Seigo Yuri Akui takes part in media work out

On May 6th we’ll see WBA Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1, 11) [阿久井政悟] make his first defense since dethroning Artur Dalakian, as he on fellow Japanese fighter Taku Kuwahara (13-1, 8) [桑原拓] in a rematch of a bout the men had in 2021.

Today, ahead of the bout, Akui took part in a media workout and press conference, at the Teiken Gym in Tokyo, which saw him talk about his win over Dalakian, the upcoming Kuwahara bout and his preparation.

As for the win over Dalakian it seemed like Akui is already over it in many ways, explaining “I'm happy that everyone around me is happy, but nothing has changed for me”.

Akui spoke about the first bout with Kuwahara and explained “Even back then, I had the image of being a top player, and I thought that if I won, I would be able to go to the world”, something that he has subsequently done. He did however admit that Kuwahara was better now than he was, explaining “When we fought before, he had speed, and recently he has added more power, and there have been fights where he has defeated him with one shot. I want to be careful about that.” Despite that he explained that he’s expecting a technical battle with Kuwahara.

As for the work out Akui took part in 2 rounds of shadow boxing, mitt work, and bag work. The workout was watched over by Kuwahara’s promoter Hideyuki Ohash, who explained “…his punches have become sharper.I think he has gained a lot of confidence by becoming a world champion”.

Notably Ohashi, who is the lead promoter for the May 6th show at Tokyo Dome, spoke excitedly about the match and stated “Japan's first world title match (1952) was with Yoshio Shirai at Korakuen Stadium. I would like to see a traditional flyweight match dedicated to Mr. Shirai's achievements.”​