The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire |
| Arisawa Keeps Japanese Super-Feather Title: Joe Koizumi |
July 12, 1999 It's a grudge fight, as Arisawa had acquired the national throne by winning a hard-fought decision over Yanagida, a prospect from Fukuoka, last Dec. Arisawa, making his 2nd defense, was cautious with his high and tight guard in the opening canto. But he turned loose from the 2nd round onward, pressing the action with solid double rights to the face and looping right hooks to the side of the belly. Yanagida's durability won the admiration of the crowd, but the initiative was completely taken by the defending champ. Midway in the fatal session, Arisawa landed a very wicked left-right combination to embalm the game challenger. Referee Asao called a halt immediately upon the loser's visit to the deck, as he realized that Yanagida would be definitely unable to beat the count. (In Japan, such a stoppage is registered as a Knockout, not a TKO.) Arisawa, 22-1, 17 KOs, is a very popular boxer with his handsome look and always crowd-pleasing aggressive style. He is a Japanese version of Dave Boy Green. Yanagida, who boasts of his previous 6-round victory over the currently world-rated Kozo Ishii in 1996, sagged to 13-3, 11 KOs. As Koji's final shot was so devastating, it turned out that Yanagida suffered a broken jaw at a couple of places and was hospitalized afterward. Koji, a twin brother of featherweight campaigner Kazu Arisawa, is positively gunning at the WBA super-feather title against Mongolian Lakva Sim early next year. It will be a good card of game hard-hitters, if materialized.
ARASHI YANAGAWA TKO8 MITSUHIRO HARASHIMA This victory will surely make Yanagawa, ex-All Japan high school champ now managed by ex-world 108-lbs. champ Yoko Gushiken, enter the Japanese top ten. But it wasn't an easy triumph for Yanagawa, a skinny speedster, who tended to mix up too recklessly and absorbed considerably much punishment despite leading on points due to his more accurate combos. He had better return to his previous outboxing style, otherwise he may taste some hard shellacking by our top-notchers. Yanagawa, whose amateur mark was 65-10 with 28 stoppages, raised his pro mark to 8-1, 2 KOs with only his setback to Katsuhiro Akita (a recent victim by Melvin Magramo for the OPBF fly elimination bout in the Philippines) last Oct. Harashima dipped to 8-6-4, 2 KOs. Gushiken was successful in a good matchmaking for his boy to get a JBC's rating.
AKOTO OKUBO 8R DRAW YUICHIRO TSUKAWAKI Okubo mixed it up and kept peppering the shorter foe, but Tsukawaki, a harder puncher, occasionally caught him with solid shots to shake him up effectively. Okubo is 7-2-1, 4 KOs, and Tsukawaki 7-8-3, 3 KOs.
NATSUKI MATSUDA KO1R TSUTOMU TACHINO Matsuda is 5-1, 3 KOs, and Tachino fell to 5-4-1, a KO. Soka Arisawa Promotions. (7-12-99) -- Joe Koizumi |
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