September 15, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Fast-rising WBA #2 ranked Takefumi Sakata (21-1-1, 9 KOs), 112, kept his Japanese national flyweight belt as he made best use of his stinging left with remarkable precision, closed the right optic of WBA #13 Kazuo Okada (13-2-1, 6 KOs), 112, and halted him at the end of the seventh round on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan. Sakata, who recently regained his title by a hairline decision over Trash Nakanuma, proved too fast and sharp for the wild-swinging Okada who had been rated by the WBA thanks to his upset win over ex-OPBF champ Kohki Tanaka in 2001. Yukinori Hiraki, ex-national 140-pound champ handling Okada, retired his boy on the stool after his unsuccessfully desperate attack in the fatal seventh.
Former two-time world challenger Akihiko Nago (21-4-1, 14 KOs), 121, displayed his awesome power punching in disposing of aggressive Mikihito Setou (10-6-1, 4 KOs), 121.25, at 1:11 of the third session. Japanese #2 light Kokichi Tanaka (21-8-1, 8 KOs), 139, came off the deck and fought back hard to earn a majority duke (98-94, 97-94 and 95-95) over game Thailander Thanomsak Soh Parantaree (reportedly 9-8, 4 KOs), 137.5, over ten. Hard-punching lefty Keisuke Ayukawa (15-6-1, 11 KOs), 122, dropped another southpaw Shigero Hori (9-6, 3 KOs), 121.25, twice en route to a TKO win at 2:10 of the fourth.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(9-15-03)