By Jake Donovan

It took two tries and a full 52-week wait between opportunities, but Akira Yaegashi is now a three-division champ.

The all-action slugger turned back the clock in manhandling Javier Mendoza over 12 rounds, claiming a unanimous decision win Tuesday evening in Tokyo, Japan.

Scores were 117-111, 119-109 and 120-107 (with a 10-8 round scored despite no knockdowns or point deductions) in favor of Yaegashi. With the win he picks up a junior flyweight crown, joining Koki Kameda and Kazuto Ioka as the only fighters from Japan to claim world titles in three weight classes. 

Following a knockout loss to Pedro Guevara this time last year, there came the suggestion that Yaegashi was either past prime or that the fight came too soon after his brutal knockout loss to Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez the prior September. His performance on Tuesday strongly suggests the latter, as Mendoza struggled all night to keep pace with the house favorite. 

There were no knockdowns on the evening, but both fighters were stunned at separate points in the fight. Yaegashi was mildly rocked in round seven, only after having dominated the first five or so rounds. The threat of a fading performance didn't last any longer than a brief mid-rounds stretch, catching his second wind in round eight and never looked back. 

Mendoza tried in vain to match the challenger punch-for-punch, but found himself outgunned on the inside and his punch resistance waning. The visiting champ was not only forced to contend with a hailstorm of power punches but also a cut over his left eye. Yaegashi managed to fight through a left eye that was swollen shut, though hardly a new development in his career.

Two months shy of his 33rd birthday, the former strawweight and flyweight champ looked in prime condition heading into the championship rounds. Mendoza was rocked in round 11 and constantly beaten to the punch in the 12th and final round, with the crowd erupting upon the sound of the final bell to end the fight.

Yaegashi moves to 23-5 (12KOs), picking up his third win of 2015. The streak comes on the heels of a forgettable end to the year that was in 2014, having suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Gonzalez and Guevara afrer a lengthy stay as World flyweight champion. 

Rested and refreshed, a new chapter is added to the book on his incredible career. 

Meanwhile, it's back to the drawing board for Mendoza, who falls to 24-3-1 (19KOs) in snapping an 11-fight win streak.

The 24-year old from Tijuana became the unlikeliest of success stories in 2014, claiming a junior flyweight belt in an upset win over Ramon Garcia last September. Just one defense followed, a six-round technical decision win over Milan Melindo this past May before falling well short versus Yaeagashi in what served as his lone career bout outside of Mexico. 

The bout aired live on Fuji TV in Japan. 

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox