Box On! Boxing News September 27.

Tatsuyoshi edges Avila in nontitle fight in Osaka  OSAKA, Sept. 25 - Former three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi pounded out a close but unanimous decision over Mexico’s Julio Cesar Avila in a nontitle bout in Osaka on Friday.      After the 10-round fight at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, all three judges carded 95-93 for Tatsuyoshi, ranked ninth by the World Boxing Council (WBC).      While Tatsuyoshi got off to a good start with left jabs and lateral movement to take the lead in the first fourth rounds, the 26-year-old Avila, the WBC’s 19th-ranked fighter, charged forward with wild left-right hooks from the fifth round, forcing Tatsuyoshi to backpedal.      The 33-year-old Japanese was severely staggered in the eighth after being forced to the ropes but managed to hold firm.      Avila was deducted a point each in the fifth and ninth round for open blows.      With the victory, Tatsuyoshi has a record of 19 wins against six losses and a draw with 13 Kos, while Avila is 21-15 and a draw with nine Kos. Tatsuyoshi, was originally scheduled to fight against Avila's compatriot Hugo Dianzo in July, but a left thigh injury forced a postponement and change of opponent.

Box On! Boxing News September 25.

Avila pledges to turn out lights on Tatsuyoshi in Friday fight OSAKA, Sept. 24 - Mexico's Julio Cesar Avila pledged Wednesday to knock out former three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in Friday's nontitle bout. The 26-year-old Avila, who arrived in Osaka on Tuesday, told reporters after the day's workout at Osaka Teiken Gymnasium, to which Tatsuyoshi belongs, ''I will deal with him with good seasoning,'' comparing his experience as a cook to his plan to dispatch Tatsuyoshi. The scheduled 10-rounder will be staged at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. The 19th-ranked Avila has a record of 21 wins against 14 losses and a draw with nine KOs, while the 33-year-old Tatsuyoshi, currently ranked ninth by the WBC, is 18-6-1 with 13 KOs. Tatsuyoshi, by far the most popular boxer in Japan under the popular nickname of Osaka Joe, was originally scheduled to fight against Avila's compatriot Hugo Dianzo in July, but a left thigh injury forced a postponement and change of opponent. The charismatic Okayama Prefecture native first captured the WBC crown on Sept. 19, 1991, by stopping American Greg Richardson in the 10th round in his eighth professional fight -- the shortest ever for any Japanese boxer. His career since then has been marred by eye troubles, including a detached retina, and he has had a series of retirements and comebacks. The fight will be televised live from around 7:40 p.m., which is extremely rare for a boxer who is not a reigning world champion.

Box On! Boxing News September 24.

Avila arrives in Osaka for Tatsuyoshi fight OSAKA, Sept. 23 - Mexico's Julio Cesar Avila arrived Tuesday in Osaka to face former three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in Friday's nontitle bout. The scheduled 10-rounder will be staged at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. Upon arrival at Kansai airport, Avila ,26, told reporters, ''I feel honored to be able to fight such an experienced fighter like Tatsuyoshi, but I will knock him out.'' The 19th-ranked Avila has a record of 21 wins against 14 losses and a draw with nine KOs, while Tatsuyoshi, currently ranked ninth by the WBC, is 18-6-1 with 13 KOs. Tatsuyoshi, by far the most popular boxer in Japan, was originally scheduled to fight against Avila's compatriot Hugo Dianzo in July, but a left thigh injury forced a postponement and change of opponent. The fight will be televised live from around 7:40 p.m., which is extremely rare for a boxer who is not a reigning world champion.

Box On! Boxing News September 21.

Hommo retains Japan super featherweight title with draw TOKYO, Sept. 20 - Nobuhito Hommo retained his Japan super featherweight title Saturday as the fight was stopped in the fourth round due to an accidental head butt suffered by challenger Tsuyoshi Nakamura at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. The scheduled 10-round title match was declared a technical draw one minute, eight seconds into the fourth round as the second-ranked challenger was left unable to continue fighting due to a severe cut above the right eye. It was the 26-year-old Hommo's third defense of the title he won last year. Hommo, known for his slick fighting style and said to be eyeing a world title challenge sometime around next year, has a 22-4-2 win-loss-draw tally with five knockouts, while Nakamura, 25, is 20-3-2 with 10 KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 20.

Tatsuyoshi appears OK in public sparring for nontitle bout OSAKA, Sept. 19 - Former three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi appeared fit Friday in a public sparring session in preparation for this month's nontitle fight in Osaka despite a thigh injury suffered during training last June. Tatsuyoshi, 33, went three rounds with a young partner at Osaka Teiken Gym, to which he belongs, and displayed speedy footwork while landing accurate left hooks and uppercuts to the head and body. The scheduled 10-rounder against Julio Cesar Avila of Mexico will be staged Sept. 26 at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. Tatsuyoshi, by far the most popular boxer in Japan, was originally scheduled to fight against Avila's compatriot Hugo Dianzo in July, but the left thigh injury forced a postponement and change of opponent. ''I felt so-so (about the thigh). I walked two hours every day and went up and down stairs and am confident about my stamina. I will prove it in the fight,'' said the charismatic Okayama Prefecture native, referring to his inability to run due to the injury. But his special trainer Kembun Taiho did not hide his apprehension as he said, ''I could see the ill effects of the injury since he could not make a sharp step-in with his left foot. That's because it hurt.'' ''I will dispatch my opponent as early as possible,'' said Tatsuyoshi, widely known as ''Osaka Joe'' from his given name. Tatsuyoshi, currently ranked ninth by the WBC, has a record of 18 wins, including 13 KOs, against six losses and a draw, while the 19th-ranked Avila is 21-14-1 with nine KOs. Tatsuyoshi first captured the WBC crown on Sept. 19, 1991, by stopping American Greg Richardson in the 10th round in his eighth professional fight -- the shortest ever for any Japanese boxer. His career since then has been marred by eye troubles, including a detached retina, and he has repeated retirements and comebacks in light of Japan Boxing Commission rules. The fight will be televised live from 7:40 p.m., extremely rare treatment for a　boxer who is not a reigning world champion.

Box On! Boxing News September 16.

Sakata stops Okada to retain Japan flyweight title in Tokyo TOKYO, Sept. 15 - Champion Takefumi Sakata battered Kazuo Okada into submission at the end of the seventh round to retain his Japan flyweight title on Ｍｏｎｄａｙ in Tokyo. It was the 23-year-old Sakata's first defense of the title he wrested from Masaki ''Trash'' Nakanuma last April. Fighting at Korakuen Hall, Sakata took the fight to Okada from the opening bell with sharp left jabs and sizzling left hooks to the head leaving Okada unable to answer the bell for the eighth round of a scheduled 10-rounder. With the victory, Sakata improved his record to 21 wins, including nine knockouts, against a loss and a draw, while Okada, ranked 13th by the World Boxing Association, dropped to 13-2-1 with six KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 14.

New sensation Inada KOs Mexican in Las Vegas  LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Sept. 13 - Undefeated Chikashi Inada, one of Japanese hottest boxing properties, turned out the lights on Mexican Sandro Marcos in the second round of a lightweight nontitle bout in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, extending his unbeaten log to 14. The end of the scheduled 10-rounder at a specially established ring at Orleans Hotel & Casino came 2 minutes, 59 seconds into the second round when the rangy Japanese landed a devastating right uppercut followed with a sizzling left hook to the head, sending Marcos crashing down for the count. Inada is 14-0 with 10 knockouts, while Marcos fell to 24-12-2 with 20 KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 11 .

JBC orders Kawabata-Matsuura rematch after poor referring  TOKYO, Sept. 9 - The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) on Tuesday ordered a rematch between newly crowned Japan super flyweight champion Masaki Kawabata and former ruler Kohei ''Prosper'' Matsuura following improper refereeing in Saturday's title match. Representatives of Matsuura demanded nullification of the fight since the referee, Kodai Kumazaki, did not give any rest period to Matsuura after Kawabata hit him below the waist in the second round of a scheduled 10-rounder at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. The JBC slapped a two-month suspension on Kumazaki, who also let go Kawabata's attack after Matsuura hit the deck in the second round, which was ruled a slip. Kawabata floored Matsuura three times in the second round to wrest the title.

Box On! Boxing News September 9.

Shimada retains Japan lightweight title by beating Kawashima TOKYO, Sept. 8 – Takehiro Shimada, utilizing his lateral movement and sharp left jabs to his advantage, pounded out a lopsided 10-round decision over Tatsuhisa Kawashima on Monday to retain his Japan lightweight title in Tokyo.      It was Shimada’s third successful defense of the title he captured in March last year.      While there were no knockdowns in the bout at the Korakuen Hall, Shimada severely staggered his taller opponent with right hooks in the fourth and seventh rounds.      With the victory, Shimada, 32, improved his record to 13 wins, including eight knockouts, against three losses with a draw, while the 27-year-old Kawashima, ranked seventh in the division, sagged to 19-9-3 with seven Kos.      Former Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation middleweight champion Naotaka Hozumi knocked out South Korean Lee Kyung Hoon in the opening round in the main supporting card for the title match.      The end of the scheduled 10-rounder came 1 minute, 42 seconds into the first round after Hozumi landed a knifing left hook to the body to floor the hapless South Korean for the count. The 28-year-old Hozumi improved his record to 22 wins, including 19 KOs, against three losses and a draw. Lee, South Korea’s seventh-ranked middleweight, fell to 4-5 with two Kos.

Box On! Boxing News September 8.

Larios stops Ishii to keep WBC super bantamweight title  NAGOYA, Sept. 7 - World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Oscar ''Chololo'' Larios of Mexico stopped Japan's Kozo Ishii in the second round to retain his title in a bout Sunday in Nagoya. It was Larios' fourth successful defense of the title he won in 2002. The technical knockout of a scheduled 12-rounder at Rainbow Hall inside the Nagoya Sports Complex came at 2 minutes, 2 seconds. British referee Richie Davies stepped in to call a halt to the one-sided bout as Larios pummeled Ishii with a savage left-right barrage after flooring him. Larios also scored a knockdown in the first round with right-left-right combination blows. Ishii, who landed a hard right over the top in the first round, hit the deck again in the second as he left himself wide open to Larios' overhand right, followed by a flurry of combinations. Although Ishii struggled to his feet, he was defenseless before the Mexican's raw attack. ''I was in my best condition for the fight. I was convinced of my victory when I landed a right uppercut (in the first round),'' Larios said. ''I want to move up to another division after defending the title a few more times.'' Commenting on his inability to get close to Larios, Ishii said, ''I was fighting at the edge of his range, where I shouldn't have been.'' With the victory, Larios, 26, improved his record to 50 wins, including 35 knockouts, against three losses and a draw. The 26-year-old Ishii, who took his third crack at a world title following unsuccessful bids in 1999 and 2000, sagged to 31-4 with 21 KOs. Ishii also indicated he will hang up his gloves, ''I now realize I cannot win no matter how many times I undertake the challenge. (The fight) has put an end to my career in a way.'' The fight was originally set for Aug. 10 at Aichi Martial Arts Gymnasium, but it was postponed after Ishii injured back muscles while training in July. Larios suffered a fractured jaw in beating Ishii's compatriot Shigeru Nakazato and defending his title last April in Tokyo. He is nicknamed ''Chololo'' because he pronounced his father's name, Teodoro, that way as a child. WBC super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama is currently the only world champion fighting out of a Japanese gym. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Watanabe of Japan pounded out a 12-round split decision over Dondon Sultan of the Philippines to retain his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation welterweight crown as the main supporting card for the WBC fight. With his second successful defense of the title he won last October, Watanabe improved his record to 20-2-2 with 13 KOs, while Sultan fell to 6-4-1 with three KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 8.

Aussie beats Toyozumi, wrests OPBF middleweight crown MASHIKI, Japan, Sept. 7 - Top-ranked challenger Sam Soliman of Australia hammered out a 12-round split decision Sunday over Japan's Tokutaro Toyozumi in the town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, wresting the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) middleweight title. While both fighters exchanged fierce blows from the opening bell at a municipal gymnasium in Mashiki, Soliman got the better of the Japanese in the latter rounds. With the victory, Soliman improved his record to 20 wins, four by knockout, against seven losses. Toyozumi, who failed in his first defense of the title he won last February, fell to 14-3-3 with six KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September .

Larios, Ishii clear weigh-in for WBC title bout  NAGOYA, Sept. 6 - Champion Oscar ''Chololo'' Larios of Mexico and sixth-ranked Japanese Kozo Ishii on Saturday both cleared a weigh-in for Sunday's World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight title match in Nagoya. Larios, making his fourth defense of the title he won in 2002, tipped the scales at 55.2 kilograms, while Ishii weighed in at the class limit of 55.3 kg. Ishii, who is taking his third crack at a world title following unsuccessful bids in 1999 and 2000, told reporters, ''I am relieved. All I have to do now is to just hit my opponent.'' Larios, 26, has a record of 48 wins, including 33 knockouts, against three losses and a draw, while Ishii, also 26, is 31-3 with 21 KOs. Richie Davies of Britain will serve as the nonscoring referee for the scheduled 12-rounder at the Nagoya Sports Complex.

Box On! Boxing News September 7.

Kawabata KOs Matsuura, wrests Japan super flyweight title  TOKYO, Sept. 6 - Challenger Masaki Kawabata, unleashing a barrage of left-right combinations, knocked out Kohei ''Prosper'' Matsuura in the second round to wrest the Japan super flyweight title on Saturday in Tokyo. The knockout came 2 minutes, 53 seconds into the second round of a scheduled 10-rounder at Korakuen Hall when Kawabata, ranked 17th by the World Boxing Council, floored Matsuura three times with rapid-fire combination blows. With the victory, Kawabata, 31, improved his record to 21 wins, including 12 KOs, against five losses and two draws. For his part, 26-year-old Matsuura, who failed in his first defense of the title he captured last April, sagged to 22-4 with 10 KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 4.

Tatsuyoshi appears listless in public sparring match OSAKA, Sept. 3 - Former three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi looked listless Wednesday in a public sparring session in preparation for this month's nontitle fight in Osaka. Tatsuyoshi went four rounds with his Japanese super flyweight partner at Osaka Teiken Gym, to which he belongs. The 33-year-old failed to show his sharp movement, looking heavy due to a left thigh injury suffered during training in June. The scheduled 10-rounder against Julio Cesar Avila of Mexico is to be staged Sept. 26 at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. Tatsuyoshi was originally scheduled to fight against Avila's compatriot Hugo Dianzo in July, but the injury forced the postponement of the date and change of opponent. ''I feel so-so. I could not hit with all my might or use my footwork,'' Tatsuyoshi said nonchalantly. ''Since I cannot even walk correctly, how can I run? This is the first time (in my career) that I was not able to do roadwork. Sure I have some apprehension, but I will not fight if I am not confident about myself,'' he said. Tatsuyoshi, widely known as Osaka Joe from his given name, is arguably the most popular boxer in Japan and has a record of 18 wins, including 13 knockouts, against six losses and a draw.

Box On! Boxing News September 4.

Larios, Ishii fit for WBC super bantamweight title NAGOYA, Sept. 3 - Both World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Oscar ''Chololo'' Larios of Mexico and sixth-ranked Japanese Kozo Ishii were declared fit on Wednesday for Sunday's title match in Nagoya following pre-fight checkups. Larios is 1.69.4 meters tall and has a 5.9-centimeter height and 3.5-cm reach advantage over Ishii. Larios, 26, who is making his fourth defense of the title he won in 2002, has a record of 48 wins, including 33 knockouts, against three losses and a draw, while Ishii, also 26, is 31-3 with 22 KOs. The scheduled 12-rounder will be staged at Rainbow Hall inside the Nagoya Sports Complex.

Box On! Boxing News September 2.

Tokuyama to take on top-ranked Russian in WBC title defense  OSAKA, Sept. 1 - World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama will put his title on the line for the eighth time against top-ranked Russian Dimitri Kirilov late December or early January in Osaka, his manager said Monday. The mandatory title defense against the 24-year-old Kirilov will be staged at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, Hideo Kanazawa said, adding it could be held as a double title match as another world title bout is being considered. The 28-year-old (North) Korean resident of Japan, whose real name is Hong Chang Su, beat Katsushige Kawashima last June in Yokohama for his seventh defense of the title he wrested from South Korea's Cho In Ju in August 2000. Tokuyama stands alone in third place on the all-time list for the number of successful world title defenses for boxers fighting out of Japanese gyms. Former World Boxing Association light flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken has the Japanese record of 13 successive title defenses, followed by former WBC flyweight champion Russian Yuri Arbachakov's nine defenses. At present, Tokuyama in on a honeymoon trip to Bangkok and is expected to return to Japan on Thursday, according to Kanazawa. Tokuyama has a record of 29 wins, including eight knockouts, against two defeats and a draw, while Kirilov, who has ample amateur experience, is 23-1 with seven KOs.

Box On! Boxing News September 1.

Larios arrives in Nagoya to defend WBC super bantamweight title NAGOYA, Aug. 31 - World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Oscar ''Chololo'' Larios of Mexico arrived in Nagoya on Sunday to defend his title against Japan's Kozo Ishii on Sept. 7. It will be Larios' fourth defense of the title he won in 2002. The scheduled 12-rounder was set for Aug. 10 at Aichi Martial Arts Gymnasium but was postponed after the sixth-ranked Japanese injured muscles in his back while training in early July. The fight will be staged at Rainbow Hall inside the Nagoya Sports Complex. While Larios suffered a fractured jaw in beating Ishii's compatriot Shigeru Nakazato in defending the title last April in Tokyo, the 26-year-old Jalisco State native said, ''There is no problem with my jaw. True, Ishii appeared a gutsy fighter after studying him on video. But I'm determined to win.'' Larios has a record of 48 wins, including 33 knockouts, against three losses and a draw, while the 26-year-old Ishii, who is taking his third crack at a world title following unsuccessful bids in 1999 and 2000, is 31-3 with 22 KOs. He is nicknamed ''Chololo'' because he pronounced his father's name, Teodoro, that way as a child.

Box On! Boxing News August.25.

Komatsu edges Nakanuma, retains OPBF flyweight crown  OSAKA, Aug. 24 - Undefeated Noriyuki Komatsu pounded out a 12-round split decision over Masaki ''Trash'' Nakanuma on Sunday to retain his Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight title in a highly touted bout in Osaka. It was the 28-year-old's third successful defense of the title he won last September. Komatsu took the fight to Nakanuma, a former Japanese flyweight champion,  from the opening bell by throwing plenty of leather at close range and managed to ward off Nakanuma's late rally, particularly in the eighth round, at the Osaka Municipal Gymnasium's sub-arena. The fight is regarded as an elimination bout for a world title challenge. With the victory, Komatsu extended his unbeaten streak to 17 wins, including eight knockouts, with five draws. It was Nakanuma's fourth defeat against 23 wins, 10 by KO.

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