Yuri Akui Retains WBA Flyweight Title with Dominant Performance Over Taku Kuwahara
Tokyo, Japan – In a dominant display, WBA flyweight champion Yuri Akui successfully defended his title against game challenger Taku Kuwahara on Saturday. The 28-year-old champion, now 20-2-1 (11 KOs), showcased his technical prowess and punching power to outclass the 29-year-old Kuwahara, who falls to 13-2 (8 KOs).
Akui, who lost to Junto Nakatani in 2017 but reclaimed the title by outpointing Artem Dalakian in January, was the clear aggressor throughout the bout. The champion walked down Kuwahara, who struggled to keep Akui at bay with his flashy combinations. Akui’s tight guard and precise counterpunching neutralized Kuwahara’s offensive attempts.
“The champion’s dominance was evident on the scorecards, with judges Pinit Prayadsab and Jose Roberto Terres both scoring it 117-111, while Yoshikazu Furuta’s tally matched the BoxingScene scorecard of 118-110.”
Kuwahara’s game effort was not enough to trouble the technically sound Akui, who landed the more authoritative blows, including a series of thudding right hands that took their toll on the challenger.
Akui Maintains Relentless Attack
Despite Kuwahara’s brave attempts to turn the tide, particularly in the fifth and sixth rounds, Akui remained unfazed and maintained his relentless attack. The champion’s superior conditioning and punch accuracy proved too much for the challenger, who struggled to keep up with the champion’s onslaught.
While Kuwahara displayed admirable resilience in going the distance, the fight was essentially one-sided, with Akui in complete control. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. had little involvement, as the champion continued to assert his dominance through the later rounds.
This convincing victory solidifies Akui’s status as one of the premier flyweights in the sport, and he will undoubtedly be looking to build on this performance in his upcoming title defenses.
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