Very rarely do prospects headline shows, not least for a professional debut. Fujiki's amateur pedigree (80-1, 50 KOs) has become the stuff of legend, however, and anticipation over his appearance Wednesday was quickly justified.

Nicknamed 'The King', the Yokohama resident needed less than two rounds to dispatch 21-2 pro Wira Mikham as the latest Ohashi Gym product flashed a snippet of his skills behind a stiff jab and spiteful punching at mid-range.

Mikham meant well with his attacks but was on wobbly legs before the first frame even finished. A series of hooks to the body scored nicely for the Thai man, though he couldn't react fast enough and got stunned by a counter jab before a right hand had him rocking against the ropes.

He was more successful with body punching at close-range, though this left him vulnerable to an avalanche of punishment from a much faster, sharper adversary whose confidence grew as he chained shots together. The end came after an 11-punch flurry staggered the four-year pro backwards, struggling to defend himself intelligently.

"I'm relieved. The tickets were sold out, it was a great debut, the first time I've fought in front of so many people and it was fun," Fujiki said post-fight, per Yahoo Japan.

"I only threw straight punches and uppercuts, didn't even show half of my ability but would give myself three out of 10. All the regional titles are held by Japanese fighters, which is exciting, but I want to win one of the three as soon as possible. I will definitely become a world champion," he added, reinforcing the fanfare his presence has warranted.

Yuriko Miyata's feature on why Japan was heading for a seismic 2026, powered in part by last month's Naoya Inoue-Junto Nakatani mega fight feels fitting.

While a broken orbital bone will see Nakatani shelved for the foreseeable future as he recovers, The Ring's top pound-for-pound star was on location midweek to watch the next generation.

Having inspired many as someone to emulate during their formative years, the 33-year-old has embraced his elder statesman role and watched ringside here with many across the lighter weight divisions making their mark.

It was a card packed with national prospects but nonetheless sold quickly.

"I think there was a synergistic effect from watching the Dome fights, the large turnout is a reflection of boxing fans' expectations. If all the fighters who fought today get involved, I think a Tokyo Dome event is definitely possible," legendary promoter Hideyuki Ohashi said.

Fujiki is slated to return in August as Ohashi sees a path where he'll challenge for 130-pound world titles within two years — no pressure — but he spoke excitedly about wanting to emulate Inoue's success. Armed with an amazing environment, soaking up information and blending it into his own arsenal, the signs are certainly positive.

Bantamweight prospect Yuta Sakai boxed like he had somewhere better to be, bouncing and moving his way to a seventh-round stoppage of Froilan Saludar. A subtle but stinging body attack, curling a left hand into the bottom of his chest, forced the Filipino to take evasive action and recover on his haunches. He didn't stop trying and limped through punishment, as the 21-year-old used that opportunity to better set up his punches and counters.

The 37-year-old, who counts Takuma Inoue, Daigo Higa and Andrew Moloney among his former opponents, was rocked by a left hand at the end of round six. Sakai stepped on the accelerator shortly afterwards to find the finish his performance deserved, courtesy of an unanswered barrage of shots with the veteran defenseless in the corner.

Sakai acknowledged he 'didn't do very well' last time out against Philippines' Wesley Caga in March, mainly because his KO streak ended at six having banked eight rounds with a tricky opponent who knew how to survive.

Yet he quickly read Saludar was weak to the body and took his time breaking down a carefully selected opponent, considering his own future world title ambitions.

"I'm not strong enough yet, but I'll be ready to do it anytime," he said when asked about contesting regional titles.

The clamor for him to be given a gutcheck will no doubt intensify as quickly as hype around his long-term potential has built.

Sento Ito (6-0, 5 KOs), a year his junior, holds the WBO bauble while Kongfah CP Freshmart (53-8-2, 29 KOs) claimed the WBC trinket last month. While multiple names in both ranking lists are known on the world stage, he's being exposed to the importance of activity and solving different styles now before scaling that higher level.

Keeping in theme with the aforementioned pair, junior flyweight Raito Kataoka (2-0, 2 KOs) stalked and stopped Thailand's Suriya Puttaluksa with a body shot at the end of a three-punch combination barely two minutes into their scheduled eight-round clash.

Puttaluksa, who has boxed two weight divisions higher and counts former WBA flyweight title challenger Thananchai Charunphak on his resume, had no answers for the 19-year-old aptly nicknamed 'The Thunder'.

Earlier, his younger brother Tomu marked his professional debut with a third-round finish of Atthachai Prasoetsri at bantamweight, while welterweight hopeful Ryuko Ishii (7-1-1, 7 KOs) and strawweight Issa Sakata (5-1-1, 3 KOs) also earned stoppages inside the distance against Marlon Pagalpalan (TKO1) and Luca Ueda (TKO6) respectively.

Campaigning at junior middleweight midweek after flickering between weight divisions in recent times, Kazusa Kawabuchi won a wide eight-round decision (80-71, 79-72, 80-71) against Phumiritdet Chonlathondamrongkun.