At a recent boxing event held in Tokyo, reigning champion Yuri Akui successfully retained his WBA flyweight title against challenger Taku Kuwahara. The match, which did not have a specified date, ended with Akui winning by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
Yuri Akui entered the ring with a record of 20 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, having knocked out 11 opponents in his career. At 28 years old, he had already faced significant challengers before this fight. His opponent, Taku Kuwahara aged 29 with a record of 13-2 including 8 knockouts, was ranked No.3 by the WBA before the fight.
The fight started competitively with both fighters landing substantial hits in the first round. Judges Pinit Prayadsab and Jose Roberto Terres scored the match 117-111 respectively in favor of Akui. As the rounds progressed, Akui began targeting the body more effectively starting from the third round. He dominated most of the mid to late rounds.
Akui's dominance peaked in later rounds specifically when his right hand blows in Round 1 set a strong tone for the match. He efficiently blocked Kuwahara's attempts in Round 6 and psychologically overshadowed him by Round 7. By Round 10, his attacks were more focused and damaging.
Despite some resistance from Kuwahara like when he caught Akui with a left hook in Round 5, he struggled to maintain strong defense as noted in Round 9 where it became porous. The last round saw both fighters embracing, acknowledging each other's efforts although Yuri maintained his supremacy throughout. Yuri von by unanimous decision.
