Box On! Boxing News November 28.

2 Japanese win bronzes in Asian women’s boxing in India       TOKYO, Nov. 27 – Two Japanese women have placed third in the recent Second Asian Women Boxing Championship in India, women’s amateur boxing sources here said Thursday.  According to the sources, Nahoko Fujioka and Mami Yanase won the bronze medals in the flyweight and light bantamweight divisions, respectively during the six-day event in Hisar which started Nov. 18..  North Korea captured six gold, two silver and one bronze medals, followed by India with five golds, four silvers and as many bronzes and China with two golds, three silvers and four bronzes. A total of nine nations took part in the competition.

Box On! Boxing News November 26.

Araki KOs Nakamura to retain Japan middleweight title      SAKAI, Japan, Nov. 24 – Yoshihiro Araki floored top-ranked Eiji Nakamura three times en route to a ninth-round knockout to retain his Japan middleweight crown in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on Sunday.      It was the 30-year-old Araki’s first successful defense of the title he won from Satoru Suzuki via a split decision last July.      The end of the scheduled 10-rounder came 1 minute and 8 seconds into the ninth round when Araki dropped Nakamura with a counter right for the count.      With the victory, Araki improved his record to 13 wins, seven by knockout, against a loss, while it was the 30-year-old Nakamura’s fifth setback against eight wins, two by KO, with five draws.

Box On! Boxing News November 22.

Trash’ Nakanuma to challenge Pongsaklel for WBC flyweight title in Jan.      TOKYO, Nov. 22 – Former Japanese flyweight champion Masaki ‘’Trash’’ Nakanuma will challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight ruler Pongsaklek Wonjongham of Thailnd for the latter’s title on Jan. 3 in Yokohama, organizing officials said Friday.      It will be the first crack at a world title for the 28-year-old Nakanuma, who is currently ranked 15th in the division. The scheduled 12-rounder will be staged at Pacifico Yokohama, according to the officials.       Nakanuma has a record of 23 wins, 10 by knockout, against four losses while the 26-year-old Pongsaklek is 49-2 with 27 KOs. He successfully defended his title for the eighth time earlier this month by hammering out a unanimous decision victory over Australian Hussein Hussein in Bangkok.      Two world title fights have already been set to take place on Jan. 3 in Osaka. WBC super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama and his stablemate Eiji Kojima will have their respective matches at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium.      Tokuyama will defend his title for the eighth time against top-ranked Russian Dimitri Kirilov, while the 26-yedar-old Kojima, the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation kingpin, will challenge World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Alexander Munoz of Venezuela for the second time.      The three title fights are expected to be televised live from 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 3.

Box On! Boxing News November 20.

Maruyama’s KO streak ends at 13 as he settles for decision win over Thai      TOKYO, Nov. 20 – New Boxing sensation Daisuke Maruyama went the distance for the first time as he won a lopsided 10-round decision over Thailand’s Petchkhlongphai Soh Dharnthip in a nontitle fight on Wednesday in Tokyo, seeing his knockout streak since his debut end at 13.      Maruyama eclipsed the previous Japanese record of 12 straight KOs last June. Former World Boxing Council super lightweight champion Tsuyoshi Hamada holds the Japanese record of 15 consecutive KOs.      Appearing at Korakuen Hall for the first time, the 24-year-old Maruyama, dubbed ‘’the Tyson of the Fukuoka region,’’ took the fight to Petchkhlongphai, Thailand’s second-ranked flyweight, from the opening bell by landing plenty of leather from all angles.      A standing eight count was issued on Petchkhlongphai in the closing moment of the seventh round as Maruyama, the sixth-ranked Japanese super flyweight, flailed away with both hands only to see the Thai saved by the bell.      The victory improved Maruyama’s unbeaten streak to 14, while Petchkhlongphai, who took Maruyama’s punches well with his defensive fighting style, sagged to 6-2 with one KO.      Maruyama, also the holder of the Japanese record of the ninth straight first-round KO since his debut in June 1999, said after the fight, ‘’I feel sorry because I badly wanted to challenge Mr. Hamada’s record. But at the same time, I feel a kind of relieved (with the first decision win). Going the 10-round distance was a good experience for me.’’

Box On! Boxing News November 17.

Nakajima rallies to KO Kanai in final round to retain nat’l title      TOKYO, Nov. 16 – Yoshikane Nakajima, rebounding from sluggish start, attained a come-from-behind knockout victory in the final round over highly touted challenger Akihiro Kanai to retain his Japanese super bantamweight title in Tokyo on Saturday.      It was the 25-year-old Nakajima’s first successful defense of the title he wrested from Junichi Watanabe last June.      The end of the scheduled 10-rounder at Korakuen Hall came 2 minutes, 15 seconds into the final round when Nakajima floored Kanai, ranked eighth by the World Boxing Council, for the count with a left jab.      Nakajima, who was trailing on points as Kanai frequently landed well-timed overhand rights to the head, began to rally from the eighth round and decked Kanai with a sizzling straight right in the ninth round, setting the stage for his dramatic final-round win.      ‘’I knew I was behind (on points) but was determined to press forward later in the fight because I have confidence in my stamina,’’ Nakajima told reporters after the fight.      With the victory, Nakajima bettered his record of 14 wins, four by KO, against five losses and four draws, while it was the 25-year-old Kanai’s second setback against 19 wins, including 16 KOs.      Nakajima is expected to take on three-time world title challenger Kozo Ishii in his next title defense.

Box On! Boxing News November 10.

Hasegawa stops Felicilda, retains OPBF bantamweight title      KOBE, Nov. 10 – Hozumi Hasegawa, unleashing a barrage of right-left combinations from various angles, stopped top-ranked Alvin Felicilda of the Philippines in the 10th round to retain his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight crown on Sunday in Kobe.      It was the 22-year-old Hasegawa’s first successful defense of the title he won from Felicilda’s compatriot Jess Maca last May.      The end of the scheduled 12-rounder at Sambo Hall came 1 minute, 20 seconds into the 10th round when the referee stopped the lopsided bout after the southpaw champion floored Felicilda with crisp combination blows for the third time in the fight.      Hasegawa decked the hapless challenger twice in the third round with counter lefts.      With the victory, Hasegawa improved his record to 14 wins, five by knockout, against two losses while Felicilda, 21, fell to 18-11-2 with nine KOs.

Box On! Boxing News November 5.

Tokuyama, Kojima to appear in double-header title fights in Osaka      OSAKA, Nov. 5 – World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama and his stablemate Eiji Kojima will have world title matches at the same venue on Jan. 3 in Osaka, Osaka’s Kanazawa Gym said Tuesday.      It will be the first time in Japan that two boxers from the same gym and in the same division have taken part in world title bouts on the same day.      The 29-year-old Tokuyama will defend his title for the eighth time against top-ranked Russian Dimitri Kirilov, while the 26-yedar-old Kojima, the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation kingpin, will challenge World Boxing Association super flyweight ruler Alexander Munoz of Venezuela for the second time.      The two scheduled 12-rounders will be staged at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium.      Tokuyama , a (North) Korean resident of Japan whose real name is Hong Chang Su, said, ‘’Kirilov is a speedy technician and his fighting style is similar to mine. But I will do my best as I’m determined to lead the Japanese boxing world next year as well.’’      Tokuyama stands alone in third place on the all-time list for the number of successful world title defenses for boxers fighting out of Japanese gyms.      Tokuyama has a record of 29 wins, including eight KOs, against two defeats and a draw, while Kirilov, 24, who has ample amateur experience, is 23-1 with seven KOs.      For his part, southpaw Kojima, who was knocked out in the second round by Munoz in July last year in his crack at the Venezuelan’s title, told reporters, ‘’I will stake my boxing life on the fight.’’      Hideo Kanazawa, owner of the gym, said, ‘’I know people will say Kojima will be an overwhelming underdog. But I am confident that he will surprise them all.’’      Kojima’s personal friend Hidenobu Honda, who suffered a decision loss to Munoz last month in his bid for the title but managed to snap the undefeated Venezuelan’s KO streak since his debut at 23, is expected to serve as a special coach for Kojima, who is 9-1 with two KOs.

Box On! Boxing News November 3.

Soliman outfoxes Suzuki, retains OPBF middleweight crown      TOKYO, Nov. 2 – Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) middleweight champion Sam Soliman of Australia punished Japan’s Satoru Suzuki for 12 rounds on Saturday to retain his title in Tokyo.      It was the first successful defense of the title Soliman wrested from Suzuki’s compatriot Tokutaro Toyozumi last September.      While there were no knockdowns throughout the bout at Korakuen Hall, it was the 29-year-old Soliman who dictated the tempo of the fight from the opening bell with his tricky fighting style.      Although Suzuki occasionally landed strong left hooks and overhand rights, the 29-year-old Aussie did not allow the former Japanese champion to follow up with combination blows.      With the victory, Soliman, ranked 10th by the World Boxing Council, improved his record to 21 wins, including four knockouts, against seven losses, while it was the 27-year-old Suzuki’s fifth setback against 20 wins, including 13 knockouts.      Hard-hitting Eugeniord ‘’Yuji’’ Gomez of the United States turned out the lights on Thailand’s Thongcharoen Mahasap Condo with a wicked body shot 1 minute, 50 seconds into the first round of a scheduled eight-round nontitle bout in a chief supporting card.      Gomez, who is fighting out of Tokyo’s Hachioji Nakaya Gym, improved his record to 19 wins, 17 by KO, against three losses.      The 31-year-old former Japanese featherweight ruler is now campaigning as a super bantamweight.

Box On! Boxing News November 1.

Ishii vows to continue fighting      NAGOYA, Nov. 1 – Japan’s three-time world-title challenger Kozo Ishii , reversing his earlier indication to hang up his gloves flowing his unsuccessful bid for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight title last September, has decided to continue fighting, according to head of Maruki Gym to which Ishii belongs.      Takao Maruki has quoted the 26-year-old Ishii as saying the latter has recently conveyed his desire to fight again.      On Sept. 7, Ishii was stopped in the second round by Oscar Larios of Mexico in Nagoya.      While Ishii hinted at his retirement following the defeat, Maruki thinks that was on the spur of the moment, adding he has not submitted any official papers of his retirement to the Japan Boxing commission. Ishii entered the fight after injuring back muscles while training in July      Ishii, currently ranked fourth by the World Boxing Association, is said to be aiming at challenging the winner of the Nov. 15 Japan super bantamweight title match between champion Yoshikane Nakajima and WBC’s eighth-ranked Akihiro Kanai.

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