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13th - Tokyo, Japan
Topping the bill at the Ryogoku Sumo Arena was Asian, Oriental, and Japanese middleweight champ, Tadeshi Mihara. He squared of against constant loser Anthony Bartinelli. It was scheduled for eight.
The crude Mihara took the opener, with Bartinelli edging the second. Mihara then built up a comfortable lead between rounds three and six, before a give and take seventh, in which Mihara suffered a cut over the right eye. It didn't trouble him, was closed between rounds, and Mihara dropped Bartinelli for a flash knockdown in the final stanza, and took a unanimous decision to improve to 9-8 [5]. Scores were 79-73 twice, and 77-75. Bartinelli dropped to 1-15 [1].
Chief support saw a barn burner of a battle between middleweights Shinji Takehara and Keith Holmes. The normally safety first Holmes threw caution to the wind, and gave the fans a treat.
Holmes took the opener, working behind the jab against the sometimes crude Takehara. Then, in the second, the leather began to fly. Both men went tote- to toe, with the stronger Takehara, winning the round, just. Holmes hit the deck in the third when he dropped his guard and was caught by an uppercut. He was up at four. Again, the fourth was a barn burner of a round, with not a lot in it, but Takehara just nicking it again.
The crowd was on their feet in the fifth. Both men going at it hammer and tongs. Unbeleivable stuff. Takehara won this round, but again it was close. Nobody in attendance beleived that these two could keep up this pace, but they did. Again the crowd were on their feet for the sixth. This round was even.
Holmes was floored in the seventh, a bodyshot doing the damage. He clambered up at eight, clearly winded and looking drained.
The end came in the eighth and last round. Holmes hit the deck from a big right to the jaw. He was up at eight, but looking shaky. He was then felled again, this time from a bodyblow. He took the eight count on his knee, drawing on his last reserves to soldier on. There was a cold precision to the work of Takehara now, and he stalked Holmes around the ring, before finally chopping him down again, this time with a left to the head. The referee waved it over. The time was 2.16 of the round.
Takehara improves to 6-7, with all wins coming inside. The gallant loser dips to 7-12 [2].
Mexican welterweight Pipino Cuevas scored a chilling first round knockout against Korean Sang-Hyun Kim at 2.46 of the first. After working away at his foe, Cuevas put his opponent away with a pinpoint hook to the side of the head to improve to 3-2 [2]. Kim is now 1-4.
Other results:
HW: John Tate WTKO8 Mike Weaver
LHW: Dwight Qawi W8 Rodney Toney
LHW: Thomas Reid WTKO2 JB Williamson
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