A terrific unification clash in Tokyo will now top a title fight tripleheader.
The Ring has learned that reigning titleholders Anthony Olascuaga and Shokichi Iwata will appear in separate bouts on the Kenshiro Teraji-Seigo Yuri Akui undercard. Los Angeles’ Olascuaga (8-1, 6 KOs) is due to defend his WBO flyweight title for the second time, while Tokyo’s Iwata (14-1, 11 KOs) will risk his WBO junior flyweight belt at home.
Opponents were not yet confirmed at the time of writing. All three bouts, however, will take place on a March 20 show at Tokyo's Ariake Arena. The main event will see Teraji—The Ring No. 2 flyweight—risk his WBC title against Akui, the WBA titlist and The Ring No. 3 flyweight.
Teraji (24-1, 15 KOs), Akui (21-2-1, 11 KOs), Olascuaga and Iwata all fought at the venue as part of a seven-title fight weekend this past October. In fact, Teraji, Akui and Iwata were all on the same Oct. 13 show, while Olascuaga fought one night later as one of three title fights on the Oct. 14 card.
Iwata won the vacant WBO 108-pound title in a third-round knockout over then-unbeaten Jairo Noriega (14-0, 3 KOs).
One possible opponent discussed for Iwata is the Philippines’ Regie Suganob (16-1, 6 KOs). The bout would be a match between The Ring top ten contenders. Iwata is No. 2 at junior flyweight, Suganob is No. 8, though his career has been moved slow since advancing to the No. 1 position in the WBO.
Olascauga won his WBO 112 belt in a third-round knockout of Riku Kano (22-4-2) on July 20 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The card was topped by three-division and reigning WBC bantamweight titlist Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22 KOs), The Ring No. 1 bantamweight and Olascauga’s training stablemate.
Both boxers are guided by Rudy Hernandez and also appeared together on the Oct. 14 show at Ariake Arena. Olascuaga, The Ring’s No. 8 flyweight, stopped former WBO 108-pound titleholder Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-4-1, 14 KOs) in the first round, while Nakatani halted Thailand’s Petch CP Freshmart (76-2, 53 KOs) in six.
Nakatani, The Ring’s No. 9 pound-for-pound fighter and a 2024 Fighter of the Year nominee, next defends against David Cuellar (28-0, 18 KOs), No. 8 at 118 on Feb. 24 at Ariake Arena. Four weeks later, the Hernandez-led team will return to the venue for Olascuaga’s title defense.
Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.