The World Boxing Association’s third-ranked flyweight Taku Kuwahara of Ohashi Boxing Gym is determined to avenge his devastating technical knockout loss to champion Seigo ‘’Yuri’’ Akui of Kurashiki Moriyasu Boxing Gym when he challenges Akui on May 6 at Tokyo Dome, he said at the gym in Yokohama on March 11.

  The 28-year-old Kuwahara was stopped in the 10^th and the final round by Akui in July 2021 in his challenge to the latter’s Japanese flyweight title. Kuwahara’s damage was such that he was carried out of the ring on a stretcher.

  ‘’Ever since my loss, I have always wanted to take revenge on Akui. I have to thank the gym’s head Mr. Ohashi because I can fight with him at Tokyo Dome of all places (as one of the, undercards of undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘’The Monster’’ Inoue’s highly touted title defense against Luis Nery of Mexico).’’

  After his loss to Akui, also 28, Kuwahara changed his fighting style both technically and physically under the guidance of the gym’s trainer Koji Matsumoto. He has also engaged himself in a special training at a combat sport gym.

  The change of his fighting style achieved positive results as he won in his five straight bouts after the fight with Akui, four by knockout. He captured Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Giemel Magramo of the Philippines in October 2022.

  Ohashi said he has decided to have Kuwahara take a crack at Akui’s title by highly evaluating his fight with Magramo.

  But Akui has also changed in three years as seen in his title winning bout with previously undefeated champion Artem Dalakian of Ukraine on Jan. 23 in Osaka.

  Kuwahara will have to fend off Akui pressing forward pressure on his opponent. In this connection, Kuwahara said he will work out a strategy in close contact with trainer Matsumoto.

  Kuwahara said, ‘’Since I was decked by him in our previous fight, I badly wanted to knock him out. But considering my style of boxing, I plan to stick to my kind of boxing with only victory in mind. In particular, I want to give a boost to my stablemates’ respective world title fights.’’

  Of the four world championship bouts, the Akui-Kuwahara fight will be held first, followed by WBA bantamweight title fight between Kuwahara’s stablemate Takuma Inoue and top-ranked Sho Ishida of Ioka Boxing Gym.

  Then, former OPBF super bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei, another stablemate of Kuwahara, will take a crack at World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Jason Moloney of Australia for the latter’s title.