Akira Yaegashi


Akira Yaegashi is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2019. He is a three-weight world champion, having held the World Boxing Association mini-flyweight title from 2011 to 2012, the World Boxing Council and Ring magazine flyweight titles from 2013 to 2014, and the International Boxing Federation light-flyweight title from 2015 to 2016. He is an alumnus of the Takushoku University.
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Professional 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. He won the vacant OPBF mini-flyweight title there via a fifth-round technical knockout in April 2006 and defended the title once before vacating it.
In his first world title shot against the WBC mini-flyweight 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 in two places due to an accidental headbutt in the second round.
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 mini-flyweight title at the IMP Hall in Osaka. He defended the title three times before returning it.
Yaegashi won the WBA mini-flyweight 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. It was a very tough fight. 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 and BoxingScene.com, as well as the WBA's award for Most Dramatic Fight of 2011.
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. 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". 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.
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.
Yaegashi became a two-weight class champion when he defeated defending WBC and The Ring flyweight champion, Toshiyuki Igarashi in a unanimous decision on April 8, 2013, in Tokyo, Japan. 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.
Yaegashi became a three-weight world champion after defeating IBF light-flyweight champion Javier Mendoza via unanimous decision.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
35Loss28–7Moruti MthalaneTKO9, 2:54Dec 23, 2019Yokohama Arena, JapanFor IBF flyweight title
34Win28–6Sahaphap BunopTKO2, 2:25Apr 8, 2019 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
33Win27–6Hirofumi MukaiTKO7, 2:55Aug 17, 2018 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
32Win26–6Frans Damur PalueTKO2, 2:24Mar 26, 2018 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
31Loss25–6Milan MelindoTKO1, 2:45May 21, 2017 Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanLost IBF light-flyweight title
30Win25–5Wittawas BasapeanTKO12, 2:13Dec 30, 2016 Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanRetained IBF light-flyweight title
29Win24–5Martin TecuapetlaSD12May 8, 2016 Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanRetained IBF light-flyweight title
28Win23–5Javier MendozaUD12Dec 29, 2015 Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanWon IBF light-flyweight title
27Win22–5Said FahdafiKO3, 1:10Aug 20, 2015 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
26Win21–5Songseanglek PhosuwangymTKO2, 2:05May 1, 2015 Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
25Loss20–5Pedro GuevaraKO7, 2:45Dec 30, 2014 Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo, JapanFor vacant WBC light-flyweight title
24Loss20–4Román GonzálezTKO9, 2:24Sep 5, 2014 Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanLost WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
23Win20–3Odilon ZaletaKO9, 2:14Apr 6, 2014 Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
22Win19–3Édgar SosaUD12Dec 6, 2013 Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
21Win18–3Oscar BlanquetUD12Aug 12, 2013 Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
20Win17–3Toshiyuki IgarashiUD12Apr 8, 2013 Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, JapanWon WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
19Win16–3Saenmuangloei KokietgymKO9, 2:52Jan 5, 2013 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
18Loss15–3Kazuto IokaUD12Jun 20, 2012 Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, JapanLost WBA mini-flyweight title;
For WBC mini-flyweight title
17Win15–2Pornsawan PorpramookTKO10, 2:38Oct 24, 2011 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon WBA mini-flyweight title
16Win14–2Norihito TanakaUD10Apr 2, 2011 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese mini-flyweight title
15Win13–2Kosuke TakeichiUD10May 1, 2010 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese mini-flyweight title
14Win12–2Junichiro KanedaUD10Sep 5, 2009 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese mini-flyweight title
13Win11–2Kenichi HorikawaUD10Jun 21, 2009 IMP Hall, Osaka, JapanWon vacant Japanese mini-flyweight title
12Win10–2Srisaket Sor RungvisaiTKO3, 2:11Mar 17, 2009 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
11Win9–2Takumi SudaUD8Oct 18, 2008 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
10Win8–2Thongthailek Sor TanapinyoTKO2, 2:35Sep 15, 2008 Pacifico, Yokohama, Japan
8Loss7–2Masatate TsujiMD6Jul 1, 2008 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
8Win7–1Yasuhiro HisadaUD10Apr 30, 2008 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
7Loss6–1Eagle Den JunlaphanUD12Jun 4, 2007 Pacifico, Yokohama, JapanFor WBC mini-flyweight title
6Win6–0Liempetch Sor VeerapolKO1, 2:55Sep 18, 2006 Pacifico, Yokohama, JapanRetained WBC-OPBF mini-flyweight title
5Win5–0Weerasak ChuwatanaKO5, 2:19Apr 3, 2006 Bunka Gym, Yokohama, JapanWon vacant WBC-OPBF mini-flyweight title
4Win4–0Elmer GejonUD10Dec 5, 2005 Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Japan
3Win3–0Danchai SithsaithongKO2, 1:38Aug 22, 2005 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2Win2–0Poonsawat EausampanKO1, 2:50May 18, 2005 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1Win1–0Omoyoshi NakayamaKO1, 1:20Mar 26, 2005 Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Japan

Exhibition boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
40–0 Taku Kuwahara228 Nov 2020Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanNon-scored bout
30–0 Katsuki Mori21 Jul 2019Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanNon-scored bout
20–0 Naoya Inoue219 May 2014Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanNon-scored bout
10–0 Naoya Inoue221 Oct 2013Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanNon-scored bout

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

''The Ring'' magazine titles

The Ring flyweight champion

Regional/International titles

Recognitions

  • 2011 ESPN.com Fight of the Year
  • 2011 BoxingScene.com Fight of the Year
  • 2011 WBA Most Dramatic Fight