It didn’t take Kenshiro Teraji very long to get comfortable with flyweight.
The former RING and unified junior flyweight champion became a two-division titlist after an 11th-round stoppage of Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales. A broken nose was the deciding factor by the ringside doctor to advise referee Laurence Cole to stop the match.
Teraji claimed the vacant WBC flyweight title with the victory Sunday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
“I’m very relieved,” Teraji said through ringside translator Mizuka Koike. “I trained hard to impress my fans. I believe I did it tonight.”
Teraji (24-1, 15 KOs) started strong at a weight long familiar to Rosales, who once held the title on the line.
Rosales (37-7, 22 KOs) scored an upset knockout victory over Daigo Higa in April 2018 to win the belt in Yokohama, Japan. He lost the belt at the end of the year after one successful defense.
The visiting Nicaraguan returned to Tokyo this time with much more familiar company. Rosales now trains with Eddy Reynoso and is joined by four-division champion Saul ‘Canelo ‘Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs).
As motivating as it was, Rosales still had to fight the good fight on his own.
Teraji was a step ahead throughout the competition, though by no means flawless. Rosales managed to sneak in some right hands, which Teraji always handled well.
Neither fighter hit the canvas, but Rosales was rocked by a Teraji right in the third. He was briefly in trouble but managed to hold on to his legs.
However, the damage was already done at that point and would count towards the end of the night. The sequence left Rosales with a broken nose that put him on borrowed time.
Rosales managed to get on the scoreboard by one card thanks to a competitive fourth. Teraji was tagged with a right hand but shook off the blow and continued to come forward.
Teraji led 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37 through four rounds, as announced by WBC’s open scoring policy. He added to his lead in the following rounds, leaving Rosales to the point of no return through eight rounds.
Of far greater concern than closing the gap on the cards was finding a way for Rosales to get to the clock. His nose continued to worsen to where it visibly affected his breathing. Teraji was steady on his attack and didn’t waste any punches or movement.
Time was called at the start of the eleventh round to allow the doctor to examine Rosales. It was just long enough to determine that the former title roster was no longer fit to continue.
Rosales snapped a five-fight winning streak with the setback. He is now 2-3 in title fights, all with the WBC flyweight belt on the line.
The development saw Teraji improve to 15-1 in title fights that now span two weight divisions. One day he will have a chance to relive the moment.
“I was very nervous when I walked into the ring,” Teraji admitted. “The night was a blur, I really don’t remember how it felt, I was just focused on winning.
“I was a bit cautious during the fight. But I hope to show the new me during my second title reign. I will continue to get better.”
The belt was made available after Julio Cesar Martinez vacated to compete at junior bantamweight. The upset former titleholder defeated Rosales to win the WBC title in December 2019.
Teraji was deep into his first WBC junior flyweight title reign at the time. He made eight successful saves before being beaten by compatriot Masamichi Yabuki in their tremendous Sept. 2021 affair has been dethroned. A tenth round knockout remains Teraji’s only career defeat, one that came at the end of recovery from Covid.
Revenge came just six months later. Teraji was healthy for their rematch in March 2022, which he won by third-round knockout to regain his title. The RING Championship and the WBA title were added one fight later. Teraji claimed a stunning one-sided eighth-round knockout of then-undefeated compatriot Hiroto Kyoguchi in the November 2022 unification bout.
Three championship defenses followed before Teraji vacated the crown in June to campaign at flyweight. Now back on the title stage, the goal is to add more belts.
“Title unity is always on my mind,” Teraji said. “There is another flyweight title fight on day two of this weekend (WBO titlist Anthony Olascuaga vs. Jonathan Gonzalez). Hopefully we’ll have something to announce after that.”
