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5' 0½" Japanese straw-weight Nanako Kikuchi was born on March 25, 1975. She is a keen amateur
photographer.
She made her debut as pro boxer in Tokyo on September 21, 2003, winning a four-round decision over another
Japanese debut
fighter, Sanami Arai.
On February 22, 2004, at Gold Gym South Annex in Tokyo, she won a four-round
majority decision over 5' 4½" Satoko Kamimura, who fell to 0-2 with the loss.
On May 23, 2004 in Tokyo she won a four-round unanimous decision over then
unbeaten Nao Ikeyama, dropping the 5' 0½" Ikeyama to 2-1 (1 KO).
On July 18, 2004 in Tokyo she won a four-round unanimous decision over 5' 3" Eri
Ishiyama, who fell to 1-2 with the loss (and has not fought since).
Kikuchi vs. Marika Watanabe
On September 18, 2004 in Kyoto, Japan, Nanako weighed in at 102½ lbs and won the
Japanese Minimumweight title with an eight-round unanimous decision over 5' 1½"
Marika Watanabe (102½ lbs), dropping Watanabe's record to 2-1 (0 KO's).
On March 30, 2005, at the Hotel Sunrise International in Shenyang, Liaoning
Province, China, Nanako lost an eight-round decision to Eun Soon Choi of South
Korea, who moved her pro record to 2-0 eith the win (and went on to become the
WBC Junior Flyweight champion in her next bout).
On June 12, 2005 at Kitazawa Town Hall in Tokyo, Naoko again fought Nao Ikeyama,
this time to a draw over eight rounds. The bout was recognised by the WIBA
as an eliminator for its Junior Flyweight title and the Japan Women's Boxing
Commission Junior Flyweight title had been on the line. Ikeyama was now 3-1-1 (1
KO).
Kikuchi vs Siriporn for the WBC title
© Copyrighted photo by Scott Mallon
On November 7, 2005 Nanako (105 lbs) defeated Nongmai Sor Siriporn (104½ lbs) of Thailand for the WBC Straw-weight title
by a seventh-round TKO. The bout was held in the Klong Luang Prison in
Pathum Thani, Thailand, in an outdoor arena next to where Siriporn was serving a
four-and-a-half year prison term for dealing
methamphetamines.
According to WBAN's ringside correspondent and photographer Scott Mallon, "The
Japanese fighter controlled the bout from the outset, punishing the game Thai
time and time again with wicked left hooks to the liver and straight right
counters to the head. By the end of the third stanza the body shots had taken
their toll. Sor Siriporn was gasping for air and ready to collapse when the bell
rang to signify the end of round three. The doctor looked glanced into her
corner between rounds however determined she was capable of fighting on. Kikuchi
picked up her punch output in round four and only the bell was able to save the
withering Sor Siriporn. It became more and more apparent to those in attendance
Sor Siriporn was now fighting on heart alone and was totally spent. The gutsy
Thai managed to somehow make it through round five and six, occasionally
gathering enough strength to throw a few combinations but doing little damage
and only prolonging the inevitable. Kikuchi bolted out of her corner in round
seven, guns blazing, pummeling Sor Siriporn with accurate combinations and
non-stop punching. The sheer volume of punches finally overwhelmed the exhausted
Thai, who had began to turn her back as referee Bruce McTavish stepped in to
stop the beating only :50 into the round." (For more fight photos by
Scott Mallon, see
Photo Gallery #301
on the WBAN Member Site).
The referee jumps in to rescue Nongmai Sor Siriporn
© Copyrighted photo by Scott Mallon
The Thai boxer said "I did not expect to win the fight but I gave my all and
did the best I could. Nanako was fast and
aggressive and that's why I couldn't do anything at all. She was
better and stronger. Her right was hard. This was only my first professional
fight. I need more experience to become a better boxer." Wanchai
Rujawongsanti reported in the Bangkok Post that Sor Siriporn (real name Wannee Chaisena) had
compiled a 4-1 record in three-round amateur boxing bouts, and had won 10 of 15
amateur Muay Thai
fights. The WBC had
claimed
that Sor Siriporn held an 8-0 boxing record, which was contradicted by the
account of Siriporn's ring career in the Bangkok Post, and by Sor Siriporn's own
statement that this had been her first professional bout.
The WBC's Patrick Cusick dismissed any suggestion that the fight had been a
publicity stunt and stated that the WBC completely supported the idea to stage a
world title fight in the prison. "Boxing's all about giving people a second chance,"
he told Kylie Morris of the
BBC
News. "It
gives everybody a chance - it's not about the elites. It's a great
equaliser." It was also
reported that Sor Siriporn had been offered early release from
her prison term, on which 14 months remained, had she won the fight and the WBC
title. Thailand's crowded prisons had instituted a variety of stress-relief programs for
their female inmates, including
meditation, laughing contests, soccer and recently kickboxing and
boxing schools. The
bout was carried live on Thai television to show off their inmate program. "When you're on drugs, your body isn't strong. But since I started
boxing and sports, my health has improved significantly," said Siriporn.
The WBC had also ranked Sor Siriporn #3 in the world before the bout ...
remarkable for a boxer with no pro experience ... and a ranking which may have
been intended to justify the originally scheduled matchup, in which
Sor Siriporn would have faced undefeated Californian Carina Moreno. Moreno
had pulled out of the bout for medical
reasons and Kikuchi, ranked #11 by the WBC, had stepped in at about one week's
notice.
"I wanted to make the best of it because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,"
said Kikuchi.
On May 10, 2006 at the Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok, Thailand, Nanako
retained the WBC straw-weight title with a ten round unanimous
(97-93,96-94,96-94) decision over Siriporn Thaweesuk (aka Siriporn Sor Siriporn)
of Thailand, another prison inmate serving a 10-year sentence for a drug offence.
Referee Bruce McTavish of New Zealand praised the unusual proceedings, saying
"The WBC title fight in prison is uque and I think it is great to give people
in jail a chance to have some career and job to do after they are released."
Nanako Kikuchi vs. Carina Moreno
© Copyrighted photo taken by Alan Messick
On May 17, 2007 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in
Lemoore, California
a sold-out crowd of 1,450 saw Carina Moreno (104½ lbs)
of Watsonville, California defeat Nanako (104½ lbs) for the WBC Strawweight title
by a ten-round unanimous (100-90 x 3) decision in the main event.
A ringside observer reported to WBAN that
“Kikuchi is a warrior. She just kept coming forward and took a tremendous amount
of punches from all angles, but she kept pressing the fight. Carina was just too
sharp, and clearly won the rounds but it was obvious from the onset that Kikuchi
was not going to leave the ring until all 10 rounds were completed. They went
non-stop for 10 rounds and had the crowd on their feet.” For photos of this bout by Alan Messick, see
WBAN
Photo Gallery #427 on the WBAN Records Member Site.
Carina Moreno improved her pro record to 13-1-0 (4 KOs).
On June 9, 2008 at Korakuen Hall
in Tokyo, Japan, Nanako Kikuchi (104½ lbs) TKO’d Petchchengrai Sitkrumad (102
lbs) of Thailand at 1:12 in the first round of a scheduled six round bout.
Sitkrumad fell to 2-1 (0 KO's) with the loss. Kukuchi
improved to 8-2-1 (2 KOs.
On October 13, 2008 at Korakuen
Hall in Tokyo, Japan, Nanako Kikuchi (105½ lbs) TKO’d Lilly Rachaprachagym (4′11½″,
104¾ lbs) of Pong Payao,
Thailand at 1:54 in
the second round of a scheduled six rounder.
Rachaprachagym fell to 4-5-0 (3
KO's).
 On
December 8, 2009 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, Naomi Togashi (107½ lbs) of
Tokyo (at left in photo) retained the interim WBC Junior Flyweight title with a
TKO over Nanako Kikuchi (108 lbs) at 0:21 in the final round of a scheduled
ten-rounder. Togashi improved her record to 5-0 (4 KO's) with the win.
On June 26, 2009 in the main event of a six-bout
card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, Nanako Kikuchi (107½ lbs) won an
action-packed 10-round unanimous (97-94,97-94,96-94) decision over Kayoko Ebata
(108 lbs) of Tokyo for the vacant OPBF women's light flyweight title. This
was reported to be the first OPBF title bout in Japan. Kukuchi
improved to 10-3-1 (3 KO's) while Ebata fell to 2-2 (1 KO). On December 12, 2009 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Nanako Kikuchi (107¾ lbs) TKO'd Yani Kokietgym (5'6", 106½ lbs) of
Nakhon Sawhan, Thailand at 1:26 in the ninth round of a scheduled
ten-rounder for the OPBF Junior Flyweight title. Kokietgym fell
to 6-2 (0 KOs) with the loss. On May 18, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Nanako Kikuchi (107¾ lbs) TKO'd Jeremie Tabastabas (107¼ lbs)
of Puerto Princesa City, Philippines at 1:29 in the fourth round
of a scheduled ten-rounder for the OPBF Junior Flyweight title.
Tabastabas fell to 5-2-2 (1 KO) with the loss. 
Nanako Kikuchi vs Anabel Ortiz in Sept 2010
On September 13, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Anabel Ortiz
(105 lbs) of Tepic, Mexico won a ten-round unanimous (98-92,98-92,99-91) decision over
Nanako Kikuchi (105 lbs) defending the WBC Srawweight title.
From the first round, Kikuchi was caught
repeatedly by the razor sharp jabs and left hooks of Ortiz, who
displayed excellent footwork and counter-punching abilities. In the middle rounds, Ortiz controlled Kikuchi with repeated left hooks and hard rights. The
open scoring system after the seventh round showed Ortiz's wide lead on
points: 69-64 on all of the scorecards so Kikuchi had to KO Ortiz in
order to win. The Japanese challenger
made a brave effort in the later rounds but she was unable to find
the
range to connect effectively while she continued to be hit
hard by Ortiz. Kikuchi fell to 12-4-1 (5 KO's) with the loss while Ortiz improved to 7-1 (1 KO). After
the fight Nanako Kikuchi was silent about whether she would retire from competition or continue in her boxing career.
Other Nanako Kikuchi links
To check out fight reports, complete up-to-date boxing records, with huge digital photos you can go to
the WBAN Records Member Site
Page last updated:
Sunday, 05 November 2017 |
