WBC Special Preview: Kenshiro Teraji vs. Seigo Yuri Akui
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Flyweight World Championship
March 13, 2025 / Tokyo, Japan / Kokugikan Arena
TEIKEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:
KENSHIRO “The Amazing Boy” TERAJI (Japan)
· WBC Flyweight World Champion, 1st Defense
· Former two-time WBC Light Flyweight World Champion, 12 Title Defenses
· Former WBC Youth Light Flyweight Champion
· Former Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation Light Flyweight Champion
Age: 33 / Date of birth: January 6, 1992
Residence: Uji, Kyoto, Japan / Birthplace: Joyo, Kyoto, Japan
Record: 24-1, 15 KOs / Total rounds: 185 / World championship fights: 15-1, 10 KOs
Height: 5’4.5” – 164cm / Reach: 64” – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Takeo Imamura / Trainer: Hisashi Teraji
SEIGO YURI AKUI (Japan)
· WBA Flyweight World Champion, 3rd defense
Age: 29 / Date of birth: September 3, 1995
Residence, birthplace: Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
Record: 21-2-1, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 123 / World championship fights: 3-0, 0 KOs
Height: 5’4” – 163cm / Reach: 67” – 170cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Ryuya Moriyasu / Trainer: Masanobu Sumasu
WBC FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Pone Kingpetch (Thai) 1963
2. Hiroyuki Ebihara (Jap) 1963 – 1964
3. Pone Kingpetch (Thai) * 1964 – 1965
4. Salvatore Burruni (Italy) 1965 – 1966
5. Walter McGowan (GB) 1966
6. Chartchai Chionoi (Thai) 1966 – 1969
7. Efren Torres (Mex) 1969 – 1970
8. Chartchai Chionoi (Thai) * 1970
9. Erbito Salavarria (Phil) 1970 – 1971
10. Betulio Gonzalez (Ven) 1972
11. Venice Borkorsor (Thai) 1972 – 1973
12. Betulio Gonzalez (Ven) * 1973 – 1974
13. Shoji Oguma (Jap) 1974 – 1975
14. Miguel Canto (Mex) 1975 – 1979
15. Chan-Hee Park (Kor) 1979 – 1980
16. Shoji Oguma (Japan) * 1980 – 1981
17. Antonio Avelar (Mex) 1981 – 1982
18. Prudencio Cardona (Col) 1982
19. Freddie Castillo (Mex) 1982
20. Eleoncio Mercedes (DR) 1982 – 1983
21. Charlie Magri (GB) 1983
22. Frank Cedeño (Phil) 1983 – 1984
23. Koji Kobayashi (Jap) 1984
24. Gabriel Bernal (Mex) 1984
25. Sot Chitalada (Thai) 1984 – 1988
26. Yong-Kang Kim (Kor) 1988 – 1989
27. Sot Chitalada (Thai) * 1989 – 1991
28. Muangchai Kittikasem (Thai) 1991 – 1992
29. Yuri Arbachakov (Russia) 1992 – 1996
30. Chatchai Sasakul (Thai) 1997 – 1998
31. Manny Pacquiao (Phil) 1998 – 1999
32. Medgoen Singsurat (Thai) 1999 – 2000
33. Malcolm Tunacao (Phil) 2000 – 2001
34. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thai 2001 – 2007
35. Jorge Arce (Mexico) Interim 2005 – 2006
36. Daisuke Naito (Japan) 2007 – 2009
37. P. Wonjongkam (Thai) Interim * 2009
38. Koki Kameda (Japan) 2009 – 2010
39. Pong. Wonjongkam (Thai) * 2010 – 2012
40. Sonny Boy Jaro (Phil) 2012
41. Toshiyuki Igarashi (Japan) 2012 – 2013
42. Akira Yaegashi (Japan) 2013 – 2014
43. Roman Gonzalez (Nic) 2014 – 2016
44. Juan Hernandez (Mexico) 2017
45. Daigo Higa (Japan) 2017 – 2018
46. Cristofer Rosales (Nic) 2018
47. Charlie Edwards (GB) 2018 – 2019
48. Julio Cesar Martinez (Mexico) 2019 – 2024
49. Kenshiro Teraji (Japan) 2024 –
*Regained
WBC TOP 10 FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Miguel Canto (Mexico)
2. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thailand)
3. Chartchai Chionoi (Thailand)
4. Efren Torres (Mexico)
5. Yuri Arbachakov (Russia)
6. Roman Gonzalez (Nicaragua)
7. Sot Chitalada (Thailand)
8. Akira Yaegashi (Japan)
9. Betulio Gonzalez (Venezuela)
10. Shoji Oguma (Japan)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
43 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only six have regained the title: Pone Kingpetch (Thailand), Chartchai Chionoi (Thailand), Betulio Gonzalez (Venezuela), Shoji Oguma (Japan), Sot Chitalada (Thailand), Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thailand).
158 flyweight world championship bouts have been held in WBC history.
MEMORABLE WBC FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:
Oct. 13, 2024 Kenshiro Teraji TKO11 Cristofer Rosales – Tokyo, Japan
May 6, 2023 Julio Cesar Martinez TKO11 Ronal Batista – Zapopan, Jalisco
Dec. 3, 2022 Julio Cesar Martinez W12 Samuel Carmona – Glendale, Arizona
June 26, 2021 Julio Cesar Martinez TKO6 Joel Cordova – Guadalajara, Jalisco
Oct. 23, 2020 Julio Cesar Martinez TKO2 Moises Calleros – Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Dec. 20, 2019 Julio Cesar Martinez TKO9 Cristofer Rosales – Phoenix, Arizona
Dec. 22, 2018 Charlie Edwards W12 Cristofer Rosales – London, England
Apr. 15, 2018 Cristofer Rosales TKO9 Daigo Higa – Kanagawa, Japan
May 20, 2017 Daigo Higa TKO6 Juan Hernandez – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 23, 2016 Roman Gonzalez W12 McWilliams Arroyo – Inglewood, California
Sep. 5, 2014 Roman Gonzalez TKO9 Akira Yaegashi – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 8, 2013 Akira Yaegashi W12 Toshiyuki Igarashi – Tokyo, Japan
Mar. 27, 2010 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam W12 Koki Kameda – Tokyo, Japan
Nov. 29, 2009 Koki Kameda W12 Daisuke Naito – Saitama, Japan
July 18, 2007 Daisuke Naito W12 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – Tokyo, Japan
July 30, 2005 Jorge Arce TKO3 Angel Priolo – La Paz, Baja California
Mar. 2, 2001 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam TKO1 Malcolm Tunacao – Phichit, Thailand
Sep. 17, 1999 Boonsai Sansurat TKO3 Manny Pacquiao – Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Dec. 4, 1998 Manny Pacquiao KO8 Chatchai Sasakul – Phuttamonthon, Thailand
May 9, 1997 Chatchai Sasakul W12 Ysaias Zamudio – Bangkok, Thailand
June 23, 1992 Yuri Arbachakov KO8 Muangchai Kittikasem – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 15, 1991 Muangchai Kittikasem TKO6 Sot Chitalada – Ayutthaya, Thailand
Oct. 8, 1984 Sot Chitalada W12 Gabriel Bernal – Bangkok, Thailand
Mar. 15, 1983 Charlie Magri TKO7 Eleoncio Mercedes – London, England
May 18, 1980 Shoji Oguma KO9 Chan-Hee Park – Seoul, Korea
Jan. 8, 1975 Miguel Canto W15 Shoji Oguma – Sendai, Japan
Aug. 4, 1973 Betulio Gonzalez W15 Miguel Canto – Maracaibo, Venezuela
Feb. 23, 1969 Efren Torres TKO8 Chartchai Chionoi – Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Dec. 30, 1966 Chartchai Chionoi TKO9 Walter McGowan – Bangkok, Thailand
Sep. 18, 1963 Pone Kingpetch KO1 Hiroyuki Ebihara – Tokyo, Japan
Finest firefly
By James Blears
The hair-trigger poised, knife-edged balanced definition of the finest firefly is underway, with the unification bout between World Boxing Council flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji and World Boxing Association flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui on Thursday March 13th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
Kenshiro is part of the Japanese Superstar Trinity, namely himself, Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani. The other two have filled out more than he did and are now super-bantamweight and bantamweight champions respectively. Kenshiro was WBC light-flyweight for two reigns, before testing his wings to fly.
The childrens` nursery Rhyme suggests that Thursday`s Child has far to go. This might suggest that this individual is destined for greatness as they will go far. While the pessimists gloomily predict it forebodes of a hard life ahead, with goals yet to be reached, let alone attained.
Kenshiro 24-1, 15 KO`S, has already clearly shown he is an outstanding Green and Gold World Champion and although he is past the first flush of youth, which his nickname of Amazing Boy alludes to, there are still some miles left on the clock.
In his time, a WBC Youth light-flyweight Champion, a twice unified light-flyweight champion and now a WBC flyweight champion, the only fly in the ointment was his tenth round TKO loss to Masamichi Yabuki, while not having fully recovered from the lingering effects of Covid 19. Back then, we knew appreciably less about its harmful effects and just how long it took to shake them off. He rectified that bumble/stumble six months later, almost to the day with a resounding buzzsaw third round KO victory.
Kenshiro who debuted as a pro in 2014, won the WBC light flyweight title in just his tenth fight, defeating Mexican southpaw champion Ganigan Lopez by MD. In his first defence he defeated former champion and Ganigan compatriot Pedro ‘’Pedrin’’ Guevara by MD. Two fights later he KO`d Ganigan in two rounds. By then, he`d mastered and solved the southpaw style.
In his first reign he successfully defended his title eight times. In his second light-flyweight era, there were four successful defences, including his nineth round TKO OF South Africa`s former world champion Hekkie Budler, in his final farewell wave to light-flyweight, before a new come fly with me take off.
So then, this leap to flyweight for the vacant WBC title against former light flyweight champion Cristofer ‘’The Whip’’ Rosales, who put up a stout, defiant resistance, until round eleven when the constant and precise accumulation pummelling, finally wore down his resistance, took its toll and Kenshiro won by TKO.
It`s a mistake to think that the little big men aren`t mighty punchers delivering wallops far and way above their apparent weight capacity. The poster boy dissuading this notion was the great Ricardo ‘’Finito’’ Lopez with a fabled 51-0-1, 38 KO`s career winning the straw weight and light-flyweight championships. His only blemish was a draw against Rosendo ‘’Bufalo’’ Alvarez 37-4-2, 24 KO`s, which he rectified in a rematch.
Kenshiro`s opponent in this contest between the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Association is WBA champion and compatriot Seigo Yuri Akui 21-2-1, 11 KO`s, who aged twenty-nine is four years younger.
Seigo won the WBA title ending the almost six years reign of Ukrainian Artem Dalakian via a UD. Since then, a successful UD victory over Thananchai Charunphak and a SD win over Taku Kuwahara.
Seigo also debuted as a pro in 2014 in the quarter final of the West Japan light-flyweight Rookie of the Year Tournament and he won by UD. After winning the final by UD against Michitaka Muto, he fought Seita Ogido to a draw for the All- Japan Rookie of the year title. One year later, he won the All Japan Rookie of the year title defeating Hiroki Hosoya by UD.
Two years later he was stopped in round six of the final of the Japanese Youth Tournament by Junto Nakatani, who towered over him. Yet in his next fight he KO`d Masamichi Yabuki in just ninety- one seconds of round one.
His only other loss was via eighth round TKO to Jaysever Abcede, who was at that time ranked tenth by the WBA. Since then, nine straight wins. He`s now fully matured.
Leading up to this one, Kenshiro has has the greater experience against an international array of opponents and a longer overall reign as a champion. He has fought 185 rounds compared to Seigo`s 123 rounds. Kenshiro`s KO ratio is 62.5 percent, while Seigo`s is 52.38 percent.
Size wise there`s little to chose. Kenshiro is five feet four and a half inches tall with a sixty- four and a half inches reach. Seigo is half an inch shorter in stature but his reach is sixty-six inches. Both are proven punchers who can also box efficiently. It`s going to be a riveting test of willpower as well as armstrong clout.
Seigo is fighting for the Pride of Kurashiki Okayama while Kenshiro is fighting for the Pride of Kyoto. A lot is at stake. This will be a battle royal. Like with a firefly it`ll be luminescent and ultimately illuminating.
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