February 15, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Tricky and tough Motoki Sasaki (19-4, 12 KOs), 140, amazingly captured the Japanese 140-pound belt as he put on a rough-and-tumble performance, dropped the WBC #28 ranked prohibitive favorite Tadashi Yuba (20-2-2, 13 KOs), 140, in the third and finally decked him to chalk up an upset TKO at 2:40 of the 9th round in Tokyo.
The 6-foot southpaw Yuba, the defending champ, had his winning streak stopped at 19. It was like a Marlon Starling-Mark Breland fiasco, as the Japanese top contender Sasaki, 5 inches shorter, outhustled the champ with rough tactics and completely wore him down in a pier-six brawl. Yuba, the OPBF #2 contender having acquired the national 135-pound and 140-pound belts, almost turned the tide when he had Sasaki at bay in the 7th, but Sasaki took back the initiative through give-and-take exchanges of solid punches.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
(2-15-03)