Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday attention turns to Korakuen Hall for the next card from Ichiriki Promotions. The card is certainly not the deepest or the biggest, but it is an interesting one, with a potentially explosive main event, and a really solid chief support bout. The main event will see OPBF Bantamweight champion Keita Kurihara (16-6-1, 14) taking on the once touted Kai Chiba (13-3, 8), in a bout that promises a lot of action, but also features two men who really need a win. Kurihara is 1-1-1 in his last 3, and whilst that does include a notable win over Kazuki Nakajima for the title he was lucky to escape with a technical draw against Yukinori Oguni in May, albeit in a non-title fight, and he has lost a lot of momentum since the start of the pandemic. As for Chiba he was tipped highly early in his career but has lost 2 of his last 3, and another loss here will see him being pushed a long, long from another notable fight. Both of these guys can fight, but of the two it feels like this is the champion's fight to lose, rather than Chiba's to win. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here OPBF king Kurihara clashes with Chiba In the co-feature veteran tough guy Akihiro Kondo (34-10-2, 19) will face off with the under-rated, and usually fun to watch, Tatsuya Yanagi (18-7-2, 7). The 37 year old Kondo, who is best known for his 2017 bout with Sergey Lipinets, has had mixed fortune since 2018, though notably won the OPBF title at 140lbs back in June with a surprise win over Koichi Aso. He won't be defending his title here, but will be looking to build on that title win and score his third straight win, which would make this his longest winning run since the bout with Lipinets. As for Yanagi he is 2-2-1 in his last 5 but does make for fun bouts with an aggressive style and gave Kondo a solid clash in 2019, with this rematch likely being viewed as a chance for him to avenge that loss. Aged 32 Yanagi isn't "old" as such, but has had a tough career and has taken punishment over his 27 bouts, suggesting his career might also be coming to an end, and this could be the only window for the rematch with Kondo.
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T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The big bout of the weekend comes from Nevada and is expected to see a storied rivalry come to an end, as Mexican star Saul Alvarez (57-2-2, 39) faces Kazakh nemesis Gennadiy Golovkin (42-1-1, 37) in their third bout. Coming in to this Golovkin is seen a man on the way out, and has failed to officially win either of the previous bouts with Canelo. Notably however those previous bouts have been at Middleweight whilst this bout will see Golovkin move up to Super Middleweight as he challenges Canelo for the unified Super Middleweight title. Canelo, who lost last time out to Dmitry Bivol at 175lbs, will be risking the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 168lbs in a bout that really is a huge match up for both men, and the division. Golovkin might be old, but he likely knows this is going to be one of, if not the, final bouts of his career and we expect to see him throw everything he has at Canelo, who can ill afford another poor performance after his loss to Bivol. Our preview of this bout can be read here Canelo Vs Golovkin III - The Trilogy Golovkin isn't the only Kazakh on this card, as the once beaten Ali Akhmedov (18-1,14) looks to get his career back on track, as he takes on popular veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-15-1, 15) in a must win, for both men. The hard hitting and exciting Akhmedov seemed to be riding to the top when he was 16-0, but has struggled to rebuild since his December 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, in what was a sensational fight for the IBO Super Middleweight title. As for Rosado, the 36 year old continues to be inconsistent, and has sadly failed to pick up a win since shocking Bektemir Melikuziev in 2021. He looked dreadful last time out, losing to Shane Mosley Jr, and will need a much, much better performance here. Mielparque Hall, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the action Stateside we also get a notable show in Japan, with two title bouts. This card is expected to be explosive, and a genuinely interesting one thanks to former world champions Koki and Daiki Kameda. The main event of the show promises fireworks as Japanese Super Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (21-6, 18) takes on hard hitting challenger Tsubasa Narai (8-1, 7), who gets the biggest fight of his career. For Saka the bout serves as his second defense of the Japanese title, which he won back in December 2019, but will see him looking to bounce back from a loss, having lost last December to Yoshimitsu Kimura in an OPBF Super Featherweight title bout. Saka will be favoured but he has long been unpredictable. As for Narai, the former Rookie of the Year winner was stopped last year by Kyonosuke Kameda, but has bounced back with an impressive win over Shinnosuke Hasegawa, back in April, and will be looking to build on that win here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Japanese champion Saka faces Narai in potential fire fight! In a supporting bout former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (14-6-1, 7) will be facing off with Toshiya Yokogawa (12-12-3, 10). On paper this looks like an easy win for Tamura, but he hasn't looked great in recent fights and it seems like his hard career, filled with brutal wars, has caught up with him. He's not just lost a gear, but appears to have lost pretty much the entire transmission unit. As for Yokogawa, he's hard hitting, upset minded and will know this is a great chance for him to get a win over a former national champion. Yokogawa's career record does, notably, hide the fact he has gone 5-1-2 in his last 8, the best run of his career, and he will be full of confidence here. One other bout on this show will be an OPBF female Minimumweight title fight, as the unbeaten Mizuki Chimoto (4-0, 1) faces limited Korean Hye Soo Park (6-8-3, 1), with Chimoto seeking her second defense, following he shock title win in June 2021 against current world champion Yuko Kuroki. Chimoto is one of the brightest hopes in female boxing and isn't expected to be tested at all by Park here. Park was beaten the last time she fought outside of Korea, and although she is unbeaten in her last 3, she has been fighting at a very, very low level since a 2019 loss to Tamao Ozawa. Our preview of this bout can be read here OPBF champion Chimoto faces Park Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we'll see the next show from the Ohashi Gym, and it's one that will show case some of the top young talent in Japan. The main event of the show will see WBO Asia Pacific Light Welterweight champion Andy Hiraoka (20-0, 15) defending his title against the crude, but hard hitting Filipino Alvin Lagumbay (13-5-1, 11). The talented Hiraoka is touted as Japan's biggest and best hope at 140lbs, and the hope is that this will be his last bout at this level, before progressing onto facing top 20 or so fighters, and begin moving towards a world title fight. As for Lagumbay he is very dangerous, as we saw in his first bout with Keita Obara, but he's certainly not unbeatable, and Hiraoka should have the tools to beat him. Our preview of this bout can be read here Hiraoka faces dangerous Lagumbay In a major supporting bout third generation fighter Keisuke Matsumoto (5-0, 5) will look to continue his rise through the ranks, as he takes on Ryota Ishida (11-3, 6). The talented Matsumoto is stepping up here, and it's something that he's needed to do, though he shouldn't struggle with Ishida who was stopped inside a round last time out by Kai Watanabe. In a mouth watering bout we'll see two unbeaten hopefuls face off as Ryutaro Nakagaki (2-0-2, 2) takes on Kyotaro Yoshida (2-0). Nakagaki turned professional with a lot of expectations on his shoulders following an excellent amateur career, but has had back to back draws coming into this bout, and desperately needs a win, but isn't being given a gimmie here as Yoshida was also a talented amateur. Notably Yoshida hasn't been hugely active since making his debut over a year ago, but he will see this as his chance to make an impact, whilst Nakagako looks to get back to winning ways. One other unbeaten fighters on this card is Kantaro Juri (4-0, 2), who takes on Filipino fighter Danrick Sumabong (12-2, 9). Juri is very highly regarded and the 26 year old was last seen sending former world title challenger Masayuki Kuroda into retirement. On paper this is a step backwards for him, but we'd rather a fighter takes a step back rather than sits inactive, which has been an issue for Juri since his 2019 debut. Even as a step back Sumabong is no push over, and he showed what he could do when he pushed Alphoe Dagayloan all the way, and since then he has won 5 in a row. Singmanassak Muaythai School, Pathum Thani, Thailand
In Thailand we are set for small card, with two regional title bouts, albeit in two bouts that look like clear mismatches. One of those bouts will see Uzbekistan's Davronbek Kurbonov (4-0, 4) take on Thai Thoedsak Sinam (17-9, 14) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Light Heavyweight title. To date Kurbonov has needed just 13 rounds to dismiss his 4 opponents, and whilst he is, technically, stepping up here, it's hard to imagine him struggling with Sinam. The Thai does have 14 stoppages to his name, but has been stopped in 4 of his 9 losses, and has fought at Lightweight before, suggesting he's going to be very under-sized here. The other notable fight on this card will see Turkish fighter Baris Erdogan (5-0, 2) battle against Thailand's Pathueang Sikun (8-12, 5), in what is scheduled as an Asian Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight title though we suspect it will actually be for Erdogan's ABF Super Middleweight title. Erdogan debuted in 2020 and whilst he had to wait more than 2 years between his first two bouts, he has been busy this year, with this being his 5th bout of 2022, and being a notable step in the right direction. As for Sikun he has been stopped 8 times during his career, but comes in to this bout with some momentum having won his last 6, albeit against very limited opposition. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan In Japan we are set to get two shows at the EDION Arena Osaka. The first of those is the West Japan Rookie of the Year final, which was set to feature 11 bouts but has seen two contests being cancelled. From those that remain on the card the best looking appears to be at Super Bantamweight, where Yoshun Taho (3-0) takes on Kirei Yasumura (3-0, 2). Aged 19 Taho debuted last December and has shown plenty of skills, but does appear to need some time to physically mature and develop his power. Yasumura on the other hand is slightly older, at 22, and appears to have more power, having stopped his first two opponents, but he did struggle last time out against Shugo Hisataka, who he narrowly defeated in July. A similarly interesting looking match up will be at Super Featherweight, where 18 year old Naoto Komatsu (3-0, 1) takes on 21 year old Shinsei Otani (2-0, 2). Both men debuted last last year and given their ages both have a lot of time to develop and progress, however both men will know that a win here puts them just 2 bouts away from being crowned All Japan Rookie of the Year and really boosting their profile in the sport. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The other show at the EDION Arena Osaka will be promoted by Futur. The card is a low key one, but does have a very nice main event, as Ren Kobayashi (5-2-1, 2) takes on Shori Umezu (7-0-1, 6). Kobayashi has gone 2-2-1 in his last 5, and the 24 year old really needs a solid win, and chance to build on May's victory over Yuki Yazan. As for Umezu he will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing technical draw with Taiga Higashi in June. The power of Umezu could be the difference here, as he looks to build on his Rookie of the Year triumph in February, but we expect he will be in for a real fight here. Samana, India Over in India we also get a small show, with the most notable bout on the show being a 6 rounder at Super Middleweight between Akashdeep Singh (3-0) and Shashikant Shashikant (1-2-1, 1), with the rest of the card being 4 rounders. The 20 year old Singh made his debut in April and has already reeled off 3 wins in around 5 months, showing some activity that other fighters perhaps need to try to replicate. As or Shashikant he debuted in 2020, going 1-1-1 that year, before taking more than a year out of the ring and losing this past April. City Gymnasium, Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan
This coming Saturday our attention turns to Mie where we see the next event from Midori Promotions, and it's a pretty interesting one, with an excellent main event and two, solid, domestic bouts making up the chief support bouts. The aforementioned main event will see former WBC Light Flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (13-4, 12) look to rebuild from his rematch with Kenshiro Teraji, as he takes on unbeaten Thai punch Thanongsak Simsri (24-0, 22). At his best Yabuki is one of the top contenders at 108lbs, thanks to his freakishly heavy hands, under-rated boxing skills and good movement. He was however made to look third rate by Kenshiro in their rematch, with Kenshiro essentially ripping him apart in 3 rounds in March, and it's going to be interesting to see his mindset here. As for Simsri he was on the verges of landing a world title fight in 2020, before Hiroto Kyoguchi tested positive for covid, and that disappointment he has kept busy against low key Thai opponents, whilst physically developing and getting some rounds under his belt. Amazingly this will be Simsri's 7th bout in 12 months, but it's a huge step up for him and he will likely need a career best performance to over-come the former WBC champion. In a supporting bout the popular Tom Mizokoshi (8-4-1, 4) will clash with Sonin Nihei (10-6-2, 2) in a 6 rounder. Mizkoshi, who is still only 23, feels like he's been around for ages and will be desperate to avoid another loss following recent defeats to Hiroyuki Takahara, Haruki Ishikawa and Ryuya Nihei. His confidence will be low and he and his team will know a win is very, very much-needed. Nihei has also struggled for success recently, with 3 losses in his last 4 and 5 losses in his last 7, but he has shown there is still life in him with upsets against Tatsuya Ikemizu and Ryosuke Nasu. He might not be a top domestic talent, but he's also no push over. This should be a very hard fought and competitive bout. Another solid bout will see Katsuya Murakami (12-2-1, 3) look for a 5th straight win, and continue his climb towards a title fight, as he takes on Tetsuya Mimura (9-3, 2). Murakami might have had a few set backs on his record but he's a talent and has the tools to mix in the domestic title scene over the next few years. Mimura on the other hand has lost 2 of his last 3 and has little momentum coming in to this, but has been fighting at a solid level, having run Riku Kano close in 2019 and Yuga Inoue in 2020. Sadly Mimura has fought just just 2 rounds since August 2020, and we are expecting him to have some build ring rust that needs shaking here. Dimiao, Bohol, Philippines
The main card this coming Friday is from Bohol in the Philippines, where we get several interesting looking match ups. The most notable bout on the card will see 25 year old Filipino Virgel Vitor (18-2, 11) trade blows with once touted Thai hopeful Arnon Yupang (9-2, 3). in a bout for the WBA Asia Super Featherweight title. Given he's got home advantage Vitor will be the favourite, and he certainly has the power to make a mark at this level. Yupang on the other hand was tipped quite highly, but a recent loss to Wanchana Menayothin leaves him not fighting for his career, and he will also be the smaller man here. On paper an even better bout will see unbeaten Filipino Regie Suganob (11-0, 4) battle against unbeaten Indonesian Andika D'Golden Boy (19-0-1, 10), in what is a huge fight for both men. Suganob has quietly been building a solid record on the domestic scene, but lacks any for of notable international name on his record and this is a chance for that to change. As for Andika, he was pencilled in for a world title fight in 2020 but that fell through due to the pandemic and it's hard to know what his hunger is like, especially given an unexpected draw last time out against Wandi Priman Hulu. We expect to see a lot of skills on show here, and whilst we don't imagine we'll get a Fight of the Year contender, we do expect a very, very interesting interesting bout. In an all Filipino affair Jake Amparo (9-3-1, 2) will battle against Ariston Aton (9-4, 5), in what looks like a toss of a bout on paper. Amparo has won 3 in a row since a 2021 loss to Suganob. and looks to be moving his career forward rather well, but this is a tougher bout than his recent wins. Aton has lost his last 3, and has little momentum, but will be hungry to turn things around, and is in with an easier opponent than his recent bouts, whuch have seen him clash with Simipiwe Konkco and Tsubasa Koura. This one could steal the show. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the action in the Philippines we also have a small card in Tokyo, under the Genkotsu banner. The main event will see 30 year old hopeful Kosuke Ando (10-3, 5) look to record a third straight stoppage win as he takes on the light punching Daisuke Sudo (7-9-3). At his best Ando is the sort of fighter who can, and will, earn a domestic title fight, but will need to get lucky to win a title, and is more likely to spend, much of the remainder of his career bouncing around the domestic rankings. As for Sudo he has lost his last 3, but has been matched hard with bouts against the likes of Kento Hatanaka and Ryuya Yamanka. This bout is a step down from those ones, but still one that he'll be expected to lose. Also on this card is a potentially fan friendly bout between Kensuke Suzuki (4-1, 1) and Taiga Ito (4-3), who clash at 154lbs. The 26 year old Ito is no world beater but is regularly involved in very entertaining and fan friendly wars, which see him depend on his work rate and size rather than his power. Suzuki, 23, is also the sort of fighter who relies on letting punches fly, and is looking to bounce back from his first loss. Expect this one to be a very, very fun to watch 6 rounder. Cuidad Deportiva Heiner Ugalde, Hatillo, San Jose, Costa Rica
This coming Thursday we get unification action in Costa Rica as local boxing hero Yokasta Valle (25-2, 9) puts her IBF Atomweight title on the line against WBO champion Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen (5-0, 1), from Vietnam. Valle, one of the most over-looked and under-rated female boxers on the planet, will be looking to build on her win June win over Lorraine Villalobos, which was shown on DAZN and got her rave reviews. As for Nguyen her title feels somewhat stolen, with her winning the belt with a controversial decision over Japanese veteran Etsuko Tada, and she will need to put on the best performance of her career to even be competitive with Valle. Our full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here Costa Rica hosts Atomweight unification bout Gateaux Kingdom Sapporo, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
This coming Sunday attention turns to Hokkaido for a rare boxing card in the region. The card is certainly not a big one, but it is one worth being aware of with two bouts of some note on it. One of the bouts will see Japanese and OPBF ranked Featherweight Daisuke Watanabe (12-5-2, 7) take on once beaten Nigerian fighter Ridwan Oyekola (8-1-1, 5), in a scheduled 8 rounder. For Watanabe the bout is a chance to prepare for a Japanese title fight in 2023, and at the age of 31 he can ill afford another set back, in what will be his 20th professional bout. Notably he will be fighting in his home town of Sapporo for the first time since 2017 and will be desperate to show local fans what he can do. As for Oyekola this bout is a major step up for him, though he will know a win really kick starts his career. In another bout of note 30 year old novice Seeser Minagawa (2-0) will be facing off with Tomoyuki Yokota (6-6, 2) in an 8 rounder at 154lbs. At the moment the 154lb Japanese domestic scene is weak and Minagawa will know a win here will see him banging on the door of a title fight, despite only having had 2 professional bouts so far. As for Yokota, the 36 year old has rarely fought in recent years and will be hoping his bout in July will have helped him shake some ring rust. Seoul, South Korea As well as the action in Japan we are also set to get a card in South Korea, with Bo Mi Re Shin (12-1-3, 6) looking to defend her WBC International Featherweight title against rising Japanese hopeful Aka Ringo (3-0, 2). This bout was put together at short notice after a planned world title bout for Ringo, against Hyun Mi Choi, was cancelled, and she'll be determined to take her frustrations out on Shin. Saying that however Shin is the naturally bigger and the more experienced fighter and will feel she has the tools to deal with the Japanese novice. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
The most interesting show this coming Saturday comes from Osaka, where we see a very solid looking regional title bout, a former world title challenger in the chief support bout and the debut of a touted Japanese youngster. The main event will see world ranked youngster Riku Kano (19-4-1, 10) face off with fellow youngster Yuga Inoue (13-2-1, 2) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title. The bout will serve as Kano's first test since moving up to Flyweight earlier this year, and should see him being asked questions as he looks to move towards a second world title fight. As for Inoue the bout is a huge opportunity for him, and a win would put him in the mix for a world title fight, though he will ned a career best performance here against the most notable opponent of his career so far. Our preview of this bout can be read here Riku Kano and Yuga Inoue battle for regional honours In the chief support bout we'll see former world title challenger Sho Ishida (30-3, 16) take on Filipino fighter Alvin Medura (10-6, 7), who appears to be a late replacement for Ronnie Baldonado. On paper this one looks like a mismatch, and it's hard to imagine Medura being any kind of a test for Ishida, especially given the fact Medura has lost 4 of his last 6, with all 4 of those losses coming on the road including a 2018 loss to the then 1-0 Yuki Yamauchi. A third bout of note will see 19 year old hopeful Yuga Ozaki (0-0) make his professional debut, as he takes on Narathip Sungsut (5-8, 2). As an amateur Ozaki went 32-8 and is tipped for big things for the future. The Thai visitor has been stopped 7 times in total, with 6 of those stoppages happening in bouts in Japan, and we expect to see him being taken out early again here. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Osaka, there is also a notable one in Tokyo, as part of the Dynamic Glove series. Sadly this show lacks any sort of stand out matches, but does have two bouts that are worth being aware of. The main event will see former world title challenger Ryo Akaho (38-2-2, 25) take on Filipino fighter Edrin Dapudong (35-7-1, 21). On paper this looks a pretty even match up, and had both men been in their primes it could have been a very interesting bout, but now a days both guys are well beyond their primes and it's hard to imagine this being anything other than a bit of a mess, especially having seen Akaho's recent bouts on NTV G+. Akaho is clumsy, awkward but is still heavy handed and can do damage. Dapudong, now 36, is best known for his 2013 win over Gideon Buthelezi but has gone 5-1-1 since then. Sounds good on paper, but that dates back 9 years and he's only fought once since 2018. This has a loser retires feel to it. The other notable bout on the show sees the hard hitting and unbeaten Kazuto Takesako (13-0-1, 12) take on Thai visitor Niwat Kongkan (11-8-0-1, 8). Takesako is one of the few Japanese Middleweights worthy of attention, with his power and exciting style. Sadly however he's only fought twice since the start of 2020 and has lost much of the momentum his career once had. This bout appears to be about getting some momentum back and getting a quick win over a former OPBF Light Middleweight champion. Kongkan is unbeaten in his last 4, but that says more about the level he's been fighting at, and he's lost in his last 4 bouts outside of Thailand. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand As well as the action in Japan there is also a pretty notable card in Thailand, headlined by one of the hottest teenage hopefuls in world boxing, and also featuring a former world title challenger. The aforementioned teenager is the really promising Phoobadin Yoohanngoh (14-0, 9), who will be defending his WBA Asia Light Welterweight title, as he takes on Filipino Rimar Metuda (15-6-1, 9). The 18 year old Phoobadin has held the title since July 2000 and will be seeking his 5th defense here, in what is a minor step up in class for him. Metuda is no world beater but he is a very solid fighter, who fought to a draw with Nihito Arakawa in 2018. Sadly since that draw he has gone 3-3 and we suspect he will come up short again here as he takes on a truly fantastic young prospect. The other notable fighter on this card is former world title challenger Yutthana Kaensa (22-4, 9) aka Stamp Kiatniwat, who will be expected to pick up a very easy win as he takes on Adisak Ketpiam (8-4, 7). Stamp, who seems to have been around for years, is still only 24 but sadly already looks to be on the slide and has lost 3 of his last 5, including a shock loss in July to F. Zoramchhana. He'll be looking to bounce back with a win here, and should be strongly favoured to over-come Adisak, who has been stopped twice already this year. |
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