On March 26, former three-weight world titleholder Akira Yaegashi returned from a 10-month hiatus with a routine second-round stoppage of Indonesian journeyman Frans Damar Palue at the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The bout marked the first time Yaegashi had fought since last May when he surprisingly lost his IBF 108-pound title to Milan Melindo. After a period of convalescing, Yaegashi (26-6, 14 knockouts) returned as a junior bantamweight and is pleased to be back to winning ways.

“I was very nervous before the bout,” Yaegashi told RingTV.com through Tomoyuki Kataoka. “I trained intensely for two months for this fight, and I felt happy to be able to come back again. In that moment, I thought I love boxing very much.”

Yaegashi feels good about fighting at 115 pounds, having previously held titles at 105, 108 and 112. At 35, with so many hard battles behind him, his goal is simple.

“My motivation is to be a world champion in the fourth weight class of junior bantamweight,” said Yaegashi.

Retired former WBA and WBC strawweight titleholder Hideyuki Ohashi, head of Ohashi Promotions, was also happy with his fighter’s most recent performance but admits he’s not sure what’s next.

“The long-term goal is of course for Yaegashi to challenge for a world title at junior bantamweight,” said Ohashi “But if we have the chance and the timing is right, I would like him to challenge for a world title in any weight class.”

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @AnsonWainwright

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