Kenshiro Teraji-Hekkie Budler tripleheader weigh-in comments and photos
Kenshiro Teraji, Hekkie Budler, Junto Nakatani, Argi Cortez, Tenshin Nasukawa and Luis Guzman all made their contracted weights for their anticipated tripleheader at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Monday (September 18), a national holiday in Japan.
Teraji weighed in at 107¼ pounds for his Ring Magazine/WBC/WBA junior flyweight championship defense against former champ Budler, who weighed in at 107¾ pounds.
Nakatani weighed 114¾ pounds for his WBO 115-pound title defense against Cortez, who weighed in at 114½ pounds.
Former kickboxing star Nasukawa weighed in at 123 pounds for his junior featherweight attraction vs. Guzman, who came in at 122¼ pounds.
The Prime Video (ESPN+ in the U.S.) live stream will kick off at 18:00 local time (2:00 a.m. PT/5:00 a.m. ET) with an eight-round flyweight bout featuring WBA-rated junior flyweight Anthony Olascuaga (5-1, 3KOs) vs. WBA/WBO-rated flyweight Giemel Magramo (28-3, 23 KOs), who made weight in his second attempt.
The triple header portion of the broadcast begins around 19:00 with two-division titleholder Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs), who defends his WBO that he won by a KO-of-the-year candidate against Andrew Moloney in Las Vegas in May. Nakatani had his six and half weeks of training camp in Los Angeles and returned to his home country on September 4. Rudy Hernandez, the longtime trainer of tall southpaw, told The Ring that they are carefully prepared with “four different styles” to deal with whatever comes from Cortez, who gave Ring 115-pound champ Juan Fransisco Estrada a hard time in their battle a year ago with hall-of-fame guidance from Nacho Beristain.
WBO 115-pound titleholder Junto Nakatani and Argi Cortes. Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Nasukawa (1-0) will follow with his junior featherweight bout against Mexico’s national bantamweight champion Luis Guzman (10-2, 6 KOs) in their scheduled eight rounder. The young MMA superstar vows to showcase a KO win in his second professional boxing bout no matter what Guzman, a late replacement for Juan Flores who pulled out of COVID19, brings to the ring.
“I know everyone wants me to do it,” Nasukawa said during Saturday’s press conference. “So, I will do it. You will see it there.”
Tenshin Nasukawa and Luis Guzman. Photo by Naoki Fukuda
In the main event, which will be around 21:00, Teraji takes on South Africa’s battle-tested Budler, a former two-division champion. “I am ready for a tough fight but I am here to win,” said Budler, who is well known in Japan where he outpointed Ryoichi Taguchi and lost to Hiroto Kyoguchi in Ring Magazine championship bouts.
“I will be myself in the fight, that’s my key to win in good fashion,” said Kenshiro, who showed respect to the 35-year-old veteran by shaking his hand. “No need to think about a KO. It will just come.”
Nothing but respect between Teraji and Budler. Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Teraji is currently best in the 108-pound division with confidence earned by brilliant victories against rival Kyoguchi (to unify WBA and WBC titles last November) and defend it against talented California prospect Olascuaga this past April.
“I cannot stop here for further dreams to be undisputed or multi-division champion,” said the baby-faced 31-year-old veteran.
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