Punch-Out!!/Mr. Sandman

1st match
You can use exactly the same technique against Mr. Sandman as you did against Pizza Pasta. He will usually duck and then uppercut. However, this pattern is much more risky against Mr. Sandman. Sometimes he will catch on and block your counter punch. When he does he might not fall for it again until one of you is knocked down. If you get lucky with this pattern, you can have him out cold in under a minute. If you get unlucky, you might be the one on the canvas. Pay attention to how he's reacting to your moves.

Mr. Sandman is tough to defeat when he won't fall for this basic pattern. His most dangerous attack is an uppercut he throws without ducking first, as it is difficult to see in advance.

You can dodge his 3-punch combo by ducking 3 times in a row rather than dodging side to side.

Title defense
The only advice to can offer at this point is: get lucky.

Mr. Sandman can be punished with the right cross. Fill your KO meter, and he'll become more defensive. His primary offense will be to periodically throw a series of jabs. Block the first jab, wait slightly, then throw a right. With the right timing, your right will hit him over his second jab. You can follow up immediately with additional rights, and even hook punches.