Seigo Yuri Akui and Takku Kuwahara first faced each other in the ring with the Japanese flyweight title on the line. Akui won that bout via 10th-round stoppage at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo in 2021. Three bouts later, Akui won the WBA world title with a unanimous decision over long-reigning Artem Dalakian in January of this year, so his rematch with Kuwahara on the Inoue-Nery undercard at the Tokyo Dome was on a much larger stage and for much larger stakes but he maintained his superiority over his domestic rival.

Kuwahara (13-2, 8 KOs) managed to last the 12-round distance on Monday but was soundly outclassed by Akui (20-2-1, 11 KOs), who won by scores of 118-110 and 117-111 (twice). Akui confidently walked down the stick-and-moving Kuwahara, landing head-snapping jabs, right hands, one-two combinations, sneaky lead hooks and body shots en route to his unanimous decision victory.

Akui is The Ring’s No. 4-rated flyweight.

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