November 17, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-Former Japanese 140-pound champ Motoki Sasaki (20-5, 13 KOs), 143.5, accelerated his attack, dropped Yuji Kato (9-9-2, 1 KO), 143.25, with a solid right following a vicious left hook and pinned him to the ropes with a barrage of punches to prompt the refereefs intervention at 1:57 of the fourth round on Monday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasaki captured the national belt by a stunning 9th-round stoppage of highly regarded lefty six-footer Tadashi Yuba last February, but lost it to up-and-coming Shingo Eguchi via upset 5th-round TKO in his first defense last May. Sasaki, a flamboyant Waseda Univ. graduate, is expected to meet Yuba in a grudge fight.
Japanese #7 welter Sojiro Kato (14-4-2, 8 KOs), 140, won a shutout decision (80-72 twice and 80-73) over Koji Fujiwara (9-6-3, 4 KOs), 140, over eight.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
(11-17-03)