Japanese Scene Weekend Recap: Sato Stops Lee, Nakagawa Draws Inoue, Champion Carnival Update

Sidney Boquiren of RingwalkNippon recaps the weekend's Japanese boxing action.  For more Japanese boxing updates, you can follow Sidney on twitter: RingwalkNippon@Twitter

Sato makes first defense of OPBF title

Former world title challenger Koji Sato (16-1, 14KO) made the first defense of his OPBF Middleweight title on Saturday, scoring a TKO in four rounds against Korean challenger Jae Myung Lee (11-2, 8KO).

Sato started slowly, eating a few of Lee’s right hands, but took command after readjusting. Daily Sports Online reports that the titleholder dropped the challenger twice in the fourth with devastating left hooks, the second prompting the referee to halt the bout at the 2:41 mark.

The Teiken fighter is in his second reign as regional champion, vacating the title in March 2009 to challenge WBA Middleweight beltholder Felix Sturm. Sato was thoroughly outclassed by the German-based champ when they met the following month and stopped in the seventh round. It was his first and only pro loss.

Nakagawa retains title with a draw

Japanese Welterweight titleholder Daisuke Nakagawa struggled in the third defense of his crown, squeezing out a draw against JBC rated #1 contender Yo Inoue. The smaller challenger was able to score two knockdowns against the lanky 5’11-1/2" Nakagawa in the opening innings, but the champ recovered and fought back to make it an even bout. Scores were split among all three judges, 95-94 Nakagawa, 93-95 Inoue, and 93-93 to make it a draw.

Though Nakagawa usually enjoys a height advantage and can punish his smaller opponent from the outside, Inoue was able to reach him from the start, dropping the champ on his backside in the first round with a right hand. Sports Hochi noted that Nakagawa seemed to be befuddled by the challenger’s tricky movement and the challenger knocked him down for a second time in round two.

Deep in a hole on the cards, the champ went on the offensive from the third and it was a back-and-forth war for the rest of the fight. Though Nakagawa sent Inoue to the canvas with a left hook in the ninth, the challenger seemed to get the better of the champ in the final frame.

With the draw, Nakagawa retained his title and his record moved to 15-2-2, 11KO. The spirited Inoue became 15-1-2, 10KO. The fight was a part of the ongoing Champion Carnival.

Champion Carnival Update (chart on right)

More than halfway through the annual Champion Carnival and it has been a tough year to be a challenger as the titleholder has retained his belt in 7 of the 8 fights that have taken place to date. Only American Charlie Ohta has succeeded in usurping the champ and claim the title. Inoue and Light Flyweight challenger Suguru Takizawa held the titlists to draws, though Takizawa’s fight with beltholder Ryo Miyazaki was an injury shortened bout.

Next week’s Super Lightweight showdown between champion Yosukezan Onodera and prospect Yoshihiro Kamegai has been labeled as this year’s most anticipated among all of the cards in the event. It, along with the Lightweight tiff on the 22nd, may also be the only fights remaining in which the challenger has a good chance in beating the champ.

So far, the MVP of the carnival is likely Flyweight Tomonobu Shimizu, who TKO’d then WBA rated #12 Takayasu Kobayashi in February. The fleet-footed Shimizu is looking to position himself for a third world title opportunity, coming short in both previous attempts as he was stopped by Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (in the Thai’s first reign) and Daisuke Naito.

I am still looking for a breakout performance from one of the carnival’s participants. Hopefully Kamegai will provide that next week.

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