The main event will unify the WBA and WBC light flyweight titles with the best fighters in the division determining which is the best in the world as countrymen Hiroto Kyoguchi (WBA) and Kenshiro Teraji (WBC) square off in what is almost certain to be an action battle.
The undefeated Kyoguchi held the IBF mini flyweight title before grabbing the WBA light flyweight title on New Years' Eve 2018 with a tenth-round stoppage over the highly respected Hekkie Budler and has defended the title on four occasions.
Teraji won his title in 2017 with a majority decision over Ganigan Lopez and defended it eight times until a shocking upset loss to Masamichi Yabuki via tenth-round knockout in September 2021, costing Teraji his title and his undefeated record.
Teraji crushed Yabuki in three rounds in their rematch with a one-punch knockout to regain the title.
Both fighters can punch and I think that a knockout has a better-than-average chance of happening.
If one decides to box a bit more than expected, I think it may be Teraji but this fight is very close and it is difficult to decide the winner.
The co-feature will see a third champion in the light flyweight division defend his title as Puerto Rico's Jonathan Gonzalez defends his WBO championship against Japan's Shokichi Iwata.
Gonzalez upset Elwin Soto to win the title in October 2021 and defended it against mandatory challenger Mark Anthony Barriga in June via decision.
Iwata is undefeated in nine fights and is second-ranked in the WBO ratings.
Unless the Teraji-Kyoguchi winner would decide to move to flyweight, I would suspect that Gonzalez-Iwata as the co-feature could lead to a three-belt unification between the two victors next year.
Junto Nakatani vacated his WBO flyweight title last week in order to move into the powerhouse junior bantamweight division and the aggressive Nakatani appears to be an exciting addition to the 115-pound division.
Nakatani makes his debut in the division in a ten-rounder against former WBA and IBF mini flyweight champion Francisco Rodriguez, who has won two straight since losing a unanimous decision to WBO junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka.
Nakatani will face the winner of a New Year's Eve unification match between Ioka and WBA champion Joshua Franco due to the WBO's rule that a champion of theirs that vacates their title will automatically move into the mandatory slot in their new division.
Boxing Challenge
TRS: Teraji KO 10
TRS: Nakatani Unanimous Decision
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