The best fight of the week might not be one available on US airwaves. It doesn’t mean it won’t be worth a look if it’s available on YouTube later.

For all the discussion one can have about the most competitive weight classes in boxing circa 2021, no discussion is really complete right now without including Jr. flyweight. Stateside, fans recently got a look at excellent titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi on DAZN and some other players in the class have also aligned with the streaming service.

The best fighter in the division might be the one who remains outside that umbrella. Teraji, also commonly just referred to as Ken Shiro for several years in western press, has held the WBC belt for four years and maintained a solid level of opposition relative to his class. He again faces a solid contender Saturday whose only loss in the last near six years was to Kyoguchi.

Can Tetsuya Hisada throw a wrinkle into the 108-lb. mix? 

Let’s get into it. 

Stats and Stakes

Kenshiro Teraji

Age: 29

Title: WBC light flyweight (2017-Present, 7 Defenses)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’5  

Weight: 107 ¼ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Uji, Kyoto, Japan

Record: 17-0, 10 KO

Press Rankings: #1 (TBRB, Ring, Boxing News, ESPN, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: 8-0, 5 KO

Last Five Opponents: 154-24-4 (.857)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB/Ring Rated Foes: Ganigan Lopez MD12, KO2; Pedro Guevara MD12; Milan Melindo TKO7  

Additional Results, Current/Former Champions/Titlists Faced: None

Vs.

Tetsuya Hisada

Age: 36

Title/Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’4 

Weight: 108 lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Sakai, Osaka, Japan

Record: 34-10-2, 20 KO, 1 KOBY

Press Rankings: #6 (Ring, Boxing News), #7 (TBRB)

Record in Major Title Fights: 0-1 

Last Five Opponents: 60-29-5 (.665)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB/Ring Rated Foes: Hiroto Kyoguchi L12

Additional Results, Current/Former Champions/Titlists Faced: None

The Pick: Hisada is a good example of a fighter who can put early adversity behind them and find their way forward. After racking up nine losses, Hisada found a different formula in 2015. Hisada won 13 in a row, with several knockouts, to get his shot at Kyoguchi. Hisada brought it and, while he lost, it was a hell of a scrap. Hisada came off the floor to push Kyoguchi near the brink in the late going. With more than a year to recover, Hisada should be ready for one more big effort. It probably won’t be enough. Shiro is quicker, more versatile on offense including an excellent uppercut and hook to the body, and possesses the sort of smart jab that should allow him to complete combinations with more regularity.  

Hisada hasn’t been stopped since 2012 and it would be no surprise if he lasted the route here but the younger Shiro is likely to put even more punishment on Hisada than Kyoguchi did. The pick is Shiro by late stoppage in what one can hope is the last stop before more of the world gets to see a fun talent.

Additional Weekend Picks

Emanuel Navarrete TKO Christopher Diaz

Rold Picks 2021: 20-3

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com