Masuda, Teraji, Iwata win in Tokyo tripleheader

Riku Masuda kept his secondary WBA bantamweight title with a split decision over Daigo Higa in Tokyo this morning, while Kenshiro Teraji picked up the vacant WBO flyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super flyweight strap to become a three-weight world champion.

Masuda, who stopped Nonito Donaire in March to claim the belt, survived a tough test from Higa in a result that reportedly divided the judges, per Bad Left Hook. Higa had retired earlier this year after three straight title-shot losses, but returned to push Masuda all the way. The win positions Masuda as a potential challenger to Jesse Rodriguez, who holds the full WBA belt, though the sanctioning body's unpredictable approach to mandatory orders makes that timeline uncertain.

Teraji returns with 18th straight title fight

Teraji, fighting for the first time since his upset loss to Ricardo Sandoval last July, dropped Israel Gonzalez twice on his way to a unanimous decision. The 34-year-old extended his streak of consecutive world title appearances to eighteen, dating back to his 2017 win over Ganigan Lopez for WBC flyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light flyweight gold. Bad Left Hook reports the victory further cements Teraji as one of the best lower-weight fighters of his generation.

Shokichi Iwata weathered an early knockdown to stop Erik Badillo in the eleventh round of his first WBC light flyweight title defense. Badillo caught Iwata with a sharp left hand in round four, but the champion rallied late to finish with a flurry of right hands. The stoppage marked Iwata's eighth finish in his last nine outings since reclaiming the belt in March.

Masuda is now 11-1 with nine knockouts, Teraji moves to 26-2, and Iwata improves to 17-2.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Riku Masuda, Kenshiro Teraji, Shokichi Iwata pick up wins in Tokyo