January 25, 2000
KAWAI KEEPS JAPANESE SUPER-WELTER TITLE IN THE FIRST OF CARNIVAL OF
CHAMPIONS
January 25, 2000
TOKYO, JAPAN-Lefty speedster JOYA KAWAI, 154, kept his Japanese national
super-welter title as he absorbed some good shots of top contender
TOSHIHARU KANEYAMA, 154, in earlier rounds but positively mixed up to
take back the initiative in the second half en route to a split decision
over 10.
Kawai, who acquired the vacant national belt via an 8th round stoppage
of Shogo Yamamoto last Sept., had a tough time, coping with the
hard-hitting opponent's solid rights. But Kaneyama, formerly an
excellent amateur boxer of Hosei Univ., was forced to come to a
standstill as Kawai abruptly changed his strategy and began to fight at
the close quarter after the 6th round on.
Scored-Masakazu Uchida and Kazuo Abe both 97-96 for the champ, and
Hiroyuki Tezaki 97-94 for Kaneyama, 6-2, 5 KOs. Referee was Ken
Morita. Kawai bettered his mark to 9-2, 4 KOs.
UNDERCARD:
Japan's #2 ranked welter TERUO NAGASE, 147, aggressively attacked
ex-Philippine welter boss BERT BADO, 146 1/4, and battered him into
submission at 2:23 of the 6th round in a semi-final 10.
Bado, 9-8-3, 5 KOs, fought back with solid left-right combos in the
second and third, but Nagase overpowered him with a fusillade of
punches. A towel came fluttering to save the loser from further
punishment. Nagase, who had failed to win the national title twice from
Jintoku Sato and Makoto Nakahara, raised his ledger to 16-5-1, 11 KOs.
Ex-sumo wrestler Rikijo Yoneda, 197 1/2, made a bitter and unsuccessful
debut, as he lost a unanimous nod to Ryosuke Takahashi, 199 1/2, over
4. The tricky Yoneda got floored in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but dropped
his rival back with a wicked shot at the bell of the 4th and final
session. The ref continued counting up to 8 and then declared Takahashi
victor on points. Had he not regained his foot, the sumo wrestler would
have scored a come-from-behind KO win before his ex-colleague wrestlers
at the Hall.
Promoter: Tetsuro Kawai's Orchid Kawai Promotions.
(1-25-00)
January 28
TOKYO, JAPAN-Unranked feather JIRO NISHIYAMA, 124 1/4, chalked up a TKO
win over KIYOTAKA KATO, 123 1/2, at 0:22 of the 6th round in a scheduled
8.
The winner is 11-4-4, 5 KOs. The loser is 7-7-1, 5 KOs.
Promoter: Kamitaki Promotions.
(1-28-99)
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