Miura-Dib: Akira Yaegashi Added To Show In Ring Return
Apr 1, 2015 • 10:26 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
Shortly following his knockout loss to Róman Gonzalez last September, former two-division champ Akira Yaegashi had designs of one day becoming a three-division champ. That dream remains alive, although he will now head in the opposite direction in weight.
On the heels of an ill-advised move down the scale to junior flyweight, Yaegashi (20-5, 10KOs) will make his ring return on May 1 and will now campaign in the junior bantamweight division. The 32-year old is given a layup for his first fight back, as he will face Thailand's Songsaenglek Phosuwangym.
The bout comes in supporting capacity to the junior lightweight title fight between defending champ Takashi Miura and former featherweight titlist Billy Dib.
Yaegashi has previously reigned as a strawweight titlist and World lineal flyweight champion. His strawweight reign was one-and-done, although his title-winning effort over Pornsawan Porpramook went down as 2011's Fight of the Year. Nearly as thrilling was his lone title defense, dropping a close-but-clear decision to Kazuto Ioka in a June '12 clash that marked the first time in history two defending titlists from Japan met in a unification bout.
Less than a year later, Yaegashi was back in the title picture, lifting the lineal flyweight crown in an April '13 points win over Toshiyuki Igarashi. Three successful defenses followed before running into one of the best fighters in the world, as Gonzalez stopped him in nine rounds last September.
Yaegashi returned to the ring less than four months later, dropping down in weight to face visiting Pedro Guevara in a vacant junior flyweight title fight last December. The bout was closely contested for six rounds before Guevara froze Yaegashi with a body shot for a one-punch 7th round knockout.
While the bout was competitive—and the fact that Guevara is that good—Yaegashi's energy appeared sapped at times. It was perhaps the effects of returning so soon after the loss to Gonzalez as well as fighting at 108 lbs. after having competed at flyweight for the previous two years.
Whatever the case, May 1 will mark his debut at 115 lbs., with designs of landing a title fight versus Carlos Cuadras (who fights this weekend) or countryman Kohei Kono.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
