In his backyard in Japan, Kenshiro Teraji is ready to face a big underdog looking to shock the world. Teraji defends the WBA and WBC light flyweight titles against Anthony Olascuaga on April 8.
The fight is inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, and airs on ESPN+ in the U.S. Teraji was supposed to fight WBO champion Jonathan Gonzalez in a unification bout before the latter backed out.
Teraji beat Ganigan Lopez in 2017 for the WBC light flyweight title. “The Amazing Boy” defended the belt eight times before losing it against Masamichi Yabuki in 2021. Since then, he beat Yabuki in March 2022 to reclaim the title and last fought in November, beating Hiroto Kyoguchi for the WBA title.
Olascuaga turned pro in 2020. The American last fought in October, beating Marco Sustaita via TKO.
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Several local fighters are ready to make an impact in front of friends and family. There will also be gold on the line outside of the main event. Here is a look at the entire main card of Teraji vs. Olascuaga.
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga undercard
Takuma Inoue vs. Liborio Solis
- Weight/Division: Bantamweight
- Inoue record: 17-1
- Solis record: 35-6-1
- Belts at stake: WBA bantamweight title
Takuma Inoue takes on Liborio Solis for the vacant WBA bantamweight title. Takuma (17-1) is the brother of Naoya Inoue. Making his pro debut in 2013, Takuma has held local super flyweight gold and the interim WBC bantamweight title. Losing against Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight title in 2019, Inoue has since won four in a row. His last fight was a TKO win against Jake Bornea on the undercard of Naoya vs. Paul Butler in December.
Solis (35-6-1) turned pro in 2000. Winning the interim WBA super flyweight title in 2011, he was later promoted and defended the belt twice. The 41-year-old failed to win the WBC and WBA bantamweight titles in 2016 and the WBA belt again in 2020. Since his 2020 loss against Guillermo Rigondeaux, Solis won five in a row. His last fight was a TKO win against Luis Carrillo in November.
MORE: All you need to know about Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga
Kiko Martinez vs. Reiya Abe
- Weight/Division: Featherweight
- Martinez record: 44-11-2
- Abe record: 24-3-1
- Belts at stake: NA
In featherweight action, Kiko Martinez faces Reiya Abe. Kiko, real name Francisco (44-11-2) turned pro in 2004 and fought primarily in Spain to start his career. "La Sensacion" won the EBU European Union super bantamweight title, and in 2013 won the IBF super bantamweight title against Jonathan Romero.
He lost the belt against Carl Frampton, failed to capture the WBA title against Scott Quigg, and lost to Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA super featherweight title in 2016. Since that loss, Martinez has traded wins and losses while competing for world and local gold. In 2021, he won the IBF featherweight title against Kid Galahad but lost it in his next fight against Josh Warrington in March 2022. Martinez rebounded in October, beating Jordan Gill via TKO for the EBU European featherweight title.
Abe (24-3-1) turned pro in 2013. Primarily fighting in Japan, the 30-year-old is 5-1-1 in his last seven fights and is on a five-fight win streak. His last bout was a majority decision win against Jinki Maeda in December.
Jin Sasaki vs. Keita Obara
- Weight/Division: Welterweight
- Sasaki record: 14-1-1
- Obara record: 26-4-1
- Belts at stake: NA
Opening the card will be Jin Sasaki vs. Keita Obara. Sasaki (14-1-1) turned pro in 2018 and has won all but one of his fights via knockout. The 21-year-old has won local gold in Japan and is 3-1-1 in his last five bouts. On a two-fight win streak, he last competed in January, beating Ryota Toyoshima via TKO.
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Obara (26-4-1) turned pro in 2010 and lost his first bout. He was unbeaten in 17 straight fights following that loss, with 16 wins via knockout. In 2016, he failed to win the IBF and IBO super lightweight titles against Eduard Troyanovsky, and has won local gold in Japan since. On a six-fight win streak, his last bout was a TKO win against Takeru Kobata in October.
When is Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga?
- Date: Saturday, April 8
- Start time: 3 a.m. ET | 7 a.m. GMT | 6 p.m. AEDT | 4 p.m. JST
- Main event: 6:15 a.m. ET | 10:15 a.m. GMT | 9:15 p.m. AEDT | 7:15 p.m. JST (approx.)
Teraji vs. Olascuaga is on April 8. The main card starts at 3 a.m. ET | 7 a.m. GMT | 6 p.m. AEDT | 4 p.m. JST. Both fighters should make their way to the ring around 6:15 a.m. ET | 10:15 a.m. GMT | 9:15 p.m. AEDT | 7:15 p.m. JST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. April 8 | ESPN+ |
| United Kingdom | Sat. April 8 | TBA |
| Australia | Sat. April 8 | TBA |
The Teraji vs. Olascuaga main card will air on ESPN+ in the U.S.
MORE: Sign up to watch Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga, exclusively on ESPN+
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Anthony Olascuaga price: How much does the card cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |