Takefumi Sakata: Four-Time WBA Flyweight Title Defender
Takefumi Sakata is a Japanese former flyweight boxer from Aki, Hiroshima. He became one of Japan’s leading fighters at 112 pounds and made four successful defenses of the World Boxing Association flyweight championship.
Boxing career and major results
Sakata won the WBA title on March 19, 2007, stopping Lorenzo Parra, who had lost the belt on the scales in the third round in Tokyo. It was his fourth world-title challenge. He defended the belt four times, including a 12-round draw with Denkaosan Kaovichit in November 2007.
Sakata’s championship reign ended on December 31, 2008. Denkaosan knocked him out in the second round to win the WBA championship. The result ended Sakata’s reign after four successful defenses.
In September 2010, Sakata challenged WBA champion Daiki Kameda and lost a 12-round unanimous decision. Sakata announced his retirement in January 2011. Sources: BoxRec profile; WBA flyweight title-fight record; WBA report on Kameda–Sakata; Japan Pro Boxing Association champion archive.
Sakata had to wait until his fourth world-title attempt to become champion, then proved he could keep the belt through four defenses. The draw with Kaovichit stands out because the title remained with Sakata despite neither boxer getting a decision. Denkaosan’s second-round knockout later made their rivalry’s final result decisive.
Sources
Career records and reporting: wbaboxing.com; wbaboxing.com; wbaboxing.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
