Unified flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) not only solidified his pound-for-pound status but was also part of what will likely be a Fight of the Year candidate as he stopped Seigo Yuri Akui (21-3, 11 KOs) in the 12th round of their fight.
TERAJI STOPPED HIM.@KenshiroooooKen finishes an absolute barnburner in the last round 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YLyJ6zgZVB
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 13, 2025
It was a fight that pushed both fighters to their limits and supplied boxing fans with the pound of flesh they did not know they needed on Thursday morning in the U.S. The action-packed flyweight unification fight is all anyone was talking about on social media on Thursday morning. Teraji has two pieces of the division’s titles but will likely move up to the super attractive super flyweight division, where even bigger names lie for potential career-high paydays.
The War Amongst Little Giants
These two world champions did not waste any time as they began throwing leather as soon as the bell rang to start the fight. One thing that stood out right away was the size difference, as Akui looked much bigger than Teraji. Nevertheless, Teraji darted in and out of the pocket with his left jab and straight right hand, showing no fear to the bigger opponent. Akui cut the distance quickly when Teraji stepped back and landed hard, straight right hands and check right hooks which gave Teraji something to think about in the first round of their fight.
The second round was more about adjustments between the two high-level fighters. Akui began to work in the right uppercut after throwing his left jab instead of the overhand right, while Teraji worked the left uppercut to the body. It was a different look for both men, who seemed to adjust simultaneously throughout the round.
Teraji continued his offense behind the left jab throughout the third round, which forced Akui to reset. During the moments of inactivity from Teraji or when there was an opportunity to punch with him, Akui landed hard combinations, a mix of a left hook, straight right hand, and right uppercuts. Teraji took a lot of punishment during the round but that did not stop him from continuing to move forward.
The fourth round was non-stop action. Akui appeared to get the better of the exchanges as his overhand rights and left hooks shifted Teraji after landing. Teraji stood his ground behind the left jab and hooks to the body, but Akui’s pressure was too much to deal with.
In round five, Akui’s combination punching was the story, as Teraji could not keep up with the punches coming at him. Teraji stepped back often to try and regroup, but Akui cut the ring off well, forcing Teraji to fight more than he may have wanted in certain spots.
The ebbs and flows from round six were incredible. Teraji was strong in the first half of the round with his left and right hooks to the body of Akui. It appeared that Akui had taken this time to get a breather, and Teraji picked up on it. Then, in the second half, Akui picked up the pace with his combinations and landed some huge shots on Teraji. The last 20 seconds was filled with back-and-forth action.
Round seven may go down as a Round of the Year candidate as both men threw caution to the wind and landed several combinations on each other. Just when you thought Teraji was getting the upper hand, here comes Akui with his offense. It was a tremendous round.
Teraji had more pep in his step in round eight as his combinations were too much for Akui throughout the round. However, in the last 30 seconds, Akui landed some vicious left hooks and overhand rights that kept Teraji moving backward.
Rounds 9 through 11 were very competitive and hard to score. Teraji and Akui both had their moments, but there was a feeling that Teraji was the fresher fighter going into the last three minutes of the fight.
In the final round, Teraji, feeling as though he was down on the cards (at the time of the stoppage, Akui was up 105-104 x2 while Teraji was up 106-103 on the final card), poured it on Akui and a straight right hand rocked his opponent which began the last-minute surge. Teraji came back with a right uppercut and another straight right hand that had Akui hurt, prompting the referee to step in and stop the fight. Although it initially appeared as a quick stoppage, seeing Akui collapse in the arms of the referee’s arms after the fight was stopped makes you believe that it was the right call. The referee likely saved Akui from a savage knockout or some permanent damage.
It’s Time For Both Men To Move Up
Although Teraji and Akui have seen success at flyweight, both fighters spoke of moving up in weight throughout the fight week. The time is now, and at 115, there are some very intriguing matchups. Teraji could cash in on a super fight with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez or even one against Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez if any of those options should present themselves. Regardless of who they fight next, Teraji and Akui fought their hearts out today and should get all the flowers for the performance they put together on ESPN+.
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