Big time boxing is back to Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday, November 1 featuring two light flyweight championship bouts. Headlining the card WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji and WBA titleholder Hiroto Kyoguchi square off in the twelve-round unification.
In the co-feature Puerto Rico’s WBO champion Jonathan Gonzalez defends his belt against Japanese contender Shokichi Iwata. The world championship bout is scheduled for twelve rounds.
Boxing fans in the United States can watch event event live stream on ESPN+, starting at 7:30 am ET / 4:30 pm PT. Fans in other countries can connect via VPN, such as ExpressVPN, and live stream Teraji vs Kyoguchi from practically anywhere.
“The Amazing Boy” Teraji (19-1, 11 KOs) is an eight-year pro who won the WBC world title in May 2017. He made eight defenses of that crown until a stunning 10th-round knockout defeat to Masamichi Yabuki last September. Less than six months later, Teraji exacted revenge with a third-round knockout over Yabuki to regain his title.
Kyoguchi (16-0, 11 KOs) is a two-weight champion who was the IBF 105-pound ruler until he vacated that belt to move up to light flyweight. Since winning the WBA light flyweight crown on New Year’s Eve 2018 against Hekkie Budler, he has made four title defenses. He is coming off June’s eighth-round stoppage over Esteban Bermudez, which ranks among the year’s best title fights.
Gonzalez (26-3-1, 14 KOs) fell short in his first attempt at a world title in 2019 against Kosei Tanaka. He fulfilled his championship destiny last October when he edged Elwin Soto by split decision. Gonzalez defended his WBO title in June with a unanimous decision against Filipino upstart Mark Anthony Barriga.
Iwata (9-0, 6 KOs) from Tokyo, won the Japan Boxing Commission, OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific titles en route to earning his first world title shot.
Among other bouts Junto Nakatani (23-0, 18 KOs) faces Francisco Rodriguez (36-5-1, 25 KOs) in the ten-rounder at junior bantamweight. WBO flyweight champion Nakatani tests the junior bantamweight waters against Mexican action star Rodriguez, a former unified 105-pound world champion.
As well, Shuichiro Yoshino (15-0, 11 KOs) takes on Masayoshi Nakatani (20-2, 14 KOs) in the twelve-rounder for the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title. Yoshino is coming off a technical decision over former world champion Masayuki Ito. Nakatani rebounded from last year’s knockout loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko with June’s first-round blitzing of Harmonito Dela Torre.
Teraji vs Kyoguchi fight card
The four-fight televised Teraji vs Kyoguchi card looks as the following:
- Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hiroto Kyoguchi, 12 rounds, light flyweight – Teraji’s WBC light flyweight title, Kyoguchi’s WBA light flyweight title
- Jonathan Gonzalez vs. Shokichi Iwata, 12 rounds, light flyweight – Gonzalez’s WBO light flyweight title
- Junto Nakatani vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr, 10 rounds, junior bantamweight
- Shuichiro Yoshino vs. Masayoshi Nakatani – for WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title
The post Kenshiro Teraji vs Hiroto Kyoguchi tops on Nov 1 in Saitama, Japan – Jonathan Gonzalez vs Shokichi Iwata co-feature appeared first on FIGHTMAG.