Hard-hitting challenger Yamato Hata of Teiken Boxing Gym, landing a counter right, earned a technical knockout victory over Kosuke Saka of Nakazato Boxing Gym in the third round to wrest the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title on June 1 in Tokyo.
The TKO at Korakuen Hall came 2 minutes and 32 seconds into the third round of the scheduled 12-rounder when the left-handed Hata swarmed all over Saka with combination blows, prompting the referee to call off the fight. Immediate before the stoppage, the second-ranked Hata severely staggered Saka with a counter right to the head, which caused the referee to issue a standing eight count.
With the victory, 27-year-old Hata improved his record to 15 wins, including 14 KOs, against two losses. For his part, the 32-year-old Saka failed in his first defense of the title he won by stopping Ken Koibuchi of Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym in February and sagged to a 23-8 win-loss tally with 20 KOs.