Atsushi Kakutani Dropped Hernández Before the Champion Roared Back
Atsushi Kakutani challenged Adrián Hernández for the WBC light flyweight championship in Mexico City on August 31, 2013. The Japanese challenger scored an early knockdown, but Hernández recovered to retain his title with a fourth-round stoppage.
Career highlights
Kakutani turned professional in February 2008, winning his debut by third-round knockout. He later challenged Teiru Kinoshita for a Japanese championship before the opportunity to face Hernández took him to Mexico.
At the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera, Kakutani landed a right hand during an opening-round exchange that put Hernández on the canvas. The champion got up and fought back, increasing his pressure and combinations as the contest continued.
World-title defeat and later challenges
Hernández dropped Kakutani three times in the fourth round, bringing the contest to an end at 1:12 of the round. The result left the challenger with thirteen wins, four losses and one draw. It was Hernández’s third successful defense of the championship he had regained from Kompayak Porpramook.
Kakutani continued his career in Japan, facing Kenshiro Teraji in April 2016 and Tetsuya Hisada in July 2017. Teraji stopped him in the first round, while Hisada won in the eighth. Kakutani later traveled to Germany to face Mirco Martin on September 14, 2018, losing a ten-round decision in a flyweight contest.
Sources
- Boxing Meikan: Kakutani’s professional chronology and Japanese title contests
- Notimex / Hora Cero: Hernández–Kakutani fight report
- World Boxing Organization: Martin–Kakutani date and result
Article Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
