Sensation in the flyweight division! Ricardo Sandoval dethrones Kenshiro Teraji and becomes the new double world champion after a thrilling world championship fight in Japan.
Ricardo Sandoval caused a sensation on Wednesday evening in Yokohama: The Californian defeated the favored Kenshiro Teraji by split decision (115-112, 117-110, 113-114) after twelve thrilling rounds to capture the WBA and WBC flyweight world titles. The fight was dramatic: Sandoval dominated the early rounds. He repeatedly scored with his precise jab and various combinations, but had to go down in round five after a hard right hook from Teraji. Instead of breaking down, Sandoval fought his way back, posing problems for Teraji with clever distance boxing and a high work rate – allowing him to control parts of the second half of the fight.
For Teraji, who shone with a late knockout against Seigo Yuri Akui in March, the defeat is a bitter setback. The Japanese fighter, previously two-time unified world champion in two weight classes, thus loses his belts and ends a seven-fight winning streak. Sandoval, on the other hand, crowns his first world championship attempt with this victory and writes US boxing history: seven victories in a row now catapult him to the top of the world rankings – and make him a new player in a top-class weight class.
Text by Robin Josten