Against Carlos Canizales, Kenshiro Teraji won by majority decision in the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan, to retain his WBA and WBC light-flyweight world titles.
In September of last year, the undisputed 108-pound champion stopped Hekkie Budler in the ninth round to retain his titles. Canizales defeated Daniel Matellon via technical decision during a brutal battle in Argentina in June of last year.
Both guys appeared in a bout that was early in the race for Fight of the Year.
The Venezuelan successfully landed a solid left hook to win the round despite Canizales’ earlier start and pressure for the huge right hand.
When Canizales gambled on a left hook that connected, Teraji cracked him with a right hand, sending him to the canvas at the end of the second round. Even though Canizales staggered to the ground and pulled Teraji along, the Venezuelan won the round.
Teraji struck the deck late in the third game. In his pursuit of the finish, the champion ignored his defence, leaving himself vulnerable to Canizales’s left hook, which caused Teraji to take a knee.
As the fight truly heated up in rounds four and five, Teraji’s right hand faced off against Canizales’s left hook. After delivering a powerful combination, Teraji had his man on the ropes to start the fifth wicket.
In the sixth round, Teraji gained some momentum over Canizales, and the champion started the seventh round well, landing his reliable right hand whenever he pleased. In an otherwise lacklustre three minutes for the challenger, Canizales scored with an uppercut. While a determined Canizales had grown dependable, Teraji maintained his lead with his jab to win the ninth round with easily.
But in round 10, the Venezuelan had far greater success. Rejuvenated, Canizales pressed the action, only to be dealt a light blow in return. Teraji found it difficult to contain his relentlessly aggressive opponent, who dominated the last round.
As they entered round 11, both men had almost completely depleted their reserves. Teraji did not appear to be using his right hand; he appeared content to stay with his left jab. With Teraji on the defensive, Canizales pushed the action in the last round while the champion cautiously spent the remaining six minutes of the fight.
With two scores of 114-112 in Teraji’s favour, the scorecards read 113-113, giving the champion the majority decision victory.
With this victory, Teraji raises his record to 23-1 (14 KOs) and has won five straight fights after suffering his only career defeat against Masamichi Yabuki in 2021. Canizales’s record now stands at 26-2-1 (19 KOs) following his second consecutive title loss.
Artem Dalakian, the WBA flyweight world champion, was defeated by Seigo Yuri Akui on the undercard. A unanimous decision loss with scores of 116-112, 119-109, and 117-111 befell the reigning champion. After 23 battles, Dalakian loses his first one.