Japan Continues Domination of Boxing's Lighter Weight Classes
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Jan 2024
Akui (R) and Dalakian during yesterday title fight in Japan.
Seigo Yuri Akui ended Arman Dalakian's almost six-year reign as WBA flyweight champion, pounding out a 12 round unanimous decision yesterday afternoon which brings to seven the number of Japanese world boxing champions holding a dozen world titles.
Akui continued the momentum of Japan's domination of boxing's lighter weights highlighted in 2023 by brothers Yudai and Ginjiro Shigeoka winning separate world titles at minimumweight on the same date, Junto Nakatani wresting the WBO super flyweight title by a KO of the Year victory and Naoya Inoue becoming undisputed world champion in a second weight class via back to back knockout wins.
The other Japanese world champions are Kenshiro Teraji who is the unified WBA and WBC light flyweight titlist, WBA super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka and WBA bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue.
Per report by Joe Koizumi:
"Japan’s Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1, 11 KOs), 112, wrested the WBA flyweight belt as he kept stalking the previously unbeaten defending champ Artem Dalakian (22-1, 15 KOs), 111.25, Ukraine, from pillar to post, winning a unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 119-109) over twelve speedy rounds on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan. Dalakian kept circling to display his fast footwork and versatile upper body mobility rather than throwing punches to the willing mixer. Each had a tough time catching and punching the contestant, but it was Akui that remained more positive and aggressive, throwing more punches to the opponent. It was a question why Dalakian paid too much respect to WBA#1 Akui’s vaunted power punching and failed to be more aggressive to win points enough to defend his belt. The referee was Gullermo Perez (Panama)."
Dalakian won the then vacant WBA crown by unanimous decision over many time world titlist Brian Viloria in February 2018 and had previously defended it six times.
As of this report, Teraji is battling Venezuela's Carlos Canizales in the main event in defense of his unified light flyweight titles with the Japanese confident of notching his 14th world title victory. [Editor's Note: Teraji edged out Canizales by majority decision, with two judges scoring the fight 114-112 in his favor and the third calling it a draw (113-113)]
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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