Tokuyama defends WBC super flyweight

Tokuyama defends WBC super flyweight

Agence France-Presse, Osaka, Japan

Japanese-based North Korean champion Masamori Tokuyama pounded
out a unanimous decision over Dimitri Kirilov of Russia to retain
the World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight title on Saturday.

There was no knock down over the scheduled 12 rounds, but
Tokuyama controlled the bout for most of the time and never
allowed the Russian challenger to fight his own game.

After a cautious start, Tokuyama soon got into his rhythm by
keeping his favorite distance against Kirilov, and started to
connect his signature right straight to the face in the third
round.

Tokuyama's left hooks also started hitting the target, while
the Russian, ranked top in the WBC, fought back in the seventh
round unleashing left hooks several times.

However, Tokuyama fired a sizzling right straight three times
to send Kirilov out of balance in the eighth round and again his
right straight tantalized the Russian in the 11th round.

Knowing a knockout was the only way for winning, Kirilov went
for it in the final round and connected a right cross-counter
twice, but it was not enough to turn the table round.

"It was exactly what I had expected before the match. I was
able to hit many rights. My (left) jabs were the key to the
victory. My style of boxing is not to allow my opponent to fight
his game," said Tokuyama.

When he was asked about a WBA-WBC match against Alexander
Munos of Venezuela, Tokuyama strongly said: "I'm ready to fight
any time."

WBA champion Munos defeated Japan's Eiji Kojima with a
technical knockout before Tokuyama's match here in his third
defense of the title.

For the 29-year-old Tokuyama, whose real name is Hong Chang-
soo, it was his eighth defense of the title he wrested from Cho
In-joo of South Korea in August 2000.

Tokuyama stretched his record to 30 wins, including eight KOs,
against two defeats and a draw.

The 24-year-old Kirilov, 1999 WBC super flyweight youth
champion, saw his record reduced to 22 wins, including seven KOs,
and two defeats.

"Tokuyama is a clever and excellent boxer. It was difficult to
elude his right straight, I couldn't anticipate the angle it came
from," said Kirilov.