UNINTENDED GREATNESS
WBA 115-pound titleholder Fernando Martinez and former champ Kazuto Ioka could all be in the mix for the great Teraji, who is now firmly established as one of the best fighters in the world and is finally getting the recognition his rich talents deserve. The following Q&A was conducted shortly after Teraji’s epic triumph over Akui. The Ring: Your latest KO win against Seigo Yuri Akui was well-received in the U.S. as well as Japan. How do you look back on it? Kenshiro Teraji: It was a good fight. I didn’t want to have a back- and-forth fierce battle, and I wanted to win a little easier, but it was exciting, and I think the fans were happy that I was able to knock him out in the final round. It was a dramatic come-from- behind KO, too, so I’m glad I won. The Ring: I think it’s quite rare for a unification fight to be decided by knockout in the final round. Did you have a feeling that you were behind until the 12th? KT: I don’t really calculate points. My corner didn’t tell me to go for the kill in the final round, but I was determined to win the 12th. I had the feeling that I needed the last one. The Ring: You were high on Akui even before the fight, but what did you think was his strength when you actually fought him? KT: I was hit with his jabs from the beginning, and he was good at keeping his distance. His jabs were fast. As the [WBA flyweight titleholder], he had power. His punches might not have been so powerful that they were dangerous, but he still had decent power. The Ring: In recent fights, you actually have been attacking more aggressively than before, it seems like. Do you think there’s an underlying desire to get the fans excited? KT: Maybe. Now that I’m in charge of
the main event, yes, I want to win by KO. Lately, people have started to say that my fights are exciting and fun, and I think that there’s a part of me that’s unconsciously becoming that way. The Ring: You are an all-rounder who can do a lot of things in the ring, but what part are you most confident in? KT: Stamina. I’m able to throw a lot of punches. It’s partly due to the amount of training I do, but I was also good at running long distances, so I think I was born with it. I’m confident that I don’t lose in terms of stamina, therefore I can fight at such a fast pace. The Ring: Your stamina was incredible in the Akui fight. KT: My stamina didn’t run out until the end. I wasn’t out of breath from the beginning, and I also tried to stay focused. I often lose concentration and get hit with a lot of punches, which can make me look bad, but this time I was conscious of that and I don’t think that happened. The Ring: Do you think your improved stamina is due to moving up to the flyweight division? KT: Indeed. I think it’s completely different from when I was in the junior flyweight division. The weight cut is much less strict now, so I can keep eating and moving until the end [of camp] and adjust accordingly. That’s why I feel like my movements are different in the fight too. The Ring: Do you feel like you’re a better fighter now than you were at 108 pounds? KT: Yes, I do. My legs feel different in the fights. The Ring: You told me before that you were following instructions as if you were being controlled by your trainer Kenta Kato. Is that still the case? KT: That hasn’t changed, but I think it would be better if I’m able to think for myself too. I can do what I’m told to do,
but it’s not ideal if I don’t know how to fight until I get back to the corner. I need to be able to feel the flow of the fight myself and be able to adapt. That’s something I’m working on. The Ring: Have you had success? KT : Yes, and there’s no doubt that’s progress. However, I still don’t have the courage to drastically change my fighting style during the round. In the Akui fight, I was thinking about how to move, what to do, whether I should keep attacking like I had, and then Kato said, “Let’s move your feet a little bit for now.” So I decided to use my legs, and from there I was able to win some rounds. The Ring: When were you told that? KT: Around the seventh or eighth round. I think I started to win rounds one after another from there. I believe that was the turning point of the fight. I think my corner and I agreed there on how to fight. The Ring: I can sense that you have complete trust in Kato. KT: For sure. I believe that if I do as Kato suggests, I always win. What he says is correct, accurate, and he’s knowledgeable too, so I trust him. The Ring: In recognition of your victory over Akui and your outstanding career thus far, you have been ranked in the top 10 of Ring Magazine’s pound- for-pound rankings. KT: Yes, I’m so happy! The Ring: I don’t think you were particularly interested in pound-for- pound up until now. However, you posted about your joy on your X account and seem genuinely happy. KT: I’m really happy and I feel I want to raise my rank even higher. I’ve started to think about aiming for a higher level. My name is getting out there on a global scale, and I think good fighters are starting to pay attention to me, so I’m happy in that respect. It also increases the chances of me having a
big fight.
the reasons I want to move up a weight class is because I want to see what kind of power I can show when the odds are against me. The Ring: You named Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez as the fighter you want to fight at 115. KT: I would like to fight him. He is the fighter I want to fight the most right now. I think he is the best [in the junior bantamweight division]. I have watched a few of his fights and I can learn from him. The Ring: What exactly can you learn? KT: He probably has pretty good power, and his overall skill level is high, but he’s really good at lateral movement. He often hits and then moves sideways, so his punches will come from places you can’t see, and since he doesn’t move back, he can hit right away. I tend to step back and then hit, so I can learn from him. Yes, I would love to fight him.
Teraji is a popular main event fighter in Japan but hasn ’ t yet fought in the U.S.
The Ring: I would like to hear about your future plans, then. It seems that you are not too concerned about becoming the undisputed champion at 112 pounds. Is it because you have already beaten IBF titleholder Masamichi Yabuki and WBO titleholder Anthony Olascuaga by knockout? KT: That’s right. I’ve already beaten them. I don’t know how excited the people around me would be either. I’d rather fight someone at 115 pounds, to be honest. The Ring: I have seen reports that it may be a while before you move up to junior bantamweight. If that’s the case, is there a possibility that you will defend your titles or even have a unification fight? KT: The 115-pound titleholders all have their own schedules, so it would be difficult for me to challenge them immediately. I think there is a possibility
of a title defense. The best thing would be for the other two champions in the flyweight division, Yabuki and Olascuaga, to have a unification fight. It would be impossible for me to face both, because there would be mandatory title defenses too. If it were the undisputed fight between two champions who hold two titles, I would definitely take it. The Ring: You’ve said that you want to fight to get another belt, but will your excitement for the defense depend on your opponent? KT: Well, I mean, I think I’ll be motivated, and I’ll work hard no matter who I face, because I always want to win, but I feel like I can work harder as a challenger. I prefer being called an underdog, and I can give 120%. One of
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