Tokuyama defends WBC super flyweight<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Osaka, Japan<\/p>\n
Japanese-based North Korean champion Masamori Tokuyama pounded
\nout a unanimous decision over Dimitri Kirilov of Russia to retain
\nthe World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight title on Saturday.<\/p>\n
There was no knock down over the scheduled 12 rounds, but
\nTokuyama controlled the bout for most of the time and never
\nallowed the Russian challenger to fight his own game.<\/p>\n
After a cautious start, Tokuyama soon got into his rhythm by
\nkeeping his favorite distance against Kirilov, and started to
\nconnect his signature right straight to the face in the third
\nround.<\/p>\n
Tokuyama's left hooks also started hitting the target, while
\nthe Russian, ranked top in the WBC, fought back in the seventh
\nround unleashing left hooks several times.<\/p>\n
However, Tokuyama fired a sizzling right straight three times
\nto send Kirilov out of balance in the eighth round and again his
\nright straight tantalized the Russian in the 11th round.<\/p>\n
Knowing a knockout was the only way for winning, Kirilov went
\nfor it in the final round and connected a right cross-counter
\ntwice, but it was not enough to turn the table round.<\/p>\n
"It was exactly what I had expected before the match. I was
\nable to hit many rights. My (left) jabs were the key to the
\nvictory. My style of boxing is not to allow my opponent to fight
\nhis game," said Tokuyama.<\/p>\n
When he was asked about a WBA-WBC match against Alexander
\nMunos of Venezuela, Tokuyama strongly said: "I'm ready to fight
\nany time."<\/p>\n
WBA champion Munos defeated Japan's Eiji Kojima with a
\ntechnical knockout before Tokuyama's match here in his third
\ndefense of the title.<\/p>\n
For the 29-year-old Tokuyama, whose real name is Hong Chang-
\nsoo, it was his eighth defense of the title he wrested from Cho
\nIn-joo of South Korea in August 2000.<\/p>\n
Tokuyama stretched his record to 30 wins, including eight KOs,
\nagainst two defeats and a draw.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old Kirilov, 1999 WBC super flyweight youth
\nchampion, saw his record reduced to 22 wins, including seven KOs,
\nand two defeats.<\/p>\n
"Tokuyama is a clever and excellent boxer. It was difficult to
\nelude his right straight, I couldn't anticipate the angle it came
\nfrom," said Kirilov.<\/p>",
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