1.
SV MATCH IN PROGRESS HARADA HITTING HARD TO FAMECHON REFEREE SEPARATES
0.11

2.
SV REFEREE WITH FAMECHON BOXING CONTINUES
0.20

3.
CU SPECTATORS
0.22

4.
CU REFEREE SEPARATES BOXERS (3 SHOTS)
0.49

5.
CU SPECTATORS
0.51

6.
SV FAMECHON HITTING HARD, REFEREE SEPARATES, HARADA KNOCKED OUT OF RING, REFEREE COUNTS HIM OUT
1.37

7.
CU WINNER WAVING TO CROWD
1.40

8.
SV HARADA WITH SECONDS
1.44

9.
SV WINNER'S HAND HELD ALOFT
1.48

10.
TV HARADA LEAVES RING
1.55

11.
SV FAMECHON RECEIVES TROPHY
2.00



Initials JB/VS/AW/SGM


SPORT: BOXING
EDITORS: PLEASE NOTE USE OF THIS FILM IS RESTRICTED TO SCHEDULED NEWS BULLETINS.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: IN TOKYO, JOHNNY FAMECHON OF AUSTRALIA HAS RETAINED HIS WORLD FEATHER-WEIGHT BOXING TITLE, KNOCKING OUT THE JAPANESE CHALLENGER, FIGHTING HARADA, IN THE 14TH ROUND. EARLIER FAMECHON APPEARED TO BE IN TROUBLE AND HARADA LOOKED AS THOUGH HE MIGHT WIN THE TITLE BACK.

THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME FAMECHON HAD DEFENDED HIS TITLE AGAINST HARADA. THEY FOUGHT IN SYDNEY LAST JULY WHEN FAMECHON SCORED A CONTROVERSIAL VICTORY -- BUT THE WORLD BOXING COUNCIL ORDERED A REMATCH.

HARADA BEGAN THEIR TOKYO FIGHT AGGRESSIVELY. FAMECHON WENT ON THE DEFENSIVE, AND TOOK HEAVY PUNISHMENT.

BUT BY THE 12TH ROUND FAMECHON WAS GETTING ON TOP.

THE END CAME ONE MINUTE NINE SECONDS INTO THE FOURTEENTH ROUND. FAMECHON HAD FORDING HARADA TO TAKE A MANDATORY STANDING COUNT OF EIGHT ... THEN THE CHAMPION WENT IN AND CAUGHT HARADA WITH A LEFT UPPERCUT....A SECOND UPPERCUT SENT HARADA REELING AND THREE MORE SENT HIM SPRAWLING OUT OF THE RING.

HARADA STAGGERED BACK THROUGH THE ROPES, BUT SLIPPED AT FIVE AND AS HE ROSE THE REFEREE, NICKY POPE OF THE UNITED STATES, DECIDED HARADA HAD FAILED TO BEAT THE COUNT.

POPE AND TWO JUDGES EACH HAD FAMECHON AHEAD ON POINTS AT THE KNOCKOUT. POPE SCORED IT 61 TO 58, THE JAPANESE JUDGE HAD IT 60 TO 59 AND THE AUSTRALIAN JUDGE 62 TO 54.

AFTER THE FIGHT FAMECHON SAID HE HAD BEEN CONFIDENT OF WINNING FROM HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIGHT.

AN AMERICAN PROMOTER SAYS HE HAS OFFERED FAMECHON 52-THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING (125-THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO DEFEND HIS TITLE IN THE US, AND A BRITISH PROMOTER HAS REPORTEDLY OFFERED A SIMILAR PURSE FOR A FIGHT IN LONDON.