At the Ariake Arena in Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan, boxing enthusiasts were treated to a night of exhilarating bouts broadcasted over ESPN+. Promoter Akihiko Honda showcased a main event featuring WBA Super World Light Flyweight and WBC World Light Flyweight champion, Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji, taking on WBC Silver champion from South Africa, Hekkie Budler. The co-main event spotlighted WBO World Super Flyweight champion from Japan, Junto Nakatani, as he faced off against Mexico’s Argi Cortes.
In the main event, Kenshiro Teraji (22-1, 14 KOs) showcased his dominance, stopping Hekkie Budler (35-5, 11 KOs) at 2:19 of the ninth round. Teraji maintained control for the majority of the bout, with Budler showing moments of resilience, especially in the seventh round. However, Teraji’s relentless attack in the ninth round led to the referee, Jose Guadalupe Garcia, stopping the fight.
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The co-main event saw Junto Nakatani (26-0, 19 KOs) delivering a commanding performance against Argi Cortes (25-4-2, 10 KOs). Nakatani dominated the early rounds and scored three knockdowns throughout the bout. Despite Cortes’ efforts, Nakatani’s power and precision were evident, leading to unanimous decision scores of 119-106 twice and 118-107.
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On the undercard, Super Fly Giemel “Pistolero” Magramo (28-4, 23 KOs) faced a surprising defeat by Anthony “Princesa” Olascuaga (6-1, 4 KOs), with the bout being stopped in the seventh round. Additionally, former kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (2-0, 0 KOs) showcased his boxing skills, securing a unanimous decision victory over Luis “Kiko” Guzman (10-3, 6 KOs) with all judges scoring the bout 80-72.
Image Credit: Naoki Fukuda