World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific welterweight champion Jin Sasaki of Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym, unleashing a barrage of right and left combinations from various angles, stopped the sixth-ranked Hiroto Hoshi of Kadoebi Boxing Gym in the 11^th round and retained his title for the second time on July 8 in Tokyo.

  The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at Esforta Arena Hachioji came 1 minute and 44 seconds into the round when the 21-year-old Sasaki uncorked the combination blows in a unilateral manner by putting the 25-year-old Hoshi against the ropes, prompting the referee to step in to call off the fight.

  While both fighters exchanged blows toe-to-toe from the opening bell, it was Sasaki who exceeded his tough but one-dimensional opponent by occasionally changing his fighting style from his usual orthodox to southpaw.

  After the fight, Sasaki said, ‘’I had a hard time dealing with Mr. Hoshi. It was a good experience for me.’’

  With the victory, Sasaki, ranked eighth in the welterweight division both by the WBO and International Boxing Federation and 11th by the World Boxing Association, improved his record to 16 wins, including 15 knockouts, against a loss and a draw. For his part, Hoshi fell to a 5-3-3 win-loss-draw tally with three KOs.

  Meanwhile, Yuni Takada of Lions Boxing Gym, overcoming a sixth-round knockdown, pounded out a 10-round unanimous decision over top-ranked Tatsuro Nakashima of Hiranaka Boxing School Gym, to retain his Japanese minimumweight title as the chief supporting card for the WBO’s Asia-Pacific welterweight title fight.

  It was the 25-year-old Takada’s first successful defense of the title he captured in April. Nakashima, 28, failed in his fourth straight attempt at the title.

  While Takada took control of the fight in the first five rounds, Nakashima dropped Takada late in the sixth stanza with a counter right for a mandatory eight count. Takada survived the round and fended off Nakashima’s offense the rest of the way.

  With the win, Takada improved his record to 12 wins, including six KOs, against eight losses and three draws, while Nakashima impaired to an 11-5-1 win-loss-draw tally with seven KOs.