Akira Yaegashi

Akira Yaegashi
Statistics
Real name Akira Yaegashi
Nickname(s) Onsoku no Kobushi (音速の拳) "Sonic Fist"[1]
Rated at Minimumweight
Flyweight
Light Flyweight
Height 5 ft 3.7 in (1.62 m)[2]
Reach 63.5 in (161 cm)[2]
Nationality Japanese
Born (1983-02-25) 25 February 1983
Kitakami, Iwate, Japan
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 28
Wins 23
Wins by KO 12
Losses 5
Draws 0
No contests 0

Akira Yaegashi (八重樫 東 Yaegashi Akira, born February 25, 1983) is a Japanese professional boxer who is the current IBF Light Flyweight Champion; he is a former WBC and The Ring flyweight champion, as well as a former WBA minimumweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Takushoku University and has been managed by Hideyuki Ohashi's Ohashi Boxing Gym in Yokohama which is the birthplace of boxing in the country.[1]

Boxing career

Yaegashi finished his amateur career with a record of 56–14 after winning the Inter-High School Championship and the National Sports Festival of Japan. His professional debut was at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in March 2005.[3] He won the vacant OPBF minimumweight title there via a fifth round technical knockout in April 2006 and defended the title once before vacating it.[1]

In his first world title shot against the WBC minimumweight champion Eagle Kyowa at the Pacifico Yokohama in June 2007, Yaegashi lost for the first time by a wide points margin after suffering a broken TMJ[1] in two places due to an accidental headbutt in the second round.[4]

After a nearly eleven-month absence from the ring, Yaegashi restarted his career, but lost in the semi-final match of the annual Japanese title elimination tournament nicknamed "The Strongest in Korakuen" at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo in July 2008. It was in June 2009 that Yaegashi won the vacant Japanese minimumweight title at the IMP Hall in Osaka. He defended the title three times before returning it.[1]

Yaegashi won the WBA minimumweight title in his second world title shot against Thai's Pornsawan Porpramook via a tenth round technical knockout at the Korakuen Hall on October 24, 2011.[5] It was a very tough fight.[6] Before the final round began, Yaegashi's manager Ohashi said to him "Come back for your son". The fight earned accolades from international media, winning Fight of the Year honors from ESPN.com[7] and BoxingScene.com,[8] as well as the WBA's award for Most Dramatic Fight of 2011.[9]

On June 20, 2012, in a match that marked the first time two Japanese fighters had met to unify world titles, he lost to the WBC champion Kazuto Ioka via a unanimous decision at the Bodymaker Colosseum.[10][11][12] When asked whether the result would have been different unless he got swollen eyes, Yaegashi said "We should not think about it. There is no if's in boxing".[13] The day after the fight, Ioka decided to move up a weight division. So, Yaegashi's team hope the rematch with Ioka in a higher division as their second unification bout. First, Yaegashi aims to win a world championship again.[14][15]

Yaegashi returned to the ring in a light flyweight bout at the Korakuen Hall on January 5, 2013 to knock out Saenmuangloei Kokietgym in the ninth round.[16][17]

Yaegashi became a two-weight class champion when he defeated defending WBC flyweight champion, Toshiyuki Igarashi in a unanimous decision on April 8, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.[18] On 12 August 2013, Yaegashi successfully defended his title by defeating Mexican fighter Oscar Blanquet. Yaegashi floored Blanquet in the 8th round on his way to a points victory.[19]

Yaegashi became a three-weight world champion after defeating Javier Mendoza via Unanimous decision.

Professional record

28 fights, 23 wins (12 knockouts), 5 losses
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
N/A N/A Mexico Martin Tecuapetla N/A - (12) 2016-05-08 Japan Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo Defending IBF Light Flyweight title.
Win 23–5 Mexico Javier Mendoza UD 12 2015-12-29 Japan Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo Won IBF Light Flyweight title.
Win 22–5 Indonesia Said M Said KO 3 (10), 1:10 2015-08-20 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 21–5 Thailand Songseanglek Phosuwangym TKO 2 (8), 2:05 2015-05-01 Japan Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo
Loss 20–5 Mexico Pedro Guevara KO 7 (12), 2:45 2014-12-30 Japan Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo For vacant WBC Light Flyweight title.
Loss 20–4 Nicaragua Román González TKO 9 (12), 2:24 2014-09-05 Japan Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo Lost WBC & The Ring Flyweight titles.
Win 20–3 Mexico Odilon Zaleta KO 9 (12), 2:14 2014-04-06 Japan Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo Retained WBC & The Ring Flyweight titles.
Win 19–3 Mexico Edgar Sosa UD 12 2013-12-06 Japan Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo Retained WBC & The Ring Flyweight titles.
Win 18–3 Mexico Oscar Blanquet UD 12 2013-08-12 Japan Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo Retained WBC & The Ring Flyweight titles.
Win 17–3 Japan Toshiyuki Igarashi UD 12 2013-04-08 Japan Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo Won WBC & The Ring Flyweight titles.
Win 16–3 Thailand Saenmuangloei Kokietgym KO 9 (10), 2:52 2013-01-05 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Loss 15–3 Japan Kazuto Ioka UD 12 2012-06-20 Japan Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka Lost WBA Minimumweight title.
For WBC Minimumweight title.
Win 15–2 Thailand Pornsawan Porpramook TKO 10 (12), 2:38 2011-10-24 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Won WBA Minimumweight title.
Win 14–2 Japan Norihito Tanaka UD 10 2011-04-02 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Retained Japanese Minimumweight title.
Win 13–2 Japan Kosuke Takeichi UD 10 2010-05-01 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Retained Japanese Minimumweight title.
Win 12–2 Japan Junichiro Kaneda UD 10 2009-09-05 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Retained Japanese Minimumweight title.
Win 11–2 Japan Kenichi Horikawa UD 10 2009-06-21 Japan IMP Hall, Osaka Won vacant Japanese Minimumweight title.
Win 10–2 Thailand Srisaket Sor Rungvisai TKO 3 (8), 2:11 2009-03-17 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 9–2 Japan Takumi Suda UD 8 2008-10-18 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 8–2 Thailand Thongthailek Sor Tanapinyo TKO 2 (8), 2:35 2008-09-15 Japan Pacifico, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Loss 7–2 Japan Masatate Tsuji MD 6 2008-07-01 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 7–1 Japan Yasuhiro Hisada UD 10 2008-04-30 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Loss 6–1 Thailand Eagle Den Junlaphan UD 12 2007-06-04 Japan Pacifico, Yokohama, Kanagawa For WBC Minimumweight title.
Win 6–0 Thailand Liempetch Sor Veerapol KO 1 (12), 2:55 2006-09-18 Japan Pacifico, Yokohama, Kanagawa Retained OPBF Minimumweight title.
Win 5–0 Thailand Weerasak Chuwatana KO 5 (12), 2:19 2006-04-03 Japan Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Kanagawa Won vacant OPBF Minimumweight title.
Win 4–0 Philippines Elmer Gejon UD 10 2005-12-05 Japan Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Win 3–0 Thailand Danchai Sithsaithong KO 2 (8), 1:38 2005-08-22 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 2–0 Thailand Poonsawat Eausampan KO 1 (8), 2:50 2005-05-18 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Win 1–0 Japan Omoyoshi Nakayama KO 1 (6), 1:20 2005-03-26 Japan Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Kanagawa Professional debut.

Recognitions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 選手データ (in Japanese). Boxing Mobile (East Japan Boxing Association). 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  2. 1 2 八重樫、リーチ11センチ劣る　ダブル世界戦予備検診 (in Japanese). Boxing News (Boxing Beat editorial department). August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ 選手紹介 (in Japanese). Ohashi Boxing Gym. 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ "八重樫TKOで岩手出身初の世界王者!" (in Japanese). Daily Sports. October 25, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Pornsawan loses WBA title". Bangkok Post. October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  6. ↑ Pornsawan Porpramook vs. Yaeagshi (Links to YouTube video) (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. October 24, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Dan Rafael (December 30, 2011). "Fight of year: Yaegashi-Porpramook". ESPN. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Cliff Rold (January 3, 2012). "BoxingScene's 2011 Year-End Awards: Fight of The Year". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Kittipong Thongsombat (February 4, 2012). "Ex-champion Khaosai named WBA legend". Bangkok Post. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  10. ↑ Corey Erdman (June 20, 2012). "Ioka bests valiant Yaegashi to unify strawweight titles". RingTV.com. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  11. ↑ Mark Ortega (June 20, 2012). "Kazuto Ioka Decisions One-Eyed Akira Yaegashi In Minimumweight Title Tilt". Queensberry-Rules.com. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  12. ↑ Jake Donovan (June 20, 2012). "Kazuto Ioka Outlasts Akira Yaegashi In A War". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  13. ↑ 藤原 翔 (June 20, 2012). 敗者、八重樫に涙なし　「またイチから…」 (in Japanese). MSN Sankei News. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  14. ↑ 井岡と八重樫　ライトフライ級で再戦誓う (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012 (UTC). Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  15. ↑ 八重樫「悔しい」井岡との再戦に意欲 (in Japanese). Daily Sports. June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012 (UTC). Check date values in: |access-date= (help) (includes photo)
  16. ↑ Jake Donovan (January 5, 2013). "Akira Yaegashi A Knockout Winner In Ring Return". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  17. ↑ Joe Koizumi (January 5, 2013). "Inoue finishes Thai champ Ngaoprajan in one". Fightnews.com. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Yaegashi outclasses Igarashi to nab WBC flyweight title". Japan Times. April 9, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Yaegashi keeps WBC flyweight crown". Arab News. August 12, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Pornsawan Porpramook		 WBA Minimumweight Champion
October 24, 2011 – June 20, 2012 		Succeeded by
Kazuto Ioka
Preceded by
Toshiyuki Igarashi		 WBC Flyweight Champion
April 8, 2013 – September 5, 2014 		Succeeded by
Román González
The Ring Flyweight Champion
April 8, 2013 – September 5, 2014
Preceded by
Javier Mendoza		 IBF Junior Flyweight Champion
December 29, 2015 – present 		Incumbent
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