Riku Kano (born 16 November 1997) is a Japanese professional boxer who challenged for the WBO mini-flyweight title in 2016.
After amassing a 4–1–1 record, Kano was scheduled to fight Madit Sada for the vacant WBA Asia minumumweight title on 9 December 2014.
Kano failed to become the youngest Japanese world boxing champion, as Takayama won the fight by technical decision in the sixth round.
Takayama suffered a cut above his left eye due to an accidental clash of heads in the second round, which was exacerbated as the fight went on.
[12] Kano was next scheduled to fight the journeyman Jerry Tomogdan for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title on 5 May 2017, at the Bunka Center in Sanda, Hyōgo.
He suffered an upset loss, as Tomogdan won the fight by a sixth-round knockout, stopping Kano with body strikes at the 1:56 minute mark.
[14] Kano was scheduled to face the debuting Kittisak Khamlong on 29 April 2018, on the undercard of the "1eth from Mita to the World" event.
[15] Kano was scheduled to challenge the reigning Japanese mini-flyweight champion Shin Ono in the latter's first title defense.
[23] Kano was scheduled to fight Ryoki Hirai for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific light-flyweight title on 23 November 2020.
[29] After successfully debuting in a new weight class, Kano was booked to face Yuga Inoue for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title on 3 September 2022.
[31] Kano made his first WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title defense against Daiki Kameyama on 16 April 2023.
[33] Kano challenged Anthony Olascuaga for the vacant WBO flyweight title at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on July 20, 2024.