December 6, 2008
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC#15/WBA#15 Motoki Sasaki (31-7-1, 20 KOs), 146, impressively kept his OPBF welterweight belt as he decisively chalked up a TKO victory over ex-titlist Rev Santillan (25-5-1, 18 KOs), 146.25, Philippines, at 2:43 of the seventh round in their grudge fight on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan.
It was like a dejavu that this fight followed a very similar pattern and finish as their first encounter where Santillan attempted a come-from-behind knockout and Sasaki abruptly started a fierce retaliation to halt the affair. The lanky southpaw Santillan, four inches taller than the stocky champ, was in command in the opening session, but Sasaki cleverly kept landing right-left hook combinations to sweep the second through the sixth to steadily pile up points. The Filipino’s fighting spirit was such that he had the champ in trouble with a flurry of punches in the fatal seventh. Sasaki, making his second defense, withstood the ex-champ’s combos and fought back hard to badly drop him twice and prompt the referee’s intervention. All Filipino southpaws aren’t Pacquiao.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
(12-6-08)