Ring, WBA and WBC junior flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji will face WBA mandatory challenger Carlos Canizales at the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan, on January 23.

In the co-feature, Seigo Yuri Akui will challenge Artem Dalakian for the WBA flyweight title. The two had been tabbed to meet on November 15 only for the fight to fall out when headliner Takuma Inoue was injured and forced to postpone his fight with Jerwin Ancajas.

Fast-rising junior featherweight Tenshin Nakukawa will also appear on the Teiken Promotion card against Luis Robles. Juiki Tatsuyoshi, the son of one of Japan’s most popular fighters, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, will face Yuki Yonaha, also at junior featherweight.

Teraji (22-1, 14 KOs) won the Japanese and OPBF 108-pound titles in his eighth pro fight. Soon afterward, “The Amazing Boy” stepped up to the world scene and claimed the WBC title in May 2017, edging Ganigan Lopez (MD 12). Teraji improved immeasurably with the world title win, making eight defenses against Lopez (KO 2), Milan Melindo (TKO 7), Jonathan Taconing (TKO 4) and Randy Petalcorin (TKO 4). However, overconfidence saw him return from a COVID-19 infection too quickly and he lost his unbeaten record and title to Masamichi Yabuki (TKO 10) in September 2021.

To his credit, Teraji, now 31, doubled down and showed his class and an extra edge we hadn’t seen previously by blitzing Yabuki (KO 3) to regain the title and earn The Ring’s 2022 Comeback of the Year award. He then upped his game again and scored a career-best win over previously unbeaten Hiroto Kyoguchi (TKO 7) to claim the Ring and WBA titles. He has since stopped late sub Anthony Olascuaga (TKO 9) and WBC mandatory challenger Hekkie Budler (TKO 9).

Canizales (26-1-1, 19 KOs), The Ring’s No. 7-rated junior flyweight, first caught the eye when he left Venezuela to face WBA titleholder Ryoichi Taguchi (D 12) in December 2016. He returned home and claimed three victories before traveling overseas again and making a name for himself in Asia by defeating Reiya Konisha (UD 12), Bin Lu (TKO 12) and Sho Kimura (UD 12).

The 30-year-old was surprisingly stopped by unheralded Esteban Bermudez (TKO 6) but has returned with four wins, notably stopping the now-faded Ganigan Lopez (KO 4) and, most recently, winning a WBA eliminator against Daniel Matellon (TD 8).

Dalakian (22-0, 15 KOs), rated No. 3 by The Ring at flyweight, quietly went about his business in Ukraine before coming to the U.S. and impressively beating Brian Viloria (UD 12) for the vacant WBA title in February 2018. 

The 36-year-old has since made six defenses, all but one taking place in Ukraine, mostly against mid-level opposition. His activity was badly hit by COVID and the ongoing war in his homeland. Returning to action in England earlier this year, he beat Ring-rated David Jimenez (UD 12).

Akui (18-2-1, 11 KOs), rated at No. 10 by The Ring at flyweight, started off his career with 11 wins in 12 fights (the blemish was a draw) before losing his unbeaten status to future two-weight titleholder Junto Nakatani (TKO 6). He bounced back by impressively stopping future junior flyweight titlist Masamichi Yabuki (TKO 1). He then suffered another reverse, this time against Jaysever Abcede (TKO 8). 

The 28-year-old has won his last six fights, claiming the national title, and holds wins over Taku Kuwahara (TKO 10), Takuya Kogawa (TKO 10) and, most recently, he shut out Jayson Vayson (UD 10).

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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