Cotabato del Sur, Philippines In the Phillipines fans will be getting a show featuring a couple of very notable Filipino fighters, though both look to be in mismatches. The main event of the show will feature the talented Randy Petalcorin (30-3-1, 23), in what looks like a very easy confidence building win against fellow Filipino Reymark Taday (9-10-1, 4). The very talented Petalcorin is looking for his second win since being stopped by Felix Alvarado and will be expected to go through Taday rather easily here. Although perhaps not a legitimate world class fighter Petalcorin isn't far off that level and should run through Taday here with absolutely no issues at all. In a major supporting bout the unbeaten Dave Apolinario (11-0, 6) will take on local veteran Arnold Garde (10-8-3, 4). The unbeaten Apolinario is one of the very best prospects in Filipino boxing, and he has been very impressive in recent bouts. Garde isn't as bad as his record suggests, but it's still hard to imagine this being anything more than an easy win for the very talented and quick rising Apolinario. Aged 20 there is no rush with Apolinario but they really could let him off the leash a little bit in 2020. On paper the best of the bouts on this card will see punchers collide. The bout will see Presco Carcosia (6-0-1, 6) take on Jayar Aliasot (6-2, 5) in what looks like an excellent and explosive contest on paper. The 23 year old Carcosia has only seen the final bell once, in his draw against Renerio Arizala, with all 6 of his wins coming in the first 3 rounds. He will be out there looking to get another quick win.The 24 year old Aliasot had scored 3 wins in the first 2 rounds, and is 3-2 (2) in bouts that go beyond 4, so he will likely also look to go for it earlier. Expect this one to be explosive, and potentially very short.
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This coming Saturday is a really interesting day, without being a massive one. We get the kick off of a special Japanese tournament, a Japanese Youth title bout a regional title bout in Thailand and more in what is a busy, yet low key, day. Tokyo, Japan The main show is the Knock Out Dynamite Tournament show which takes place at the Korakuen Hall thanks to Reason Promotions along with Floyd Mayweather's Japanese TMT arm, and former Japanese world champion Takashi Uchiyama. For those who haven't followed the news the Knock Out Dynamite tournament is actually 3 tournaments, each with 4 men involved, and will take place at 65KG's, 60KG's and 56KG's, as opposed to the more standard boxing weight classes. Their are cash prizes available for the winners with bonuses for any knockouts. One of the 65KG weight class will see semi-finals take place between Mongolian fighter Byambatsogt Tuguldur (0-0) and Japanese veteran Shusaku Fujinaka (16-11-2, 11), in what looks like a mismatch on paper. It's hard to say much about the Mongolian, though Tuguldur could be a a genuine dark horse, given the reputation Mongolian fighters have for being tough, hard hitting and very exciting. The winner of that semi-final will take on the winner of the other semi-final, which will pit Vladimir Baez (25-5-2, 23) against Tatsuya Miyazaki (9-12-1, 9). As with the other semi-final isn't doesn't look the most competitive of bouts, but Baez has struggled recently, with 2 losses in his last 3, and it's possible that Miyazaki could be getting him when his confidence is low. The reality, however, is that Baez will be too good and too powerful for Miyazaki here. The 60KG tournament will see another seemingly debuting Mongolian in action with Tsendsuren Bat-Ireedui (0-0) set to take on veteran Ribo Takahata (15-8-1, 6) in one of the semi-final bouts. Aged 40 Takahata is coming to the end of his career, but is only 2 years removed from a Japanese title fight with Masaru Sueyoshi and is certainly not a fighter who is still solid despite his age. From what we could find the Mongolian has fought in MMA, but we've struggled to find any sign of a previous boxing career. The winner in the Takahata Vs Bat-Ireedui fight will face the winner of a bout between Koichi Ito (11-7-3, 10) and Filipino Marvin Esquierdo (14-2-1-1, 8). This looks like one of the better semi final bouts on paper, and one where the visitor has a good chance of picking up the upset. Ito has scored just 1 win in his last 6, going 1-4-1, and that dates back over 4 years. He is however coming back after almost 18 months out, we expect to see him being reinvigorated by the break. The 24 year old Esquierdo is relatively unknown but has momentum, activity and youth on his side. The 56KG division is really the most interesting, at least if we get the final we're expecting. In one semi-final we'll see the very talented promising Yuki Yamauchi (3-0, 2) taking on the experienced Ryuta Wakamatsu (12-14-1, 9). The 24 year old Yamauchi is a real talent and whilst this is a genuine step up in class he has shown what he can do against Filipino fighters like Alvin Medura and Claudevan Sese. For he's the hidden gem of this tournament. Wakamtsu on the other hand is a 35 year old veteran who has been around the Japanese scene for a decade, with very mixed success. Wakamatsu is better than his record suggests, but we'd be shocked to see him over-come Yamauchi. This division has a second unbeaten man in it, with former Rookie of the Year winner Ren Sasaki (9-0, 6) taking on the more experienced Morihisa Iju (11-4, 9). When he won the Rookie of the Year back in 2017 Sasaki showed so much promise, and whilst that promise hasn't yet been realised it's clear he can go a long way, and we fancy him to get past Iju and set up a final with Yamauchi. Despite being the under-dog Iju is a very live fighter here and even with 3 losses in his last 4 he is a potential banana skin if Sasaki tries to look past him Hyogo, Japan A second Japanese show is set to take place in Hyogo, and whilst this is a less significant show than the other, it does have the bout of the day on it, with a mouth watering Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title bout. That title fight sees unbeaten men clash as former Rookie of the Year winner Tetsuro Ohashi (7-0-1, 2) takes on former amateur standout Suzumi Takayama (2-0, 2). The title is vacant, but this is a great bout to fill that vacancy and pits a skill fighter against an aggressive fighter. Ohashi has barely lost a round during his 8 fight career, and whilst he does lack power there is a lot of skill and IQ behind what he does. Takayama hasn't yet face a Japanese opponent, but looks like he could go through most of the Japanese scene quickly, so don't be surprised it Watanabe strap a jet to him if he comes through this with his unbeaten record intact. Our full preview of this bout is available to read here Ohashi and Takayama battle for Japanese Youth title! As well as the title bout we'll also see Shohei Kawashima (17-3-2, 4) fight in what looks like a stay busy bout against Masajiro Honda (6-11, 4). The talented Kawashima won the Rookie of the Year in 2014, and has shown real promise, though has twice lost close decisions on the road, losing narrowly to Cristian Mijares and Juan Miguel Elorde. We see this as being little more than a work out for Kawashima who really does deserve so much more in terms of competition than Honda, who has been stopped in each of his last 6 bouts. Bang Phun, Thailand As well as the action in Japan there is also some interesting action in Thailand, as the Work Point Studio plays host to another card. The headline bout here will see Chainoi Worawut (7-0-1, 7) take on Filipino foe Alvin Medura (9-4, 7), with the unbeaten local for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title. The local, also known as Thattana Luangphon, is a very promising 22 year old who is rising through the ranks and looks likely to be one of the nations big stars of the future. Medura isn't a terrible fight, but shouldn't be much of a test for the Thai, who appears to be getting matched progressively harder. This should be a test for the unbeaten puncher, but a test he passes without too many issues. In a supporting bout on this card teenage Super Flyweights clash, with Danai Ngiabphukhiaw (2-1, 1) and Yodtanong Chaepet (2-0, 1) facing off in a 6 rounder, we believe as part of a Work Point Super Flyweight tournament. Cebu, Philippines In Cebu we get a small Filipino card, featuring two men men who are each looking to take a step towards a bigger fight. One of those men is Clyde Azarcon (15-3-1, 5), who will be looking to bounce back from his first round loss to Ginjiro Shigeoka earlier this year. The loss to Shigeoka was from a brutal body shot and we fully understand why Azarcon has been matched softly here, as he takes on Garry Rojo (9-13-1, 5) in what should be a straight forward win. The other is the under-rated Carlo Demecillo (13-5-1, 6), who is riding a 4 fight unbeaten run since a loss to Ruben Manakane in Indonesia. Although he's yet to get a big win he did come close to get a career best victory last Novemeber, when he drew with Arthur Villanueva, and it's clear he can take the next step up. Here he's up against Jonathan Francisco (10-12-1, 4) and this should be little more than a simple win for the talented Demecillo. Hanoi, Vietnam Staying in Asia there will also be a card in Vietnam, thanks to Victory 8. The main event will be a WBA East Asia title bout between local novice professional Dinh Hoang Truong (1-0, 1) and South Korean visitor Gyu Hyun Lee (2-4-1). It's hard to get too excited about this bout, though we are looking forward to seeing Filipino hopeful Charly Suarez (3-0, 3), who goes up against a local opponent. Christchurch, New Zealand One other bout featuring a fighter from Asia takes place in New Zealand where once beaten local Bowyn Morgan (20-1, 10) takes on Filipino visitor Nelson Tinampay (14-7-1, 6) for the WBU Welterweight title. Whilst Morgan is no world beater, and his competition hasn't been amazing so far, he has notched some notable wins over the likes of Gunnar Jackson and Jack Asis. On the other hand Tinampay is very limited and was stopped 44 year old Yong Soo Choi in 2017, and has been stopped 3 times since then. This should be an early win for the local. Pennsylvania, USA This coming Friday isn't a particularly busy day for Asian boxing but there is a pretty notable bout in the US, on a really big show. The bout in question will see the unbeaten Uzbek Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (16-0, 9) take on former world champion Luis Collazo (39-7, 20). Coming in to the bout Abdukakhorov is the #1 challenger with the IBF, making him the mandatory challenger to Errol Spence Jr, and whilst he is risking that shot here, he is also getting some high level work in. At his best Collazo was very much world class, but that was a decade ago, and now he's "just" a very high level gate keeper. This should be a bout that tells us a lot about both men, and whilst there isn't a lot of action this along makes it a day worth caring about in an Asian boxing stand point. Our preview of this clash can be read here Abdukakhorov clashes with Collazo in intriguing Welterweight bout Of course the main event of this card will see Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14) and Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14) clash in a Light Heavyweight unification bout, to combine the WBC and IBF world titles. Whilst this bout doesn't explicitly feature and Asian fighter it is a bout with a big Asian interest given Dmitry Bivol's importance in the division and the face that Meng Fanlong is the mandatory challenger for the winner. With that in mind our very own George Delis has previewed the bout here The Hammer and the Nail - Beterbiev Vs Gvozdyk (Preview) Shanghai, China The main action this coming Thursday comes from Shanghai in card that is essentially a China Vs Japan card. It's not a huge show, but it's certainly one worthy of some attention with a world ranked contender and a highly touted prospect involved. The world ranked contender is China's awkward and tough Wulan Tuolehazi (12-3-1, 5), who will be defending his WBA International Flyweight title against Japanese challenger Satoshi Tanaka (7-5, 1). On paper this doesn't look like it'll be competitive, but the idea seems on be for Tuolehazi to just tick over whilst awaiting for a major title fight, following recent wins over Filipino Jayr Raquinel and Japan's Ryota Yamauchi. From what we can see the 28 year old Tanaka is simply there to make up the numbers. In an excellent match up we'll see the WBO Youth Light Flyweight Xiang Li (7-2-1, 2) take on the very promising Ryu Horikawa (2-0, 1) from Japan. Li won the title on the road, beating the popular Raymond Poon Kaiching for the belt in Hong Kong, when he put up a great and energetic performance to over-come Poon and the crowd. Horikawa is a professional novice, but the 19 year old is regarded very highly in Japan and his win over Yuki Nakajima last time out showed just how skilled he was. For us this is the best fight on the card, and one that deserves the attention of fight fans. Another bout worthy of note will see local fighter Ayati Sailike (7-8-2-1, 2) take on Japan's unbeaten Hiroki Hanabusa (6-0-2, 2). The 23 year old local isn't anyone special, but is experience, has taken on a number of unbeaten opponents and comes to win, though is technically quite limited. Hanabusa, who just 20, is looking to build on a good 2018, and a win here, in first 8 rounder, will likely see his team push him for a Youth title in 2020. Hanabusa is talented, but this is set to be a genuine test, even if Sailike's record suggests something else. Bukidnon, Philippines As well as the Chinese action there is also going to be a small card in the Philippines, featuring a former world title challenger up against a domestic journeyman. The former world title challenger is Jerry Tomogdan (28-10-4, 15), who in a WBC Minimumweight title bout in 2015 to Wanheng Menayothin. Since that loss Tomogdan has had mixed success, going 12-4-1 (6) including a win over Riku Kano in Japan. His opponent will be Mike Kinaadman (7-11-2, 5), who really shouldn't give Tomogdan any issues here. Samar (Western Samar), Philippines
Attention turns to the Philippines this coming Wednesday for a title double header. The card isn't set to be a big one, but is a noteworthy one. One of the title fights will see veterans Adones Aguelo (32-20-2, 22) and Eden Sonsona (36-10-2,13) battling for the PBF Lightweight title. Although neither of these guys are going to reach the heady heights of a world title, it's hard to not be intrigued by this one. The men are both very well matched, both are in their early 30's and both will be coming into this to pick up a win. Of the two Aguelo is more experienced and the older man, but he's also the man in better form. Coming in to this Aguelo is 4-3 in his last 7 whilst Sonsona has lost his last 4 and looks to be a man very much coming to the end of his career. Another loss for Sonsona surely spells the end for him. A second title bout will see 21 year old hopeful Justine Darap (7-1, 4) face off with domestic journeyman Robert Awitin (11-27-2, 9) in a bout for the vacant WBF Asia Pacific Super Flyweight. Darap is a promising youngster, and on paper he should be too good, but Awitin, when he's up for it, can spring the upset, and this might be a lot more competitive than it looks on paper. Qingdao, China
This coming Sunday is certainly not a big day of Asian action, but there is action in China that is worth being aware of. The most well known fighter on the show is 34 year old Filipino veteran Jason Egera (24-21-2, 11), who takes on once beaten Chinese puncher Mielifeier Dalielibieke (7-1, 6). Egera is no world beater, but he is better than his record suggests and earlier this year he became only the third man to go the distance with "Kyushu Tyson" Yuki Beppu. The 21 year old Dalielibieke lost in his 4th professional bout, but has reeled off 4 wins since and should make that 5 here, though he may need to work for it. Another bout on this card will see the unbeaten Chenghao Luo (2-0-1, 2) take on the once beaten 19 year old Xiwei Yang (6-1). Luo is stepping up here after taking on 3 debutant fighters and we suspect this could be a very entertaining bout, as Yang has proven capable in recent bouts, including a win over Feiyang Chen just 2 bouts ago. Illinois, USA This coming Saturday isn't a huge day for fights involving Asian fighters, but it is a pretty interesting day with thanks to other fights, including the Heavyweight debut of Oleksandr Usyk. On the same card as Usyk's Heavyweight debut will be a WBA Light Heavyweight world title defense for Dmitry Bivol (16-0, 11), who takes on the unheralded Lenin Castillo (20-2-1, 15). On paper this isn't the bout that Bivol, and his fans, would have wanted but it should still be a good test against a big, talented and tough challenger. Castillo isn't well known, but has never been stopped and gave Marcus Browne a really competitive test. Bivol will, obviously, be strongly favoured here but he will have to work hard for the win against a capable, yet relatively obscure, challenger. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Will Bivol be tested by unheralded Castillo? Almaty, Kazakhstan The biggest Asian card for the day takes place Kazakhstan as MTK go to Almaty for a pretty notable, yet not hugely exciting, show. The main event here will see the hard hitting and unbeaten Ali Baloyev (9-0, 7) take on Venezuelan veteran Gusmyr Perdomo (26-9, 17). Baloyev is a genuine one to watch, and on paper this is a credible step up in class for him, after a string of relative limited opponents. Despite that it does need noting that Perdomo is now 42 and it's more than a decade ago that he fought Mikkel Kessler. Perdomo was once a solid fighter but now he's an old man and will have to rely on wiles to survive with Baloyev. In an 8 round support bout we'll see Abilkhaiyr Shegaliyev (6-0, 4) likely pick up a straight forward win as he takes on Georgian Sandro Jajanidze (5-19-1, 3). It's hard to see anything but a win for Shegaliyev, but Jajanidze is a tough, rugged guy and could well see out the distance with the Kazakh prospect. Arguably the pick of the bouts will see Chinese-Kazakh fighter Yelieqiati Nihemaituola (14-0-1, 5) take on Filipino Ryan Rey Ponteras (22-14-3, 11). On paper this is a horrible mismatch, but paper only tells half the story and Ponteras is an upset minded Filipino who travels to win, and he will be here looking to end the unbeaten run of his foe. Whilst Ponteras was stopped last time out, by Seiya Tsutsumi, we still expect to see a gutsy, determined and rough effort from him and this could be a much better fight than it looks on paper. Others on this card include unbeaten hopefuls Nurtas Azhbenov (6-0, 2), Hurshid Tojibaev (2-0, 1) and the debuting pair of Nurdos Tolebay (0-0) and Miras Ali Sarsenov (0-0). These 4 are tipped for big things, especially Tojibaev and Sarsenov who both had very strong amateur careers, and it's going to be interesting to follow their progress. Sadly however MTK aren't known for pushing their prospects quickly, and it could be a while until we see any of these talented fighters given a serious test. Metro Manila, Philippines Over in the Philippines we'll see a small yet noteworthy card. In the main event we'll see former world title challenger Denver Cuello (38-5-6, 26) take on Jesse Espinas (19-4, 11) in an IBO world title eliminator. Cuello has only fought 3 times in the last 4 years and although he's not the fighter he once was the 32 year old southpaw is still a very dangerous and will know that a win will open doors for him. Espinas on the other hand will be looking to bounce back from successive defeats and will know that another loss here will be hard to bounce back from. A very interesting match up One of the other notable bouts here will see Cris Alfante (17-7-1, 9) take on Mateo Handig (15-19, 9). The 27 year old Alfante has reeled off 3 straight stoppage wins since his last loss, to Ardin Diale, and despite his less than stellar record he is 6-1 since a June 2016 loss to Andrew Moloney. Handig is no push over, but with 3 straight losses, and only 3 wins since an upset loss over Katsunari Takayama back in 2012, he's not expected to be competitive here. In a more interesting bout on the same card we'll see the unbeaten Ranelio Quizo (6-0, 1) take on Ronel Dela Cruz (6-1-1, 4). The 21 year old Quizo is unbeaten since his debut in early 2018 but this is a step up in class for him. On the hand Dela Cruz is 1-1-1 in his last 3, but is certainly no push over, he was just unlucky to face April Jay Abne last time out in a Ultimate Boxing Series bout, with Abne winning the tournament this past August. This is a really, really match up. Negros Occidental, Philippines A second Filipino card is set to be headlined by a match up between will see the hard hitting, but technically flawed, Joepher Montano (10-5-2, 9) take on former OPBF title challenger Benjie Suganob (10-7-1, 5). Given that Suganob's biggest bout to date took place at 122lbs it's hard to see what he has to offer at 140lbs, the weight for this bout. Yanggu, South Korea Another Asian card will take place in South Korea, and this is another less than great card. The main event will see unbeaten Korean fighter Hye Soo Park (5-8-1, 1) take on Chinese visitor Jinyan Gao (2-1) in a bout for the WIBA Super Flyweight title. The Korean took the bout on short notice, after the unbeaten Soo Rin Kim was forced to pull out of the bout with around 10 days notice due to a back issue, and is likely to be too small for the naturally bigger Chinese fighter. A second title fight will see Yong Hwan Jun (5-4-1, 2) make his first defense of the KBM Welterweight title, as he takes on Hae Myung Jung (3-1-1, 1). Jun won the title last time out, when he defeated Dong Young Kang over 10 rounds, but didn't really blow anyone away with his performance. The challenge was actually held to a draw last time out, when he failed to get past Gi Won Shin. This should be competitive, but it's hard to get too excited about the contest, and it showed how much the Korean scene needs to work together to have a decent domestic title picture. New South Wales, Australia At the East Cessnock Bowling Club in New South Wales we see two Indian fighters in action. One of those Indian fighters is the unbeaten Sagar Narwat (9-0-1, 3), who takes on fellow unbeaten fighter Troy O'Meley (9-0, 2) in a good looking bout, but one that perhaps isn't as interesting as it looks. Narwat began his career in the Philippines, but his last 6 bouts have been in India and have all been against very limited opposition. O'Meley has also faced mostly limited opposition, though he got through a bit of a gut check last time out when he was pushed hard in a 6 rounder against Isaac Buckley. This looks good, and may turn out to be good, but really both men have mostly padded their records. The other Indian on this card is Shivani Dahiya (1-1) who is up against it here, as she takes on Bianca Elmir (4-1, 3). On paper this doesn't look much of a mismatch, but Elmir ran Shannon O'Connell close just 2 fights ago and should have way too much for Dahiya here. New South Wales, Australia Also in Australia we'll see once beaten local Tyson Lantry (7-1, 3) take on Filipino visitor Rodynie Rafol (13-7-2, 6), on a separate show in New South Wales. This bout, for the lightly regarded WBF Asia Pacific Lightweight title, looks like a mismatch and we would be surprised by anything but a win for the local. Coming in Lantry has won his last 6, since a stoppage loss in his second pro-bout, whilst Rafol has lost 2 of his last 3, and has only had 1 win since 2015. Notably however Rafol's only recent win was an upset in Australia against James MacDonald, over a year ago. Tokyo, Japan For a third day in a row we get OPBF title action in Asia as we get a bout for the OPBF Middleweight title. That bout headlines a card that features a couple of other notable names. That OPBF Middleweight title bout will be a rematch between Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (11-4-1, 10) and Koki Tyson (14-3-3, 12), who fought to a draw earlier this year. We were genuinely surprised to see the two go the distance when they first fought, though it should be noted that Tyson took the bout on relatively short notice when Yuki Nonaka vacated the belt. This time around Tyson has had a full training camp, and may well find himself fighting a more aggressive bout than last time around. Both men are former holders of this belt, both can bang, and both are exciting fighters. We would be surprised if they go the distance again here, though it's still a very hard bout to call, and could go either way. A full preview of this bout can be read here Tyson and Hosokawa set to go again for OPBF crown! Another rematch on this show will see former world title challenger Shingo Wake (26-5-2, 18) take on Jhunriel Ramonal (15-8-6, 8), in what is expected to be Wake's final bout before getting a second world title bout. These two clashed back in 2013, when Wake was the OPBF Super Bantamweight champion, and Ramonal was stopped in 3 rounds by the sharp shooting Japanese fighter. Since the Ramonal has gone 2-2-2. Wake on the other hand has gone 11-1, fought for a world title and claimed the Japanese title. Give the difference in form and the result of their first bout it's hard to imagine anything but another early win here for Wake. Also on this card is former Japanese Minimumweight Shin Ono (23-10-3, 6), who will be looking to bounce back from January's loss to Norihito Tanaka. The 36 year old Ono, who made his debut in 2001, will be up against fellow veteran Akira Kokubo (8-8-3, 2), who is 35 years. On paper Ono has the experience edge, and is a multi-time world title challenger, but he will be moving up in weight for this, was stopped last time out and has little Momentum. Kokubo on the other hand has momentum coming in to this, with 4 straight wins including a good one last time out over Taiyo Inoue. This bout, being fought at a contracted limited around 110.25lbs, should be a lot more interesting than it looks on paper. Tokyo, Japan We get the next Diamond Glove show this coming Thursday from the Korakuen Hall, which features a couple of title bouts. The main event of the card will see Japanese Lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino (10-0, 8) take on Filipino foe Harmonito Dela Torre (20-2, 12) in a bout for both the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight titles. The unbeaten Japanese fighter has looked fantastic in recent bouts, stopping his last 6 foes and running up 4 defenses of the Japanese title. Although this is his first bout above domestic level the view is that he will be strongly favoured and is expected to become a triple champion, before moving on wards and upwards to potential world title fights down the line. Dela Torre was once a hotly tipped young Filipino prospect, but with 2 losses in his last 3 and only 1 win in the last 2 year his rise has hit a brick wall. Dela Torre has got skills but this looks like too much of a step from his last win, which was a decision over domestic journeyman Richard Betos last December, to be competitive with Yoshino here. Our full preview of this bout can be read here - Yoshino and Dela Torre battle for regional domination A second title fight on this show will see Kenichi Horikawa (40-15-1, 13) defending his Japanese Light Flyweight title against Yuto Takahashi (10-4, 5). This is a really interesting match up between two flawed, yet determined fighters at very different stages of their career's. The 39 year old Horikawa is in the Indian summer of his career and has reeled off 8 wins since losing in 2017 to Tetsuya Hisada. Coming in to this Horikawa has already made 1 defenses this year and will know another win will guarantee him a fight at the Champion Carnival next year. On the other hand Takahashi is 26, just reaching his physical prime and comes into the bout on the back of solid performance against Tatsuya Fukuhara, Ryoki Hirai and Yuta Nakayama. Takahashi could well be getting to Horikawa at the perfect time. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Horikawa defends Japanese title against Takahashi in a battle of circumstance Also on this card is the second bout of novice professional Kazuhiro Imamura (1-0, 1), who takes on the frustratingly fragile Kiyohei Endo (3-2, 3). Originally Endo was tipped as one to watch, following a 42-18 amateur career. Sadly however he was stopped by a journeyman on debut and has never managed to really get going, and a loss in his third bout to Toshiki Shimomachi didn't help. On the other hand Imamura debuted back in March following a 32-20 amateur career, and he'll be hoping to build on his debut win. This is an interesting fight, given given that neither can really afford a loss. Saying that however we don't think Endo will have toughened up, and if Imamura puts it on him we see Endo being stopped again here. Cheonan, South Korea The main card this coming Wednesday comes from South Korea, not something that we can say often enough. The main event will see OPBF Light Welterweight champion Rikki Naito (21-2, 7) defending his title against Korean challenger Gyu Beom Jeon (9-3-1, 4). This is a bout that has been rescheduled numerous times this year, causing a loss of momentum for both men, especially Naito. The champion, who is looking for his third defense here, but has been out of the for almost a year, following his close win over Daishi Nagata. That sort of ring rust will not do Naito any favours here. Jeon is relative unknown outside of Korea, but he does have some momentum coming in to this with 5 straight wins, and 7 wins in his last 8. The challenger is the under-dog but he has been active whilst the champion has been horribly inactive recently. A full preview of this bout can be read here Rikki Naito heads to Korea for third OPBF title defense In a decent looking support bout we'll see Sang Hun Oh (5-1, 3) take on Filipino veteran Michael Landero (19-14-4, 8). On paper this might not look great but is a really good step up for the 19 year old Oh, who is looking to bounce back from a recent loss to Kyung Min Kwon, back in May. Landero is a proper veteran, who has been out of the ring for around 30 months, and in his prime was the OPBF Minimumweight champion, stopping Kenichi Horikawa. It's hard to know what Landero has left at the age of 33, but if he's half the fighter he was he could be a banana skin for Oh here. Sadly we're not expecting any real competition when South Korean Super Flyweight champion Ki Chang Go (7-3, 3) takes on awful Thai visitor Yutthichai Wannawong (9-9, 7). Go is no puncher, though did blow out Joo Ho Lee in June in his first title defense, and is actually best known for his only stoppage loss, to Masahiro Sakamoto in what was Sakamoto's final bout before facing Moruti Mthalane on New Year's Eve. Sadly Yutthichai is known for losing, and losing quickly with 8 stoppages losses, a JBC ban, and a loss last time out inside a round, to Carl Jammes Martin. This shouldn't be anything more than a stay busy fight for Go. Another notable bout on this card will see hard hitting Korean Middleweight hopeful Sung Jae Jo (9-0, 7). He was originally scheduled to face Chinese visitor Wulamu Tulake (8-2-1, 4), though we have now been told he will be facing a Thai foe instead, in an 8 round bout, though the opponent hasn't been named. Like wise Heuk San Lee (10-1-2, 5) is scheduled for a 10 rounder, and his opponent hasn't been confirmed at the time of writing. Bangkok, Thailand As well as the show in Korea, there will also be one in Thailand. The details for this are lacking, but Tassana Paladsrichuay (4-4, 1) will be up against Japanese visitor Umi Ishikawa (7-3, 5), who was stopped in 3 rounds by Kanyarat Yoohanngoh last time she fought in Thailand. This bout will be for the WBC's International female Minimumweight title, and whilst not a big bout is it significant for both fighters. |
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