Kenshiro Teraji retains WBC and WBA light-fly belts in close contest with challenger Carlos Canizales
“The Amazing Boy” Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14KO) was pushed all the way by challenger Carlos Canizales (26-1-1, KO) on Tuesday, January 23 at the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan, live on Amazon Prime and ESPN+.
The 32-year-old unified light-fly champion retained his WBC and WBA world titles in a closely contested thriller with Venezuelan challenger Carlos Canizales.
Two judges scored the bout 114-112 to the defending champion, with the third judge split at a 113-113 draw.
Both boxers had won four in a row prior to their midweek meeting, but it was Teraji who made it five out of five by the narrowest of margins.
Canizales got off to a promising start, but Teraji scored the bout’s first knockdown in the second round.
But then, in round three, it was Canizales who exploited a situation to land a left hook that buzzed Teraji and forced him down to the canvas.
A low blow by Teraji in the 10th briefly paused the action but Canizales regrouped and carried on to perform in yet another strong round.
Canizales fought through a bloodied nose in the 11th and did his best to close the show strongly in the 12th to sway the judges. His corner hoisted him in the air after the bell in the belief that he had done enough to dethrone the unified titlist, but it was not to be.