On the 4th, three fighters set to appear on the supporting card of “Prime Video Boxing 15” (the 11th, Ryogoku Kokugikan), headlined by Tenshin Nasukawa, opened their training to the media at Teiken Gym. All three demonstrated that their preparations are proceeding smoothly.
リングで動く秋次、坪井、高見（左から） photo/Naoki Fukuda
WBC No. 1 ranked Tomoya Tsuboi (Teiken, 30), who faces former two-division world champion Pedro Guevara(Mexico) in a 10-round super flyweight bout, expressed his gratitude to his staff, saying, “I’m very happy to have reached this position just about a year after my debut last March. This is all thanks to my team.” Regarding the match, he issued a declaration of victory: “Guevara is a fantastic boxer with a deep record and many tactics. However, there are plenty of areas where I can fit him into my own strategy. This time, too, I intend to dominate all 10 rounds and win by a landslide.”
完封宣言の坪井 photo/Naoki Fukuda
Kyosuke Takami (Teiken, 24), who moved up to the flyweight division after losing a light flyweight unification bout, faces former IBF flyweight champion Angel Ayala (Mexico) in a 10-round match. Ayala was stripped of his title after being stopped in the final 12th round by Masamichi Yabuki in his last outing, but he remains such a formidable opponent that Takami noted, “It wouldn’t be surprising if pre-fight predictions favor Ayala” for a comeback match and divisional debut. Takami stated that he intentionally chose such a tough opponent. Nevertheless, he remains confident: “He’s an aggressive fighter, so it definitely won’t be a boring match. Our styles mesh well, so we can put on an exciting fight. I hope to secure a KO from the middle rounds onward,” he revealed.
強豪相手の再起戦、高見
Katsuma Akitsugi (28), who remains unfamiliar to Japanese fans, is a unique “reverse-import” athlete. Having built his career in the United States, this will mark his first appearance in a Japanese ring under a promotional contract with Teiken.
He first moved to the U.S. at age 17 and has not returned to Japan since the age of 20, enduring hardships so severe he admitted, “There were many times I wanted to quit.” However, he managed to sustain his boxing life with the support of his older wife, Shirley, who accompanied him. Since turning professional, he has remained undefeated with a record of 14-0 (4 KOs). He gained significant attention in his previous bout by scoring a KO victory over Vincent Astrolabio, a former world title challenger to Junto Nakatani.
日本初登場の秋次はシャーリー夫人も同行
“I have nothing but gratitude for being provided such a grand stage. I don’t want to just win; I want to deliver a performance that leaves a lasting impression,” he said with determination. His opponent, Jose Calderon, is a Mexican fighter who lost a technical decision to Riku Masuda (Teiken) in his last bout. Regarding the matchup, Akitsugi shared his aspirations: “I expect him to be young and hungry, so I want to display the kind of boxing that completely breaks that spirit.”
