Box On! Boxing News 29.6.

Nakazato earns decision over Thai in nontitle fight   Local favorite Shigeru Nakazato earned a 10-round unanimous decision over Thailand's Petchngam Sorworapin in a featherweight nontitle bout in Naha on Sunday. Nakazato, who failed in his challenge to World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios of Mexico in April, piled up points chiefly with body shots. But he did not manage to get in some effective combination punches in the bout held at Onoyama Budokan in the Okinawa capital. The 31-year-old Okinawa native, ranked fifth by the WBC, is aiming for another crack at a world title this fall after giving Larios a run for his money. He improved his record to 24 wins, including 18 knockouts, against six defeats. It was Petchngam's fifth loss against nine wins, five by KO.

Box On! Boxing News 27.6.

Nishizawa eyes world title challenge at age of 37  Thirty-seven-year-old super middleweight boxer Yoshinori Nishizawa is aiming at a world title challenge in the near future, hoping to become by far the oldest Japanese fighter to take a crack at a world title, boxing sources said. Nishizawa has already relinquished his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super middleweight crown to concentrate on a world title challenge. His move follows the Japan Boxing commission's recent lifting of the age limit of 37. In lifting the limit, the commission decided to allow into competition a boxer who has captured at least a national title, has experience of a world title challenge and is ranked among the top 15 in the world on turning 37. Boxers without a title automatically lose their license when they reach 37. Previously, champions -- world, OPBF and national -- could go on fighting even after turning 37 as long as they kept winning, but once they lost their titles they had to retire even if they were in good health and wanted to continue boxing. ''If that's the case, I don't have to defend the (OPBF) title by facing risky opponents, and I came to the conclusion that I would be better off focusing on my ultimate target of a world title challenge, which is why I vacated the title, '' Nishizawa said. At present Germany's Markus Beyer and Sven Ottke hold the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles, respectively. Japan does not recognize the sport's two other major organizations -- the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization. ''Psychologically, I'm prepared to challenge whenever such a challenge materializes. I can go to Germany if that's necessary,'' said Nishizawa, who hails from Ueda in the central Japanese Prefecture of Nagano. But many experts think Nishizawa's challenge for the super middleweight (76.20 kilograms) category, the fourth heaviest in boxing's 17 weight categories, is outrageous. ''I knew people would say that. There was a period when I could not win a bout for three years, which was 10 years ago. But even during that period I kept harping on about how I would someday win a world title,'' he said. ''People scoffed at me in those days. But without that firm belief in mind, I could not win the OPBF crown,'' Nishizawa said. His handler Kenji Yonekura, head of Yonekura Boxing Gym to which Nishizawa belongs, said, ''He has improved little by little even at that age. His effort, his love for his family and everything else coalesced into his improving even at that age. I would definitely put him up for a world title challenge if such an opportunity comes around.'' Nishizawa has a nontitle fight lined up on July 15, which is dubbed a prelude to a world title challenge, and his singer friend Ryudo Uzaki will sing a special song on the ring when Nishizawa enters to set the stage for his ''final hurrah'' in the not so distant future.

Box On! Boxing News 27.6.

Kyoei Boxing Gym to introduce insurance system for own boxers Tokyo's Kyoei Boxing Gym has decided to introduce a life insurance system to have its own boxers insured against possible injury or a ring death, sources close to the gym said Thursday. The sources quoted gym president Keiichiro Kanehira as saying the recent contract with Sony Life Insurance Co., a wholly owned unit of Sony Crop., calls for the gym to take it upon itself to pay insurance premiums for its own boxers. The move is unheard-of since there have been virtually no life insurance companies before which would accept boxers, due to the life-threatening image with which the sport is associated. At present, the Japan Pro Boxing Association collects a certain percentage of a boxer's purse under the name of ''the health management fund'' and pools it so that it can pay 13 million yen in ''consolation money'' to the bereaved family of a boxer who dies in the ring. Kanehira, head of the association's health control committee, said the current system has a lot of room for improvement, which is why he has come up with the idea and successfully approached Sony Life. Should Kyoei Gym boxers meet mishaps during bouts or training, 23 million yen will be paid to A-licensed boxers, an eight-rounder and above, and 13 million yen for B-licensed and C-licensed boxers, in addition to the 13 million yen, they said. Kyoei Gym has so far produced a Japanese record of nine world champions, ranging from Hiroyuki Ebihara to Osamu Sato.

Box On! Boxing News 23.6.

Tokuyama defends WBC super flyweight title for 7th time        Champion Masamori Tokuyama pounded out a hard-fought 12-round decision over feisty challenger Katsushige Kawashima to successfully defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight title Monday in Yokohama.      It was Tokuyama's seventh successful defense of the title he wrested from South Korea's Cho In Ju in August 2000.      With the victory, Tokuyama stands alone in third place on the all-time list for the number of successive world title defenses for boxers fighting  out of Japanese gyms.      Former World Boxing Association (WBA) light flyweight champion Yoko  Gushiken has the Japanese record of 13 successive title defenses, followed  by former WBC flyweight kingpin Russian Yuri Arbachakov's nine defenses.       Judge Ken Morita scored the bout 116-114,  fellow Japanese Hisatoshi Miyazaki and Anek Hongtongkam of Thailand each had it  116-112,  all  in favor of Tokuyama on a 10-point must system. Nobuaki Uratani of Japan was the nonscoring referee.      While there were no knockdowns during the grueling fight at Yokohama Arena, both fighters frequently exchanged fierce blows.       The fifth-ranked Kawashima took the fight to his taller opponent with  wild hooks with Tokuyama flicking out left jabs to keep his distance and  moving side to side to evade Kawashima's crude attacks.,       The  28-year-old champion, known for his ring savvy, landed crisp one-two combinations and left hooks, causing Kawashima to lose his balance on many occasions.      Kawashima's best moment came in the fourth and fifth rounds as he landed his vaunted right hooks over the top.     While Kawashima, 28, kept up the pressure in the ensuing rounds,  most  of his punches were wide of the mark before Tokuyama's clever techniques.       ''I hurt my left knuckles around the sixth round and I think they were probably broken as I could not throw strong lefts since then, which was the  chief reason for my having a tough fight. This was my first title defense  since I got married  (in March), and　I could not very well lose,'' said  Tokuyama after the fight.       With the victory, Tokuyama, a pro-Pyongyang Korean resident of Japan  whose real name is Hong Chang Su, improved his record to 29 wins, including eight knockouts, against two defeats and a draw.      For his part, Kawashima, a former Japan champion, sagged to 23-3 with 16 KOs.      Both fighters tipped the scales at the class limit of 52.16 kilograms (115 pounds)     Earlier, Champion Jose Antonio Aguirre of Mexico battered ninth-ranked Japanese Keitaro Hoshino into submission in the 12th  round  to retain his WBC minimumweight crown.       It was the 27-year-old Mexico City native's seventh successful defense of the title he won from Wandee Chor Chareon of Thailand in February 1999.       The technical knockout came 2 minutes, 15 seconds into the final round when referee Bruce Mactavish of New Zealand stepped in to call a halt to the bout as Hoshino, a former two-time WBA  minimumweight kingpin, was  defenseless before Aguirre's savage barrage of left-right combinations to  the head and body.       Aguirre caught Hoshino with a sizzling left hook to the head midway through the 12th round, which put the Japanese on the seat of his trunks in a delayed reaction.       While Hoshino struggled to his feet to beat the referee's count, Aguirre pounced on him and opened up with left and right combinations, sending the dazed Japanese reeling along the ropes.       At the time of the stoppage, two judges had Aguirre ahead at 106-103 while the third judge saw it 106-105 for Hoshino.       Had Hoshino won the match, he would have become the oldest Japanese boxer to win a world title at 33 years and 10 months, eclipsing the record  of 32 years and nine months held by former WBA super welterweight champ  Koichi Wajima.       Aguirre improved his record to 30 wins, 19 by KO, against a loss and a draw, while Hoshino, a native of Yokohama, sagged to 23-10 with six KOs.       Both boxers weighed in at the class limit of 47.6 Kgs (105 pounds).       The fight was held as a chief supporting card for the WBC super flyweight title match.

Box On! Boxing Newse 22.6.

Ishihara retains OPBF crown with decision over Thai Champion Hideyasu Ishihara, coming off the floor in the second round, pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over Phisesh Voh Suraphol of Thailand to retain his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super flyweight title in Nagoya on Sunday. It was the 27-year-old Ishihara's second successful defense of the title he won last July by beating Joel Avila of the Philippines. Fighting at the International Convention Hall, Phisesh, the ninth-ranked challenger, floored southpaw Ishihara with a straight right in the second round. But the feisty Japanese quickly got to his feet and sent the Thai down on his behind with a straight left in the same round, and piled up points the rest of the way as he also scored knockdowns in the third and sixth rounds. With the win, Ishihara, who had an ample amateur career before turning pro in 1998, improved his record to 13 wins, including 10 knockouts, against two losses and a draw, while Phisesh dropped to 15-9 with two KOs. ''He was more difficult that I thought he would be,'' Ishihara said after the fight. Koji Matsuda, head of Matsuda gym out of which Ishihara fights, said, ''It was not really a bad fight (for Ishihara). We are planning to relinquish the title to aim at a world title challenge. I hope to pit him against (Masamori) Tokuyama if possible.'' World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Tokuyama is making his seventh defense of the title against the fifth-ranked Katsushige Kawashima in Yokohama on Monday.

Box On! Boxing News 22.6.

Undefeated Filipino Suico decisions Fujita in nontitle bout      Undefeated Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight champion Randy Suico of the Phillippines hammered out a lopsided decision over Japan’s Kazunori Fujita in a nontitle fight in Tokyo on Saturday.      There were no knockdowns in the 10-round fight at Korakuen Hall, but Suico, who is guided by noted Japanese matchmaker Joe Koizumi, utilized his left hand to his advantage from the opening bell and waｒded off Fujita'soffense.      With the victory, the 23-year-old Suico, known as the ''manos de piedra(hands of stone)　of the Philippines, extended his unbeaten log to 20 wins, including 17 knockouts.      Fujita, the third-ranked Japanese super featherweight and known for his durable chin, sagged to 17-4 with eight KOs.      Suico, who is also ranked third by the World Boxing Council, is aiming at a world title challenge in the future. This was his fourth appearance in a Japanese ring and his first in two years.

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