Kenshiro Teraji To Vacate 108-Pound Crown, Will Campaign At Flyweight

One of the sport’s very best aims to add to his pound-for-pound credentials.

Kenshiro Teraji will end his long stay as The Ring and unified junior flyweight champion. Up next is a move up to flyweight, where he plans to challenge for the WBC title.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed to reporters earlier in the week of Teraji’s plans. The move will result in the sanctioning body’s 108-pound title now up for grabs.

Sulaiman did not confirm plans to fill the vacancy. An opponent was not yet named to face Teraji for the flyweight belt recently relinquished by Julio Cesar Martinez.

Teraji (23-1, 14 knockouts) enjoyed two separate WBC 108-pound title reigns. The 32-year-old from Kyoto, Japan became The Ring and unified WBC/WBA champ in Nov. 2022 after a seventh-round knockout of unbeaten countryman Hiroto Kyoguchi.

The win marked the first defense of his second title reign after he regained the belt earlier that year. Teraji suffered an eleventh-round knockout to Masamichi Yabuki in their terrific Sept. 2021 slugfest. The fight was delayed by two weeks when Teraji previously tested positive for Covid.

A much healthier version of the all-action fighter routed Yabuki inside of three rounds in their March 2022 rematch. Three defenses have followed, including a narrow points win over Carlos Canizales (26-2-1, 19 KOs) on January 23 in Osaka. Their 12-round battle remains a contender for 2023 Fight of the Year.

The past several fights for Teraji have all come with struggles to make weight. He has yet to miss the 108-pound mark but has frequently noted he would only remain put if he were able to further unify.

Teraji was in line for a three-belt unification last spring. Plans to fight for the WBO title last April 8 were ruined when reigning beltholder Jonathan Gonzalez fell ill. Teraji instead faced Anthony Olascuaga, whom he stopped in the ninth round.

Olascuaga (6-1, 4 KOs) moved down from flyweight for the opportunity. He will next face Riku Kano for the vacant WBO 112-pound title on July 20 in Tokyo.

Angel Ayala (17-0, 7 KOs) is the current WBC No. 1-rated number one contender. However, The Ring’s No. 6-rated flyweight is due to face Dave Apolinario (20-0, 14 KOs) later this summer for the vacant IBF belt.

That leaves former titleholders Francisco ‘Chihuas’ Rodriguez Jr. and Cristofer Rosales as candidates to next face Teraji.

Mexico’s Rodriguez (38-6-1, 26 KOs), a former strawweight titlist, primarily campaigns at junior bantamweight.

Nicaragua’s Rosales (36-7, 22 KOs) previously held the IBF 108-pound title. He has won five straight since a questionable defeat to Ayala in their April 2022 IBF title eliminator.

Teraji won his first title in just his tenth pro fight. He is 14-1 (9 KOs) in bouts with at least one major belt at stake.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox