Tomoya Tsuboi

Tomoya Tsuboi of Teiken Gym is 3-0 (2 KOs) with one no contest as a pro. The 2021 amateur world champion fights Ricardo Malajika for the vacant WBC super flyweight title on September 27, 2026, in Tokyo.

Tomoya Tsuboi is a Japanese professional boxer from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, who fights out of Teiken Gym in Tokyo. Born on March 25, 1996, he is 30. He won bantamweight gold at the 2021 amateur World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and turned professional in March 2025. His pro record stands at 3-0 with 2 KOs and one no contest in four bouts, according to Teiken's official fighter profile (checked September 23, 2026). The WBC's super flyweight ratings, updated September 3, 2026, list him at No. 1.

Next fight: vacant WBC super flyweight title, September 27

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Tsuboi meets WBC No. 2 Ricardo Malajika of South Africa for the vacant WBC super flyweight title on Prime Video Boxing 16 at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO. The main event is the WBC bantamweight title rematch between Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa. The same card also features an IBF interim super bantamweight title fight between Ryosuke Nishida and Sam Goodman, and a WBO interim minimumweight title fight between Ryusei Matsumoto and Russell Acosta, according to Teiken Promotions.

The belt is vacant because Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, who held the WBC, WBA and WBO super flyweight titles, gave them up before challenging for the WBA bantamweight title, as TimesLIVE reported on June 11, 2026. Tokyo Sports reported that the WBC announced Rodriguez's relinquishment of its belt on June 9 (June 10 in Japan). Citing the Mexican outlet Izquierdazo, the paper quoted WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman as saying that Rodriguez had already made clear he would not return to super flyweight, so the title was vacant, and that No. 1 Tsuboi and No. 2 Malajika would fight for it.

A win would give Tsuboi a world title in his fifth professional fight. Japanese outlets Boxing Mobile and Chunichi Sports report that this would equal the fastest mark by a Japanese male boxer, held by Kosei Tanaka. Teiken's September 16 workout notice also says Tsuboi could become the first world champion from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Malajika turned pro in October 2018, lost twice in his first ten fights and has won nine straight since, six by knockout (Amazon). Nicknamed "Magic Man," he also holds the IBO super flyweight title (Teiken's open-workout interview; TimesLIVE). He is an orthodox fighter who sometimes switches: the East Japan Boxing Association lists him as a right-handed boxer who at times changes to a southpaw stance, and Boxing News describes him as "a right-handed boxer (who also switches stances)." At his September 16 open workout Tsuboi said he wanted to "break him down thoroughly with speed, distance and the jab" and that "I want a shutout. I don't want to let him do anything." Malajika answered at his own workout on September 21: "The game plan was decided the moment I signed the contract. All that's left is to hurt him." (Both quotes translated from Teiken's Japanese transcripts.)

Professional record (3-0, 2 KOs, 1 NC)

In his debut Tsuboi dropped Boonrueang, then ranked No. 2 in the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight ratings, twice in the second round to force the stoppage (Boxing News). Three months later he won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title against the No. 1-ranked Tran by a wide unanimous decision, taking a regional belt in only his second pro fight. He later gave up that title without defending it (Boxing Mobile's fighter database).

His third fight was against Carlos Cuadras, a former world champion who was then rated No. 1 by the WBC. Tsuboi stopped him in the eighth round (Amazon), and Cuadras announced his retirement at the post-fight press conference (Boxing Mobile). The fourth fight, a 10-rounder with former two-division champion Pedro Guevara, ended early. Right after round two began, an accidental clash of heads left Guevara unable to continue. The result was first announced as a technical draw and then changed to a no contest (Boxing Mobile; Chunichi Sports). He was named the winner of the Effort and Fighting Spirit Award at the Japan Boxing Awards 2025 (Boxing Mobile).

Amateur career and the Olympics

Tsuboi started boxing at 11. At Hamamatsu Technical High School, Nihon University and the Japan Self-Defense Forces Physical Training School, he built an amateur record of 106-25 in 131 bouts, with 10 stoppage wins (Boxing News; Teiken). He won the All-Japan Championships four years in a row from 2014 while at Nihon University, five times in all. At the 2021 World Championships in Belgrade he won five bouts at bantamweight. He and welterweight Seon Okazawa became the first Japanese boxers to win gold at that event (Boxing News). He also took bronze in the men's 51 kg division at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games (JOC; TimesLIVE).

He never boxed at an Olympic Games. His JOC athlete page lists no Olympic appearances, and Boxing Mobile reports that he tried for both Tokyo and Paris without success. At his September 16, 2026 open workout, Tsuboi said he had tried for the Olympics three times (Boxing Mobile). For Paris, he withdrew from the 2024 final qualifier because of poor physical condition. He then announced his retirement from amateur boxing and left the Self-Defense Forces at the end of 2024 (Boxing News). In September 2024 he worked as a sparring partner for Seiya Tsutsumi, a friend of the same age, and that made him want to keep boxing (Boxing Mobile). He announced his pro debut with Teiken on January 27, 2025.

Style

Tsuboi fights from an orthodox stance and stands 160 cm (Boxing Mobile's fighter database). The East Japan Boxing Association describes him as an orthodox boxer-fighter. Boxing Mobile's page for the title fight calls him an all-rounder built on in-and-out movement, fast hands and excellent balance, and the WBC highlights his "technical finesse, footwork, and exceptional ring control." When he turned pro he said his style was built on speed and changes of pace, but that he also enjoyed a slugfest (Boxing Mobile). Since the Guevara fight he says he has worked on distance and balance (Teiken, September 16). His stated long-term goal is to unify all four super flyweight belts (Boxing Mobile, September 16).

Frequently asked questions

When is Tomoya Tsuboi's next fight?

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO, on Prime Video Boxing 16. He faces WBC No. 2 Ricardo Malajika of South Africa for the vacant WBC super flyweight title. Doors open at 16:00 JST and the first bout is scheduled for 16:30 JST (Teiken Promotions).

What is Tomoya Tsuboi's professional record?

3-0 with 2 KOs and one no contest in four pro bouts, per Teiken's official profile (checked September 23, 2026). As an amateur he went 106-25 in 131 bouts.

Did Tomoya Tsuboi box at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

No. His JOC athlete page lists no Olympic appearances, and Tsuboi says he tried for the Olympics three times. He tried to qualify for both Tokyo and Paris without success, and withdrew from the final Paris qualifier in 2024 because of poor physical condition.

Which gym does Tomoya Tsuboi fight for?

Teiken Gym in Tokyo. He announced his move to the pros on January 27, 2025, and debuted at Ryogoku Kokugikan on March 13, 2025.

Why was the Pedro Guevara fight a no contest?

An accidental clash of heads right at the start of round two on April 11, 2026, left Guevara unable to continue. It was first announced as a technical draw and then changed to a no contest.

Why is the WBC super flyweight title vacant?

Unified champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez gave up his super flyweight belts before moving up to challenge for the WBA bantamweight title. The WBC then ordered its No. 1 (Tsuboi) and No. 2 (Malajika) contenders to fight for the vacant title.

Sources (checked September 23, 2026)

• WBC Ratings — Super Flyweight (updated September 3, 2026) — World Boxing Council
• Blockbuster Card in Japan: Two WBC World Titles to Shake Tokyo on September 27 — World Boxing Council
• Tomoya Tsuboi — fighter profile (Japanese) — Teiken Promotions
• Teiken bout schedule (Japanese) — Teiken Promotions
• Teiken news: Tsuboi open workout, posted September 16, 2026 (Japanese) — Teiken Promotions (a paginated news list; posts move back as new ones go up. Page 2 as of September 24, 2026)
• Teiken news: Goodman, Malajika and Acosta open workouts, posted September 21, 2026 (Japanese) — Teiken Promotions (page 1 as of September 24, 2026)
• Prime Video Boxing 16 exclusive live stream announcement (Japanese) — Amazon (About Amazon Japan)
• Prime Video Boxing 13 exclusive live stream announcement, June 8, 2025 (Japanese) — Amazon (About Amazon Japan)
• Tomoya Tsuboi Finally Takes on His First World Title Challenge: Faces South Africa's Ricardo Malajika on September 27 on Prime Video Boxing 16 — Boxing News (boxingnews.jp)
• Ricardo Malajika ordered to fight for WBC super-flyweight title — TimesLIVE
• Tsuboi, Nishida To Fight For Vacant World Title Belts — Fightnews.com
• Tomoya Tsuboi — athlete page (Japanese) — Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC)
• Tsuboi vs. Malajika preview (Japanese) — East Japan Boxing Association
• Tsuboi turns pro with Teiken (Japanese) — Boxing News (boxingnews.jp)
• Tsuboi's pro debut: TKO in round 2 (Japanese) — Boxing News (boxingnews.jp)
• Tsuboi wins WBO Asia Pacific title in second pro fight (Japanese) — Boxing News (boxingnews.jp)
• Tsuboi vs. Cuadras post-fight report (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tsuboi vs. Guevara post-fight report (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tsuboi's no contest with Guevara after a head clash (Japanese) — Chunichi Sports / Tokyo Chunichi Sports
• World Championships gold medalist Tsuboi turns pro (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Japan Boxing Awards 2025 results (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tsuboi aims for a world title in his fifth fight (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tomoya Tsuboi — fighter database (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tsuboi open workout, September 16 (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• Tsuboi vs. Malajika, vacant WBC super flyweight title bout page (Japanese) — Boxing Mobile (boxmob.jp)
• WBC vacancy and Tsuboi vs. Malajika order (Japanese) — Tokyo Sports

Update log: September 23, 2026, first version (reflects announcements from Teiken Promotions, the WBC and Amazon). The result will be added once it is officially announced.