Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 26.

‘Crazy Kim’ KOs Shinyashiki to retain Japan super welterweight title TOKYO, February 26 – Champion Crazy Kim, formally known as Toshiharu Nagayama, stopped fifth-ranked Yukiharu Shinyashiki in the fifth round to retain his Japanese super welterweight title on Wednesday in Tokyo. It was the 31-year-old Kim’s third successful defense of the title he won in October 2002. The technical knockout of a scheduled 10-rounder at Korakuen Hall came 1 minute, 30 seconds into the fifth stanza after Kim decked the hapless challenger for the second time in the round, prompting the referee to call a halt to the bout. Kim, who also holds the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation super welterweight title, also scored two knockdowns in the fourth round with a flurry of left-right combinations. With the victory, Kim, gunning for a world title challenge, improved his record to 18 wins, including 16 KOs , against three losses, while the 33-year-old Shinyashiki fell to 12-8 with eight KOs .

　

Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 26.

Okhello stops New Zealander to retain OPBF heavyweight crown KITAKYUSHU , Japan , February 22 - Japan-based Peter Okhello battered third-ranked challenger Auckland Auimatagi of New Zealand into submission in the seventh round to retain his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) heavyweight title on Monday in Kitakyushu , southwestern Japan . It was the 31-year-old Okhello’s sixth successful defense of the title. Okhello, fighting out of Nagoya’s Midori gym, decked Auimatagi with hard rights in the second and seventh rounds of a scheduled 12-rounder before stopping him 1 minute, 7 seconds into the seventh round. With the victory, Okhello boosted his record to 14 wins, 13 by knockout, against three losses.

　

　

Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 14.

Kogumazaka beats Matsumoto to retain Japan minimumweight crown TOKYO, February 11 – Satoshi Kogumazaka, utilizing his superior technique to his advantage, hammered out a lopsided 10-round decision over feisty challenger Hiroshi Matsumoto and retained his Japanese minimumweight title on Monday in Tokyo. It was Kogumazaka’s third successful defense of the title he won from Hiroyuki Abe a year ago. Fighting at Korakuen Hall, both southpaws exchanged blows at a close range almost throughout the fight with Kogumazaka getting the better of it. With the victory, Kogumazaka, eying a world title challenge in the near future, improved his record to 21 wins, 10 by knockout, against five losses and three draws, while Matsumoto, ranked 12th by the World Boxing Association, fell to 15-4-3 with seven KOs.

　

Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 9.

Yodsanan stops Sugita to defend WBA super featherweight crown GIFU, Japan, February 8 - World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight champion Yodsanan 3K Battery of Thailand, unleashing a barrage of right-left combinations, stopped Japan’s Ryuhei Sugita in the seventh round to retain his title for the second time in Gifu Prefecture on Sunday. The technical knockou1t of the scheduled 12-rounder at Gifu Memorial Center came 2 minutes, 49 seconds into the seventh round when the referee stepped in to halt the one-sided bout as the Thai landed landed unanswered blows by pitting Sugita against the ropes. Yodsanan, 29, floored Sugita in the second round. With the victory, Yodsanan improved his record to 42 wins, including 35 knockouts, against two losses and a draw, while it was the 27-year-old Sugita’s second defeat against 25 wins, 21 by KO, with two draws.

　

Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 9.

Kawabata ekes out majority decision over Matsuura to retain nat’l super flyweight title TAKASAGO, Japan February 9 - Masaki Kawabata pounded out a 10-round majority decision over former champion Kohei ‘’Prosper’’ Matsuura to retain his title on Sunday in Takasago, Hyogo Prefecture . It was a grudge match following improper refereeing in last September’s match, in which Kawabata knocked out Matsuura when the referee did not give any rest period to Matsuura after Kawabata hit Matsuura below the belt in the second round of a scheduled 10-rounder at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. In Sunday’s fight, while Matsuura started out well by sticking out sharp left jabs, Kawabata rallied with hard blows and staggered Matsuura in the final round. There were no knockdowns. Kawabata upped his record to 22 wins, including 12 KOs, against five losses and two draws, while it was Matsuura’s fifth setbacki against 22 wins with 10 KOs.

　

Box On!Boxing NewsFebruary 2.

‘Venezuelan Golden Boy’ Linares beats Soto to win Latin American super bantamweight title CARACAS, January 31 - Japan-based Venezuelan Jorge Linares pounded out a nearly shutout decision over former World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight champion Hugo Soto of Argentina to become the Latin American super bantamweight champion on Saturday in Caracas. The 18-year-old Linares , fighting out of Tokyo ’s Teiken Boxing Gym, started out cautiously but pressed action from the third round with his vaunted rapid left-right combinations. In the fifth round, Linares , dubbed the ‘’Golden Boy of Venezuela’’ put the veteran Argentina against the ropes and punished him with hard combinations, opening up a cut above Soto’s left eyelid. Linares apparently appeared to be content to pile up points the rest of the way as the veteran former champ resisted to go down. After 10 rounds, two of the three judges had Linares ahead at 100-90 while the third judge saw it 99-91 also for Linares . ‘’Now, I’m ready for a world title challenge. Since Soto has lots of experience, I had my kind of fight. Although I failed to knock him out, I feel satisfied. If the fight had been a 12-rounder, the result would have been the same, said Linares , who extended his unbeaten log to eight, four by knockout. Earlier in the same ring, Japan ’s undefeated featherweight Takahiro Ao knocked out Venezuelan Nilyon Nunez in the third round in a nontitle fight to extend his KO streak to three while his stablemate Yoshimitsu Yashiro hammered out a unanimous decision over Antonio Osorio to remain undefeated at 10-0, six by KO.

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