Unified gentle flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji (21-1, 13 KOs) defends his belts in opposition to two division titlist Hekkie Budler (35-4, 11 KOs) on September 18. The bout will headline an occasion on the Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo, Japan, and be out there to American viewers on ESPN+. Teraji’s WBC and WBA belts are at stake. Junto Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs) additionally defends his WBO tremendous flyweight title in opposition to Argi Cortes (25-3-2, 10 KOs) simply earlier than the primary occasion.
Teraji-Budler press launch
Listed here are extra particulars from High Rank’s press launch of the occasion:
Teraji earned his first world title by defeating Ganigan Lopez for the WBC 108-pound strap in Might 2017. He made eight defenses earlier than dropping the belt by way of Tenth-round TKO in opposition to Masamichi Yabuki in September 2021. The 31-year-old avenged his lone defeat by stopping Yabuki within the third spherical of their March 2022 rematch to regain the title. Teraji then stopped Hiroto Kyoguchi final November within the seventh spherical to unify the WBC and WBA titles. He defended his unified championship with a ninth-round TKO in opposition to then-unbeaten contender Anthony Olascuaga in April.
Budler (35-4, 11 KOs) captured the WBA minimumweight world title with a first-round knockout win in opposition to Karluis Diaz in March 2014. He made 4 defenses earlier than dropping the belt to Byron Rojas in March 2016. Two years later, he decisioned Ryoichi Taguchi to seize the WBA and IBF gentle flyweight titles. He vacated his IBF strap and misplaced the WBA title in his first protection, a Tenth-round TKO loss to Hiroto Kyoguchi in December 2018. The 35-year-old veteran is 3-0 since dropping his title, together with a call win over former WBO champ Elwin Soto.
Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs) gained the vacant WBO flyweight world title in November 2020 with an eighth-round knockout in opposition to Giemel Magramo. He defended it twice, defeating Angel Acosta in 4 rounds and knocking out Ryota Yamauchi in eight. Nakatani then moved as much as junior bantamweight and captured the WBO crown with a highlight-reel knockout in opposition to former Andrew Moloney in Might. Cortes (25-3-2, 10 KOs) is a nine-year professional who almost upset Juan Francisco Estrada in a fiercely-contested September 2022 showdown. He’s coming off a 10-round majority resolution win over Adolfo Castillo Gonzalez in March.
Tenshin Nasukawa to additionally seem on card
Kickboxing followers shall be accustomed to the title Tenshin Nasukawa (1-0, 0 KOs) who additionally returns to the boxing ring on this occasion. As a kickboxer, Nasukawa was undefeated in 44 fights, profitable 30 by knockout. He takes on Juan Flores Aceves (9-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-round tremendous bantamweight conflict (in the meanwhile, BoxRec lists Luis Guzman Torres because the opponent however High Rank’s press launch says Aceves). Nasukawa made his professional boxing debut in April with a six-round resolution win over Yuki Yonaha, whereas Aceves is coming off an eighth-round TKO in opposition to then-unbeaten Adolfo Perez Lopez in June.
Olascuaga (5-1, 3 KOs) additionally options on the cardboard as he returns in an eight-round gentle flyweight struggle in opposition to Magramo (28-3, 23 KOs). BoxRec additionally lists a four-round tremendous bantamweight conflict between debutant Hayato Yokoyama and Takamu Tamagawa (1-2-1, 0 KOs) as happening on the cardboard.
