January 10, 2000

WATANABE AND YUH DRAW IN OPBF LIGHT ELIMINATION BOUT

TOKYO, JAPAN-Japanese hard-puncher YUJI WATANABE, 134 1/4, and unbeaten Korean and WBC #11 contender SUNGHO YUH, 134 3/4, battled to a hard-fought split draw in an OPBF lightweight elimination bout for 12 rounds.

Scored: referee Ukrid Sarasas (Thailand) 115-115, Masakazu Uchida (Japan) 116-115 for Watanabe, and Chungwoon Chung (Korea) 116-115 for Yuh.

We witnessed a pier 6 brawl throughout the contest. Yuh took the leadoff from the outset, sweeping the first four rounds with his aggressive opening attack.

The tide turned from the 5th, as the taller Watanabe began to find his range and whipped the willing mixer with stronger shots. In a give-and-take battle (that reminds this reporter of a fight in the 1950's), Watanabe seemed to have the upper hand until the 11th.

But Yuh displayed his desperate all-out retaliation to win an important point in the 12th and final round. Without winning this round, Yuh would have been a loser on points.

Watanabe, two-time world challenger who lost to Genaro Hernandez and Wilfredo Vazquez in his bids for the WBA thrones, is 23-4-1, 22 KOs. Yuh is 11-0-1, 5 KOs.

Their rematch will take place here in Tokyo on Apr. 10.

UNDERCARDS:

JBC #7 ranked feather TOSHIHARU SAOTOME, 128, fought to a disputed draw with TETSUYA MATOBA, 127 1/2, over 8. Saotome is 16-8-2, 6 KOs. Matoba is 7-5-1, 5 KOs.

JBC #7 ranked fly KATSUHIRO AKITA, 113, dropped a close but unanimous decision to unranked TAKAHISA MASUDA, a lefty at 113 3/4, over 8. The upset victor Masuda is 9-2-2, 3 KOs. Akita, who previously fought Melvin Magramo in an OPBF fly eliminator in the Philippines, fell to 13-10-2, 2 KOs.

Saida Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(1-10-00)

Jan. 11

TOKYO, JAPAN-Upcoming GOJI MUKAI, 126, decked a fine and quick TKO triumph over ISAMU SAKASHITA, 126, at 2:15 of the opening session in a scheduled 8.
Watanabe Promotions.
(1-11-00)

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Joe Koizumi
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