Who? Giemel Magramo (24-1, 20) Age? 25 Where? Philippines What weight? Flyweight Why? The Flyweight division has been an odd one the past year or two, with no one really making the division their own. There is talent there, but much of it seems to be either passing through, or happy to get a title and not chasing unification bouts. We already know that Kosei Tanaka has his eyes on a showdown with Kazuto Ioka, Artem Dalakian is seemingly happy to be obscure champion in Ukraine and the WBC title has been passed around a lot in recent years, with no one really making it theirs and getting a lengthy reign under their belt. Other than Tanaka the only other champion who looks to be a genuinely special fighter is Moruti Mthalane, who 37 and battling father time. What all that means is that the Flyweight division is ready for a new break out star, and one potential fighter to fill that position is 25 Filipino boxer-puncher Giemel Magramo, who appears to tick every box we want to see in a fighter. Magramo is a solid puncher, he's skilled, he moves well and he's an exciting aggressive fighter. He's proven his willingness to travel, fighting his toughest tests in China and Korea, and has reeled off 7 straight stoppage wins since his close 2016 loss to Muhammad Waseem. Not only does he tick the boxes that we like, but he also has boxing in his blood, with his father, grandfather, uncles and brother being boxers, and might be coming around at just the perfect time to be a Filipino star, with Nietes, Donaire and Pacquiao all with a foot in the door of retirement. What do we expect? At the time of writing Magramo is ranked #1 by the WBO, #3 by the IBF, who have no one rated at #1 or #2, #5 with the WBC and #6 with the WBA so the least we expect from "Pistolero" is a world title fight. Given how the Flyweight division seems likely to have some big shifts next year we wouldn't be shocked to see Megramo go one better than just fighting for a title and will instead go all the way and win one, likely doing so on the road. With boxing being as short sighted as it often is it's hard to predict when and where Magramo's shot will come but the likely options are that he either faces Mthalane, or Akira Yaegashi, for the IBF title in the new year or battles Angel Acosta for the WBO belt when Tanaka moves up. If we're being honest any of those bouts would be a step up for Magramo, but a winnable step up for the Filipino. The key for him is to have his options open and do what's best for him, and his career. Longer terms it seems clear he'll move up in weight, as his body continues to grow and fill, and there's no reason he won't have success at Super Flyweight down the line. Concerns? As with many Filipino hopefuls the biggest worry is who is backing them, and how hard are they willing to back them. Magramo is a real talent, but could quickly find himself becoming part of the "who needs him club?" Without someone willing to back him. Likewise lack of opportunities could see his hunger dry up, so his backers need to keep up his desire until he gets his eventual title fight. With Magramo likely to be fighting on the road for a world title he'll also risk the shenanigans we've seen on the past for foreign title contenders. For a fighter like Magramo it could well be a case of needing to make the most of the first opportunity as the second could take years to come around. We saw it with Jonathan Taconing, who waited more than 4 years between his first 2 world title fights, and a loss at world level in 2020 could well put his dreams on the backburner for years, especially if not one is bankrolling his career going forward. If he can stay focused, can make the most of opportunities and can be one of the future faces at Flyweight, but we feel he'll need a touch of luck to make the most of his potential.
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In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #12 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Taku Kuwahara (7-0, 4) Age? 24 Where? Japan What weight? Flyweight Why? The Ohashi gym have proven they know how to handle talent, taking Naoya Inoue, Katsushige Kawashima, Ayaka Miyao and Akira Yaegashi to world titles. The head of the gym, the fantastic Hideyuki Ohashi, is himself a former world champion as well and the gym has enough brains to really know how to guide talented fighter to the top. With that in mind we start this by saying that Taku Kuwahara is probably the best Ohashi Gym fighter to have not won a title, of any kind, but that's likely to change in 2020. The talented 24 year old has been frequently compared to Kazuto Ioka, with the Japanese press regularly referring to him as "Ioka II" and although he's not quite on Ioka's level you can see they do have things in common. Not only did they both attend the same educational facility but they are both talented fighters who have crisp punching, fight with smart pressure, though lovely combinations and have particularly good body shots, a trade mark for both men. Kuwahara has lot of reasons to follow him. Not only is the Ohashi gym pushing him as a future star, and not only is his an exceptional talent, but 2020 is expected to be the year where he goes out there and begins to collect gold. As we've seen with Ohashi gym fighters in the past when they are ready for titles Ohashi pushes them for titles, rather than wasting time with talk and bluster, and Kuwahara is certainly at the point where he's ready for serious tests. What do we expect? With 7 fights under his belt, a couple of completed 8 rounder and 4 fights in 2019, including a massive step up in class, it's clear that the fighter is wanting to go places, his team know he has the talent and together they have the drive. The minimum expectation we have of Taku Kuwahara in 2020 is for him to win his first title, which we expect to be a regional belt. With that belt we expect to see the youngster breaking into the world rankings and fighting against a fellow ranked fighter by the end of the year. Kuwahara certainly needs more fights before fighting for a world title, his relative lack of experience and limited opposition make it clear that he needs more ring time before thinking about world titles. However an OPBF champion in these lower weights to tend to be fringe world class, and a bout against a world ranked opponent after that will certainly be 2 solid fights that will help Kuwahara develop his experience. One other thing we would expect from Kuwahara is to face off with a Western opponent of some kind. To date all of his opponents have been from Asia, so it would be good to see him in with a tough Mexican or a Puerto Rican later in 2020. Concerns? Whist we have no real concerns over Kuwahara the fighter, he looks like a complete package even if he has now gone the distance in back to back fights, there are still question marks regarding how his career will go from here, and how well it can be managed. Whilst we do think the Ohashi is great, and the way they've developed fighters over the years has certainly been more exciting than we've seen from many other promoters, there is a worry they are spreading themselves a bit thin. The company, who maintain an interest in Naoya Inoue and Andy Hiraoka, will see their focus split between East and West and it may mean that a fighter like Kuwahara doesn't get the time they deserve. It's not happened yet, but might in 2020. On the flipside of that the links up with Top Rank from some of the more marketable stars in the gym may well turn out to be a positive for fighters like Kuwahara who could be fighting on US soil on an Inoue undercard, if things fall in place. So there is a worry he could be over-looked, but on the other hand that worry could be alleviated and quickly become a positive, if things go well for his US based stablemates. Unfortunately we don't have much professional footage of Kuwahara so we've included an amateur bout of him below from 2014, in a tournament in Taiwan. (Image courtesy of Boxkob.jp) In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #13 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Apinun Khongsong/Downua Ruawaiking (16-0, 13) Age? 23 Where? Thailand What weight? Light Welterweight Why? When a fighter is on the verge of a world title fight they are really are one to take not of, almost by default, especially when that title fight would be in a division that has international appeal. That however isn't the only reason to take note of Downua Ruawaiking, aka Apinun Khongsong, who is the IBF mandatory challenger at 140lbs. In fact there is a lot more to the Thai than just his mandatory situation, he is a big, talented, smart, hard hitting fighter in a division that we rarely see Thai's making a mark in. The unbeaten 23 year old is a talented boxer-puncher who had been making a name for himself in Thailand with wins against lower level regional fighters until 2019. It was this past February that he fought outside of Thailand for the first time, and he left a real impact by stopping Japanese veteran Akihiro Kondo in 6 rounds, scoring one of the most eye catching KO's of the year. That win set him up for a shot at the eventual WBSS winner at 140lbs, and left him in a situation where the key was to tick over and bide his time, rather than risk his ranking. Although certainly not a big name outside of his homeland his win over Kondo showed he was a legitimate fighter, a real brutal puncher and someone who could perform on foreign soil It was the sort of win that instantly puts a fighter on the map, and stopping a man who had fought for a world title just 3 fights earlier, when Kondo went 12 rounds with Sergey Lipinets, was impressive. What do we expect? We're realists and we know the clamour internationally isn't for Downua to fight Josh Taylor. In fact the reality is that no one outside of Thailand is even thinking about that fight, especially given that other options on the table for Taylor, but we do expect to see the Thai get a title shot at some point during the next 12 months. He would be a big under-dog but we still see him getting a shot. Prior to a title fight we expect the title scene at 140lbs to change quite dramatically, and wouldn't be surprised to see the Thai waiting until quite late in the year for his shot. Sadly that will mean stay busy fights whilst the IBF, and their champion, sort things out. It seems likely that the champion's will look to take part in an undisputed unification bout at some point in the new year, with Jose Carlos Ramirez, and that really is the bout to make at 140lbs. Hopefully after that happens the Thai will get his shot, however he is very much a low reward opponent and has little value to a champion who may not be in a rush to risk anything against him. Basically the division will move on before Downua gets a title fight, but he'll be linger waiting for the opportunity he earned in 2019. Concerns? He is truly part of the "who needs him?" club. The IBF won't want to shoot themselves in the foot or strip Taylor, to give Downua a shot, likewise Downua lacks the political backing to force the bout on his terms, and his team aren't going to be winning any sort of purse bids. The reality is that he's a mandatory without the finances needed to make the most of his shot, and is likely getting his shot as, and when, the IBF deem fit. Adding to the awkward position he's in there is always, as we've seen numerous times with Thai's, also the chance he simply doesn't travel well. Yeah he good in Japan, but Thailand to Japan is much less of a trek than Thailand to the UK, where he will likely need to be to face Taylor. At the age of 23 his team might also take the odd, though maybe understandable, decision to decline an immediate title shot, if offered, so that their man can get a bit more experience. He's only had 62 rounds as a professional and has only gone beyond 6 rounds once. If offered the right step aside money they may well take the money and try to develop Downua, rather than let him fight for the title. At the moment it's really hard to understand what exactly the future holds for the young Thai, but he is in a great position and one we hope he can make the most of. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #14 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Ali Akhmedov (16-0, 12) Age? 24 Where? Kazakhstan (but based in the US) What weight? Super Middleweight Why? The Kazakh boxing scene is only a year or two from losing Gennady Golovkin as it's focal point, and finding his successor is a key to maintaining the Kazakh fan base which has grown around Golovkin. With that in mind we probably need and aggressive, exciting and hard hitting fighter to build around. In steps Super Middleweight prospect Ali Akhmedov, who has power, aggression, a good look and a very exciting style. He is someone who ticks almost every box and at only 24 years old he could be the long term successor to Golovkin. Unlike Golovkin Akhmedov doesn't have a legendary amateur career that "GGG" used to help build his professional legacy, but he has youth and he's been based in the US for his formative boxing years. Golovkin was 30 when he made his US debut against Grzegorz Proksa in 2012, in what was his 24th professional bout. Whilst his landing in the US was big, it had taken more than 6 years to kick off the most exciting part of his career. Akhmedov on the other hand has been fighting in the US since 2017, making his US debut in his 8th bout, and really generating a buzz in his early 20's. He's not the natural talent Golovkin is, but he's managed to make the switch to the US very early, and with his style there is no reason that Akhmedov can't become a star. What do we expect? With 3 fights in 2019 Akhmedov has been busy but underwhelming in the last 12 months. He fought just 12 rounds, and his final bout of the year was a farce against late replacement Andrew Hernandez. We expect his level of competition to increase markedly in 2020. No more late replacement, opponents or rick over fights and instead more testing opponents and top 50 type of foes. He has the potential to fight at a high level in the coming years but needs to be given the developmental fights to prepare for world class fighters. Likewise Akhmedov's profile and name also needs increasing, and for that we need to see him in with "known" opponents. No more Mike Guys and Marcus McDaniel's and instead someone like Ryno Liebenberg, Ryan Ford, Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna or Peter Quillin. Sure not all of those opponents are likely to watch to face a rising Kazakh puncher but they are the type of opponents his team need to be looking at. We'd hope that Akhmedov can land a big fight by the end of the year and can really begin to connect with a more casual boxing audience. Concerns? Given that Akhmedov has an exciting style there are going to be major concerns on what happens when he can't blitz opponents, when they tag him back and what his chin is like. It could take a while to really find out about his chin and stamina, especially given the way he is blowing away opponents, but so far the concern is that he may not take a shot as well as he delivers one. A bigger concern is that he will always be compared to Golovkin. That's not a huge issue to begin with, but longer term it could be a real negative for Akhmedov, who could end up with a huge shadow hanging over him, and that could be very hard to shake. Another concern is that Akhmedov may not have the full backing of his team, or their full belief, at least that's a feeling from his match ups this year. If they continue to match him softly it could cause him to regress and see him fall short of his potential. Hopefully this concern will be allied in 2020, when he fingers crossed, is matched much tougher than he has been. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #15 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Shuichiro Yoshino (11-0, 9) Age? 28 Where? Japan What weight? Lightweight Why? Seeing fighters unify titles is what we want to see, especially at the top level. World title unifications are, whether we admit it or not, usually the biggest bouts and the best vs the best. Whilst Shuichiro Yoshino isn't at world level we did see 2019 become a huge year for him as he unified the Japanese, OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight titles to become the undisputed champion of the Asian scene. Seeing a fighter do that really suggests they are ready to step up a level, and stepping up a level from Asian title level puts Yoshino into the mix for world level, or at least fringe world level. In 2019 Masayoshi Nakatani, the previous OPBF Lightweight champion, surprised American fans by giving Teofimo Lopez a tough test. It's also worth noting that other Japanese fighters who have held the OPBF Lightweight title include Nihito Arakawa, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi Hamada and the legendary Guts Ishimatsu. All of whom have made a mark at the top level, win or lose, and we see Yoshino genuinely getting into the mix in 2020. He may not win at the highest level, but he will certainly be able to hold his own with other fringe world level fighters. For those who haven't seen Yoshino he has a fan friendly style, and we wouldn't be surprised at all if an American promoted brought him to the US late in 2020 with the plan for something bigger in 2021. What do we expect? With a Japanese, OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific title around his waist there's only really 2 options for Yoshino now. He can either look to settle at regional level, following Masayoshi Nakatani who wasted years of his career defending the OPBF title when he had the potential to do so much more, or he can look to move forward and chase bigger fights. To begin we do hope to see him defending his regional titles, at least once. There are good options for him on the regional scene George Kambosos, Jr., Xiangxiang Sun and even Jorge Linares, who is still popular in Japan and would serve as a perfect stepping stone opponent towards world level. Even if Linares is a faded force. After a defense or two of his title, or titles as the case may be, it would be great for him to face some more well known international names. Maybe some former contender type, like a Raymundo Beltran or Sharif Bogere, to boost his name on the international stage. Better yet would be an American debut, maybe even on the under-card of a Lightweight world title bout to try and build him as a possible future challenger. Concerns? The biggest problems with Yoshino are less things we've spotted, and more things have gone unanswered. He has often looked too calm in the ring, too lazy at times, and been happy to rely on his power and skills to turn fights on when he wishes. It's a great trait to have in many ways, but something he needs to get out of his system before fighting against a world class opponent. The top guys won't fade and let him turn things around like some of his opponents have. It is however a little bit unfair to criticise Yoshino too much given that each bout is still a learning experience for a man with only 11 bouts and 50 rounds under his belt. On a similar note we're unsure about Yoshino's stamina, and he has never seen round 10 before. He's looked comfortable going 7, 8 and 9 rounds, but will that carry up to 12 rounds? Likewise will he be comfortable fighting at a higher pace set by his opponent? Likewise we wonder what his chin really like? Sadly the biggest concern for Yoshino isn't him, but the others in the division. The Lightweight division is strong, and that strength could be too much for Yoshino with the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Devin Haney, Richard Commey, Luke Campbell and Teofimo Lopez all in and around the top of the division. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #16 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Kento Hatanaka (10-0, 9) Age? 21 Where? Japan What weight? Flyweight Why? Youngster Kento Hatanaka has slowly created a bit of a following due to his exciting, aggressive and power punching style. The second generation fighter, the son of former world champion Kiyoshi Hatanaka, hasn't yet progressed to regional title level, but that looks likely to happen sooner rather than later and with his father's name, and the backing of local TV with CBC and stablemate Kosei Tanaka getting attention it's hard to see Hatanaka having a big 2020. The fighter really ticks all the boxes we could hope for from a Flyweight. It's also worth noting that last time out he was tested, and we really mean tested, yet came through that test successfully and showed he had heart and toughness to go with his aggressive skills. We all love seeing aggressive fighters, but when we see those aggressive fighters show more to their arsenal than just their power and combinations we begin to realise there is more to them than just their offensive work. For Hatanaka we now know that he can box, there is a lot to work on there, but he can do it. Likewise he has got genuine power, but he has shown he has a good engine as well, going 10 rounds for the first time in 2019. Titles, above that of the WBC Youth title, need to be on his mind as we enter a new year and with the backing of Hatanaka and CBC there is the money there to push him for OPBF, WBO Asia Pacific or Japanese honours. Young, good looking, exciting to watch, well backed and with real power, there is so many things that Hatanaka has that other fighters would wish to have and it's to imagine him not making a big impact in 2020. What do we expect? Although Hatanaka was given a real scare last time out by Jaysever Abcede we suspect that test will actually convince Hatanaka, and his father, that he needs to be fighting at this type of fringe regional to regional title level going forward. He needs to be tested, he needs to be given the battles to hardening him mentally and make him dig hard. With that in mind we wouldn't be surprised to see him fighting for a nationa or regional title by the end of 2020, if the right opportunity becomes available. If not he'll continue to be the main support to Kosei Tanaka and getting good experience and developing on big shows in Chubu. The longer term plan is certainly for Hatanaka to mix at world level, and whilst those are plans are years down the line they will want to have some route to the top for the youngster. That will, obviously, involve regional titles on the route there but more notably it will also involve mixing with varied styles, opponents and sparring partners. We expect to see Hatanaka off to the US at some point in 2020, hopefully for more than just a training camp. In an ideal world Hatanaka will either fight in the US in 2020 or, at very least, have a bout shown to a US audience on TV. We suspect Kosei Tanaka will fight on US TV in 2020, and if he does, it only makes sense for Hatanaka to be bundled with him, giving him a huge chance to grab eye balls and get an international audience talking about him, even if it does leave him in Tanaka's shadows for the foreseeable future. Concerns? Whilst Hatanaka ticks a lot of boxes, we did see some issues arise against Abcede, and it's clear there is a lot to work on. He was dropped, he was shown to be have a defense that needs serious work, and whilst he did do 10 rounds, at a good pace, he could certainly still work on his fitness. Bigger concerns however are more related to his surname than anything else. We've seen it time and time again, where having a famous father can be both a blessing and a curse. It certainly helps Hatanaka early in his career to share his dad's name, and whilst Kiyoshi Hatanaka wasn't a massive star he was a star in Chubu. That has certainly helped get Hatanaka attention and exposure through CBC. However longer term sharing a famous surname can cause pressure on a young fighter, who will get compared to their father when they start to create some buzz of their own. Whilst Kento has so far been able to use his surname for positive, we're maybe only a year before people really start to compare him to his father, who held the WBC back in 1991. And do so unfairly. They need to be aware of what happened to his father,who retired at a young age due to damage to his eye, and let Kento have his own career, which has the potential, long term, to out do that of Kiyoshi. (Image courtesy of boxmob) In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can have fought for a world title at the time of writing, as the fighters who have are, essentially, already ones to watch having dabbled at world level. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #17 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020 Who? Shokichi Iwata (4-0, 3) Age? 23 Where? Japan What weight? Light Flyweight Why? The Light Flyweight division is, right now, one of the hottest in the sport, with so much fantastic talent at the top of the division. You could easily have a WBSS style tournament in the division and complain more about who isn't in the tournament than negatively talk about those who are included. The division really is stacked. As well as the top guys however the division also has a host of really exciting youngsters coming through the ranks, one of those is Teiken promoted Shokichi Iwata. The talented 23 year old was an excellent amateur, who scored wins over Takuma Inoue and Kosei Tanaka, has already made his US debut and recently had his 4th bout shown to a US audience. The belief is that he is going places, and going there quickly with Teiken expected to push him to the moon. We've already seen Iwata impress, we've seen him on US TV, we've seen him on US soil, we've seen him box and brawl, with in just 4 fights we have seen so much to get excited about. At times he has shown flaws, and his November win over Alejandro Cruz Valladares perhaps showed he was too happy to take a shot sometimes. Though we do suspect that was, at least partly, due to Valladares' lack of power. Thankfully it did show that Iwata was willing to put on a show when he wanted to, and his May over Daiki Kameyama showed he could play it safe when he needed to. What do we expect? Whilst 2020 doesn't seem likely to be the year where Iwata gets a world title fight, we do expect to see a lot of him, with potentially 3 fights against progressively better opponents through the year. A world title really does look outside of his reach for the year, but moves towards a national or regional title should be the least we expect from someone with his ability. He is such a skilled fighter that we expect to see him break into the world rankings and be up against a notable divisional name by the end off the year. It may be that he faces a faded a force, but we certainly suspect that his name will be one that is spoken about, a lot, in mid to late 2020 before he really announced himself on the world stage in 2021. Iwata's biggest issue, perhaps, is finding his identity in the ring. We have seen him fight, we have seen him box, but we suspect haven't yet seen him settle on a style that he's fully happy with. Having alternate game plans on his pocket is a great asset to have when he needs them, but in 2020 we expect to see Iwata settle on a main style. Be it the outside boxing that he showed against Kameyama, or the aggressive fighting he style he showed against Valladares. He's very good at both, but we'd like to see him stick to one if we're being honest. Concerns? For Iwata 2020 doesn't bring many concerns, but there are maybe one or two things to consider with him, notably the other fighter in and around the Light Flyweight division. Iwata is among the most accomplished, terms of his amateur pedigree, but he's certainly not alone in terms of his potential and his desire to be a big name. Iwata is likely to get opportunities that others won't, the fact he is backed by Teiken and has such a strong amateur background certainly help him, but there isn't really an easy route to a title give the competition in and around the domestic and regional scene. Even supposedly easier title fights, like a bout with Japanese national champion Yuto Takahashi, aren't as easy as they look. The youngster clearly has ambition to get in the mix quickly, and that's great, but that ambition can be a concern if it's not tempered a little bit, and Teiken will certainly want to just make sure Iwata doesn't look beyond his opponents and he doesn't race into fights that he's ready for at the time. That's likely not too much of an issue, but does need keeping in mind, at least for the next year or two. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #18 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, as we continue our count down. Who? Ryusei Kawaura (7-0, 4) Age? 25 Where? Japan What weight? Super Bantamweight Why? We love seeing fighters moved quickly, and it's fair to say that Japanese Super Flyweight hopeful Ryusei Kawaura has been moved quickly, or rather more accurately he's been moved effectively. He debuted more than 3 years ago, and took his first 3 wins against very limited Thai foes, but since then he has stepped up and been very impressive with solid wins over Marjun Pantilgan, Renoel Pael and Joy Joy Formentera. Those wins have put Kawaura in the mix for titles, and it seems clear that he will be fighting for his first title belt in 2020. It's just a shame he's been so inactive. The youngster isn't just talent, and trust us he is incredibly talented, but he's also guided by a man who knows what it takes to get to the top, with former world champion Hiroshi Kawashima being his promoter. With such a smart boxer guiding it's clear that Kawaura is learning so much between fights that even with a relatively slowly schedule he is developing rapidly. It's known that Kawashima will push Kawaura for a belt in 2020 and that, we suspect, will be when he begins to make a mark with a wider fan base. What do we expect? With Kawaura and Kawashima revealing that they are pursuing titles in 2020 the least we expect from the youngster is for him to pick up either the Japanese, OPBF or WBO Asia Pacific title. He already has wins that have shown he can compete at title level, though the question is really whether he has the experience or can do the longer distances. Given his relaxed and natural he is in the ring however we don't imagine 10, or 12, rounds will be any sort of an issue for him. Whilst we do imagine Kawaura will be fighting for his first titles in 2020 we don't see him advancing beyond Oriental level next year. That will have to wait, though given he only fights twice a year that shouldn't be any sort of a surprise. What we would like to see is for him to be a bit busier, fighting 3 times in a year would be nice as would getting to see Kawaura on TV, and we are hoping that he will feature on a G+ card at some point in the new year, giving him a chance to show what he can do to a larger audience. Concerns? Although Kawaura is managed by a former world champion the former champion in questions doesn't have a strong a strong relationship with any TV channel, nor does he have big financial backing. Kawashima has shown he's happy to build shows around Kawaura, but without financial and TV backing Kawaura will struggle to reach his potential. We suspect that TV will get behind him in 2020, but there is a risk that they don't and instead of building his name rapidly in 2020 he meanders just a touch, even with a title around his waist. It would be a shame but is certainly a possibility, and he may end up fighting some future bouts on Boxing Raise, rather than TV. Although he's been matched well, we do, obviously, have concerns about his level of activity, and 7 fights in 3 years is hugely disappointing, especially for someone with his ability and boxing brain. We hope that changes, and if it doesn't he may not fight enough to make the most of his skills. In terms of talent we have no concerns regarding Kawaura, and instead all the issues are to do with the way his career goes, not what he does in the ring. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #19 in our list of the top 20 Ones to watch in 2020. Who? Ye Joon Kim (18-1-2, 10) Age? 27 Where? South Korea What weight? Super Bantamweight Why? South Korea desperately needs a fighter that the country can get behind, and the only one who seems to have the skills to really make a mark is Ye Joon Kim, who is a real natural talent. Kim can be frustrating at times, cruising through portions of bouts, but when he moves through the gears he looks like a genuinely fantastic talent. If his team can keep him on the right track, which is a challenge in it's self, and he can avoid another big injury, an issue that forced him to cancel a 2019 bout, then Kim is very much one to watch in 2020. The problem with Korean boxing is that it feels really badly structured, with bouts falling through, and a lot of political issues, further adding to the frustrations fans can have with a fighter as frustrating as Kim. Despite that he's an enigma, a character, and boxing fans do enjoy characters. That is especially true when the fighter in question is talented, and can appeal to fan who want to see them beat as well as fans who want to enjoy their skills. Kim probably isn't known well enough to have genuine haters yet, but his personality could well make him a fighter you want to see What do we expect? If Kim can get his act sorted then we genuinely see 2020 being a career year for the Korean who should be in the mix for either the OPBF or WBO Asia Pacific title. Korea has lacked a genuine Oriental level fighter, but Kim has the ability to do just that! And more. We don't see Kim winning a world title in 2020, but by the end of the year he should be in the mix, even in the stacked Super Bantamweight division. Sadly, though, it all depends on whether his team can keep him active and get him the bouts he needs. In Korea the political mess can really hamper a fighter, with the KBC, KBF and KBM all having their own little games, but it does seem like better bouts are being made in Korea and 2019 has seen some good fighters travel to the peninsula for fights. If that continues in 2020 then Kim is likely to be one of the fighters who does get to face notable opponents and there really is no excuse for him to not be mixing at top regional level. Concerns? We won't dwell on the issue of Korean boxing too much here, as it does appear to be going in the right direction and we suspect that all of the political machinations would be wanting a Korean world champion to spearhead the sports revival in the country. The bigger worry with Kim is Kim himself. The talented enigma has lacked consistency, both in terms of when he fights and how he fights. One fight he can look like the talent Korean boxing has been wishing for, and in his next fight he looks like a lazy, wild fighter, full of arrogance and lacking a boxing brain. We don't have a problem with Kim having fun in the ring and putting on a show for the fans, but he does need to put on more intelligent performances. Winning in style is great, but willing and looking a bit like you don't care is a less great and Kim, at times, has looked like he doesn't care. As well as the arrogance and underwhelming performance we also have concerns about Kim's longer term ambitions and every time he seems to have built some momentum something has stopped it dead. Be it a lay off, an injury, or something else we've never seem Kim manage to snowball success into more success. In 2020 we hope that changes, but we will always suspect something, just lurking out of sight, will be an issue for Kim. In November we counted down a number of honourable mentions for our 20 for 20. Now it's time to look at the 20 fighters who have managed to make it into the list properly, and they come from all over Asia and all over the weight classes. Some of these you may already be aware of, some are perhaps less well known, but either way these 20 men are going to be well worth following in the new year as they look to push forward in their career and move towards major success. For these fighters we will look at the the reason why you should follow them, our expectations for them in the coming year and the issues they may face going forward. The one rule with all of these fighters is that they can't have fought for a world title at the time of writing. Some of these are world ranked, and some of these may well be set for world title fights in the near future, but so far they have not had that top level bout. Without any further ado, lets take a look at the man we have ranked #20 in our list of Ones to watch in 2020, and began our count down to the man we rank #1 Who? Carl Jammes Martin (14-0, 13) Age? 20 Where? Philippines What weight? Bantamweight Why? With Manny Pacquiao, Donnie Nietes and Nonito Donaire all looking like their best years are behind them the Philippines needs a new star and although he's on the raw side there are few fighters in the Philippines as magnetic and TV friendly as Carls Jammes Martin. The all action youngster is a thrill a minute joy ride to watch and with such an exciting style he is the sort of fighter that a channel like ESPN5 can really get behind. Of course he needs to be given development fights in 2020, but that alone is a reason to watch him and see him make the improvements needed to become a legitimate contender at the higher levels. Sadly at the moment it's unclear what ESPN5's plans ate for 2020 and although Martin looks like the type of fighter who can help any TV channel in the Philippines it really does take a channel to actually show boxing for someone like Martin to attract a fan base. If ESPN5 are out of the fan base it would be a major issue for Martin and whilst he'll still be worth tracking down streams of, even dodgy facebook streams put on by the GAB, it would be a massive kick in the teeth to treat a fighter with such potential star power like Martin in such a way, but his style really is amazing to watch and he is worth jumping through hoops to see. What do we expect? It would be downright foolish to rush Martin into a world title fight over the next couple of years, however seeing him mix on the oriental title picture wouldn't be a bad idea at all, and that's where we expect him to be by the end of 2020. The OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific titles might be out of reach for him by the end of the year but the WBA Oceania title, or the WBO Oriental title would be great stepping stones for the youngster. We also expect to see him taken rounds this year as he gets the right developmental fights to build on his natural skills. If ESPN5 can push Martin then there is a real chance he could end 2020 as one of the key faces of Filipino boxing, and the brightest rising star. On the other hand if ESPN5, the channel that looked like it was going to be a huge positive for Filipino boxing, is withdrawing from the sport the expectations we have for for Martin really do come down, and rather than being on the verge of big fights there's a chance that his 2020 will see him toil, and almost fade away. If that happens then it would be a massive shame, and slow the momentum he has been building over the last couple of years. Concerns? As we're alluded to through this entire article the big concern for Martin is exposure and ESPN5's dwindling interest in boxing. If they don't re-emerge in 2020 as a serious broadcaster then Martin's rise really will have had the handbrake shoved on it. His bouts will still get attention among hardcore fans but that attention will only be a fraction of what it should be, or rather would be, if ESPN5 continued to back him. As well as the limitations in exposure the lack of ESPN5 backing could also be a major financial problem for the fighter, who may lack the ability to lure over interesting opponents, or develop his skills in the way he needs to. If ESPN5 do drop boxing, as seems likely, there is also a horrible risk of Martin being taken from his homeland and needing to be the opponent for other fighters. If this happens then any chance of Martin becoming a star will be significantly reduced. We have seen Filipino fighters go on the road and make a name for themselves, but we suspect that Martin needs more time, more fights and more experience before he follows that route. What he needs is developmental fights, not opportunities to try and upset the applecart, at not quite yet. |
FeaturesWhen we have some free time we're hoping to add a series of fun articles to the site. Hopefully these will be enjoyable little short features Archives
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