…wins vacant OPBF 147lb belt
By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Free-swinging hard-hitting prospect, WBC#9, WBO#4 Jin Sasaki (17-1, 16 KOs), 146.5, impressively acquired the vacant OPBF welterweight belt as he dispatched Filipino veteran southpaw Joe Noynay (23-4-2, 11 KOs), 145.75, with a vicious assault at 0:43 of the fifth round on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Sasaki, still 22, also made his third defense of his WBO Asia Pacific belt since he dethroned world rated Ryota Toyoshima on a first-round demolition last year.
From the outset WBA, IBF both#6 Jin blocked all combinations from Joe and then furiously swarmed over him with powerful roundhouse attacks even with less precision. They took every other round in a competitive battle with Noynay throwing light but fast combos, while Sasaki swinging wild lefts and rights to the elusive opponent. The fatal fifth witnessed Jin finally catch up with Joe with lethal combinations, which badly sank the Filipino, when the ref Someya didn’t bother to count any since he was completely flattened. It was a crowd-pleasing see-saw brawl with Jink decking an important victory after a ten-month hiatus because of a shoulder rotator cuff injury. Jin looked to have fully recovered as he kept swinging from all angles.
Promoter: Hachioji Nakaya Promotions.
BoxRec: Jin Sasaki
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