By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Despite a high expectation of a very competitive national title bout, it disappointingly became a too lopsided affair with Japanese bantam champ IBF#10 Seiya Tsutsumi (8-0-2, 7 KOs), 118, dropping JBC#1 Jin Minamide (7-3, 5 KOs), 117.75, three times and finally halted him at 1:41 of the seventh round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. In an all-southpaw affair Seiya connected with a well-timed leading right to Jin, sending him to the deck in rounds one, two and five. The open scoring system indicated all 50-42 in favor of the aggressive champ after the fifth. The mandatory challenger Minamide, stiff like a steel, looked too nervous and vulnerable to the southpaw right hook and too often lost his balance, hitting the deck. The seventh witnessed Tsutsumi accelerate a two-fisted attack to have the ref promptly intervene to save the loser. Minamide, formerly Komazawa university amateur boxer, was just a shell of himself despite a high expectation.

Nigerian import Ridwan Oyekola (11-1-2, 5 KOs), 129.75, was held to a split draw (77-75 for him, 74-78 against him and 76-76) with unbeaten Japan-based Korean workman-stylist Jin-U Lee (9-0-1, 4 KOs), 130, over a hard-fought eight. Oyekola, 25, handled by ex-WBA 140-pound champ Akinobu Hiranaka (who dethroned Edwin Chapo Rosario via first round stoppage in Mexico in 1992), needed more aggressiveness to be victorious as he wasted too much time in showboating.

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions.

_