March 19, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
Perennial Japanese challenger Takefumi Sakata (30-4-1, 15 KOs), 112, finally acquired the WBA flyweight belt as he halted Lorenzo Parra (27-1, 17 KOs), 116.75, dethroned Venezuelan ex-champ, at 0:14 of the third round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.
Parra had forfeited his belt as he couldn't make the 112-pound limit on the previous day. The ex-champ abruptly quit, complaining a pain of the right shoulder muscle. Parra failed to answer the bell to start the third round, staying on the stool. Referee Guillermo Perez Pineda, Panama, confirmed Parra’s decision not to go on, and then waved his hands to call Sakata the victor and new champ.
Parra made a better start than the nervous Sakata, outjabbing and outpunching the Japanese challenger in the first round. Parra, who had defeated Sakata twice by hairline decisions, looked determined to win this game though he had already lost his belt on the scale.
The tide, however, drastically turned in the second. Sakata became so aggressive that he exclusively aimed at the breadbasket of the ex-champ, who kept backpedaling and absorbed much punishment caused by Sakata’s body bombardment. Parra apparently became slowing down and took Sakata’s occasional overhand rights to the face.
After the second Parra indicated his shoulder pain to his cornerman Orangel Ramos, and said to him that he would not be able to fight on. It was an abrupt end of their highly anticipated third encounter.
The tallies after the second round were as follows: Henk Meijers (Netherands) 20-18, Fernand Estrella (Philippines) 20-19, both for Sakata, and John Poturaj (US) 19-19.
The previously unbeaten Parra dropped his stock, as he scaled in six pounds over the class limit at his first trip to the scale and reduced just one pound and a quarter in two hours, tipping the beam at 116.75. The WBA gave them an instruction that they should be not heavier than 118 pounds at 5 pm on the fight day, four hours before the fight. Parra was then 117.5, while Sakata 117.25.
It was a disappointment of the audience that Sakata was in a tip-top shape, while Parra wasn’t in good condition. It is very rare that the modest Japanese crowd welcomes a foreign boxer with severe booing, but Parra received such verbal attacks by the spectators at the Korakuen Hall.
Sakata, in his fourth attempt, finally won the world flyweight throne, and said, “I dedicate this victory to the late Mr. Masaki Kanehira, the founder of Kyoei Gym. I’m very happy to fulfill my dream.” For the loser Parra, it might be a nightmare that he tasted his first defeat in such a fashion.
Promoter: Keiichiro Kanehira’s Kyoei Promotions.
WBA supervisor: Noah Reandeau (US).
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(3-19-07)