The Boys are Back in Town!
By James Blears
WBC 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 matchup of two little big men who inflict blistering heavy hitting, tempered by iron resolve guiding their laser focused exocets. Kenshiro from Kyoto aged 30, has been a pro for eight years. He stands 5′ 5″ tall, with a 64″ reach. His record is 19-1, 11KOs.
While Hiroto from Osaka, who is two years younger and a pro for two years less, remains undefeated with a record of 16-0, 11KOs. He is half an inch shorter but with the same reach.
Hiroto held the IBF strawweight belt becoming the Japanese fighter to win world laurels in the shortest time… just one year and three months into his paid ranks. 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 10th. 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 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 10th 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 1:11, 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!
Tale of the Tape
KENSHIRO “The Amazing Boy” TERAJI
Two-time WBC Light Flyweight World Champion, 9th 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
WBA Light Flyweight World Champion, 5th 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
Stats
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.
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)
