## EX-WBA 112LB CHAMP SAKATA RETIRES

January 13, 2011

TOKYO, JAPAN

Ex-WBA flyweight champ Takefumi Sakata has announced to hang up gloves for good today (Thursday) in Tokyo, Japan. Having failed to win back his WBA 112-pound belt from compatriot Daiki Kameda this September, Sakata, 30, was deeply considering whether to go on fighting. The busy-punching fighter managed to win the WBA belt in his fourth attempt, having lost twice to Lorenzo Parra both by a majority decision here and to Roberto Vasquez by a split verdict in Paris. The persistent Japanese finally gained the world belt by stopping his grudge rival Parra in Tokyo in 2007. Since then, the gutsy and game late bloomer kept it four times against another rival Vasquez (W12), Denkaosen Kaowichit (D12), Shingo Yamaguchi (W12) and Hiroyuki Hisataka (W12). But it was his previous challenger Denkaosen of Thailand that annihilated and dethroned Sakata with a single lethal shot on the very last day of 2008. He sank quickly in round two. Sakata scored four victories since prior to his final attempt to win the throne again from Daiki Kameda, but already forfeited his sharpness and stamina only to lose to the younger champ via unanimous nod three months and a half ago. His overall mark was 36-6-2, 17 KOs. Though not vastly talented, he always tried to show his best performance with his best physical condition after training strenuously. People described his tremendous durability as if he would be able to fight even in fifteen or twenty rounds. He had been loved by our fight fans.

(1-13-11)

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