Kenshiro Teraji Retains Titles With Impressive KO

One of the smallest weight world champs in boxing delivered a big KO in front of his Japanese fans Monday night. This as WBC/WBC junior flyweight champ, Kenshiro Teraji wiped out Hekkie Budler with a barrage of blows for a ninth round TKO win.

AND STILL.

🇯🇵 @KenshiroooooKen pic.twitter.com/8OsQDg9TfT

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 18, 2023

Known as “The Amazing Boy,” the 31 year old made the third defense of his unified belts in a bout in Tokyo that was televised on ESPN+ in the United States.

Teraji scored repeatedly with straight right hands early, but the South African Budler was game and landed some shots of his own early. Teraji also was working the body with rights and lefts.

There was a moment of concern for the champ when a clash of heads caused a small cut out side Teraji’s right eye in round five. However, the small cut was really no factor as the fight wore on with Teraji still the aggressor.

The champ, now 22-1, 14 KOs, finished things with a flurry of punches along ropes against a fatigued Budler, including two big rights that snapped the challenger’s head back forcing the referee Lupe Garcia of Mexico to end things at 2:31 of the ninth.

“The second half of this fight I couldn’t finish it. But, after round eight my cornermen said ‘You have to go finish him’ and I did it. I am so happy…it’s a nice close- I knocked him out…So, this is such a big learning experience for me….so that I can grow much bigger for the future,” Teraji said through a translator in the ring.

“For the next bout, I’m going to go for the third belt. So, everybody speak up loud to make it possible.”

Teraji who added the WBA belt with a KO of Hiroto Kyoguchi last November in a seventh round KO, has now won four straight title bouts by KO.

He is referring to another possible title bout with Sivenathi Nontshinga, who holds the IBF title, while Jonathan Gonzalez holds the WBO championship.

In the co-feature bout in Japan Monday night Junto Nakatani defended his WBO junior bantamweight crown with an easy unanimous decision win over Argi Cortes. Nakatani floored Cortes three times and almost had him stopped on two occasions on his way to a 119-106, 119-106 and 118-107 easy win. Nakatani improves to 26-0, 19 KOs with his first defense after a brutal one punch KO of Andrew Moloney in May.