Akira Yaegashi

is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2019. He is a three-weight world champion, having held the World Boxing Association (WBA) mini-flyweight title from 2011 to 2012, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring magazine flyweight titles from 2013 to 2014, and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight title from 2015 to 2016. He is an alumnus of the Takushoku University.

Professional career Yaegashi finished his amateur career with a record of 56–14 after winning the Inter-High School Championship and the National Sports Festival of Japan. His professional debut was at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in March 2005. He won the vacant OPBF mini-flyweight title there via a fifth-round technical knockout in April 2006 and defended the title once before vacating it.

After a nearly eleven-month absence from the ring, Yaegashi restarted his career, but lost in the semi-final match of the annual Japanese title elimination tournament nicknamed "The Strongest in Korakuen" at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo in July 2008. It was in June 2009 that Yaegashi won the vacant Japanese mini-flyweight title at the IMP Hall in Osaka. He defended the title three times before returning it. It was a very tough fight. Before the final round began, Yaegashi's manager Hideyuki Ohashi said to him "Come back for your son". The fight earned accolades from international media, winning Fight of the Year honors from ESPN.com and BoxingScene.com, as well as the WBA's award for Most Dramatic Fight of 2011.

On June 20, 2012, in a match that marked the first time two Japanese fighters had met to unify world titles, he lost to the WBC champion Kazuto Ioka via a unanimous decision at the Bodymaker Colosseum. When asked whether the result would have been different unless he got swollen eyes, Yaegashi said "We should not think about it. There is no if's in boxing". The day after the fight, Ioka decided to move up a weight division. So, Yaegashi's team hope the rematch with Ioka in a higher division as their second unification bout. First, Yaegashi aims to win a world championship again.

Yaegashi returned to the ring in a light-flyweight bout at the Korakuen Hall on January 5, 2013, to knock out Saenmuangloei Kokietgym in the ninth round.

Yaegashi became a two-weight class champion when he defeated defending WBC and The Ring flyweight champion, Toshiyuki Igarashi in a unanimous decision on April 8, 2013, in Tokyo, Japan. On 12 August 2013, Yaegashi successfully defended his title by defeating Mexican fighter Oscar Blanquet. Yaegashi floored Blanquet in the 8th round on his way to a points victory.

Yaegashi became a three-weight world champion after defeating IBF light-flyweight champion Javier Mendoza via unanimous decision.

Professional boxing record

Exhibition boxing record

Titles in boxing Major world titles WBA mini-flyweight champion (105 lbs) IBF light-flyweight champion (108 lbs) WBC flyweight champion (112 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles The Ring flyweight champion (112 lbs)

Regional/International titles OPBF mini-flyweight champion (105 lbs) Japanese mini-flyweight champion (105 lbs)

Recognitions 2011 ESPN.com Fight of the Year 2011 BoxingScene.com Fight of the Year 2011 WBA Most Dramatic Fight