Will
03-23-2007, 04:59 AM
TOKYO (TICKER) -- Takefumi Sakata defeated Lorenzo Parra in a bizarre technical knockout in the third round Monday to claim the WBA flyweight title after the Venezuelan was stripped of the crown a day earlier for failing to make weight.
It wasn't exactly payback for Sakata (30-4-1, 15 KOs), who had his jaw broken by Parra (27-1, 17 KOs) in their first fight in June 2004 and lost on a close decision in their second meeting in September 2005.
Sakata stayed on the offensive, controlling the tempo in the first two rounds. But it was clear by the third that Parra, who was over the limit at the weigh-in, lacked any motivation to continue the fight.
Parra's camp threw in the towel 14 seconds into the third round, citing an injury. The Venezuelan later said that Sakata head-butted him in the chest, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his shoulder and neck.
"I couldn't even lift my right arm because of the pain," Parra said. "I apologize to the fans."
Sakata, who entered as the No. 3 contender, valued the victory regardless of how unpalatable it may have been.
"It's like a dream," he said. "I was hoping that time would just freeze. I thought about quitting several times over the years, but I'm glad I stuck it out. People might say, 'Well look at how you won.' But I'll take a win however it comes."
The 27-year-old Hiroshima native took his third crack at the WBA flyweight title last December for the interim crown but lost on points to Roberto Vasquez of Panama.
It wasn't exactly payback for Sakata (30-4-1, 15 KOs), who had his jaw broken by Parra (27-1, 17 KOs) in their first fight in June 2004 and lost on a close decision in their second meeting in September 2005.
Sakata stayed on the offensive, controlling the tempo in the first two rounds. But it was clear by the third that Parra, who was over the limit at the weigh-in, lacked any motivation to continue the fight.
Parra's camp threw in the towel 14 seconds into the third round, citing an injury. The Venezuelan later said that Sakata head-butted him in the chest, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his shoulder and neck.
"I couldn't even lift my right arm because of the pain," Parra said. "I apologize to the fans."
Sakata, who entered as the No. 3 contender, valued the victory regardless of how unpalatable it may have been.
"It's like a dream," he said. "I was hoping that time would just freeze. I thought about quitting several times over the years, but I'm glad I stuck it out. People might say, 'Well look at how you won.' But I'll take a win however it comes."
The 27-year-old Hiroshima native took his third crack at the WBA flyweight title last December for the interim crown but lost on points to Roberto Vasquez of Panama.