Sheer inconvenience for Kenshiro!
By James Blears
WBC light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji is facing up to an unexpected change of opponent and will now be defending his Green and Gold Laurels against late replacement Anthony Olascuaga at the Ariake Arena Koto-Ku, Tokyo on April 8th.
The scene was all set for a juicy unification bout, with Kenshiro primed to defend his WBC and WBA Belts against WBO Champion Jonathan “La Bomba” Gonzalez. But then… a bombshell, after Jonathan contracted viral pneumonia and had to postpone. The rush was on to find someone to take his place, fight hard and be a creditable challenger for the formidable Kenshiro.
Ironic, because former champion Hekkie Budler had agreed to a step aside clause, so Kenshiro and Jonathan could duke it out to decide divine right of triple kingship and he'd be in first in line to fight the winner for the armful of belts.
The solution to the muddle arrives in the form of in-form Anthony “Princesa” Olascuaga. Kenshiro was training and lining up sparring partners, preparing for Jonathan, who is a short squat in your face southpaw. Anthony is more upright and fights out of a conventional stance. Jonathan is a swarming fighter who likes to get in close to achieve his body of work. But Anthony is a stylist and a punch picker, rather than an outright fighter.
Albert Einstein once reflected: “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” Kenshiro will certainly have to be adept, adapt and adopt a new approach, because he's wading into a very different kettle of fish.
He will also be mindful concerning the history of upsets littering boxing, wrought and brought but seldom sought, when opponents are changed at almost the last minute. Boxing is about styles and the more they contrast to the original strategy, the greater the chance/risk something could go West, even though Anthony has travelled East, all the way from LA, for this.
This is a career gambit and potentially the opportunity of a lifetime for WBC #15 Anthony. But it would be patently untrue to say he's got nothing to lose rather than everything to gain. Kenshiro is a seasoned, versatile brilliant boxer whose built a record of 20-1, 12 KOs. He is a two time champion who has fought the cream of the crop. If he swiftly and painfully dispatches young Anthony, who at 24 is seven years younger, it will be a significant setback and blemish on a fledgling career sheet.
Anthony may not have the paucity of a share cropper. A legacy, which did Sonny Liston no harm at all. But he has scant experience in the pro ranks. Only five fights so far, of which three have ended in KO victories. He holds one ace up his sleeve. He sparred with Kenshiro in LA and quickly learned how strong, powerful and agile the Japanese maestro is. Often, sparring is conducted at ninety percent level. He'll soon encounter the full force.
Prodigious is a word which can be applied to Anthony. In only his second fight, he ably handled and defeated durable and experienced Saul “Baby” Juarez, who has already contested the world title twice. For just his third fight, Anthony went to Roberto Duran Arena in Panama, to fight local Gilberto “Cacique” Pedroza who in his time had won the WBC International Silver flyweight title. This time the youngster won it by UD! He won his most recent fight, TKO'ing Marco Sustaita in round one. But from that to this… is a quantum leap into the deep!
Beaming, affable, polite but seldom contrite outside the ring, Kenshiro is a cool, calculating, ruthlessly efficient and expressionless operator inside it. Tall for this category, but certainly not gangling, he stands five feet five inches tall and is good at utilizing his reach at medium and long range.
Kenshiro's nickname is “Amazing Boy.” Aged 31, the first bloom of youth has faded, but he still has a fresh-faced charm.
In winning the title from Mexico's Ganigan Lopez, Kenshiro was victorious by MD, taking time to adjust to the southpaw style. Three fights later in the rematch, no such quarms, quandaries or quested issues. He abruptly dispatched Ganigan in round two with a body shot, to notch a KO on his belt. An improved learning curve, scimitar style.
Kenshiro learned about the corrosive lingering effects of Covid 19 the hard way. In his ninth defense of his WBC Crown, he came badly unstuck against compatriot Masamichi Yabuki, being sheared of his title. He lost via a 10th round knockout. All credit to Mashamichi, who fought the disciplined fight of his life. But it was plainly obvious that from the outset, Kenshiro was out of sorts and out of sync, unable to establish and maintain his usual fluent, fluid rhythm.
In the rematch he won back the title with a thundering third round KO, to rectify the only blemish on his record, silencing the doubting Thomas brigade of nay sayers. Antidote vindication via victory! Then Kenshiro overwhelmed WBA champion Hiroto Kyogushi with a chilling seventh round TKO to add that belt to his growing collection.
This fight between Anthony and Kenshiro is a needs as must patch up patchwork. The show must go on and Anthony has intrepidly stepped up. Is the little prince or “Princessa” ready to usurp the throne room? Anything can happen in boxing and sometimes it does! A coup can be unexpected but then “Coup de grace” is always ruthlessly applied!
There will be war and peace, and as Leo Tolstoy observed: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
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Tale of the Tape
KENSHIRO TERAJI
(JAPAN)
WBC CHAMPION
Nationality: Japan
Date of Birth: January 6, 1992
Birthplace: Joyo, Kyoto, Japan
Residence: Uji, Kyoto, Japan
Age: 30
Record: 20-1-0, 12 KO’s
KO %: 57.2 %
Alias: The Amazing Boy
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 144
World Titles fights: 12 (11-1-0)
Manager: Masato Yamashita
Promoter: Shinsei Promotions
ANTHONY OLASCUAGA
(US)
WBC No. 15
Nationality: USA
Date of Birth: January 1, 1999
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Age: 24
Record: 5-0-0, 3 KO’s
KO %: 60 %
Alias: Princesa
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 23
World Titles fights: 0
Manager: Akihiko Honda
Promoter: Teiken Promotions
Article sponsored by HÖRFA
