MANABE HALTS THAI CHAMP MUANGHALEK August 22, 2003 TOKYO, JAPAN - Up-and-coming lightweight prospect Keita Manabe (15-1, 14 KOs), 133, came off the canvas in the third, and battered OPBF #6 ranked Thai national 130-pound champ Muanghalek Kiatwichien (8-2, 6 KOs), 132.75, with furious combinations to drop him badly and prompt the referee's stoppage at 2:58 of the fourth round on Friday night in Tokyo, Japan. The highly regarded Muanghalek previously dropped the current Japanese feather champ Dainoshin Kuma with a smashing right in the first round, though losing a controversial decision in Fukuoka last October. But the younger Manabe took the upper hand with his aggressiveness in the first two sessions. The Japanese was too carelessly pugnacious in swapping punches toe-to-toe only to take a vicious countering left hook in the third. Manabe showed his determination by pinning the champ to the corner with a fusillade of punches, badly flooring the Thailander who barely stood up but became visibly rubbery-legged only to be halted by the third man. It is a question why such a prospect with such a fine mark, if not yet sophisticated, hasn't been ranked even in the Japanese top ten. It is because the higher ranked boxers in every division mostly refuse to fight lower ranked or unranked boys in order to keep their current Japanese ratings, scoring easy-going victories over mediocre Thailanders. Therefore, our national ratings have been shamelessly stagnant due to a lack of competitive encounters between Japanese rated boxers. The unranked Manabe is such a victim under such a notorious tendency. Undercard: Japanese #7 middle Tomohisa Nakabori (9-1, 4 KOs), 159.25, withstood a shaky moment in the second, decked Tsutomu Mimasu (5-3, no KO), 159.25, in the fourth and earned a unanimous nod over six. Hidetaka Nakayama (7-2-2, 3 KOs), 108, was awarded a split but popular decision over Naokazu Ogiwara (4-11-4, 2 KOs), 107.25, over six. Co-promoters: Ishikawa and Watanabe Promotions. |