February 19, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
Formerly world-rated ex-Japanese 140-pound champ Motoki Sasaki (26-7-1, 16 KOs), 147.75, weathered a storm of OPBF#4 ranked Indonesian welter champ Aswin Cabuy (22-5, 6 KOs), 146.75, in early rounds, started fireworks in the fourth and finally caught him with a smashing left-right combination to flatten him at 2:44 of the fifth round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasaki had entered the WBA’s top ten thanks to his upset triumph over previously unbeaten PABA ruler Daudy Bahari in November 2005, though the loser’s title wasn’t at stake. Sasaki, however, was held to a surprising majority draw by Yasumasa Yamaoka, and then lost an unbelievable decision to unheralded Koji Iida to drop out of not only the WBA ratings but the domestic rankings.
Sasaki, a shorter but sturdy university graduate, showed his determination in the fourth, as he gamely kept boring in to score with solid rights that effectively rocked the lefty Indonesian. The Japanese veteran shifted his target to Cabuy’s belly to visibly weaken him in the fourth, and then his one-two combo exploded at the chin. Cabuy fell and attempted to pull himself up, but stayed prone even after the referee tolled the fatal ten.
Japanese #6 superfeather Hiroyasu Matsuzaki (16-1, 8 KOs), 130, eked out a close but unanimous nod (78-76, 78-77 and 79-76) over shaven skulled Tsubasa Shiono (6-6, 3 KOs), 129.75, over eight. Matsuzaki, once a bright prospect, seemed in slump, losing his previous sharpness and zip only to mix up unscientifically with the wild willing mixer.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Sasaki-Cabuy bout).
(2-19-07)