Moses Itauma dominated the early action before a shocking, sudden turnaround saw Filip Hrgovic outlast the younger man, scoring a startling ninth-round stoppage for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

At the opposite end of boxing's various weight divisions, Kira (5-0, 4 KOs) produced a highlight reel seventh-round stoppage of former two-weight world champion Carlos Canizales at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.

"Itauma's loss was something I took into consideration," Kira told The Ring. "It actually made me think even more carefully about controlling the pace of the fight and choosing exactly the right moment to go for the finish."

There was a lot of pressure on his young shoulders, especially entering the world title picture with just four fights and 12 pro rounds under his belt. Instead, the 23-year-old embraced the moment and used it to his advantage.

"Before the fight, I went through my usual routine, accepting the pressure and nerves rather than trying to fight them. That allowed me to stay calm and composed. I didn't feel any extra pressure challenging for a world title so early in my career, approaching it with the same focus and nervous energy I always need to perform at my best."

Kira made an excellent start and unlike Itauma, he didn't let up to close the show in definitive fashion.

"When I dropped him in the third round, I didn't feel that he was seriously hurt, so knew it wasn't the right time to rush for the finish. I stayed patient and controlled myself," he explained. "I could feel the fight moving in a good direction, and ultimately that patience led to the seventh-round finish."

It won't be long before he surveys the landscape and decides on next steps, but for now, enjoyed the moment with his family and team members.

His promoter Yusuke Ninomiya was understandably elated at his young fighter becoming world champion but believes it won't stop there.

"Becoming a world champion is not the finish line — it is the starting point," he said. "Now Daiya can truly begin his journey as a world champion. I believe he has the potential to become a legendary champion and leave his name in boxing history."

Kira reportedly had to lose 4.5kg (9.9 pounds) to make the 108-pound junior flyweight limit and naturally, Ninomiya doesn't believe his charge will remain in the weight class for much longer.

"Nothing has been decided yet regarding his next fight, but I believe the options will be either to have one more junior flyweight fight or move up to flyweight. Making 108 pounds is still possible for Daiya but realistically, I think he probably has only one more fight left at that weight."

A little over two years after his professional debut, Kira has checked the first box en route to becoming a star his talent suggests is inevitable. Now, the Tokyo resident has bigger aims to conquer.

"I haven't decided yet whether I will pursue the other sanctioning body titles or move through multiple weight divisions," he said.

"My ultimate goal is to become of the world's top pound-for-pound fighters and eventually reach the No. 1 spot, so with that in mind, we will carefully consider the next step in my career."