MITANI DISPATCHES TERABATAKE
April 15, 2007
TAKASAGO, JAPAN
WBC#11 Japanese bantam champ (20-1, 10 KOs), 118, impressively retained his national belt as he displayed a beautiful three-punch combination to floor mandatory challenger Shota Terabatake (15-4, 5 KOs), 117.5, and drop him again with a follow-up combo, prompting the ref to intervene at 1:08 of the second round on Sunday in Takasago, Japan. Mitani, a lanky and stylish boxer, successfully made his second defense since acquiring the vacant throne by defeating Kenbun Torres by a unanimous nod last year. Mitani is gunning for a shot at the OPBF belt against Rolly Matsuhita Lunas, a Japan-based Filipino hard-puncher living in Kanazawa.
Promoter: Takasago Promotions.
(4-15-06)
KAYO DEFEATS WBA#7 MASUDA
April 15, 2007
SHIMADA, JAPAN
Southpaw Munetsugu Kayo (15-2, 8 KOs), 107.75, captured the Japanese national 108-pound belt when he decked WBA#7/WBC#8 defending champ Nobuaki Masuda (23-4-1, 3 KOs), 108, in the second and scored a unanimous decision (98-92 twice and 97-92) on Sunday in Shimada, Japan. WBC#13 Kayo, managed by ex-WBA junior fly champ Yoko Gushiken, had suffered a bitter defeat at the hand of Wandee Singwangcha, who failed to make the weight and forfeited his WBC 108-pound belt, in his previous bout. Kayo maintained the initiative, whipping the durable champ almost all the way.
Promoter: Hiraishi Promotions.
(4-15-07)
SASAKI HALTS KOGURE
April 16, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
OPBF#6 ex-Japanese 140-pound champ Motoki Sasaki (27-7-1, 18 KOs), 145.5, showed his strength in halting Japanese #9 ranked Feifong Kogure (19-8-1, 8 KOs), 145.5, at 2:27 of the third round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Sasaki, a sturdy university graduate, badly rocked his foe with a vicious left hook to the temple in the first, and downed him for the mandatory eight count with a flurry of punches in the third. Though the fading Kogure resumed fighting, Sasaki swarmed over him with another barrage of punches to cause the ref Vinny Martin$B!G(Bs well-timed stoppage. This card was ballyhooed as a confrontation of good friends a la a Joe Louis-John Henry Lewis encounter in 1939 and a Simon Brown-Maurice Blocker encounter in 1991. But Sasaki looked very merciless against his good pal tonight.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(4-16-07)
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