Kenshiro Teraji dethroned by Ricardo Sandoval in shock defeat to end flyweight reign

Kenshiro Teraji suffered a shock loss on home turf as Ricardo Sandoval claimed a split decision upset victory to become the new WBA and WBC unified flyweight champion.

The Kyoto-born star was making the first defence of his two titles since he added the former to the latter crown against fellow countryman Seigo Yuri Akui in March this year.

But against pre-fight expectations and despite securing a fifth-round knockdown against his opponent, Teraji was handed a points loss as American Sandoval took the win.

The incumbent strap holder won one card 114-113, but was handed a 115-112 and a surprisingly wide 117-110 at Yokohama Buntai, to the disbelief of a partisan crowd.

An evenly matched first four rounds were tough to split between the two men, as the pair traded blows and felt each other out, but momentum appeared to shift in the fifth.

Teraji dropped Sandoval with a superb one-two move, leaving his opponent on the canvas, though the latter was able to recover and beat the count to see out the round.

A fine uppercut in the sixth looked to further move him into the box seat, but the challenger refused to go away and regained his composure to edge the championship rounds.

Defeat harms Teraji's reputation as one of the sport's true pound-for-pound powerhouses, and begs questions over his next steps, while Sandoval now begins his reign at the top.

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