The World Boxing Organization’s Asia-Pacific welterweight champion Jin Sasaki of Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym, unleashing a barrage of left-and-right hooks, demolished top-ranked Joe Noynay of the Philippines in the fifth round to retain the title and captured the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation welterweight crown as well on May 16 in Tokyo.

  It was the 22-year-old Sasaki’s third defense of the WBO Asia-Pacific title he captured in January last year. The OPBF welterweight title was vacated by Ryota Toyoshima of Teiken Boxing Gym early last year.

  The technical knockout of the scheduled 12-rounder at Korakuen Hall came 43 seconds into the round when Sasaki dropped the left-handed Noynay with a right hook to the head after left-right hooks, prompting the referee to call off the fight without bothering to count.

  It was Sasaki’s first fight in 10 months as he went through an operation for his left shoulder injuries he suffered in his fight last July.

  In the day’s fight, Sasaki pressed forward by throwing hooks while Noynay, a former WBO Asia-Pacific super featherweight champion, occasionally landed uppercuts.

  After the fight, Sasaki said, ‘’I was thinking only about decking him. I now am relieved. The world champion, I am coming!’’

  With the victory, Sasaki, ranked fourth in the welterweight division by the WBO, sixth both by the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association and ninth by the World Boxing Council, improved his record to record to 17 wins, including 16 knockouts, against a loss and a draw. Noynay, 28, sagged to a 23-4-2 win-loss-draw tally with 11 KOs.