Takuma Inoue walks to the ring adopted by his brother Naoya. (Photograph by Naoki Fukuda)
Seven title fights are coming to Japan in a two-day span.
The opening leg will see Takuma Inoue within the first protection of his WBA bantamweight title. He’ll face countryman Seiya Tsutsumi atop an Oct. 13 title combat quadrupleheader from Ariake Area in Tokyo. The desire air stay on ESPN+ within the U.S.
Inoue-Tsutsumi and the remainder of the present had been confirmed throughout a press convention Thursday in Tokyo, offered by Mr. Honda’s Teiken Promotions. The night’s co-feature pits former champs Kenshiro Teraji and Cristofer Rosales in a vacant WBC flyweight title combat. The winner claims the belt not too long ago vacated by Julio Cesar Martinez, although below doubtful circumstances.
Additionally on the present:
- Okayama’s Seigo Yuri Akui (20-2-1, 11 KOs) defends his WBA flyweight title versus Thailand’s Thananchai Charunphak (25-1, 15 KOs)
- Tokyo’s Shokichi Iwata (13-1, 10 KOs) and Spain’s Jairo Noriega (14-0, 3 KOs) meet for the vacant WBO junior flyweight title.
Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) makes an attempt the third protection of the WBA 118-pound title he claimed final April. He was the primary benefactor following the divisional departure of older brother and now four-division champion Naoya Inoue, who vacated all 4 bantamweight titles.
Takuma Inoue has slowly carved out his personal title. The Ring’s No. 3-rated bantamweight impressed in a ninth-round knockout of former 115-pound titlist Jerwin Ancajas on Feb. 24 at Kokugikan Area in Tokyo. He then returned simply ten weeks later to hitch Naoya on the Might 6 present at Tokyo Dome. His look resulted in a twelve-round win over countryman Sho Ishida.
Tsutsumi (11-0-2, 8 KOs) challenges for his first main title. It comes within the midst of a exceptional profession rebound following in-ring tragedy.
Whereas his document is ideal, Tsutsumi was compelled to soak up the injury inflicted upon Kazuki Anaguchi. Their brutal ten-round slugfest final Dec. 26 was gained by Tsutsumi through unanimous choice. Anaguchi by no means recovered from mind accidents sustained within the bout and handed away in February.
Tsutsumi bravely moved ahead along with his profession. He scored a fourth-round knockout of Weerawat Noolae on July 7 at Kokugikan.
Teraji (23-1, 14 knockouts) loved two separate WBC 108-pound title reigns. The 32-year-old from Kyoto, Japan grew to become The Ring and unified WBC/WBA champ in Nov. 2022 after a seventh-round knockout of unbeaten countryman Hiroto Kyoguchi.
The win marked the primary protection of his second title reign after he regained the belt earlier that yr. Teraji suffered an eleventh-round knockout to Masamichi Yabuki of their terrific Sept. 2021 slugfest. The combat was delayed by two weeks when Teraji beforehand examined optimistic for Covid.
A a lot more healthy model of the all-action fighter routed Yabuki inside three rounds of their March 2022 rematch. Three defenses have adopted, together with a slender factors win over Carlos Canizales (26-2-1, 19 KOs) on January 23 in Osaka. Their 12-round battle stays a contender for 2023 Struggle of the 12 months.
The previous a number of fights for Teraji have all include struggles to make weight. He has but to overlook the 108-pound mark however has continuously famous he would solely stay put if he had been capable of additional unify.
His remaining protection got here in a Struggle of the 12 months-level majority choice win over Carlos Canizales (27-2-1, 19 KOs) on Jan. 23 in Osaka. Teraji ran his document ro 14-1 (9 KOs) in main title fights.
Nicaragua’s Rosales (36-7, 22 KOs) beforehand held the very title at stake in his bout.
He claimed the title in Japan, when he defeated Daigo Higa in April 2018. Only one protection adopted earlier than he misplaced to Charlie Edwards later that December. A second title bid noticed Rosales endure a ninth-round knockout to Julio Cesar Martinez in Dec. 2019.
Martinez made seven profitable defenses earlier than he vacated earlier this yr. Nonetheless, it was subsequently realized that he examined optimistic for banned diuretics and was suspended via the remainder of 2024.
Rosales has gained 5 straight since a questionable defeat to Angel Ayala of their April 2022 IBF title eliminator.
