## SATO WINS WBA 122-POUND BELT BY FLATTENING YODDAMRONG IN 8

May 18, 2002

SAITAMA, JAPAN-Game and gutsy Japanese Osamu Sato (26-1-2, 15 KOs), 121.25, impressively captured the WBA super-bantam belt as he dropped previously unbeaten champ Yoddamrong Singwangcha (27-1-1, 12 KOs), 122, twice in the 7th and flattened him at 1:58 of the 8th round in Saitama, Japan.

Itfs a come-from-behind KO, as the Thai champ was leading on points by utilizing his superior boxing skills. Yoddamrong, who captured the WBA throne by outclassing Venezeulan southpaw Yober Ortega last February, proved fast and ringwise, whipping the tight-guarded Japanese to pile up points steadily in the second through 6th.

Sato had failed to win the WBC crown on a majority draw (a judge scored 116-114 for Sato) with Willie Jorrin by surviving a couple of visits to the deck in the third and sweeping nearly all rounds thereafter in his previous bout in Tokyo last February.

The muscular Japanese surprisingly caught the champ in the 7th, when he floored him on all fours on the deck with an overhand right to the face and followed up to down him again with the bell coming to his rescue. It was a 10-7 round, as tallied by all the officials. Sato, 4 years his senior at 25, almost overcome his deficits on points.

The fatal 8th saw Yoddamrong, making his first defense, desperately coming forward to regain his initiative with Sato retaliating with body shots. The Japanese dug a very heavy blow to the side of the belly and sank him prone on the canvas. Referee Gillermo Perez Pineda, Panama, tolled the ten and raised the new champfs hand.

Scored after the 7th: Lou Tabat (US) and Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) both 66-65 for the dethroned champ, and Kwangsoo Kim (Korea) 68-65 for Sato.

Undercard: Hard-hitting Shigeru Nakazato (22-5, 17 KOs), 122, became the new OPBF 122-pound champ as he floored defending champ Yongin Cho (14-4, 8 KOs), 122, with a vicious left hook in the first round, battered him to the punch in the second and finally halted him 0:47 into the third canto.

Nakazato, from Okinawa, had failed to win the Japanese bantam belt twice, losing to currently WBC #1 Toshiaki Nishioka and still national champ Nobuaki Naka, and then moved up to the super-bantam division. The stiff but sturdy Nakazato displayed his trade-mark left hook, dropping him in the opening canto to have him rubbery-legged in the second.

Though Korean cornermen protested against Thai referee Ukrid Sarasasfs allegedly premature stoppage, Cho apparently looked to have nothing left to turn the tide.

Promoter: Keiichiro Kanehirafs Kyoei Promotions.

WBA supervisor: Elias Cordova Jr. (Panama).

(5-18-02)

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