Seigo Yuri Akui and Shokichi Iwata Record Vital Wins on October 13 Tokyo Card

On October 13 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on a Teiken Promotions card, before Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) faced Seiya Tsutsumi (11-0-2, 8 KOs) for Inoue’s WBA bantamweight title, we saw an impressive KO win for Shokichi Iwata for the vacant WBO light flyweight title and a tough win for Seigo Yuri Akui to retain his WBA flyweight title. Fight fans in the United States could catch the action on ESPN+. Those in Japan could watch on Prime Video, while UK fans could watch on Sky Sports+.

Seigo Yuri Akui and Shokichi Iwata Win on October 13 Card

Seigo Yuri Akui vs. Thananchai Charunphak

The opening round saw Seigo Yurki Akui (21-2-1, 11 KOs) on the front foot, but Thananchai Charunphak (25-2, 15 KOs) showed his ability on the back foot, picking his punches well, and looking comfortable. The second round saw both have success to the body, but the more eye-catching work came from the Thai fighter.

The Thai fighter continued to have success but the pressure from Akui seemed to be affecting his opponent more in round four. The constant pressure and combination punching from Akui became more frequent but Charunphak was picking his shots well, but having to fight predominantly on the back foot.

Read More: Takuma Inoue and Seigo Yuri Akui Defend World Titles in Decision Wins

Round seven saw Charunphak box well, pick his shots nicely and working well on the inside before moving back to the outside, which seemed to frustrate Akui. The pressure tactics from the Japanese boxer – continued to this point but Charunphak is was having his moments, working the body of Akui.

Round 10 saw some great bodywork from Charunphak, leaving his opponent to try and hold at points during the round. The 11th was a better round for the Japanese fighter, but as the fight progressed the Thai fighter appeared to be landing the cleaner work. The final round saw constant pressure from Akui, which could be an important round as we go to the cards, which read 115-113 for Akui, with the same score for the Thai fighter. The final scorecard seemed a bit wide at 117-111 for the Japanese fighter. Ultimately the pressure tactics from Akui were enough to retain title.

Post Fight Quotes

In the post-fight interview, Akui reflected on a tough fight and said: “My opponent was a really tough opponent.” He continued: “My daughter’s voices pushed me until the very end.”

Asked about the future, he said: “My mind says keep on training, so I will go back to the gym and keep on training.”

Shokichi Iwata vs. Jairo Noriega Recap

The opening round saw Shokichi Iwata (14-1, 11 KOs) start faster, working off his jab before Jairo Noriega (14-1, 3 KOs) settled and put some smart combinations together to end the round as the aggressor. In the third round, Iwata landed the cleaner work before the Spanish fighter began to take over with some nice combinations – before Iwata landed a beautifully timed uppercut, flooring his opponent.

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Noriega beat the count and looked to survive the round when a left hook from the Japanese fighter landed flush on Noriega’s chin, sending him crashing to the canvas with the referee waving the fight off.

Post Fight Quotes

In the post-fight interview through an interpreter, Iwata said: “I was very determined to have a championship belt tonight.” He continued: “This is my dream. A dream come true. Thank you for your support.”

Iwata spoke about his disappointment when losing his last world title shot to Jonathan Gonzalez in 2022. Reflecting on that disappointment, he said: “I am so thankful to be in the ring with a championship belt around my waist.”

Looking ahead to what’s next, the Japanese fighter said: I want to fight Yakubi.”

Undercard Bout

Before the beginning of the world title action, Asato Sato (1-1-2, 1 KO) fought to a majority draw against Ryuga Sato (1-0-1, 1 KO) in their bantamweight contest. The judge’s scorecards read 39-37 to Asato, with the other two cards reading 38-38.

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for our recap of Kenshiro Teraji vs. Cristofer Rosales, for Teraji’s WBA and the vacant WBC light flyweight title and Inoue vs. Tsutsumi.