Unification fever is rife in Japan with WBC and WBA junior flyweight champion Kenshiro ‘The Amazing Boy’ Teraji 22-1 (14) joining WBO super flyweight champion Junto Nakatani 26-0 (19) in calling for unification bouts.
The countrymen fought on the same card at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night. The 31-year-old Teraji stopped game former world champion Hekkie Budler 35-5 (11) in the ninth round while southpaw Nakatani, 25, dropped Argi Cortes 25-4-2 (10) three times to win a wide unanimous decision.
Teraji didn’t hesitate when asked at the post-fight presser what his future plans look like.
“Like I said yesterday, I want to collect the other titles at 108 pounds. Maybe my next fight will be early 2024,” Teraji said.
“Then maybe I’ll be moving up to flyweight. It is not because I am tired of making weight; 108 pounds is not a problem at all, but because I want to face strong, competitive opponents. I am looking for someone challenging.”
Nakatani expressed a similar desire at the same press conference.
“I want to unify titles,” Nakatani said. “I would like to face the other champions in the division. I want this strongly. But if it does not come to pass, I will think about moving up as I have to admit that making weight is getting harder, though it did not affect me this fight.”
Teraji was full of praise for South African Budler, 35, who came to fight but couldn’t get the job done against the skillful champion.
“I know it was a really tough fight. Budler was fighting so determined that I could not drop him, which I tried to do from the beginning,” Teraji said.
“I was happy that I was able to get a second wind with key advice from my chief trainer Kenta Kato, which was to step [to my] left to block the [lateral] movement of Budler and that led to the TKO victory.
“I will remember this move against Budler when I am in that situation again in the future. That’s how experience works. I will review and study the fight carefully with Coach Kato to become a better fighter.”
Kato has already watched the fight back multiple times.
“Actually, yes, I did three or four times already,” Kato said. “I saw it the same way I felt during the fight. He did a good job to get close to Budler, as planned in the earlier rounds.
“It was not easy to end it because Budler was so durable and he knew how to deal with adversity. And it was even better that Kenshiro could adjust to the ex-champion’s strategy and finish him.”
Teraji was happy with his performance and said he felt like he delivered for his fans.
“I am happy that I did a good job,” Teraji said. “Now I feel my body getting sore, I see some bumps on my forehead from head butting, and this all makes me feel like I battled hard last night.
“And also I can rate my work higher because I earned a TKO instead of a decision. I believe I entertained the fans. That is what I am happy about.”
