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- What: WBC, WBA and The Ring junior flyweight titles
- Who: Kenshiro Teraji vs. Carlos Canizales
- Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024
- Time: 7:00 a.m. ET
- Location: EDION Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan
- How to Watch: ESPN+
A notable junior flyweight fight takes place on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, in Osaka, Japan when Kenshiro Teraji puts his three titles on the line against former WBA champion Carlos Canizales. Teraji holds the WBC, WBA, and The Ring junior flyweight titles. He looks to defend those belts for the third time when he meets Canizales at the EDION Arena Osaka.
Kenshiro Teraji (22-1 with 14 knockouts) is unbeaten in his past four fights. The only loss of his career came in September 2021 when Masamichi Yabuki knocked him out. Yabuki won the WBC title in that matchup. Teraji regained the title in the March 2022 rematch, knocking out Yabuki in the third round. He added the WBA and The Ring belts in his next fight, scoring a seventh-round TKO against Hiroto Kyoguchi. Teraji, who is the top-ranked 108-pound fighter according to The Ring, is coming off a ninth-round TKO win over Hekkie Budler in September.
Carlos Canizales (26-1-1 with 19 KOs) is the No. 7 rated junior flyweight according to The Ring. He won the WBA light flyweight title in March 2018 and defended the crown twice before Esteban Bermudez knocked him out in the sixth round of their 2021 matchup. Canizales is riding a four-fight winning streak and coming off an eighth-round technical decision win in a WBA title eliminator against Daniel Matellon in June.
Before we look at the junior flyweight title fight between Kenshiro Teraji and Carlos Canizales, check out our guide to betting on boxing and where you can find the best boxing picks.
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Carlos Canizales betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |  |
| Kenshiro Teraji | -700 | -700 | -700 | -700 | -700 |
| Carlos Canizales | +450 | +435 | +450 | +400 | +450 |
Kenshiro Teraji betting breakdown
The 32-year-old Kenshiro Teraji is on a roll. The Japanese boxer has scored knockouts in each of his past four outings. He hasn’t gone the distance since he scored a unanimous decision over Tetsuya Hisada in April 2021. He has held the WBC junior flyweight title since 2017, when he earned a majority decision over Ganigan Lopez in what was Teraji’s 10th professional fight.
Teraji is an excellent boxer. He has top-level footwork, excellent lateral movement, the ability to change angles to confuse his opponent, an aptitude for counterpunching, and the skill to set traps to lure his foes into his range. His offensive skills make him a great boxer and a fighter for fans to watch. In addition to his offensive prowess, the champion has the fight IQ and coaching to make adjustments in fight when things are not going his way. Teraji is also willing to take risks, and punches, in order to get off his own scoring shots. In addition to all the above, Teraji is a patient fighter who will not rush a finish.
Carlos Canizales betting breakdown
The 30-year-old Carlos Canizales has not fought for a major title since he lost the WBA strap in 2021. He has a unanimous decision, a technical decision, and two knockouts since that setback to Bermudez. This is his first fight in Japan since 2018, but the Venezuelan competitor has fought in Malaysia and China since then.
Canizales is a high-level competitor. He is an explosive and powerful boxer who has good movement and an ability to counterpunch when he is required to do so. The challenger in this contest is a fighter who can exploit openings if his opponent gets over-aggressive or allows openings when they attack. One thing Canizales has to be more aware of his pacing. He tends to slow in the second half of his matchups. That’s something he needs to avoid against a patient competitor like Teraji. He also must keep his hands up as the fight wears on because that’s an opening Teraji will exploit.
I expect Canizales to use his powerful shots to the body in an attempt to slow the champion in this matchup. If he can find the opening for those blows, this will be an interesting fight.
Best bets for Kenshiro Teraji vs. Carlos Canizales
The contest between Kenshiro Teraji and Carlos Canizales for Teraji’s WBC, WBA, and The Ring junior flyweight titles should be a fun fight for fans, but the better boxer of these two is Teraji. That’s not to say that the betting underdog doesn’t present good betting value, he does, because he is a powerful puncher with the ability to move well and find openings. However, Teraji has the skills to dictate where the fight takes place, which gives him the overall advantage in this matchup. The betting pick is for Teraji to retain his titles by knockout in the second half of the contest.
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