Kenshiro Teraji claimed a world title in a third weight class Monday in Tokyo, Japan, with a unanimous 12 round decision win over Israel Gonzalez.
The new WBO junior bantamweight champion won via scores of 117-110, 116-110 and 115-111 to compliment his trophy cabinet that already included WBC belts at junior fly and flyweight.
Teraji, 26-2 (16 KOs), was considered past his best after losing to Ricardo Sandoval in December but against Mexico’s Gonzalez, 32-6-2 (12 KOs) the 34-year-old bounced back with aplomb.
In control from the start, Japan’s Teraji decked his rival with a right hand in the second round as he poured on the pressure. He would lose a point in the fourth for punches below the belt, however.
Gonzalez showed signs of fighting back from the halfway point but, during the final stages, it was Teraji who was firmly back in control.
On the undercard, there was a triumph for another Japanese star over a Mexican as Shokichi Iwata, 17-2 (14 KOs), stopped previously unbeaten Erik Badillo, 19-1-1 (8 KOs), in 11 rounds.
Badillo, a southpaw, floored Iwata in the fourth but was under pressure eating unanswered right hands when the referee ended things at 2-13 of the penultimate stanza.
At the time of stoppage Iwata – the WBC junior flyweight boss – led by scores of 98-91 (twice) and 97-92.