a unanimous decision to OPBF champ Wethya Sakmuangklaeng, with the Thailander’s regional belt at stake, is gunning for a second shot at Wethya (87-4, 52 KOs).
Unbeaten JBC 6 lightweight prospect Yasuhiro Kawabata (11-0, 8 KOs ), 134.5, impressively disposed of Sua Tor. Rodmanee (7-5, 3 KOs ), 132, decking Thailander once in the first and three times in the third, for an automatic KO victory at 2:50 of the third in their scheduled 10. Japan-based Filipino Joel Consulta (17-2, 9 KOs), 125.25, sank Thai 4 super-feather Thongchai Por. Pratompong (7-5, 2 KOs), 124.5, who was left in agony, with a wicked body shot at 2:27 of the fifth round in a scheduled 10. Thongchai, however, once had the winner on the deck, from a left hook, although the referee called it a slip.
Promoter: Kashimi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the aforementioned four bouts).

 

OPBF BOUTS IN 2007

(Unless otherwise stated, these reports are from Japan’s Joe Koizumi)

by William Francis
BRISBANE, Australia, November 30, 2007.- It’s not very often you hear of promoters paying boxers more than their contracted purse. But that’s what happened here when Angelo Di Carlo gave bonuses to Nathan Briggs and Alex Leapai after their meeting to decide the vacant OPBF heavyweight title. This barn-burner was won by Leapai (106.45 kg), now 8-2-2 (7 KOs ), when referee Brad Vocale intervened at 2:09 of round eight to render a TKO verdict. Also, it would not be the norm that a boxer knocked down six times and stopped in eight frames would be trailing by only one point on one scorecard after seven completed rounds and three points on the other two. Such was the case here in this exciting give-and-take affair before a near-capacity crowd of about 400 fans at the Kedron Wavell Services Club. Pre-fight favourite Briggs (106.95 kg), now 16-5 (14 KOs ), took the first three rounds, competitive frames, through hand-speed and determination. Then Leapai’s punching power came to the fore, depositing Briggs on the canvas twice in round four. Briggs, apparently unhurt, was boxing neatly in the fifth before another Leapai bomb dropped him for an eight-count. Briggs came back well to win the sixth round on all cards. Came the seventh round and Briggs was boxing neatly and with determination until being floored again. Similar scenario in the eighth: Briggs was taking the points early. Then two more knockdowns from Leapai’s power, prompting referee Vocale to make a timely intervention. As the old-time sportswriters used to pen: This was a helluva fight. Scores after seven rounds were: Cyril Cairns 66-63, Adrian Cairns 66-63, Steve Marshall 66-65, all for Leapai. Promoter: Angelo Di Carlo’s Ace Boxing Promotions. Matchmaker: Brad Vocale.

TOKYO, Japan, November 20, 2007.- OPBF light-heavy champ Crazy Kim (27-4, 23 KOs), 167.25, moved down to the 168-pound category, and acquired the interim OPBF super-middle belt by finishing Zulfikar Joy Ali (26-6-6, 22 KOs), 166, Fiji , at 1:04 of the sixth round on Tuesday. Gunning for a shot at the WBA belt against Anthony Mundine, the shaven-skulled Kim (previously fighting as Toshiharu Kaneyama), ex-OPBF 154-pound ruler, fought the southpaw Fijian, who was disappointingly negative, working only to defend himself with a tight guard, like a shell, all the way. Kim battered him to have him on the defensive, and finally dug a vicious shot to the belly to floor him for the count.
Undercard: WBC 14 lightweight Takefumi Shimada (22-3-1, 15 KOs), 138, exploded a well-timed countering right and flattened OPBF 4 and ex-Thai national feather champ Petchthongkhum Sishprakaifah (11-5, 2 KOs), 136.25, at 2:27 of the third session in a scheduled 10.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.

by Ronnie Nathanielsz
MANILA, Philippines, November 12, 2007.- OPBF light-flyweight champion Juanito Rubillar retained his title with a smashing fifth-round TKO victory over mandatory challenger Byung Joo Lee of South Korea at the San Andres Sports Center in Manila on Friday night. Before a distinguished gathering of WBC officials that included OPBF president Frank Quill, former world super-bantamweight champion Oscar Larios and Golden Boy Promotions vice- president Eric Gomez, Rubillar put on an impressive performance justifying his elevation to the No. 3 spot in the WBC ratings at the just-concluded 45th Annual Convention of the organisation at the historic Manila Hotel. Rubillar, the 30-year-old southpaw who fought Mexican warrior Jorge Arce twice but lost 12-round decisions, the second of which was controversial, didn’t seem bothered by the postponement of the title defence for five days due to his illness. Looking for an opening and timing his punches to near perfection, Rubillar decked the challenger with a cracking left straight in the second round and pounced on the Korean who survived the round after internationally-known referee Kenny Bayless, who officiated the second MannyPacquiao-Erik Morales fight, gave the Korean a mandatory eight-count. The fight card itself was given a tremendous boost with WBC referee/judge Malcolm Bulner, a former Olympic boxer, acting as official supervisor and three nattily-dressed judges all from the highest ranks of the WBC. Rubillar continued to nail Lee with vicious shots to the body, that saw the challenger grimace, and then switched to the head with devastating effect and it was only a matter of time before the challenger would fall. As he was taking an unmerciful beating in round five after going down once again, Lee’s corner threw in the towel, clearly realising that the southpaw Rubillar was simply too good for the challenger, who had won the Korean light-flyweight title last February with a fourth-round KO of Yong Suk In. Rubillar, who won the OPBF title with a seventh-round TKO over talented Indonesian Irfan Ogah in October last year, defended his title for the first time and sent Japan’s Ken Nakajima into retirement with an impressive fifth round KO in Osaka last June 24. With his win Rubillar improved to 41-10-7 with 19 knockouts and said in a post-fight interview that he was looking forward eagerly to a title shot against Edgar Sosa and that at his age time was running out. The soft-spoken Rubillar, who is managed by Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde, said Elorde had told him he would be given a shot at the title if he won impressively, which he did.

NAGOYA, Japan, November 3, 2007.- WBC 16 OPBF minimum champ Toshikazu Waga (15-3, 5 KOs), 105, returned to action after an eye ailment and barely kept his regional belt by winning a close but unanimous decision over OPBF 1 Thai national champ Ngaophrajantr Sishtradrakam (6-5, 5 KOs), 105, over 12 rounds on Saturday. The official tallies were: Scoring-referee Jaebong Kim ( Korea ) 116-114, Kazuo Abe ( Japan ) 117-115, and Sinchai Goonlawong ( Thailand ) 115-113, all for Waga, whose hit-and-grab strategy made it a boring game. The crowd witnessed a 105-pound version of John Ruiz as Waga occasionally scored good shots and grabbed his opponent to keep him from retaliating with a two-fisted attack.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, October 29.- Ex-OPBF welter champ Kazuhiko Hidaka (26-5, 18 KOs), 154, Japan, acquired the vacant OPBF super-welter belt as he came off the canvas in the second, fought back hard and outhustled a fading compatriot, OPBF 5 Yuki Nonaka (14-7-2, 5 KOs), 153.75, down the stretch to pound out a unanimous nod (116-113, 116-112 and 116-111) over 12 heats on Monday. Having been dethroned via bad stoppage by former OPBF welter boss Rev Santillan in a grudge fight, to be hospitalized afterwards, Hidaka wasn’t what he used to be as he failed to show his previous footwork and sharp combinations. In an encounter of southpaws the underdog Nonaka sent Hidaka sprawling to the deck with a well-timed left cross in the second. Despite Hidaka’s retaliations the official scores after the seventh were: 67-66 for Nonaka and 66-66 twice. Hidaka, however, showed his heart and stamina in the last four rounds as Nonaka visibly ran out of gas. Though this elimination bout between the Japanese had been castigated by some experts, it was a very competitive “crowd-pleaser”.
Undercard: Ex-OPBF/Japanese middle champ Naotaka Hozumi (30-7-2, 23 KOs), 160, displayed his ringcraft at close range to eke out a split but well-received decision (97-95, 96-95 and 95-97) over JBC 4 Fukutaro Ujiie (11-6-1, 6 KOs ), 160, over 10.
Promoter: Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions.

by William Francis
SEOUL, Korea , October 13, 2007.- Lead-fisted Korean Jungbum Kim cemented his WBC top-six ranking and retained the OPBF super-lightweight here via a second-round knockout of Thailand ’s Songnarong Kiatsingnoi, who was under relentless pressure from within seconds of the opening bell sounding. This was the fourth defence of the regional championship Kim won by KO 2 on October 18, 2004, of the then very highly-regarded Masakazu Satake, of Japan. Since the Satake triumph three years ago no-one has been able to last the distance with Kim, whose record now stands at 28 (24 KOs)-3-1. In the semi-final, Jaehwan Kim impressively retained his Korean national lightweight, halting Hopyong Jung in the fourth frame.

by William Francis
GEELONG, Australia , October 12, 2007.- In a brutal if shorted-lived affair, Wayne Parker Jnr (7-1, 2 KOs) annexed the vacant OPBF super-middleweight title before a capacity house at Belmont Civic Centre, hurting Kane McKay with savage body-punching while the echoes of the opening bell were still reverberating in the arena. Parker maintained his relentless pressure, forcing the referee to intervene towards the end of round two. The semi-final here saw, former OPBF light-heavyweight champion Heath Stenton notching a TKO 4 win over brave but outgunned Thailander Yodchainoi Sor Samakkee.
Promoter: Tony Salta.

TOKYO, Japan, October 6, 2007.- WBA 4/WBC 6 Japanese super-fly champ Kohei Kono (20-3, 7 KOs), 115, acquired the vacant OPBF 115-pound belt, eking out a split decision (115-113, 118-110 and 113-115) over OPBF top-ranked Filipino ruler Eden Sonsona (17-2, only 2 KOs), 114.75, over 12 close rounds on Saturday. Kono, 26, kept boring in and outhustling the 18-year-old lanky southpaw, while Sonsona sometimes scored light but quick combinations to the onrushing Japanese. It was such a close affair that either could be a winner, but Sonsona’s obvious soft-punching cost him the belt as he looked overpowered in close-quarter exchanges in the middle rounds.
Undercard: WBA 7/WBA 8-ranked 105-pounder Teruo Misawa (18-3-4, 7 KOs ), 105.5, displayed fine form in dropping Thai No. 5 light-fly Petch Sakrunguang (8-10, 6 KOs), 105.25, three times en route to an automatic KO at 1:38 of the second round in a supporting 10.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan , September 15, 2007.- Unbeaten WBA2/WBC8 Hiroyuki Enoki (27-0-1, 19 KOs), 126, barely kept his OPBF featherweight belt, having a tough time coping with light-punching but elusive Makyo (Masanori) Sugita (24-2-2, 16 KOs), 125.5, but maintaining the pressure with his methodical jab and one-two combinations to earn a close unanimous decision (116-114 twice and 116-112) over 12 on Saturday in Tokyo. It was an encounter of Japanese compatriots. Enoki’s lack of speed and sharpness led to a lacklustre performance against the unheralded and underestimated OPBF 3 contender, who kept bleeding, from a nasty laceration caused by a lethal shot, from the fifth round on. Sugita fought well, but his glaring lack of convincing power couldn’t win enough votes from the judges to wrest the regional belt.
WBC5/WBA8 Japanese 130-pound champ Yusuke Kobori (21-2-1, 11 KOs), 130, also barely retained his national belt as his desperate right hook dropped previously unbeaten southpaw and mandatory challenger Takashi Miura (12-1-1, 10 KOs), 129.75, in the final session to earn a unanimous nod (96-94, 96-92 and 97-92) over 10. Kobori absorbed plenty of Miura’s southpaw lefts in the first two rounds, but floored him with a left hook to make it a see-saw affair from then onwards. Kobori, previously serving as a sparring partner for Marco Antonio Barrera in Mexico , repeatedly turned the tide with his reckless combos in the closing seconds in every losing round. Miura deserves a rematch. Next time, Kobori had better spar with the southpaw Pacquiao.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, September 8, 2007.- Unbeaten former four-time national amateur champ Takashi Uchiyama (8-0, 6 KOs), 130, acquired the OPBF super-feather belt, battering WBC 14 ranked OPBF top contender Nedal Hussein (43-5, 27 KOs), 129.5, all the way and finally dropping him with a solid right to stop him at 1:32 of the eighth round on Saturday. Uchiyama, a hard-hitting prospect, took the initiative from the outset and had Hussein on the defensive in every round.  Hussein, from the fourth, occasionally retaliated with left hooks and right crosses, but was outhustled by the more aggressive Japanese.  Uchiyama accelerated his attack and penetrated Hussein’s tight guard with strong straight rights to have him staggering to the ropes. In the fateful eighth, as Uchiyama had him on the deck with a vicious right following a combination, the loser’s brother Billy Hussein signalled his surrender and jumped into the ring to save Nedal from further punishment.  It seemed a wise decision, though Nedal had an argument with his brother, harshly insisting that he could still go on.  Before the stoppage, the officials had tallied 70-63, 70-64 and 68-64, all for Uchiyama, ex-amateur university champ.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
 

by Ronnie Nathanielsz (PhilBoxing.com)
METRO Manila , Philippines , August 25. 2007. - OPBF lightweight champion Randy Suico retained his title with an eighth-round knockout over mandatory challenger Koji Samejima of Japan at the sprawling Mall of Asia open car park Saturday. Suico’s win highlighted the Philippines - Japan “ Battle for Supremacy” fight card promoted by Rex “Wakee” Salud in cooperation with MP Promotions, of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, and covered for television by Solar Sports. Suico, who decked Samejima with a left hook in the sixth round, nailed the challenger in the eighth round with a cracking left hook followed by a vicious right straight to send the Japanese flat on his back. Referee Bruce McTavish didn’t bother to count as it was clear the Japanese was out cold. The official time was 2:23. Suico, who still appeared to be a little slow while plodding forward, caught Samejima with some solid shots although he missed several uppercuts. The challenger, whose face was reddened, appeared to be scared of the hard-hitting Filipino but at times fought back fiercely, to the surprise of the champion as well as the fans, who included former Sen. Ramon Revilla, WBC founding secretary-general Rudy Salud, Aljoe Jaro, manager of IBF minimumweight champion Florante Condes, and the In This Corner trio of Rod Nazario. Moy Lainez and Gerry Garcia. Also among the spectators was newly-crowned WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa and his wife Goody, NABF super-bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion as well as GAB chairman Eric Buhain and Commissioner Angel Bautista. Suico, who won the vacant title in a bout against Thailand’s Pongpetch Chuwatana last October 14, lost by a fourth round TKO to Juan Diaz in a WBA title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 15, 2006. With this win, Suico improved to 27-3 with 23 KOs while Samejima dropped to 15-2-3 with 6 KOs. It was the Japanese fighter’s first defeat after three straight KO victories, including a second-round knockout of Dexter Delada in Osaka, Japan, last October 8.

WBO super-featherweight champion Jimrex Jaca retained his title in a controversial technical draw at 2:17 of the second round over Japan’s Ryu Miyagi when the ring physician ruled that Jaca couldn’t continue because of two nasty cuts. Referee Bruce McTavish ruled that the cuts were caused by head-butts but many of the fight fans, including WBC founding secretary-general Rudy Salud, said the second cut was clearly caused by a punch, which appeared to be confirmed by slow-motion television replays. It was a disappointing end to an action-packed bout as Miyagi dropped Jaca with a perfect right straight in the opening round and had him groggy once again with a flurry of punches, forcing McTavish to give Jaca a standing eight-count. But the Filipino southpaw connected with a perfect left that decked the Japanese as the fans who braved the rains to watch the fights cheered the Filipino.

Flyweight Wyndel Janiola was lucky to win a 10- round split decision over stylish Japanese Hiroyuki Hisataka, who outboxed Janiola much of the way. Janiola was deducted a point by referee Ver Abainza in the eighth round for an accidental head-butt. But while this helped judge Salvador Lopez score the fight 97-93 in favor of the Japanese it didn’t seem to affect the scorecards of Romy Yulo and Chris Odullo who both scored it 96-94 for Janiola. The Filipino improved to 19-4-1 with 9 KOs .

GIFU, Japan , August 19, 2007.- Masaharu Naganawa (12-1-2, 2 KOs), 111.5, captured the OPBF flyweight belt in a see-saw performance with WBC 17 Filipino defending champ Jojo Bardon (22-10-2, 9 KOs ), 112, to be awarded a split decision (119-108, 116-113 and 112-115) over 12 hard-fought rounds on Sunday. It was a slugfest from beginning to end, with each incessantly mixing it up. Bardon aimed at the midsection to slow down the Japanese challenger in their rematch, but Naganawa gamely fought back with fast combinations. Naganawa suffered a gash over the left eyebrow from an accidental butt in the seventh and surged in the later rounds.
Promoter: Gifu Yokozeki Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TAKASAGO, Japan , August 12, 2007.- WBC 9 ranked Rolly Matsushita Lunas (24-6-1, 13 KOs), 115.5, a Japan-based Filipino banger, kept his OPBF bantamweight belt as he finally exploded solid combinations to drop WBC 6 Japanese national champ and OPBF top contender Masayuki Mitani (20-2, 10 KOs), 117, twice en route to a spectacular stoppage at 2:09 of the 12th and final round on Sunday. Mitani, a Carlos Zarate stylist utilising his height and reach, attempted to outjab and outpunch the shorter hard-puncher, and was leading on points in the first half. Lunas, however, accelerated his attack as Mitani began to bleed from the nostrils in the ninth. This bad nose-bleed, like a red cascade, apparently disturbed the Japanese challenger’s rhythm, while the champ occasionally connected with good shots to the face in the 10th and 11th. Still close as it was, Lunas turned loose with a left uppercut to the chin following a left-right combo and floored the fading Japanese for a mandatory eight count. The champ swarmed over the groggy challenger and caught him with vicious combinations to flatten him. Referee Necesario called a halt without bothering to count. Official tallies after the 11th were: scoring-referee Severino Necesario ( Philippines ) 105-104, Sakamoto ( Japan ) 106-103 and Uratani ( Japan ) 107-102, all for the Japan-based Filipino Lunas. The Japanese judges seemed too eager and nervous to score fairly, giving more points to Lunas than the Filipino ref Necesario.
Undercard: Junichi Ebisuoka (15-10-3, 6 KOs), 110, was awarded a controversial majority decision (95-94, 98-95 and 95-95) over ex-WBC world 105-pound champ Jose Antonio Aguirre (38-7-1, 23 KOs ), 109.5, a Mexican veteran, over 10. Aguirre looked to have passed his peak, and his punches were slow and less damaging, though he connected with more shots to the younger Japanese, who was still fresh in later rounds. Aguirre deserved a draw, at worst.
Promoter: Takasago Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
 

TOKYO, Japan, August 4, 2007.- OPBF middleweight champ Koji Sato (10-0, 9 KOs), 158.75, made his initial defense of the regional belt as he swarmed over ex-Indonesian champ David Koswara (26-10-4, 6 KOs), 159.5, from the outset and caught him with a vicious right to the head to drop him on the deck en route to the referee Bruce McTavish’s well-timed intervention at 1:54 of the second round. Sato had acquired the vacant belt by dismantling Australian Adam Vella in nine hot rounds last March, but still looked less mature on the defensive skills. Koswara, ex-PABA champ in four divisions from the 135-pound category, physically smaller, was overpowered the Japanese youngster in the close- quarter work. Sato, coached by Ken Adams in Las Vegas , needs to improve.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
 

TOKYO, Japan, July 17.- WBC 14 ranked OPBF 154-pound champ Crazy Kim (26-4, 22 KOs), 174.5, captured the OPBF 175-pound belt as he impressively overpowered defending champ Heath Stenton (13-18-1, 2 KOs), 174.5, to win a unanimous decision (116-112, 117-112 and 118-111) over 12 give-and-take rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo.
It was castigated as a reckless venture that Kim, a Japanese-Korean born here and previously fighting as Toshiharu Kaneyama, would have a shot at the OPBF throne three classes heavier than his legitimate weight. But Kim was smart rather than crazy, as he cleverly blocked the champ’s fast but light-punching shots and often pinned him to the ropes with a flurry of punches. Kim also proved he could take a punch and shake off Stenton’s quick left-right combinations, and effectively aimed at the belly to have him retreating. It was a very good see-saw battle, but Kim continually had the upper hand in mixing it up in the close-quarter work.
Undercard: Takafumi Nakajima (9-3, 3 KOs), 121.5, showed good form in dropping more experienced Nobuhisa Doi (20-10-6, 7 KOs), 122, in the fourth and twice more in the next session to score a fine stoppage at 1:02 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight. Masashi Ohkubo (11-2, 3 KOs), 111.5, was awarded a bizarre KO win as Thailander Daothong Teerasakgym (4-7, no KO), 117.5, abruptly fell prone, without taking any punches, at 1:26 of the second round in a scheduled eight. The crowd was stunned to see Daothong flattened by himself, though he was the aggressor in the first round. The JBC’s investigation of this shameful outcome will be highly appreciated.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.
(For your reference, official scorecards of the OPBF light-heavyweight title go read: scoring-referee Teddy Alivio (Philippines) 116-112, Gus Mercurio (Australia) 117-112, and Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) 118-111, all for Crazy Kim.)

AMAGASAKI, Japan, July 14.- Rev Santillan (24-3-1, 17 KOs), 147, a Filipino lefty, has impressively recaptured the OPBF welterweight belt, exploding a southpaw left to WBC 21 defending champ Taisei Marumoto (20-8-1, 9 KOs), 147, and having the Japanese prone on the deck at 2:12 of the sixth round here on Saturday. Santillan, 30, has thus won the regional belt four times, regaining it thrice: from Hiroshi Watanabe via a split but well-received verdict in 2004; from Kazuhiko Hidaka by an eighth round KO in 2005; and from Marumoto tonight. The 5 ft 11 in Filipino’s career may be in the twilight, but he showed he can still reign as a game and hard-punching OPBF champ.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.

OSAKA, Japan, June 28.- WBC 4 ranked OPBF light-fly champ Juanito Rubillar (42-10-7, 18 KOs), 108, a Filipino southpaw, impressively kept his regional belt by dispatching Japanese challenger Ken Nakajima (16-5, 10 KOs), 108, with a wicked body shot at 2:42 of the fifth round on Sunday. Next day, a Filipino cornerman absconded before the Rubillar group’s departure from Japan to Manila. The promoter, Takanobu Totsuka, has filed a case with the Japanese Police office for the cornerman’s illegal overstay and, expectedly, illegal work here in Japan. Such runaways are called “TNTs” in the Philippines, and Japanese promoters and matchmakers are constantly concerned about TNT cases, which have happened often in the past. The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) has a strict rule when issuing letters of guarantee for foreign boxers or boxing people to secure visas to enter this country. The rule means these people are granted the visas under the condition that they are obliged to leave Japan immediately after their boxing activities. It is said that, because of the difference of the currency values between Japan and the Philippines, if a Filipino can illegally overstay and illegally work here for three years (sending his salary to his family), he is able to pay cash to build a house in the Philippines. This has become a social problem, with illegal foreign workers exploiting Japanese workers’ jobs. Some years ago so many Filipino trainers or cornermen overstayed for illegal work here after fights that the JBC banned, for a year, Filipino boxers from Japan. The JBC and the GAB (Games and Amusements Board, the local commission in the Philippines) then reached agreement that only GAB-ranked boxers would be allowed to fight in Japan, to avoid future TNT cases.  Until now, no TNT incidents occurred after the ban was lifted. Indeed, there had been a goodwill move by Japanese matchmakers to ask the JBC to consider permitting unranked Filipino boxers (eight-round or six-round boys) to fight in Japan. But this TNT case in Osaka has mercilessly destroyed that possibility. The police investigation may extend to Rubillar and his manager, who have already returned to Manila .

TOKYO, Japan, June 11.- Australian Dominic Vea (5-1, 4 KOs), 197, impressively captured the OPBF cruiserweight belt, making a good start, maintaining pressure all night on defending champ Ryosuke Takahashi (17-5-1, 9 KOs), 196.25, Japan, and finally prompting referee Ukrid Sarasis to intervene at 0:46 of the eighth round. Takahashi, 34, making his initial defence after dethroning Aussie Nermin Sabanovic, was cautious in the opening session, when Vea took the initiative with his engine open all the way. Amazingly, Vea, 26, kept his high pace in every round, though Takahashi occasionally retaliated with solid countering rights. Having the champ at bay in the fifth and seventh, the taller Australian accelerated his relentless attack and pummelled him into submission. Before the stoppage the official tallies had been lopsided: referee Sarasis (Thailand) 70-64, judges Carl Zappia (Australia) and Kazunobu Asao (Japan) 69-64, all for the newly-crowned Vea. This reporter saw it 70-62 for Vea, giving him all rounds and having the fifth 10-8.
Undercard: Ex-national light champ Shunsuke Ito (22-3-1, 17 KOs), 139.75, chalked up a TKO win over Koji Iida (11-6-1, 3 KOs ), 139.75, at 0:46 of the sixth in a supporting 10.
Promoter: Kaneko Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

KOBE, Japan, June 3.- WBC6/WBA 14 Wethya Sakmuangklaeng (86-4, 52 KOs), 122, kept his OPBF super-bantam belt, coming off the canvas in the fifth and dominating the second half to pound out a unanimous decision (115-113 twice and 116-112) ahead of OPBF 2 Japanese challenger Kyohei Tamakoshi (18-5-5, 8 KOs), 122, over 12 hard-fought rounds on Sunday here in Kobe. The taller challenger had the southpaw champ on the deck with a solid right uppercut in the fifth, but Wethya made a fine recovery to be in command in later rounds. The 30-year-old Wethya once had a shot at the WBC feather belt, losing a unanimous nod (116-113, 116-112 and 118-110) in Merida, Mexico, in 2000. The Thailander tasted his last defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao via sixth round TKO in the Philippines in 2001.  Since then, he has scored 31 consecutive victories including four defences of his OPBF crown.
Promoter: Senrima Kobe Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, May 19.- Hard-punching WBC9/WBA9 Japanese super-feather champ Yusuke Kobori (20-2-1, 11 KOs), 130, acquired the vacant OPBF 130-pound belt, dropping taller southpaw Junji Murakami (15-5-2, 7 KOs), 129.5, four times and finally halting him at 1:52 of the seventh round on Saturday. Both the OPBF and national titles were at stake.
As ex-OPBF champ Nobuhito Honmo had an unsuccessful shot at Edwin Valero’s WBA throne this May, he renounced the regional belt in accordance with the OPBF’s regulations. Murakami had been slated to have a rematch with Honmo (who lately announced his retirement after being annihilated by Valero) before his obligatory relinquishment, and this elimination bout took place between the leading available contender Kobori and Murakami.
Murakami, a slick-punching lefty, had a very good start by making good use of southpaw jabs and fast footwork. Kobori, in the second, caught his lanky opponent with a vicious right, following with a furious assault, to drop him twice. With 90 seconds still left, we thought it was a matter of time for Kobori to bring home the bacon within the second canto. But the game southpaw amazingly fought back to last the round, and furthermore dominated the next two sessions.
The fifth, however, saw Kobori explode again with a same right to the lefty’s button, dropping him. Again Murakami barely survived the crisis, showing his admirable determination. Kobori then accelerated his attack to be in command in the sixth and finally caught Murakami with a wicked right, flooring him for the fourth time. Murakami gamely resumed fighting, but Kobori’s fierce follow-up combination prompted the ref Asao to call it off without bothering to count. Kobori, less skillful but powerful, had served as a sparring partner for Marco Antonio Barrera to prepare for his ill-fated defence with Juan Manuel Marquez. Kobori didn’t show technical improvement after his service for Barrera, but displayed his raw power as usual.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

OSAKA, Japan, April 23.- Filipino hard-puncher Randy Suico (26-3, 22 KOs), 134.75, kept his OPBF lightweight belt as he pounded out a unanimous decision (116-111 twice and 116-114) ahead of durable and game Japanese challenger Tomonori Nakagawa (15-6-4, 4 KOs), 135, over 12 heats.
Though Suico’s easy KO victory had been expected, Nakagawa showed heart and determination in his “last” fight, and survived the champ’s big punches. Nakagawa kept moving to-and-fro and threw light but fast combinations, while Suico, a bit too eager to finish his foe early, failed to catch the elusive target. Suico, however, almost did it with a flurry of punches to his fading opponent, who barely withstood the champ’s assault in the final round.
Promoter: Shinko Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

KANAZAWA, Japan, April 1.- WBC6/WBA12 ranked southpaw Thailander Wethya Sakmuangklaeng (85-4, 52 KOs), 122, kept his OPBF super-bantam championship, showing ringcraft and strength in pounding out a unanimous decision (115-111 twice and 115-112) over 19-year-old Japanese prospect Futa Nakagishi (10-2-1, 6 KOs), 122, over 12 rounds on Sunday.
Wethya, who previously lost to Guty Espadas Jr. in a quest for the WBC feather throne in Merida in 2000, proved his status as the strongest Asian 122-pounder as the contest progressed, though Nakagishi made a good start with a flurry of punches in the opening session. The lefty Thailander aimed at the challenger’s breadbasket to successfully slow him down in later rounds. Teddy Alivio penalised a point from Nakagishi for holding repeatedly, also from Wethya, for pushing down his opponent’s head in the same 11th. Wethya, eager to have his second shot at any of the 122-pound world champs in the U.S. , will show a good fight, even against Rafael Marquez or Daniel Ponce De Leon.
In a companion title go, WBC14 Japan-based Filipino Rolly Matsushita Lunas (23-6, 12 KOs), 117.75, retained his OPBF bantam belt as he energetically battered Samingnum Voh Wiwatthanananonth (17-9, 7 KOs), 117.5, Thailand, from all angles, and finally had him at bay with furious combinations to prompt ref Silvestre Abainza to intervene at 2:08 of the 11th round. Despite the Thailander’s amazing resilience it was obviously Rolly’s night, as he downed Samingum with a vicious left uppercut to the chin in the second and maintained his initiative all the way. Rolly, who had dethroned ex-WBC champ Malcolm Tunacao in Tokyo , will be obliged to face world-rated Japanese champ Masayuki Mitani in his second defence.
Promoter: Kashimi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

Nagoya, Japan , March 18.- Japanese prospect Toshikazu Waga (14-3, 5 KOs), 104.75, impressively acquired the vacant OPBF 105-pound belt by flattening OPBF 5 Chansaknoi Sakrungruang (6-6-1, 4 KOs ), 105, with a well-timed right at 1:16 of the second round on Sunday here.
And Philippine national champion Jojo Bardon (22-9-2, 9 KOs), 112, won the vacant OPBF flyweight title by a split decision (115-113 twice and 113-116) ahead of previously-unbeaten Masaharu Naganawa (11-1-2, 2 KOs ), 111.75, over 12 frames.
A top-quality undercard preceded this double-header. OPBF 4 super-fly Ryuichi Okahashi (14-2, 4 KOs), 117.5, sank Indonesian Aldo (9-3-1, 3 KOs ), 117.25, with a countering right at 2:06 of the third round in a scheduled 10. Unbeaten WBC 10 bantam Kohei Ohba (17-0-1, 10 KOs), 117.75, pounded out a unanimous 10-round decision (98-91, 98-92 and 99-92) over Thai national champ Kaonah Khlongphajon (17-14-1, 13 KOs), 117.5. Ohba had the Thailander on the deck in the fifth, and held the initiative almost all the way. OPBF 3 feather Makyo (Masanori) Sugita (23-1-2, 15 KOs ), 126, despatched Thailander Runktawan Sor. Vorapin (15-10, 2 KOs ), 125, with a solid straight right at 2:48 of the second round in the first 10.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan , March 17.- Japan ’s unbeaten Koji Sato (9-0, 8 KOs), 159, acquired the vacant OPBF middleweight belt as he floored OPBF top-ranked Australian champ Adam Vella (19-2, 6 KOs ), 160, in the fourth and ninth rounds to stop him at 1:11 of the ninth. It was a very competitive fight as Vella utilised superior speed while Sato, taller and more aggressive, displayed greater power. After Vella came off the canvas in the fourth, the Australian showed his heart and skills in moving to-and-fro and countering the willing mixer in the fifth and sixth. Sato, however, accelerated his attack and finally caught Vella with a flurry of punches to put him prone on the deck, when the towel was tossed in by the loser’s corner. Before the trick happened, the official tallies were: 77-75 (scoring referee Jaebong Kim), 78-73 (Brian McMahon) and 76-75 (Nobuaki Uratani), all in favor of Sato, who had been training under the tutelage of ex-world champ Mike McCullum in Las Vegas.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

AMAGASAKI, Japan, February 12.- OPBF welter champ Taisei Marumoto (200-7-1, 9 KOs), 147, barely kept his regional belt as he came off the canvas in the seventh, but controlled the fight with accurate jabs and finally halted bloodied Yoshinori Takenaka (22-7-1, 20 KOs), 145.5, at 0:33 of the ninth round on Monday here. Marumoto, in his initial defence after dethroning Hiorshi Yamaguchi via upset TKO, made good use of his left hand, taking the initiative against the hard-punching challenger. Takenaka, however, exploded a wicked left hook, dropping the champ, to have the tide turn in the seventh. Takenaka, in the eighth, unfortunately sustained a bad laceration, which was examined by the ringside physician twice. As the champ bounced his man’s face off with good combinations in the fateful ninth, the referee declared a halt to save the gory challenger from further punishment.
Undercard: Ex-OPBF welter champ Rev Santillan (23-3-1, 17 KOs), 150, had a tough time but earned a unanimous verdict (96-94, 98-03 and 97-93) over Shana Kisaragi (5-4-3, 2 KOs ), 149.25, over 10. Santillan is promised a mandatory crack at Marumoto in June. In an encounter of ex-OPBF fly champs, Noriyuki Komatsu (22-3-5, 10 KOs), 115, survived a third-round visit to the deck, and finally scored a come-from-behind KO of Thai southpaw Wameechok Singwangcha (17-4-0, 11KOs), 114, at 1:46 of the eighth round in a scheduled 10.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.

by William Francis
SYDNEY, Australia, February 4.- Home-town boy Daniel Geale (15-0, 11 KOs), 153¼ survived a second-round knockdown at the hands of New Zealand national champion Lee Oti (now 7-4), 152¾, to retain his OPBF Interim super-welter diadem. Apart from the embarrassment of sitting on the canvas inside six minutes of the opening of proceedings, Geale was in charge in all frames, as indicated by the final scoring. This was: Brian McMahon 118-110, Ces Perkins 118-109 and Trevor Christian 119-110, all for Geale. Unfortunately, we will not see a long-awaited (by many) showdown between Interim ruler Geale and OPBF champion Crazy Kim, the colorful and hard-punching campaigner from Japan . Geale, plagued by weight problems, has vacated his OPBF Interim laurel and will now campaign in the middleweight division.

TOKYO, Japan, January 30.- Australian Heath Stenton (12-17-1, 2 KOs), 174.75, impressively captured the OPBF light-heavyweight belt as he made good use of his left hand, repeatedly bounced off the face of defending champ Yoshinori Nishizawa (28-18-5, 16 KOs), 174.5, Japan, en route to a unanimous decision over 12 heats. The official tallies were as follows: scoring referee Pinit Prayadsab ( Thailand ) 118-110, judges Gus Mercurio ( Australia ) and Nobuaki Uratani ( Japan ) 118-111 and 117-113 respectively, all in favor of the OPBF top contender Stenton. It was their rubber match, as they fought in a quest of the vacant OPBF 168-pound throne en route to a split draw (116-116, 114-114 and 114-116 for Nishizawa) in March 2001, and Nishizawa eked out a hairline split verdict (116-115, 117-114 and 112-116) over Stenton to acquire the regional belt in June that year. As almost six years passed since their first encounter, Nishizawa became an old soldier, 10 years Stenton’s senior, at 41. From the start Stenton landed good jabs and left hooks to the game Japanese champ, who failed to show his previous zip, despite fighting gallantly. Stenton showed improvement since his previous outings here, and utilised his faster jabs and sharp rights to the champ’s face, piling up points steadily, except in the third and ninth. The champ sustained a gash caused by a legal punch in the fifth, while the challenger suffered a slight cut around the right eyebrow, caused by a butt. Nishizawa attempted to hit the breadbasket to stop Stenton’s mobility, but it didn’t work well, as the Australian cleverly blocked almost all of them and used his faster footwork. As Nishizawa went forward, regardless of the precision of his attack, the crowd kept roaring to warmly hail the old champ. But Nishizawa absorbed much punishment from the Aussie speedster, who obviously looked a winner. Nishizawa, who had often received recommendations by the Japanese commission (JBC) to retire from the game, will be obliged to hang up gloves for good. He was loved by a great many fight fans because of his always-gallant and all-out performances. It might be good for the old soldier’s career that Nishizawa could experience a couple of world-title shots, against Anthony Mundine in Australia and Marcus Beyer in Germany .
Undercard: WBC12 lightweight/WBA14 super-feather Takehiro Shimada (20-3-1, 13 KOs ), 137.5, dispatched mediocre Thailander Ensiphok Sor Worasin (3-4, 1 KO), 133, with persistent body shots at 2:27 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.

by William Francis
CHEONAN, Korea , January 27.- Hard-punching Korean Jungbum Kim – WBC No. 9 – took a step closer to his dream of world-title honours by retaining the OPBF super-lightweight crown in an emphatic manner, a fourth-round KO of well-performed Thai challenger Sataporn Singwangcha (now 17-3). This was Kim’s fourth defence of the OPBF belt he won from highly-regarded Masakazu Satake on a second-round knockout in Osaka , Japan , in October 2004. The victory on home soil over Sataporn lifts Kim’s log to 27-3-1, 22 KOs . Thirteen of Kim’s 27 professional outings were in defences of or challenges for the Korean national and OPBF championships. He is widely considered as genuine world-crown potential.

TOKYO, Japan, January 13.- It was a stunning result: OPBF 10 Japan-based Filipino Rolly Matsushita Lunas (21-6-1, 11 KOs), 117.5, captured the OPBF bantamweight belt as he floored highly regarded WBC4/WBA12 ex-WBC fly champ Malcolm Tunacao (21-2-1, 14 KOs), 117.5, with a vicious right in the second, rocked him in the seventh and was awarded a majority technical decision (97-94, 97-95 and 95-95) at the end of the 10th round in a scheduled 12 on Saturday. It was a rare confrontation of Filipinos fighting for the OPBF belt in Japan . Tunacao might have been overconfident by underestimating the highly-motivated compatriot Lunas, who amazingly landed a strong and well-timed right to the southpaw champ. Tunacao went down on the seat of his pants and, smiling, stood up to resume fighting. Tunacao had suffered his only defeat at the hands of the current WBC champ Pongsaklek Wonkongjam on a first round stoppage in Thailand in 2001 and was unbeaten with 10 wins and a couple of draws since then. Tunacao, making his third defence, was neither sharp nor smart tonight. He stood carelessly in front of the less skilled but desperate hard-puncher without moving from side to side. Tunacao was in command in the fourth through sixth but Lunas was more aggressive and effective in the seventh, ninth and 10^th. Tunacao sustained a gash between his eyes due to a head-collision in the fifth, and another on the forehead in the ninth and two more in the 10^th. The champ himself appealed to the ringside physician that he would not be able to go on because of the four bad lacerations, so a technical decision was duly taken. Tunacao, managed by Japanese businessman Yasuo Matsuoka, might have thought he had been leading on points against the rugged challenger, who, however, looked more positive and aggressive at the point of stoppage. It was a bitter defeat for the 28-year-old Tunacao, who has made Japan his second home turf. Promoter: Tokashiki Promotions.

OPBF TITLE-BOUT REPORTS, 2006

(Unless otherwise stated, the following reports were written by Joe Koizumi)

TOKYO, Japan , December 13.- Ryosuke Takahashi (17-4-1, 9 KOs), 194.75, Japan , captured the OPBF cruiserweight belt as he floored Australian defending champ Nermin Sabanovic (7-2-2, 5 KOs ), 193.5, in the third and was awarded a hairline but well-received split decision over 12 heats. Referee Silvestre Abainza ( Philippines ) and Fukuchi ( Japan ) had it 115-112 and 115-114 in favor of Takahashi, while Gary Ingraham ( Australia ) saw it 115-112 for Sabanovic. It was one of the very best fights for the OPBF championships this year, as they fully traded what they had from the outset to the end. The shaven-skulled Sabanovic, ten years his senior at 42, hit the deck with the challenger’s left hook in the third, but fought back well to show his class. The tide busily turned since to make it a really see-saw affair. The champ had him at bay in the last two rounds, when Takahashi barely withstood his last surge to be awarded an important triumph.

TOKYO, Japan, December 11.- WBC24/OPBF2 ex-amateur prospect Kuniyuki Aizawa (12-1-1, 9 KOs), 115, impressively acquired the vacant OPBF super-flyweight belt as he outpunched OPBF4 Thai national ruler Petchklongphai Sor Dharnthip (13-12-1, 2 KOs), 115, and embalmed him with a single vicious body shot to the solar plexus at 1:45 of the sixth round on Monday. Aizawa, formerly ranked in the top 10 by the WBA and WBC, kept outlegging and outpunching the Thailander despite Petchklongphai’s occasional assaults. His well-timed body shot was a haymaker that won the praise of the crowd. Promoter: Misako Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan , November 22.- Japanese veteran Yoshinori Nishizawa (28-17-5, 16 KOs), 175, acquired the vacant OPBF light-heavyweight belt as he blasted out OPBF2 sluggish Fijian Marika Katonivere (reportedly 10-7-1, 5 KOs ), 180, at 1:39 of the opening session in a scheduled 12 on Tuesday. It was ballyhooed as Nishizawa’s 20^th anniversary as a professional boxer, but resulted in a bizarre show. Katonivere had failed to make the weight, being five pounds over the class limit. He was said to have stayed in a sauna for two hours only to reduce three pounds since he scaled in eight pounds over the limit at his first trip to the scale. The Fijian probably had neither energy nor zip left despite more than 24 hours before the fight to recuperate from his severe reduction of weight. Nishizawa’s left uppercut to the side of the belly sank him in agony for the count. The chauvinistic crowd celebrated his coronation, but was stunned at the unexpectedly too quick demolition as the Fijian showed nothing at all. The OPBF referee was Korean Jaebong Kim, and the two judges were Brad Vocale (Australian) and Kazunobu Asao ( Japan ). Promoter: Yonekura Promotions

CEBU, Philippines, October 14.- WBC9/WBA15 ranked hard-hitting Filipino Randy Suico (25-3, 22 KOs), 135, acquired his second OPBF belt as he lopsidedly battered Thailander Pongpetch Chuwatana, 135, and dropped him en route to an impressive stoppage at 2:08 of the fourth round on Saturday night here to win the vacant OPBF lightweight championship. Suico had renounced his OPBF 130-pound belt to move up to the 135-pound category.  He then had a shot at the WBA light belt against Juan Diaz, only to be stopped in the ninth round, though showing a good fight in his first appearance as a 135-pounder.  Fresh from the bitter taste of defeat in Las Vegas , Suico swarmed over the Thai opponent from the outset and rocked him with a solid left-right combination in the third.  Feeling-out his game rival, Suico lifted a vicious right uppercut to floor him and decked him again with a wicked left uppercut to the chin.  Referee Bruce McTavish declared a well-timed and well-received stoppage.
Undercard: Unbeaten southpaw Eden Sonsona kept his Philippine 115-pound belt by stopping Jerope Mercado in the ninth round.
Promoter: Wakee Salud Promotion. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the OPBF elimination bout).

CAVITE, Philippines, October 13.- Veteran southpaw Juanito Rubillar seized the vacant OPBF 108-pound belt (renounced by Japanese Munetsugu Kayoh), stopping Indonesian Ifran Ogah because of a bad gash in the seventh of a scheduled 12 on Friday. The referee was Bruce McTavish, who covered a couple of OPBF elimination bouts on two successive days.
Promoter: Bebot Elorde.

by William Francis
MELBOURNE, Australia, October 8.- Dale Westerman, 167, won the vacant OPBF super-middleweight title at Moorabbin Town Hall here on a ninth-round stoppage of late-substitute opponent Sean Connell (8-5-2), 166¾. It was a scenario which, for the fans of Westerman, a clear pre-fight favourite, must at times have looked like being perilously close to a case of the cow getting loose and killing the butcher.  Westerman, who vacated the OPBF light-heavyweight he won in June last year by comprehensively beating Yoshinori Nishizawa in Japan to campaign at super-middle, boosted his stocks in a losing fight in London last February when tackling world top-10 ranker Carl Froch for the Commonwealth title, going down by TKO9 but by no means being disgraced. Thus, it was widely expected the Connell match-up would be …not a cakewalk but hardly as tough as Nishizawa or Froch. However, the cognoscenti recalled that Westerman and Connell had tangled a couple of times in the amateurs and on those occasions Connell had given Westerman a bit of stick, through his reach advantage and contrasting styles. As it turned out here, Connell performed well, boxing neatly and intelligently, taking the initiative, cutting Westerman in the opening frame and steadily piling up points, even wobbling Westerman a few times. Going into the ninth round, Connell was ahead on all cards – 78-74, 77-76 and 78-74 – and it was clear that, to win, Westerman would have to either dominate the remaining four frames or stop his man. In the ninth, Westerman did the latter, dropping Connell twice, at which point the referee ruled a timely and wise halt, crowning Westerman.
Promoter: Barry Michael. 

by William Francis
ADELAIDE, Australia, September 29.- OPBF cruiserweight champion Nermin Sabanovic (Australia), 185¼, retained his crown at the Festival Function Centre, in a voluntary defence, by TKO7 over game but outgunned Thai challenger Anont Donradith, 189.  Late in the sixth the plucky visitor suffered a shoulder dislocation, yet bravely came out for the seventh. Shortly thereafter, scoring referee Brad Vocale sensibly ordered a stoppage. Scoring at the end of the sixth: Brad Vocale 60-55, Sinchai Goonlawong ( Thailand ) 58-56, Gus Mercurio ( America ) 59-55, all for the defending champion.
Promoter: Terry Fox.

TOKYO, Japan, September 16.- Unbeaten WBA3/WBC13 Japanese Hiroyuki Enoki (25-0-1, 18 KOs), 126, kept his OPBF featherweight belt, impressively scoring an important victory over WBC6 Nedal Hussein (41-4, 26 KOs), 126, Australia , by winning a unanimous decision over 12 hot rounds.  The official tallies were: scoring-referee Pinit Prayadsab ( Thailand ) 116-112, Brian McMahon ( Australia ) and Kazuo Abe ( Japan ) both 116-114, all in favor of the defending champ.  Enoki, making his first defense, made a good start, but Hussein retaliated to win the second and fourth with good jabs and left-right combinations.  Enoki, however, turned aggressive and swept five rounds straight from the fifth as he occasionally rocked the more experienced Aussie with solid right crosses and vicious left hooks.  Hussein showed his last surge to dominate the 10th and 12th, which wasn’t enough to overcome his earlier deficits on points.  Enoki, an aggressive hard-puncher with a tight guard, turned in the best performance in his career.
Undercard: Japanese top-ranked 130-pounder Akio Mikami (18-1-1, 5 KOs ), 131, suffered a couple of lacerations over the right eyebrow but finally finished Thai feather Denchai Soh. Thiapkhun (6-7, 2 KOs ), 131, at 0:36 of the sixth. Kazuma Kumada (12-4), 104, floored ex-world contender Hiroshi Matsumoto (16-6-3, 8 KOs ), 104, in the sixth and earned a unanimous decision (97-95, 97-93 and 100-92) over 10. Filipino feather champ Vinvin Rufino (20-6-2, 9 KOs), 127, landed a one-punch stoppage of Yoshinori Miyata (18-5-1, 10 KOs ), 127, with a southpaw left to the button at 1:25 of the second.
Promoter: Kadoebi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

OSAKA, Japan , August 31.- Thailander Wethya Sakmuangklaeng (83-4, 52 KOs), 121.5, kept his OPBF 122-pound belt, proving too strong and aggressive for Japanese challenger Hiroki Sakamoto (13-5-3, 6 KOs ), 121.75, winning a unanimous decision over 12 lopsided rounds. Scoring: Scoring-referee Bruce McTavish 117-111, Hisatoshi Miyazaki 116-112 and Anan Meksawan 118-113, all  in favor of the southpaw defending champ. The 30-year-old Thailander, who had lost to Manny Pacquiao and Guty Espadas Jr. but is still unmatched in Asia, stalked the defensive footworker all night and steadily piled up points to confirm his victory. Wethya held his challenger at bay with a flurry of body shots in the seventh, but Sakamoto refused to go down.  Sakamoto occasionally retaliated in the ninth and 11th, which wasn’t enough to overcome his deficit on points.
Undercard: WBC11 ex-world challenger Ken Nakajima (16-3, 10 KOs ), 110.25, finally caught durable Thailander Petchsakda Sor. Thiabkhun (6-6, 3 KOs ), 110, to halt him at 1:25 of the sixth round in a scheduled 10.  Petchsakda’s toughness won the praise of the audience, but Nakajima persistently connected with busy solid combinations and weakened him to cause the ref’s intervention. OPBF10/JBC4 middleweight Tetsuya Suzuki (16-6, 12 KOs), 154.25, had a tough time coping with game and gallant Jomhoad Dokplamorkoo (6-3, 3 KOs), 152.75, but dropped him with a southpaw left hook to be awarded a TKO victory at 1:39 of the sixth in a scheduled eight.
Promoter: Shinko Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

OSAKA, Japan, August 13.- WBC17 ranked OPBF 140-pound champ Jungbum Kim (26-3-1, 21 KOs), 140, from Korea, retained his regional belt after a gory fight with OPBF top contender Daigoro Yamamoto (10-3-3, 8 KOs), 140, finally dropping the Japanese challenger for the fateful 10 at 1:46 of the seventh round.
Kim, who had lost to Arturo Morua in the U.S. last year, proved still strong in Asia as he had the upper hand over the game and gallant Japanese challenger, who recklessly mixed it up with the onrushing Korean from the outset.  Both bled from the nostrils in the second, and Kim sustained a gash over the eyebrow in the third.  They kept swapping punches toe-to-toe, but Kim was more accurate and effective in exchanging hot rallies in the close-quarter work.  Kim’s right uppercut, following busy combinations, sank Yamamoto, who failed to beat the count by Australian referee Charlie Lucas.
Undercard: Featherweight Ken Mitsuyama (7-1, 4 KOs) scored a fine KO win over Thailander Ritthidej Soonkilanoynai (4-2, 1 KO) at 0:25 of the fifth round in a supporting 10.
Promoter: Kanazawa Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

by Cary G. Young
MELBOURNE, Australia, July 28.- A crowded house (not Neil Finn’s band) packed the auditorium they call Fort Knox in suburban Melbourne for a Murray Thomson promotion designated “Mick Canavan Memorial” night, in honour of the respected trainer who died in 1999. Seven bouts stretched the card.
The fans were treated to four hours of excellent boxing, culminating in an outstanding battle for the OPBF middleweight title. Indian-born Aussie Pradeep Singh (unbeaten in 10 with seven KOs) was matched with the taller and extremely fit Eiji Nakamura, a former Japan middleweight champ, over 12 threes.
The crowd was treated to an instrumental version of the Japanese national anthem, then a girl sang Advance Australia Fair - and the battle commenced.
The rangy Nakamura sailed in behind piston-like lefts and rights from the opening bell, forcing Singh to retreat. Knowing the muscular local boy’s love of a battle, you could sense a real fight was in the offing. By mid-round Pradeep Singh had started to find the range and he repaid the blows he had taken initially, plus a few more, to take the opening round.
A pattern emerged. Nakamura started every round strongly, then Singh would come through and finish on top. Nakamura was staggered by a hook, probably Singh’s greatest gift, near the end of the second. Was the writing on the wall, I wondered?
But Nakamura was made of much stronger stuff. Again he came out like a Samurai warrior on the attack, forcing the pace. Eiji was right back into the fight in round three, though still not landing quite enough to win it. And by the end of the fourth, bruising and blood was showing round his brows. Not once over the 12 rounds was referee Malcolm Bulner troubled to break up a clinch. It was action punching all the way. The condition of both men was a credit to themselves and their trainers. At the end, the entire crowd rose and gave the fighters a standing ovation. This was a boxing match worthy of the name
It was a unanimous decision. Interestingly, visiting Japanese judge Takeshi Shimikaka scored it widely to the local man, 117-111 for Singh. Gus Mercurio scored 118-111. Judge Aneeka Williams scored a closer 116-113.
I admired the courage if Nakamura and his determination to advance at all times, but I thought Pradeep Singh a clear winner. At 33, Nakamura is one step past his prime. Pradeep Singh, not yet 20, has it all before him.
(Reprinted from Fighter-Online, per the courtesy of publisher Mike Ryan)
Promoter: Murray Thomson. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi

TOKYO, Japan, June 27.- Awkward and tricky hard-puncher Daisuke Naito (29-2-2, 20 KOs), 112, WBC6/WBA7 ranked Japanese champ, captured the OPBF flyweight, often catching the WBC13 defending champ Noriyuki Komatsu (21-3-5, 9 KOs), 111.75, with roundhouse overhand rights to effectively hurt him and badly drop him with a countering right en route to a fine TKO win at 1:38 of the sixth round on Tuesday. The contestants, both previously annihilated by WBC kingpin Pongsaklek Kratingdaeng-gym, battled with both belts at stake, so Naito now holds the OPBF and national thrones.
Naito took the lead-off with big rights from the start and swept the first three rounds by a comfortable margin.  Komatsu started busily using his vaunted footwork from the fourth, but couldn’t turn the tide, with Naito being still the aggressor.  A vicious right, in round six, floored the champ face first, and he barely beat the count, to resume fighting.  Naito, however, turned loose and battered the fading champ to have the ref Asao call a halt.  Though people expected a highly competitive affair, it surprisingly became a lopsided affair in favor of the unorthodox puncher.
Promoter: Eddie Taunsend Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, June 12.- WBA9/WBC11 Munetsugu Kayoh (14-1, 8 KOs), 108, kept his OPBF 108-pound belt in a fiasco, scoring a one-punch KO of ex-Thai national champ Fahkahnong Singhdongthai (8-6, 5 KOs), 108.5 (a half pound over the class limit), with a southpaw right hook at 1:14 of the second round.
Fahkahnong came to Japan some nine pounds over the limit, and reduced up to two pounds over it at his first trip to the scales.  He struggled to almost make the weight, just a half pound over, but refused to shed more and drank water.  The JBC contacted the OPBF president Frank Quill, who decided that the fight would go on under the condition that (1) should the champ Kayoh win, it would be registered as his title defense despite the challenger’s overweight, but (2) should Fahkahnong win, the OPBF belt would become vacant.  When the incident happened at the weigh-in in Tokyo, Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, the JBC executive secretary, was in the midst of witnessing the Japanese national bantam elimination bout as the JBC supervisor in Osaka, so he couldn’t move immediately.  It was very rare that a challenger failed to make the weight in OPBF title bouts, but it actually took place and brought disgrace on the OPBF history.
Promoter: Shirai Gushiken Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, May 20, 2006.- Slick-punching Japanese speedster Nobuhito Honmo (28-4-2, 5 KOs), 129.5, acquired the vacant OPBF 130-pound belt (recently renounced by Filipino Randy Suico, who moved up to the lightweight division), as he withstood the opening attacks of OPBF top-ranked Filipino champ Jimrex Jaca (26-2-1, 12 KOs), 127.75, in the first five rounds and started his retaliation to almost sweep the second half and earn a close but unanimous decision over 12 rounds on Saturday in Tokyo.  The official scores were: Scoring-referee Craig Waller (Australia) 117-114, Salven Lagumbay (Philippines) 116-112 and Yuji Fukuchi (Japan) 116-113, all for the WBC 6/WBA 9 Honmo.  It was a gory affair as Honmo sustained a gash over his right eyebrow from legal punches in the fourth, while Jaca kept bleeding from a cut over the right optic caused by a butt in the sixth.  Had southpaw Jaca battered the mid-section of Honmo more effectively in earlier rounds, the Japanese would have not shown his surge in the second half.  It might have been the Jaca corner’s strategic mistake.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, April 20.- Unbeaten Japanese Hiroshi Yamaguchi (15-0-1, 11 KOs), 147, wrested the OPBF welterweight belt on a split verdict over WBC 11- ranked Filipino lefty and defending champ Rev Santillan (22-3-1, 16 KOs), 147, over 12 hard-fought and gory heats. Scoring was: Scoring- referee Anek Hongtongkam (Thailand) 114-113 and Ukrid Sarasas (Japan) 115-113, both for Yamaguchi, and Alex Vidal (Philippines) 115-112 for Santillan.
The OPBF 7 ranked Yamaguchi, ex-amateur national champ, made a good start to take the first two rounds, and Santillan suffered a gash over the left eyebrow in the second.  The taller Filipino found his range and rhythm to be in command in the middle rounds.  Yamaguchi, also bleeding from the third round on after being cut over the left optic, moved well and fought back hard in the seventh through ninth.  The southpaw champ shifted his target to the midsection of the fast-moving Japanese and slowed him down effectively.  The 11th saw Santillan floor Yamaguchi with a long southpaw left and furiously follow it up, with Yamaguchi barely withstanding his assault.  Yamaguchi, in the final canto, displayed his last surge and gained an important point on the neutral referee Hongtongkam’s tally (which had been 104-104 after the 11th).  It was such a close affair that there were arguments for and against the verdict.
Promoter: JB Sports Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, April 13.- WBC 15-ranked Peter Okello (18-4, 16 KOs), 253, kept his OPBF heavyweight belt as he struggled to earn a unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Bob Mirovic (26-16-2, 17 KOs), 262.75, over 12 hard-fought rounds.  It was a total war, a really gruelling fight.  Official scores were: Scoring-referee Dongan Park (Korea) 118-108 (too generous for Peter), judges Kazunobu Asao (Japan) 117-111 and Mark Osborne (Australia) 115-112, all for the defending titleist who registered his ninth defence.
Mirovic, an Australian citizen born in Croatia, made a good start with effective jabs and solid left hooks to befuddle the champ in the opening session.  Okello came back to win the second, but Mirovic was in command in the third.  Rocking the Aussie with a big right, the champ dominated the fourth and fifth.  But Mirovic accelerated his attack to score a point in the sixth and seventh.  Okello had his second wind and turned loose in the eight through 10th sessions.  The third man repeatedly gave warnings to Mirovic who held the champ’s neck and pulled it down, and finally penalised a point twice, in the ninth and 11^th.  Mirovic was bleeding from the nostrils, while Okello was streaming blood from a gash over the right eyebrow.  Though almost exhausted, they exchanged slow but heavy blows toe-to-toe in the last two rounds.  It’s rare that Japanese fans watch a heavyweight competition, but it was truly a crowd-pleaser, though Peter had a very tough time throughout the contest.
Undercard: A disaster happened when ex-IBF 105-pound champ Nico Thomas (32-29-7, 20 KOs), 105, a southpaw from Indonesia, miserably succumbed on all fours from the busy, if not so strong, body shots of Japanese lefty Yasutaka Kuroki (13-3, 10 KOs), 105, to be counted out at his second visit to the canvas at only 3:10 of the first round in a scheduled 10.  We just wonder why the Japanese commission (JBC) allowed such a miserable 39-year-old boxer, with no win for almost six years, to appear in the ring, even though the JBC has an exception for ex-world champs to the age-limit regulation stipulating a boxer who reaches 37 is forbidden to fight here.  Before this bout, Nico Thomas had suffered seven consecutive KO defeats since 2000.
Co-promoters: Midori and Tsuchiura Yamaguchi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Okello-Mirovic bout).

by William Francis
YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 3.- At the Bunka Gym here, local-boy Akira Yaegashi, 104¾, impressively won the vacant OPBF minimum-weight mantle via a KO at 2:19 in round five of game but outgunned Thai challenger Weerasak Chuwatana, 104¾.

by William Francis
MANDAUE City, Philippines, March 18.- Here’s another name to paste in your “watch for” book: Z. Gorres (24-1-1, 12 KOs). This slick-moving Filipino stylist turned in a fine display of controlled boxing to win the vacant OPBF super-flyweight title here, dominating Thailand’s Waenpetch Chuwatana (23-7-2) to notch a virtual shut-out decision. Scoring: Scoring-referee Bruce McTavish 120-106, Pinit Prayadsub (Thailand) 118-109, Salven Lagumbay (Philippines) 119-107. Gorres looks to have genuine world-title potential.

NAGOYA, Japan, February 5.- OPBF bantam champ and ex-WBC fly ruler Malcolm Tunacao (19-1-3, 13 KOs), 118, kept his belt but was furious over the highly-debatable drawn verdict with previously unbeaten local prospect Kohei Ohba (13-0-1, 8 KOs), 117.5, over 12 one-sided rounds here on Sunday. Scoring: Scoring-referee Ignatius Missailidis (Australia) 115-114 for Tunacao, Yasuo Tomoto (Japan) 115-113 for Ohba, and Teodolo Alivio (Philippines) 115-115.  It looked like a typical split decision, but the facts weren’t what the tallies indicated.  The more experienced Filipino southpaw kept peppering the peek-a-boo styled challenger and penetrating his guard with sharp lefts to control the affair all night.  Ohba was too cautious and negative, without throwing many punches, and seemed content to block the busy-punching champ with his tight guard.  Ohba turned loose only in the sixth and seventh rounds with an abrupt blitzkrieg to the midsection, but his attacks weren’t effective enough to hurt the champ.  Tunacao appeared to dominate all rounds from the eighth on to confirm his victory.  When the verdict was announced, even the audience in Nagoya was stunned at the unexpected draw, since Tunacao obviously looked a winner.  It’s also a major question why the Filipino judge Alivio scored so severely against his compatriot Tunacao, who seemed to have dominated all rounds but two or three.  Also, the Japanese judge who scored for the challenger had better go to an ophthalmologist. It was a shameful night for the Japanese boxing industry.  It took place beneath the Suico-Sugita OPBF super-feather title bout.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions.

NAGOYA, Japan, February 5.- Hard-punching Filipino Randy Suico (24-2, 21 KOs), 129.25, easily kept his OPBF 130-pound belt, dropping ex-world challenger Ryuhei Sugita (30-3-2, 22 KOs), 129.25, with a vicious left hook in the second and accelerating his attack to halt him at 1:39 of the fourth.  The tall champ experienced Sugita’s kamikaze attack in the opening session, but countered well to shake him up effectively.  The second saw Suico explode a wicked left hook to send Sugita to the deck with a thud.  Sugita amazingly beat the count and desperately fought back with busy hands, though his punches were neither sharp nor effective.  Suico, in the third, found the range and punished him with solid lefts and rights to slow down the challenger.  As Suico brought Sugita to a standstill with big blows, his chief second and manager Kiyoshi Hatanaka, ex-WBC 122-pound champ, wisely threw in the towel to save his boy from further punishment.  The referee, Pinit Prayadsab, promptly raised the champ’s hand.  The loser had two teeth broken, and the inside of his mouth was lacerated badly by Suico’s left hooks. After this bad defeat a dejected Sugita announced, in the dressing-rooms, he is hanging up his gloves.
Promoter: Hatanaka Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, January 24.- The OPBF 154-pound champ Crazy Kim (24-3, 21 KOs), 153.5, Japan, kept both his regional and Japanese national belts as he dropped top-ranked lefty compatriot Tatsuki Kawasaki (18-2, 14 KOs), 153, with a solid right in the fourth and made him a bloody mess before the ref called a halt to the lopsided affair at 0:35 of the ninth round on Tuesday in Tokyo.  The shaven-skulled Kim proved why he changed his nom-de-guerre to Crazy Kim (from Toshiharu Kaneyama) when he shouted during the post-fight interview in centre ring: “I’ll knock out De La Hoya!”
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.

TOKYO, Japan, January 21.- Unbeaten  WBC 11-ranked Hiroyuki Enoki (24-0-1, 18 KOs), 126, won the vacant OPBF feather championship, dropping Thai national titleholder Denthaksin Soonkilanoyanai (6-4, 4 KOs), 126, three times en route to an automatic KO at 1:59 of the second round.  The regional throne had been renounced by Takashi Koshimoto, who will have an ambitious crack at the WBC crown against Injin Chi of Korea in Fukuoka, Japan, on January 29.  Enoki, a flat-footed but hard-punching ex-Japanese champ, decked the Thailander, leaving him in agony, with a wicked body shot in the beginning of the second.  Barely able to stand, Denthaksin returned to the canvas, courtesy of Enoki’s quick follow-up.  The Thai champ managed to resume fighting but hit the deck, heavily, from solid body shots, for the third time in this round.
Undercard: Fast-punching Kazuhisa Watanabe (12-2, 7 KOs), 126, won the vacant Japanese national feather belt (relinquished by his stablemate Enoki) when he floored a still nervous and stiff Motokazu Abe, 125.25, the top contender, three times and scored an impressive knockout win at 1:59 of the first round in a scheduled 10.  The JBC2 ranked Watanabe finely penetrated Abe’s peek-a-boo guard with a vicious right uppercut midway in the round.  He swarmed over the bewildered foe and sent him to the deck twice more.  The loser’s manager, Kenji Yonekura, harshly protested to referee Kodai Kumazaki, insisting that Abe’s third visit wasn’t a knockdown, but a slip.  The Japanese commission, however, gave the cold shoulder to his furious protest.  Some crazy aficionada of Abe threw a cup of beer, with poor precision, and it made yours truly’s well-tailored jacket wet with cerveza.
Promoter: Kadoebi Jewel Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Enoki-Denthaksin main event).

OPBF TITLE-BOUT REPORTS, 2005

(Unless otherwise stated, the following reports were written by Joe Koizumi)

YOKOHAMA, Japan, December 5.- Japanese lefty and WBC9/WBA11 ranked Masayuki Arinaga (20-4-1, 9 KOs), 115, retained his OPBF 115-pound title by utilising southpaw right uppercuts and straight lefts to WBC 14 ex-champ Waengpetch Chuwatana (25-7-2, 14 KOs), 115, Thailand, and swept the last three rounds to pound out a close but unanimous decision over 12 heats on Monday here. The cards read: scoring-referee Ignatius Missailidis (Australia) and Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) both 115-113, and Takeshi Shimakawa (Japan) 117-113, all for the defending titlist.  Arinaga, making his second defence, had dethroned Waengpetch via a controversial decision and defended his throne by a spectacular knockout over previously-unbeaten KO artist Daisuke Maruyama in his first defence.  He showed improvement here through better balance and increased speed, tossing sharp combinations at Waengpetch. The Thailander was called “southpaw killer”, as he was very good at fighting lefty opponents, such as then world-rated Eiji Kojima whom he annihilated in two rounds in Osaka the previous year.  But Arinaga accelerated his attack against the fading rival to be in command in the last three sessions and confirm his victory.  Arinaga, handled by ex-WBA/WBC 105-pound champ Hideyuki Ohashi, is expected to renounce his regional belt to concentrate on a near-future world-title shot.
Promoter: Ohashi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, December 3.- ­Filipino southpaw Rev Santillan (22-2-1, 16 KOs), 147, impressively regained the OPBF welterweight crown, overcoming retaliation by the defending champ, WBC 9 ranked Japanese lefty Kazuhiko Hidaka (22-5, 16 KOs), 147, and finally exploding a coup de grace to finish him at 0:59 of the eighth round in a scheduled 12 on Saturday night. It was truly the OPBF’s Fight of the Year, a total war from the hot outset to the dramatic end.  This was a grudge fight, since Hidaka dethroned Santillan via a lopsided fourth-round TKO here last March.  The Filipino wasn’t at his best physically and mentally then because his sweetheart had contracted cancer and he couldn’t concentrate on training. Determined and desperate this time, Santillan almost floored the champ with his furious attack in the first round.  The Filipino was in command in the first three rounds, shaking his man with accurate combinations.  Hidaka, however, came back hard and dominated the fourth through sixth by battering him with a flurry of punches.  Santillan looked on the verge of a KO defeat, but the tide turned again in the seventh, when the Filipino fought back to have the champ groggy in the closing seconds.  Santillan went for a kill in the fateful eighth, and caught the fading champ with a southpaw left uppercut followed by a vicious right hook.  Down he went.  Hidaka regained his feet but wobbled so badly that Thai referee Pinit Prayadsab wisely tolled a 10 count.  Then the dethroned and dejected ex champ collapsed. The crowd gave a standing ovation to the victor despite the home-towner’s defeat. After the seventh, all cards of scoring ref Pinit, Alex Vidal (Philippines) and Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) were identical: 67-66 for Santillan.  The lanky Filipino lefty thus gained the OPBF 147-pound belt for the third time, as he previously regained it from Hiroshi Watanabe and, now, has recaptured it again.
Promoter: Shin Nihon Kimura Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the OPBF title bout).

by  William Francis
MELBOURNE, Australia, November 27.- Local-boy Dale Westerman, 78.2 kg, looked set for an early night at the plush Vodafone Arena in the third defence of his OPBF light-heavyweight championship, dropping countryman challenger Brett Culey, 78.9, in the first frame, but wound up in a figurative war before scoring a 10^th-round stoppage. Showing the heart of a lion, Culey climbed off the floor and fought back bravely to give the champion some nasty moments – including twice having him close to being on the receiving end of a knockout – before the end, after Culey’s second visit to the canvas. Difference between the two was Westerman’s superior power and, several times, the champion’s ability to ride out tough times by claiming and showing good evasion of dangerous blows. It was an absorbing contest.  
Promoter: Tony Caradonna. Matchmaker: Rod Waterhouse.

OSAKA, Japan, November 22: In an OPBF middleweight unification bout here, Australian Sakio Bika (20-1, 13 KOs), 156.25, fully displayed his superior physical power to demolish interim champ Yoshihiro Araki (15-3, 8 KOs), 159.5, with a single right shot at 2:22 of the fifth canto in a scheduled 12.  Bika, originally from Cameroon, had previously stopped Araki in 10 hot frames in their first encounter to acquire the then vacant OPBF belt.  Bika’s back pain cancelled a once-slated rematch in July, and Araki fought Korean ruler Kyunghoon Lee instead to gain an interim belt under the OPBF’s sanction.  The muscular champ took the initiative with heavy jabs from the outset, though Araki averted them with his tight guard.  Araki, former Japanese titleist, attempted to counter the wild-punching champ in the third and fourth but was overpowered, so much so that he was forced to backpedal time and again.  A devastating right from Bika, in the fifth, caught the Japanese, who went down and regained his feet, only to be counted out by Korean referee Dongahn Park.  Official scores before the trick happened were: 39-37 twice and 38-38.
A second main event saw ex-OPBF champ Noriyuki Komatsu (21-2-5, 9 KOs), 112, regain his OPBF flyweight championship, almost toppling Filipino ruler Federico Catubay (16-10-3, 11 KOs), 110.5, in the third and earning a well-received but split decision over 12 give-and-take rounds.  The judges tallied as follows: scoring referee Jaebong Kim (Korea) 115-112, Ichiro Uenaka (Japan) 115-111, both for Komatsu, and Jonathan Davis (Philippines) 114-112 for Catubay.  The shorter Filipino, who previously failed to win the same OPBF throne via fourth-round loss to Hussein Hussein in Australia last February, made a good start, but Komatsu smartly penetrated the free-swinging Filipino’s guard with short combinations from the second onward to steadily pile up points.  The Japanese, midway in the third, connected with a well-timed short right, which made his opponent so badly rubbery-legged that he almost finished the affair with a barrage of punches.  Catubay, a switch-hitter, was wild and aggressive, but threw almost all of his punches with open gloves. He was twice penalized a point by the ref Kim, in the third and seventh.  After the seventh Komatsu looked to be winning this bout rather easily, with a comfortable lead on points.  However, the tide turned in the eighth, when Catubay started his engine and furiously kept coming forward. The Filipino dominated the last five rounds, except the 10^th, with his persistent aggression, while Komatsu kept moving and covered up to keep his early accumulation of points.  Having been annihilated by Pongsaklek Kratindaeng-gym in five lopsided rounds in a quest for the WBC 1112-pound belt last January, Komatsu successfully regained the regional belt lately renounced by Japanese sensation Koki Kameda.
Co-promoters: Muto and Eddie Townsend Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Bika-Araki and Komatsu-Catubay OPBF title bouts).

TOKYO, Japan, November 19.- Ex-WBC flyweight champ Malcolm Tunacao, 118, a Filipino southpaw, captured the OPBF bantam crown, displaying his ring experience and savvy in outmanoeuvering defending champ Kumarnthorng Poh Pluemkamol, 118, Thailand, en route to a lopsided decision over 12 rounds on Saturday.  The official tallies were as follows: scoring-referee Nobuaki Uratani (Japan) 118-111, Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) 120-109 and Salven Lagumbay (Philippines) 119-109, all for Tunacao.  It was not a spectacular bout, but Tunacao cleverly controlled the affair with his hit-and-grab tactics and occasional counters.  Kumarnthong, who had dethroned Japan’s Jun Toriumi by an upset verdict here, attempted to wear Tunacao down by aiming at the Filipino’s breadbasket to stop his mobility, but Tunacao often utilised clinching with the willing mixer.
Promoter: Watanabe Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Tunacao-Kumarnthong bout).

SHIMIZU, Japan, November 6.- WBC 18 ranked Korean Jungbum Kim (24-3-1. 19 KOs), 140, easily kept his OPBF 140-pound crown, blasting out Japanese southpaw Tsukasa Kashiwagi (13-9-2, 10 KOs), 140, by dropping him three times en route to an automatic KO at 2:50 of the opening session on Sunday. Kashiwagi was a respected local prospect, thanks to his upset stoppage of comebacking ex-world challenger Hiroyuki Sakamoto last May.  Kim, however, swarmed over the nervous and stiff challenger, decking him with a vicious right to the button.  The Korean repeated a same right shot and sent him sprawling to the deck again.  Though Kashiwagi was desperate to last the crisis, grabbing the champ and fighting back on rubbery legs, Kim pinned him to the ropes with solid combos and lifted a wicked right uppercut, flooring him for the third time.  Ref Anek Hongtongkam, Thailand, declared a halt to raise the quick-finisher’s hand.  It was Kim’s first appearance since losing to Mexican Arturo Morua in Hollywood, California, last April.
Promoter: Mitsuyama Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

TOKYO, Japan, November 5.- WBA9/WBC9 ranked OPBF lightweight champ Chikashi Inada (19-2, 14 KOs), 134.75, kept his regional belt as he mercilessly battered Korean ruler Youngbeum Lee (6-4, no KO), 135, from all angles to prompt referee Anek Hongtongkam’s intervention at 2:21 of the fourth round. The elongated champ scored with good body shots to the Korean southpaw, a late substitute for Indonesian champ Larry Siwu, who refused to come here because of his weight problem and almost destroyed this promotion.  Inada, in the fourth, pinned him to the ropes with a fusillade of punches prior to the well-received stoppage.  All the officials, scoring ref Anek, Jaekeun Kim and Ukrid Sarasas, identically tallied 30-27 after the third.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (for the Inada-Lee OPBF title bout).

by William Francis
BROADBEACH, Australia, October 22.- Here’s a name to paste in your “Follow Closely” book: 24-year-old boxer-puncher Daniel Geale, who is 10-0 (9 KOs) after stopping talented Australian countryman Garry Comer in eight rounds here to win the OPBF Interim super-welterweight crown and earn a showdown in the new year with the outright champion, Japan’s Crazy Kim. Geale-Comer was a class affair, a fine exhibition of quality boxing and solid hitting, Geale generally having the better of things until, off-balance, taking an eight-count in round seven. More embarrassed than hurt, Geale was quickly back on top and ended proceedings in the next frame, overwhelming Comer with barrages that forced third-man Brad Vocale to intervene at the 1:48 mark, when Comer was on his feet but virtually unconscious. Geale, who may have a very bright future, is managed by Australia’s fistic icon Jeff Fenech. (Postscript: Five weeks later this pair was matched again, in Melbourne, where Geale battered Comer en route to a second-round TKO victory).
Promoter: RDG Promotions. Matchmaker: Rod Waterhouse. 

TOKYO, Japan, October 18.- Australian Peter Mitrevski (13-3-1, 5 KOs), 167, acquired the vacant OPBF super-middle mantle when he was awarded a majority but well-received technical decision over ex-champ Yoshinori Nishizawa (26-17-5, 14 KOs), 168, a 39-year-old Japanese veteran, because of the loser’s forehead grotesquely swollen and his right eye finally closing, at 1:31 of the 10th round in a scheduled 12 on Tuesday.  The official scores were: scoring-referee Bruce McTavish (Philippines) 96-94 and Carl Zappia (Australia) 97-93, both for Mitrevski, and Kazunobu Asao (Japan) 96-96.
Nishizawa, who had failed to win the WBA and the WBC titles from Anthony Mundine and Markus Bayer respectively, though dropping the champ in each of his ambitious cracks, made a good start with opening rallies to the cautious Aussie.  But Mitrevski took back the initiative with a series of left hooks to the face as the contest progressed.  Midway in the fifth, a head collision had Nishizawa’s forehead puffed, and it worsened in the following rounds.  Nishizawa became visibly tired and slowed, leaving Mitrevski in command from the seventh round on.  Referee McTavish, in the 10th, twice had the badly-swollen forehead and almost-closed right optic examined by the ring doctor, Dr Otsuki, and then called a halt to take a technical decision.  Mitrevski, 13 years his junior at 26, was well motivated by his chief second Johnny Lewis, Kostya Tszyu’s trainer, en route to a valuable triumph.
Promoter: Yonekura Promotions.

by William Francis
MELBOURNE, Australia, October 14.- When firm pre-fight favorite James Grima, 186¾, tangled with fellow Australian Nermin Sabanovic, 186¼, at Festival Hall here in their elimination bout to find a new OPBF cruiserweight champion, it was a case of the proverbial cow getting loose and killing the butcher. Comebacking Grima, 34, who had decisioned Bob Mirovic in 1997 to claim the OPBF heavyweight crown, opened confidently and was scoring freely with body blows when Sabanovic stunned him via a solid shot to the point of the chin. Sabanovic followed up instantly to score an abrupt and unexpected knockout, Grima’a head thudding onto the canvas as he fell, to be counted out at 2:10 of round one. It was one of those “scary” KOs, with Grima on the floor for several minutes before regaining his senses. The loser’s record slipped to 12-6-1 (10 KOs) while Sabanovic, 41, who had 200-plus amateur bouts before turning pro, improved to 5-1-2 (3 KOs). Grima wants to have another crack at Sabanovic, early next year.
Promoter: Peter Maniatis.

KANAZAWA, Japan, October 9.- WBC 6 ranked OPBF 122-pound king Wethya Sakmuangklaeng (79-4, 50 KOs), 121.75, kept his laurel, landing heavier punches with precision and doubled up ex-OPBF ruler Yasuo Kunimi (16-7-4, 6 KOs), 121.75, Japan, with effective body shots in the seventh and 11th rounds en route to a popular but majority decision (117-114, 118-116 and 114-114) over 12.  The southpaw Thai veteran previously displayed good form against then WBC feather champ Guty Espadas in Mexico in 2000 and suffered his last defeat, by sixth-round TKO, at the hands of “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines in 2001.  Wethya cautiously started with more accurate shots than the taller Japanese challenger, whose punches hit the air or were blocked by the champ’s tight guard. As the contest progressed, Wethya proved smarter and economical by throwing fewer punches than Kunimi but with better accuracy.  The champ had the challenger at bay with his heavy body bombardments in the seventh and ninth, and had his nose bleeding in the 11^th.  Kunimi desperately attacked in the final session, but Wethya cleverly kept moving to and fro to avert his last surge. The official tallies were: referee Teddy Alivio (Philippines) 114-114, Takaomi Ito (Japan) 117-114 and Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) 118-116, both for the defending champ.
Promoter: Kashimi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

Promoter: Ohashi Promotions. Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.

YOKOHAMA, Japan, August 21.- Unbeaten southpaw sensation Koki Kameda (8-0, 7 KOs), 112, very impressively captured the OPBF flyw