WBC flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji has told local media in Japan of his intentions to become the undisputed champion at 112 lbs. The former WBA and WBC light flyweight champion turns 33 on Monday (January 6th) and acknowledges that he doesn’t have the time he once had during his career. “If unifications seem impossible,” he said, “I might move up a weight class. I’m trying not to be tied down.”
Teraji put together an extremely impressive run at 108 lbs, winning the WBC title against Ganigan Lopez in only his 10th professional fight. ‘The Amazing Boy’ reeled off eight defences of his title before then suffering the only defeat of his career against power-puncher Masamichi Yabuki in September 2021. Teraji would immediately regain his title in a rematch against Yabuki, demolishing him inside three rounds, and he would then go on to unify with WBA titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi. In what was the best performance of his career, Teraji dominated Kyoguchi, winning every single round and scoring two knockdowns on the way to a seventh-round victory.
Teraji would defend his titles three more times at 108 lbs before making the move to 112 llbs in October 2024. Teraji went immediately into a world title fight as he faced former champion Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC title, dominating the Nicaraguan and forcing a doctor stoppage in round 11.
On the same night Teraji won his title against Rosales, WBA champion Seigo Yuri Akui defended his title against Thananchai Charunphak via split decision. Since that night, there have been multiple reports of the pair unifying the WBC and WBA titles, with Teraji’s team even petitioning the WBC at their convention for permission to have a unification instead of facing mandatory challenger Francisco Rodríguez Jr. This petition was accepted, and the WBC subsequently ordered Rodriquez to face interim champion and 2020 Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai.
The latest rumoured date for a potential Teraji vs. Akui fight is sometime in late March. However, it remains to be seen if this actually comes to fruition.
Meanwhile, IBF champion Angel Ayala has been ordered to face mandatory challenger Felix Alvarado next in a rematch of their October 2023 fight which Ayala won in controversial fashion. Also, WBO champion Anthony Olascuaga (who Teraji defeated in April 2023 in a successful defence of his light flyweight titles) is coming off a first-round stoppage win over Jonathon Gonzalez and will look to stay active in Japan in 2025, possibly on the Teraji vs Akui undercard against Juan Carlos Camacho. However, nothing is set in stone yet.
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