The boxing spotlight is focused on the pocket rockets of the sport and the best pocket rockets on the planet at that, on Thursday, March 13, at Tokyo’s Ryoguko Kokugikan Arena. Three of the world’s best flyweights take to the ring in the Japanese capital. The headline bout on the Title Fight Tripleheader in Tokyo is the all-Japanese flyweight unification clash, with the WBC champ, Kenshiro Teraji, taking on the reigning WBA holder, Seigo Yuri Akui. Ring Magazine ranks Teraji and Akui as the 2nd and 3rd best flyweights in the world, respectively.
WBO flyweight king Anthony Olascuaga is also in action. The American is defending his belt against Tokyo resident Hiroto Kyoguchi. If that’s not enough, Shokichi Iwata and Rene Santiago Garcia go glove-to-glove for the WBO light flyweight crown, too.
It’s the start of a huge week for Tokyo sports fans, with Major League Baseball pitching off their 2025 regular season with the Tokyo Series, which sees the LA Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, March 18th and Wednesday, March 19th. Locals will be hoping that several homegrown baseball stars who ply their trade in the MLB will be in action, including Shohei Ohtani and Shota Imanaga.
Back to the top-of-the-bill boxing clash at the Kokugikan, and amazingly, Kenshiro Teraji will enter the ring for a 17th straight world title encounter. It’s a run of bouts that goes back to May 2017. This will be his second all-Japanese unification bout, as he also took on (and dominated) fellow countryman Hiroto Kyoguchi during their light flyweight title unification fight back in November 2022. Teraji may have celebrated his 33rd birthday at the start of the year, but he shows no signs of slowing down. ‘The Amazing Boy’ is currently on a 6-fight win streak, winning by stoppage in five of those clashes.
Teraji’s only career defeat to date came against Masamichi Yabuki, in September 2021, when he was still fighting as a light flyweight. But he showed resilience when roaring back six months later to avenge that loss. Teraji only moved up to flyweight last September, when he outclassed and stopped Cristofer Rosales at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena to become the WBC king. This, therefore, will be the first defence of that title. Though Teraji is four years Akui’s senior, he does have physical advantages over his opponent from Kurashiki. Teraji has impressive power, and his knockout win percentage stands at 63% compared to Akui's 52%. The WBC champ also has a height and reach advantage of an inch.
Like Kenshiro Teraji, Seigo Yuri Akui has also racked up a lengthy win streak. His second career loss came way back in 2018. Unlike Teraji though, the majority of Akui's triumphs were decision wins. Although Akui's confidence is high after nine straight victories, he will be wary of Teraji's punch power as both his previous defeats were by TKO. We last saw Akui in action, making the second successful defence of his WBA flyweight crown, on the same September card as Teraji’s win over Rosales. This time, the flyweight foes enter the ring together on the same card.
Getty ImagesLet GOAL provide all the vital information you need ahead of the all-Japanese flyweight showdown in Tokyo, including the fight card details and how you can watch the action live.
When is Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui?
Date | Thursday, March 13 |
Location | Ryoguko Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo, Japan |
Time | ESPN+ show starts at 3 AM ET (5 PM JST) Sky Sports 8 AM GMT |
Main event ring walks (approx) | 6 AM ET 11 AM GMT 8 PM JST |
The original Ryogoku Kokugikan, also known as Ryogoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the premises of the Ekoin temple in Tokyo. Although no sumo bouts were held after 1945, the building itself remained active until 1983.
The second and current Ryogoku Kokugikan is located in the Yokoami neighbourhood of Sumida, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The venue opened in 1985, and hosting regular boxing cards, sumo, and wrestling events are commonplace throughout the year. WWE even staged several promotions in Kokugikan between 2010 and 2015, including ‘The Beast in the East’, where the likes of John Cena, Kane and Brock Lesnar were featured.
How to watch Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui in the US
In the United States, Teraji vs Akui will be broadcast on ESPN+, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV and many others. One month of ESPN+ is $11.99 (1 month (disney+/hulu) of ESPN+ is $16.99, 1 month (disney+/hulu no ads) of ESPN+ is $26.99) and 1 year costs $119.99.
How to watch Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui in the UK
In the UK, Teraji vs Akui will be shown live on Sky Sports and Sky Sports+. If you're an existing Sky customer, you can add Sky Sports online or through the My Sky app anytime. The package starts from £20 per month with Sky Stream. Sky Sports+ is included at no extra cost, allowing viewers to watch many more live events across various sports. The Sky Sports app allows subscribers to download and watch live sports on the go and is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Existing or new Sky Sports subscribers can stream Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui and all Sky boxing cards via the Sky Go App. This is free if you’re already a Sky Sports TV customer. It’s available for Apple, Android, Firestick, Roku, and game consoles. Again, 24-hour access to Sky Go is £14.99, while 1 month's access costs £34.99.
Watch Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui from anywhere with a VPN
If Teraji vs Akui isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui Fight Card
Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
Flyweight (WBC & WBA titles) | Kenshiro Teraji vs Seigo Yuri Akui |
Flyweight (WBO title) | Anthony Olascuaga vs Hiroto Kyoguchi |
Light flyweight (WBO title) | Shokichi Iwata vs Rene Santiago |
Bantamweight | Tomoya Tsuboi vs Boonrueang Phayom |
Kenshiro Teraji professional boxing stats
- Age: 33
- Height: 5' 5" / 165 cm
- Reach: 64.6" / 164 cm
- Total fights: 25
- Record: 24-1-0
- % wins by KO/TKO: 63
Seigo Yuri Akui professional boxing stats
- Age: 29
- Height: 5' 4" / 163 cm
- Reach: 64.2" / 163 cm
- Total fights: 24
- Record: 21-2-1
- % wins by KO/TKO: 52