WBC Special Preview: Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hiroto Kyoguchi
WBC STATISTICS
WBC & WBA Light Flyweight World Championships
November 1, 2022 / Saitama, Japan / Super Arena
KENSHIRO “The Amazing Boy” TERAJI (Japan)
Two-time WBC Light Flyweight World Champion, 9th Title Defense
Age: 30 / Date of birth: January 6, 1992
Residence: Uji, Kyoto, Japan / Birthplace: Joyo, Kyoto, Japan
Record: 19-1, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 137 / World championship fights: 10-1, 6 KOs
Height: 5’4.5″ – 164cm / Reach: 64″ – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Takeo Imamura / Trainer: Hisashi Teraji
HIROTO KYOGUCHI (Japan)
WBA Light Flyweight World Champion, 5th Title Defense
Age: 28 / Date of birth: November 27, 1993
Residence: Tokyo, Japan / Birthplace: Izumi, Osaka, Japan
Record: 16-0, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 108 / World championship fights: 7-0, 4 KOs
Height: 5’4″ – 163cm / Reach: 64″ – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Eddy Reynoso
TEIKEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:
WBC LIGHT FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Franco Udella (Italy) 1975
2. Luis Estaba (Ven) 1975 – 1978
3. Freddie Castillo (Mex) 1978
4. Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh (Tha) 1978
5. Sung Jun Kim (Kor) 1978 – 1980
6. Shigeo Nakajima (Jap) 1980
7. Hilario Zapata (Pan) 1980 – 1982
8. Amado Urzua (Mex) 1982
9. Tadashi Tomori (Jap) 1982
10. Hilario Zapata (Pan) * 1982 – 1983
11. Jungkoo Chang (Kor) 1983 – 1988
12. German Torres (Mex) 1988 – 1989
13. Yulwoo Lee (Kor) 1989
14. Humberto Gonzalez (Mex) 1989 – 1990
15. Rolando Pascua (Phil) 1990 – 1991
16. Melchor Cob Castro (Mex) 1991
17. Humberto Gonzalez (Mex)* 1991 – 1993
18. Michael Carbajal (US) 1993 – 1994
19. Humberto Gonzalez (Mex)* 1994 – 1995
20. Saman Sorjaturong (Thai) 1995 – 1999
21. Yosam Choi (Kor) 1999 – 2002
22. Jorge Arce (Mex) 2001 – 2004
23. Eric Ortiz (Mex) 2005
24. Brian Viloria (US) 2005 – 2006
25. Omar Niño (Mexico) 2006
26. Wandee Singwangcha (Thai) (Interim) 2006
27. Edgar Sosa (Mexico) 2007 – 2009
28. Rodel Mayol (Philippines) 2009 – 2010
29. Omar Niño (Mexico) * 2010
30. Gilberto Keb Baas (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
31. Adrian Hernandez (Mexico) 2011
32. Kompayak Porpramook (Thai) 2011 – 2012
33. Adrian Hernandez (Mexico)* 2012 – 2014
34. Naoya Inoue (Japan) 2014
35. Pedro Guevara (Mexico) 2014 – 2015
36. Yo Kimura (Japan) 2015 – 2016
37. Ganigan Lopez (Mexico) 2016 – 2017
38. Kenshiro Teraji (Japan) 2017 – 2021
39. Masamichi Yabuki (Japan) 2021 – 2022
40. Kenshiro Teraji (Japan)* 2022 –
* Regained
WBC Top 10 Light Flyweight Champions
1. Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico)
2. Hilario Zapata (Panama)
3. Michael Carbajal (Us)
4. Luis Estaba (Venezuela)
5. Jungkoo Chang (Korea)
6. Saman Sorjaturong (Thailand)
7. Jorge Arce (Mexico)
8. Edgar Sosa (Mexico)
9. Yosam Choi (Korea)
10. Tadashi Tomori (Japan)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE LIGHT FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
34 light flyweight world champions have been recognized by the WBC, five of whom have regained the title: Hilario Zapata (Panama), Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico) two times, Omar Niño (Mexico), Adrian Hernandez (Mexico), Kenshiro Teraji (Japan).
146 light flyweight world championship bouts have been held in WBC history.
MEMORABLE WBC LIGHT FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
March 19, 2022 Kenshiro Teraji KO3 Masamichi Yabuki – Kyoto, Japan
Sept. 22, 2021 Masamichi Yabuki TKO10 Kenshiro Teraji – Kyoto, Japan
Apr. 24, 2021 Kenshiro Teraji W12 Tetsuya Hisada – Osaka, Japan
Dec. 23, 2019 Kenshiro Teraji TKO4 Randy Petalcorin – Yokohama, Japan
July 12, 2019 Kenshiro Teraji TKO4 Jonathan Taconing – Osaka, Japan
Oct. 7, 2018 Kenshiro Teraji TKO7 Milan Melindo – Yokohama, Japan
July 2, 2016 Ganigan Lopez W12 Yu Kimura – Kyoto, Japan
Apr. 6, 2014 Naoya Inoue TKO6 Adrian Hernandez – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 8, 2014 Adrian Hernandez TKO3 Janiel Rivera – Caballerizas de Huixquilucan, Huixquilucan, Mexico
June 19, 2010 Omar Niño W12 Rodel Mayol – San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico
Nov. 21, 2009 Rodel Mayol TKO2 Edgar Sosa – Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
Apr. 14, 2007 Edgar Sosa W12 Brian Viloria – San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 18, 2006 Brian Viloria W12 Jose Antonio Aguirre – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 4, 2004 Jorge Arce W12 Juanito Rubillar – Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
July 6, 2002 Jorge Arce TKO6 Yo Sam Choi – Seoul, South Korea
Jan. 30, 2001 Yo Sam Choi KO7 Saman Sorjaturong – Seoul, South Korea
July 15, 1995 Saman Sorjaturong TKO7 Humberto Gonzalez – Inglewood, California
Nov. 12, 1994 Humberto Gonzalez W12 Michael Carbajal – Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
Mar. 13, 1993 Michael Carbajal KO7 Humberto Gonzalez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 9, 1989 Humberto Gonzalez W12 Jung Koo Chang – Daegu, South Korea
Mar. 26, 1983 Jung Koo Chang TKO3 Hilario Zapata – Daejeon, South Korea
Sep. 18, 1982 Hilario Zapata W15 Jung Koo Chang – Chongju, South Korea
Feb. 19, 1978 Freddy Castillo TKO14 Luis Estaba – Caracas, Venezuela
July 18, 1976 Luis Estaba KOe Franco Udella – Caracas, Venezuela
Apr. 4, 1975 Franco Udella WDQ12 Valentin Martinez – Milan, Italy
The Boys are Back in Town!
By James Blears
World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Kenshiro “Amazing Boy” Teraji takes on WBA (Super) champion Hiroto “Mad Boy” Kyoguchi in only the second ever unification bout between two reigning world champions from Japan, on Saturday November 1st at the Saitama Super Arena.
It`s an extraordinary match- up of two little big men who inflict blistering heavy hitting, tempered by iron resolve guiding their laser focused exocets. Kenshiro from Kyoto aged thirty, has been a pro eight years. He stands five feet four and a half inches tall, with a sixty four inches reach. His record is 19-1, 11 KO`s. While Hiroto from Osaka, who is two years younger and a pro two years less, remains undefeated with a record of 16-0, 11 KO`s. He`s half an inch shorter but with the same reach.
Hiroto held the IBF straw weight belt becoming the Japanese fighter to win world laurels in the shortest time…just one year and three months. He successfully defended the crown twice, then decided to vacate, one more victory and then he challenged for the WBA (super) belt defeating Hekkie Budler via TKO in the tenth. The fight had to be stopped because Hekkie was having sinus problems, and breathing difficulties ensued. Four successful defenses followed.
The last two are significant. He TKO`d Axel Aragon Vega in five at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. And in his most recent bout, as WBA Super Champion he took on and took apart WBA Regular champion Esteban Bermudez in eight painful rounds at the Domo Alcalde in Guadalajara.
Estaban was badly cut over the left eye early on in the second and his face became masked in blood. The fight was paused in the second, sixth and the seventh for the Ring Doctor to inspect that gash. He wiped away a lot of blood and let it continue.
Hiroto who was a mean machine, was docked two points by the Ref, for a head clash in the sixth and rabbit punches a round later. His avalanche of punches from all angles never stopped, in fact it accelerated. He wore down Esteban with left jabs, straight rights and a bevy of jarring uppercuts. In the eighth he poured it on, backing Esteban against the ropes and pummeling him, eliciting no reply and the Referee moved in to save the befuddled, blitzed challenger at the twenty four seconds mark.
It was an indicative example of how Hiroto fights. He likes to land cluster bombs. He can box and use his left jab. But he prefers to swarm, close in, exchange heavy fire, feint, dip and take blows on the gloves while battering whoever is in front of him, come what may. Crunching body punches, and a blitz of head shots to overwhelm with firepower, bending, creaking, cracking and breaking the other guy`s physique, superstructure and ultimately willpower. His strategy this time around will involve trying to drive back Kenshiro, forcing him to fight at a frenetic pace and retreat on to the back foot. Kenshiro must avoid this at all costs.
Kenshiro defeated Mexican Ganigan Lopez to win the title in only his tenth fight. He had some trouble deciphering wily Ganigan`s cagey southpaw style, yet won a MD. His first defense was against talented, tough and resourceful ex-champion Pedro Guevara who gave him a lively run for his money. Another MD victory for Kenshiro. No mistakes in the rematch with Ganigan, who was felled in round two with a hard right to the ribcage and wasn`t able to beat the count.
Kenshiro had racked up eight successful defenses, when he came up against compatriot Masamichi Yabuki. The fight had to be put back, because Kenshiro had tested positive for Covid 19, and when they got it on, immediately patently obvious that Kenshiro hadn`t overcome the lingering effects of the virus. He looked even paler than normal in his white dressing gown, strangely reminiscent of the garb favored by Dick Dastardly. Drat and double drat, he was tentative, lethargic and lack luster only throwing blunt, bland single jabs most of the time, not often following them up.
Mashamichi obviously realized that Kenshiro was out of sorts, not up to par and he eagerly took his chance, constantly attacking, especially with the overhead right. It was the performance of his career. He was sharp, persistent, patient, cunning and he boxed beautifully, with smarts. Kenshiro tried to up the pace and apply pressure, but flagged and floundered. He took a lot of punches, especially judicially placed counters, which sapped his already diminished energy reservoir. In the tenth he was driven on the ropes, repeatedly punished, sagged and the Referee stopped it one second before the bell.
It wasn`t a tale of two cities, because the rematch, less than sixth months later was also in the City Gym, Kyoto, which is home turf for Kenshiro. But in a Dickensian sense, it was radically and ruthlessly different. Kenshiro`s power and punch distribution was back with a vengeance. A massive right to the head, dropped Masamichi in the third. Somehow he got up, but was all at sea. The Referee stopped it at one minute and eleven seconds, helping him back to his corner on wobbly cotton wool, unsteady, disobedient legs. A sensational comeback by Kenshiro, fully restored to health.
When two Mexicans clash in the ring, it`s inevitable fireworks, and almost the same applies when two Japanese boxers trade leather, particularly if both are world champions. This will be the hardest fight Kenshiro has ever had. The same applies to Hiroto.
Kenshiro likes to pick his punches, moving in and then darting away to avoid incoming. He`s upright yet elusive. Hiroto prefers to fight at short range, exchange and test his firepower, with mini Marciano grind down tactics, designed to overwhelm. In so doing, he himself is definitely going to get tagged, as Kenshiro`s direction finder is spot on accurate.
There`s a film of Hiroto wearing Clark Kent style glasses, in his street clothes going to work with joyous abandon on the heavy bag. There`s simply nothing he enjoys more than a good old fashioned tear up. Kenshiro is more of a picky, but certainly not faddy stylist with some aspects in the glorious tradition of the greatest of them all in the mini weight divisions Ricardo “Finito” Lopez who ruled as straw weight and concluded his career as a light flyweight champion.
Kenshiro must find a way of keeping Hiroto at bay. Most unwise to try and be a chiromantist, soothsayer or clairvoyant, especially for a fight like this. When both boxers are world champions, the same nationality, then the pride stakes are sky high. There must be a winner and a loser…no such thing as a sub champion…the very notion! Very doubtful this tremendous fight will go the full distance!
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