Box On! Boxing News December 30 .

Japan's 1world champ Shirai dies at 80      TOKYO, Dec. 30 - Japan's first world championYoshio Shirai died last Thursday of pneumonia in Tokyo, his family members said Saturday. He was 80.      Shirai became a world flyweight champion in 1952 by beating American Dado Marino on points before some 45,000 fants at the now-defunt Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo in May 1952.      Shirai's victory served as a source of inspiration for and boosted the moral of  many Japanese who were struggling to make both ends meet in a period still felt by the after-effects of the World War II.      After successfully defending the title four times, Shirai lost to Argentine's Pascual Perez in November 1954 and hung up his golves the following year when he lost to Perez in a return bout. His lifetime record was 48 wins, 20 by knockout, against eight losses, two draws and 10 exhibitions.

Box On! Boxing News December 27.

Pongsaklek arrives in Japan to defend title against Nakanuma      TOKYO, Dec. 27 Kyodo - World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongham of Thailnd arrived in Tokyo Friday to defend his title against Japan’s ‘’Trash’’ Nakanuma on Jan. 3 in Yokohama.      The scheduled 12-rounder will be staged at Pacifico Yokohama.      Meanwhile, Nakanuma, ranked 13th by the division, went four rounds in a public sparring session on Friday and appeared fit and ready.      ‘’Since three Japanese boxers have so far lost to Pongsaklek, I think he regards lightly Japanese fighters. I will show my mettle and prove that wrong,’’ Nakanuma told reporters.      His chief trainer Toshimi Miura echoed as he said, ‘’Right now, Nakanuma is at the peak of his fatigue. But he has improved a lot in his ability to hit shorter and more accurate blows as he inflicted eye cuts on his sparring partners have decked them with body shots. I think that’s a proof of his punch becoming razor sharp.’’       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 has recently successfully defended his title for the eighth time by hammering out a unanimous decision 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.

Box On! Boxing News December 26.

WBC champ Tokuyama named most valuable boxer for 3 yrs in row      TOKYO, Dec. 25 – World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama was named this year’s most valuable boxer in Japan for his third straight such laurel, boxing sources said Thursday.      The 29-year-old champion, who made his seventh successful defense of the title last June by decisioning fifth-ranked Katsushige Kawashima, will put his title on the line against top-ranked Russian Dimitri Kirilov on Jan. 3 in Osaka in a co-featured event with World Boxing Association super flyweight title match between undefeated champion Alexander Munoz and Tokuyama’s gym mate Eiji Kojima. 　　World Boxing Association (WBA) interim bantamweight champion Hideki Todaka, who beat Venezuelan Leo Gamez last October, was awarded with a technique prize while the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super lightweight kingpin Masakazu Satake captured the knockout prize and outstanding performance prize.      The fighting sprit prize went to the feisty super bantamweight Shigeru Nakazato, while Hiroyuki Maeda, who has recently won the Japanese welterweight title to become Japan’s second boxer in history to capture national titles in three different weight categories, was awarded with the most effort prize.      The classy OPBF bantamweight ruler Hozumi Hasegawa, who wrested the title from ‘’the Japanese killer’’ Jess Maca of the Philippines last July won the rookie prize      Meanwhile, the WBC super bantamweight championship bout between champion Oscar Larios of Mexico and Japan’s Nakazato at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan last April was selected as this year’s best bout, in which Larios pounded out a unanimous decision.      The action-packed 12-round fight saw a toe-to-toe slugfest with Larios flooring Nakazato in the fifth round with a barrage of left-right combinations while he himself sent reeling along the ropes in the eighth before Nakazato’s tremendous onslaught. Larios suffered a broken jaw in the fight.      The award ceremony is expected to be held early next year.

Box On! Boxing News December 26.

‘Fighting’ Harada asked to continue to serve as head of boxing ass’n      ATAMI, Japan, Dec. 24 – The All-Japan Boxing Association on Tuesday asked Masahiko ‘’Fighting’’ Harada to continue to serve as the chairman of the association, made up of more than 200 boxing gyms in Japan.      In holding a board meeting in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, the association formally asked Harada, 60, to continue his tenure as head of the association even after his fifth three-year term expires next March.      While Harada, former world flyweight and bantamweight champion, had at one time hinted at resigning at the end of the current term, he is expected to accept the request as many boxing officials think no other person is worthy of replacing Harada, arguably the greatest Japanese boxer in history.

Box On! Boxing News December 24.

Yonekura gym’s Kawashima gets ‘’Eddie’’ best trainer award      TOKYO, Dec. 24 – Toshihiko Kawashima, a 61-year-old trainer at Tokyo’s Yonekura Boxing Gym, has been selected as a recipient of this year’s ‘’Eddie’’ best trainer award, award organizers have said.      Kawashima received the prestigious award named after the late legendary Hawaiian-born trainer Edward Townsend in recognition of his assiduous support since becoming a trainer for the gym more than 25 years ago. During the period, he helped train such former world champions as Kuniaki Shibata and ‘’Guts’’ Ishimatsu.      Kawashima is the second Yonekura gym trainer to receive the award following the late Seiji Matsumoto, who received the first award. 14 years ago.      The citation ceremony will be held on Feb. 9 at Korakuen Hall, according to the organizers.      Townsend, popularly called ‘’Eddie-san’’ in the Japanese boxing world, was dubbed ‘’the world champion maker’’ for having natured six world champions in Japan.      He died a dramatic death at the age of 73 shortly after former World Boxing Council strawweight (minimumweight) champion Hiroki Ioka defended his title in Osaka in early 1988.      While Townsend had been hospitalized since June 1987 with colon cancer, he left his death bed to come to the Osaka Castle Hall for Ioka’s fight against top-ranked South Korean Lee Kyung Yung.      Townsend, however, lost consciousness before the fight in Ioka’s dressing room and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died shortly after hearing of Ioka’s technical knockout victory.      Townsend, the son of a Japanese mother and an American father, first took up boxing at 11 and later became the Hawaiian featherweight champion. He fought 14 professional bouts before becoming a trainer in the 1950s.      His initial encounter with the Japanese boxing world dates back to 1962, when he was scouted by the late Japanese pro wrestler ‘’Rikidozan’’ to serve as the newly opened Riki Boxing Gym.      Hawaiian-born former world junior welterweight (super lightweight) champion Paul Takeshi Fuji, who captured the crown in 1967, was the first champion Townsend produced.      Townsend later worke for various boxing gyms and contributed heavily toward five Japanese boxers, including Ioka and Hiroyuki Ebihara (flyweight), becoming world champions.

Box On! Boxing News December 23.

JBC suspends judge for 1st time in history for alleged controversial judgment      TOKYO, Dec. 23 – The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) on Monday slapped an indefinite suspension on one of the three judges for last week’s Japan featherweight championship fight in Fukuoka for his alleged slanted judgment in what was proved to be Japan’s first such suspension involving a judge, according to JBC Secretary General Shigeru Kojima.      The JBC suspended Motoaki Fukumoto’s license for an indefinite period of time as Kojima said the fight between undefeated Dainoshin Kuma and the third-ranked challenger Motokazu Abe was far from being a lopsided affair as scored by Fukumoto., who had it 100-92 for Kuma. The remaining two judges scored the fight 98-95 and 97-94, respectively, all in favor of Kuma. The decision has been highly contested since many experts think Abe landed more effective blows throughout the 10-round bout..      Following a close examination of the fight via video after a vehement protest by Abe’s Yonekura Gym, the JBC also ordered an immediate rematch between the two while urging the referee and judges concerned to make correct judgment. Fukumoto himself admitted that he think he did not score the fight properly.      Yonekura Gym has issued a statement saying, ‘’An independent organization, including representatives of the mass media, should be established within the JBC to scrutinize a controversial match so as to prevent this kind of incident from recurring.’’      The Japanese boxing scene has recently been marred with unfair refereeing and judgments.

Box On! Boxing News December 22.

Highly touted rookie Kameda makes brilliant debut      OSAKA, Dec. 22 – Highly touted rookie Koki Kameda lived up to his prediction on Sunday as he quickly dispatched his Thailand opponent in his debut in a flyweight nontitle fight in Osaka.      The 17-year-old feisty southpaw, the elder of the three Kameda boxing brothers, took the fight to Dengnarong Sithsopha from the opening bell with a barrage of right-left combinations and quickly decked the hapless Thai.      While Dengnarong managed to regain his feet, the referee waved off the fight 44 seconds into the first round of a scheduled six-rounder held at Osaka Chuo Gymnasium.      The acid-tongued Kameda, known as the ‘’New Rocky of Osaka’’ had said before the fight he would knock out his opponent within a minute.      ‘’I had to make it quick because I had promised to win in some tens of seconds. I will knockout my next opponent in the second round so that everybody can understand my boxing style. But my fighting style will be something similar to a street fight until I have a world title challenge, ‘’ Kameda told reporters.      As regards his reported purse of 10 million yen, Kameda, a former national corporate champion, said, ‘’I will give everything to my father.’’      Hidekazu Akai, a former world title challenger who belonged to the same gym as Kameda, was popularly dubbed the ‘’Rocky of Osaka.’’

Box On! Boxing News December 21.

Maeda wins to conquer Japanese titles in 3 different divisions      TOKYO, Dec. 21 – Top-ranked Hiroyuki Maeda became Japan’s second boxer in history to win national titles in three different weight divisions on Saturday as he demolished Kazutaka Aihara in only 80 seconds to win the Japanese welterweight interim crown in Tokyo.      The 31-year-old Maeda had previously held the Japanese lightweight and super lightweight titles.      Noboru Godai is the only other boxer who won Japanese titles in three different weight categories – featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight-- in the 1980s.      Maeda is expected to face Japan welterweight ruler Shuichi Kobayashi next April in a title unification bout. Kobayashi has been laid off for long due to a lingering eye trouble.      Fighting at Korakuen Hall, Maeda took the fight to Aihara from the opening bell and put his 23-year-old opponent on the seat of his trunks with a sizzling left hook.      While Aihara struggled to his feet, Maeda swarmed all over him with a barrage of combinations and quickly floored Aihara again, which prompted the referee to wave off the fight without a count at 1 minute, 20 seconds into the first round of a scheduled 10-rounder.      ‘’I want to erase that name ‘interim’ (in the April fight),’’ brimmed Maeda, who improved his record to 27 wins, including 17 KOs, against seven losses and two draws.      For his part, Aihara, ranked second in the division, sagged to 14-2-1 with six KOs.

Box On! Boxing News December16 .

Former champ Sato turns out lights on Korean in nontitle fight      TOKYO, Dec. 16 – Former World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion Osamu Sato, unloading a heavy barrage of left-right combinations from various angles, turned out lights on South Korea’s Park Dae Kyung in the second round in a nontitle fight in Tokyo on Monday.      The knockout came 2 minutes, 19 seconds into the second round of a scheduled 10-rounder at Korakuen Hall when Sato decked the hapless South Korean with a sizzling right hook to the midsection, prompting the referee to call a halt to the bout immediately.      Sato, who turned 27 on Tuesday, also floored Park in the first round with a wicked left hook to the liver.      With the victory, Sato improved his record to 27 wins, including 16 KOs, against two losses and three draws, while Park, South Korea’s third-ranked featherweight, fell to 7-4-2 with three KOs.      In a co-featured event, champion Takefumi Sakata hammered out a 10-round unanimous decision over Katsunori Ito to retain his Japan flyweight crown for the second time.      While there were no knockdowns in the fight, Sakata, who is gunning for a world title challenge next year together with Sato, severely staggered Ito, ranked third in the division, with a series of right uppercuts in the final round.      Sakata now has a record of 22 wins, nine by KO, against a loss and a draw. It was the 32-year-old Ito’s sixth setback against 11 wins, including a KO, and five draws.      Meanwhile, Russian speedster Sasha Baktin, utilizing his longer reach to his advantage, jabbed his way to a 10-round unanimous decision over Yasuo Kijima to retain his Japan bantamweight title.      It was undefeated Baktin’s second successful defense of the title he won last February.  There were no knockdowns in the fight.      With the victory, Baktin, who is fighting out of Tokyo’s Kyoei Gym, extended his unbeaten streak to nine wins, five by KO. Kijima dropped to 15-8-2 with five KOs.

Box On! Boxing News December 15.

Poor-form Kuma barely retains Japan featherweight title      FUKUOKA, Dec. 15 – Undefeated Dainoshino Kuma, struggling all the way, pounded out a controversial 10-round decision over feisty challenger Motokazu Abe to retain his Japan featherweight crown on Sunday in Fukuoka.      It was the 25-year-old Kuma’s third successful defense of the title he won a year ago from Eiichi Sugama.      Fighting at Munakata Urix gymnasium in Munakata, Abe, ranked third in the division, took the fight to Kuma from the opening bell with his vaunted body shots.      While southpaw Kuma rallied with straight lefts and right hooks and engaged in a fierce exchange of blows, Abe appeared to have gotten the better of it.      But all three judges had Kuma ahead  98-95, 97-94 and 100-92.      After the fight, Kuma said, ‘’I thought I had lost. I don’t think I had won even a single round.’’      Kuma extended his unbeaten streak to 25 with 11 KOs, while it was Abe suffered his first loss against 11 wins, eight by knockout, with two draws.      In a chief supporting card, Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) featherweight ruler Takashi Koshimoto scored two knock downs over Ratanasak Saktawee, Thailand’s 10th-ranked super featherweight, en route to a fourth round technical knockout  in a scheduled 10-round nontitle bout.

Box On! Boxing News December 11.

Ex-champ Niida rallies to stop Thai in 5 rounds in nontitle bout      TOKYO, Dec. 9 – Former World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight champion Yutaka Niida, surviving a first-round knockdown, battered Phalangchai Sor Vorapin of Thailand into submission in the fifth round in a nontitle fight in Tokyo on Monday.      The technical knockout at Korakuen Hall came 2 minutes, 55 seconds into the fifth round of a scheduled 10 rounder when Niida, the WBA’s ninth-ranked minimumweight, put the Thai on the seat of his trunks with a series of wicked body shots, which prompted the referee to call a halt to the bout immediately.      But Niida hit the deck in the opening round with a counter left and was almost sent to the floor in the following stanza when he was hit with a hard left hook.      The talented Japanese, however, began to show his mettle from the third round and severely staggered Phalangchai, Thailand’s fourth-ranked minimumweight, with a volley of straight rights to the head, setting the stage for a technical knockout in the fifth.      ‘’I was surprised because my opponent was stronger than I had given him credit for. Maybe I fought too aggressively like I should not have,’’ Niida said after the fight.      With the victory, Niida, who fought his first bout after his unsuccessful challenge against WBA minimumweight champion Noel Arambulet of Venezuela for the latter’s title last July, improved his record to 15 wins, including eight KOs, against a loss with three draws. Phalangchai fell to 14-9 with two KOs.

Box On! Boxing News December 8.

Mayol KOs Ohnaka in 1st round to win OPBF minimumweight crown SHUNAN, Japan, Dec. 8 – Undefeated Rodel Mayol of the Philippines, landing a savage barrage of left-right combinations from various angles, dispatched Genki Ohnaka in the opening round to wrest the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) minimumweight title in Shunan, western Japan, on Sunday. The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at Tokuyama University Gymnasium came 2 minutes and 49 seconds into the first round when Ohnaka was left defenseless before his top-ranked challenger’s onslaught. With the victory, Mayol extended his unbeaten log to 15 with 12 KOs, while southpaw Ohnaka, who failed in his first defense of the title he won by beating South Korean Na Gi Mun last July in a title elimination bout, fell to 13-3-1 with six KOs. After the fight, Ohnaka said, ‘’I will take my hat off because he was in a different class.’’

Box On! Boxing News December 6.

WBC head eulogizes JBC for preventing grave ring accident      TOKYO, Dec. 5 – The president of the World Boxing Council (WBC) has  sent a message to the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) in which he commends the JBC for taking excellent measures to forestall a possible grave accident in a recent bout in Japan, boxing sources said Thursday.      According to the sources, Jose Sulaiman said swift measures by a group of JBC-assigned medical doctors to treat Alvin Felicilda of the Philippines were responsible for preventing him from suffering a fatal accident when the latter was hospitalized following a technical knockout loss to Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa on Nov. 9 in Kobe in a title fight.      Felicilda went through a brain surgery operation at a Kobe hospital.      ‘’The swift and accurate treatment taken by the doctors will serve as a future example to prevent a grave ring accident in an emergency situation,’’ Sulaiman said in the message.      The WBC is expected to financially assist Felicilda, 21, together with the OPBF.

Box On! Boxing News December 4.

Nishizawa to challenge WBA super middleweight champ Mundine in Jan.      TOKYO, Dec. 4 – Veteran Yoshinori Nishizawa of Japan will challenge World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine of Australia for the latter’s title on Jan. 19 near Sydney, fight organizers said Tuesday.      According to the organizers, Nishizawa, who will turn 38 on Jan. 11, will be the oldest Japanese boxer to fight in a world title fight to be held in Wollongong.      ‘’I will do my best to win the fight by utilizing everything in my arsenal. I don’t care about people saying I am too old or can’t win. I’m determined to believe in myself,’’ Nishizawa, currently ranked 14th by the WBA, said.      Nishizawa, a former Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation champion, has a record of 24 wins, including 12 knockouts, against 13 losses and five draws, while the 28-year-old Mundine, who is making his first defense of the title he won by beating Antwun Echols of the United States last September, is 19-1 with 14 KOs.

Box On! Boxing News December 3.

Sugita to challenge Yodsanan for WBA super featherweight title      NAGOYA, Dec. 3 – Former national champion Ryuhei Sugita will challenge World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight champion Yodsanan 3K Battery of Thailand for the latter’s title on Feb. 8 in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, his manager said Monday.      It will be the 27-year-old Sugita’s first crack at a world title. For his part, the 29-year-old Yodsanan is making his second defense of the title he won by beating Lakva Sim of Mongolia in April last year.      The scheduled 12-rounder, which will be staged at Gifu Memorial Center, will come about since the division’s ‘’super champion’’ Acelino ‘’Popo’’ Freitas of Brazil has decided to move up to lightweight to challenge World Boxing Organization kingpin Artur Grigorian of Uzbekistan without taking on Yodsanan.      Sugita, who said, ‘’I am determined to win it at all costs since it’s been a long journey to get to this point, has a record of 25 wins, including 21 KOs, against a loss and two draws, while Yodsanan is 40-2-1 with 33 KOs.

Box On! Boxing News December 2.

Female boxer Raika retains world featherweight title      TOKYO, Dec. 1 – Emiko Raika pounded out a 10-round majority decision over Australian Sharon Anyos to retain her Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) title on Sunday in Tokyo.      It was the 27-year-old Raika’s first successful defense of the title she won from Anyos a year ago.      While Raika took the fight to the Australian from the first round by landing counter blows, Anyos, who had a lot of difficulty making the featherweight limit, began to rally from the fifth round with her signature one-two combinations.      In the sixth round, Raika suffered a cut above her left eye due to an accidental head butt, which cost Anyos a point.      Anyos was the aggressor of the two during the latter half of the fight as she landed more effective punches.      Two judges carded 99-97 and 98-97 in favor of Raika, while the third judge had it even at 99-99.      ‘’Although I could not score a knockout victory, I am satisfied with the result since I was able to fight toe-to-toe with Sharon. I would like to unify the world (featherweight) titles next,’’ Raika said.      Raika now has a record of 10 wins, including four KOs, against a loss and a draw.

Box On! Boxing News December 1.

Ex-Olympian Higashi serving as trainer for Shirai-Gushiken Gym      TOKYO, Nov. 30 – Former two-time Olympian Satoru Higashi has become a trainer for a Tokyo gym run by former world flyweight champion Yoshio Shirai and former world light flyweight ruler Yoko Gushiken.      The 40-year-old Higashi, who took part in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, said he is following the example of chief trainer Mitsuru Sugiya, a former Japanese featherweight kingpin.      Higashi, known for his sheer punching power, became national amateur champions five times in the featherweight and lightweight and turned pro in November 1989.      He had a record of nine wins, seven by knockout, against three losses as a pro.      He unsuccessfully challenged Japanese titles twice.