One of boxing's elite is set to further his pound-for-pound credentials. Kenshiro Teraji, the reigning Ring and unified junior flyweight champion, will vacate his titles and move up to challenge for the WBC flyweight crown.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced Teraji's plans earlier this week, confirming that the 108-pound title will be left vacant. While no opponent has been named for Teraji's flyweight debut, the division's landscape is poised for an exciting shake-up.
Teraji (23-1, 14 KOs) enjoyed two separate reigns as the WBC junior flyweight champion. The 32-year-old from Kyoto, Japan, achieved unified status and became The Ring champion in November 2022 with a seventh-round knockout of undefeated compatriot Hiroto Kyoguchi. This victory marked the first defense of his second title reign, having reclaimed the belt earlier that year.
Teraji's first reign ended in September 2021 with an eleventh-round knockout loss to Masamichi Yabuki, a bout delayed by two weeks due to Teraji's positive COVID-19 test. In a March 2022 rematch, a fully recovered Teraji dominated Yabuki, stopping him in three rounds. Since then, Teraji has defended his title three times, including a close decision win over Carlos Canizales on January 23 in Osaka—a bout that remains a contender for Fight of the Year.
Consistent weight struggles have plagued Teraji's recent fights. Although he has always made the 108-pound limit, he has frequently hinted at moving up unless further unification opportunities materialized. Plans for a three-belt unification fell through last spring when WBO champion Jonathan Gonzalez fell ill, leading Teraji to face and stop Anthony Olascuaga in the ninth round instead.
Olascuaga (6-1, 4 KOs), who moved down from flyweight for the chance to fight Teraji, will face Riku Kano for the vacant WBO flyweight title on July 20 in Tokyo.
Currently, Angel Ayala (17-0, 7 KOs) is the WBC's top-rated flyweight contender, but he is set to fight Dave Apolinario (20-0, 14 KOs) for the vacant IBF belt later this summer. This leaves former champions Francisco ‘Chihuas’ Rodriguez Jr. and Cristofer Rosales as potential opponents for Teraji's flyweight debut.
Rodriguez (38-6-1, 26 KOs) from Mexico, a former strawweight champion, now primarily fights at junior bantamweight. Rosales (36-7, 22 KOs) from Nicaragua, a previous IBF junior flyweight titleholder, has won five consecutive bouts since a controversial loss to Ayala in April 2022.
Teraji, who won his first title in just his tenth professional fight, boasts a record of 14-1 (9 KOs) in championship bouts. His move to flyweight adds another layer of intrigue to an already dynamic division.