Kenshiro Teraji Knows How His Way Around Masamichi Yabuki’s Skill Of ‘Baiting His Opponents’

WBC junior flyweight Kenshiro Teraji is poised to defend his crown against Masamichi Yabuki on Sunday, but he said he doesn’t underestimate his opponent’s skills.

Their showdown was originally planned to go down on September 10, but it was put off after Teraji (18-0, 10 KOs) contracted the coronavirus. The WBC champion is brimming with confidence before the Wednesday title fight. He seems to have worked out a way to beat Yabuki already.

“[Yabuki] is a good fighter who waits to bait his opponent into a counter punch,” Teraji told Ring TV. “I know how I can handle that. I will stay in close contact and engage, while keeping my stance ready to get out of there at any time. He will probably wait for the right moment when I become over-confident in his favorite distance, but it won’t happen.”

The 29-year-old champion aims to overcome Yabuki early in the fight with his accuracy.

“My best possible scenario is to take the lead with my accurate jabs early on and gradually put Yabuki in a tight spot where there is nothing left to do. I will then carefully find a home for my decisive counter punches to end the bout. It should happen naturally after my dominant performance every second of the fight.”

“Yabuki is not as an easy opponent as reported and he’s underestimated by the media – I do not take him lightly,” the champ continued. “He is on the rise and not yet at his peak, gaining momentum by winning the Japanese national title.”