March 16, 2002
TOKYO, JAPAN-Japanfs Kyoei Promotions announced that WBA #6 ranked Osamu Sato (25-1-2, 14 KOs) would have a crack at the WBA belt against Thailandfs Yoddamrong Singwangcha (27-0-1, 17 KOs) here in Japan on May 18.
The gutsy Sato almost won the WBC throne but pitifully drew with Willie Jorrin on a controversial draw in Tokyo on February 5. Satofs party strongly protested against the drawn verdict to the WBC, which sticked to its rule to respect the priority of #1 ranked Israel Vazquez against Jorrin.
Satofs manager Keiichiro Kanehira then shifted his target to the newly crowned WBA titlist Yoddamrong who upset Venezuelan lefty Yober Ortega in Thailand on February 21, and reportedly reached an agreement with Thai influential promoter Songchai Ratanasuban.
Kanehira said, gSato is at his peak physically and mentally, so we hurried up materializing his second world title shot at either of the WBA or the WBC crowns.h
(3-16-02)