This coming Friday fight fans in Japan get two shows, whilst Korean fans get one, and even Indian fans have something worthy of their attention! Hyogo, Japan The biggest single show takes place in Hyogo where we get two title fights, a notable debut and a former Japanese champion all in action. The main event will be a world title fight, and will see talented WBO Minimumweight champion Ryuya Yamanaka (16-2, 5) battle against heavy handed challenger Vic Saludar (17-3, 10). The champion, who won the title last year, will be making his second defense and will be looking to shine again, just like he did in an eye opening domination of Moises Calleros back in March. Although seen as the less notable champion at 105lbs Yamanaka does look a very classy fighter. For Saludar this bout will be his second title shot, and he will be looking to prove that his performance against Kosei Tanaka wasn't a fluke performance, but a sign that he really should be competing at world level. This really is an excellent match up between a brilliant pure boxer, and a brutal puncher. In the chief support bout fans will see former world title challenger Reiya Konishi (15-1, 5) take on Filipino foe Orlie Silvestre (11-3-1, 7) in a out for the WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight title. Earlier this year Konishi came up short against Carlos Canizales, though really looked like a great little fighter with insane bravery and an incredible desire to win. The Japanese fighter will be the favourite here, but Silvestre has nothing to lose and everything to win. The Filipino fighter comes into this on the back of 5 straight wins and will feel confident of scoring a career best victory here. Former Japanese Lightweight champion Kazuhiro Nishitani (18-4-1, 10) looks to score his first win of 2018 and takes on limited Filipino foe Rey Ramos (8-8-2, 3). Nishitani really failed to build on his March 2017 upset win over Shuhei Tsuchiya, having scored only a single win since then over a limited Thai, but he has talent and shouldn't struggle to over-come Ramos here. The Filipino has lost 4 of his last 6, including 2 by stoppage, and it's hard to imagine him having anything to trouble Nishitani with. One other bout of note will see Yuki Yamauchi (0-0) make his debut, as he takes on Jimboy Rosales (3-2-1, 2). The Japanese debutant was a sensational amateur, with notable results on the high school, national and world university level. Aged 23 big things are expected of Yamauchi and this looks like a pretty interesting opponent for his debut, with Rosales having gone unbeaten in his last 4, following back-to-back losses to begin his career. If Yamauchi is as good as anticipated then he really could make an instant impact here. Tokyo, Japan A second Japanese show will take place in Tokyo, and was originally set to feature two former world title contenders in action. The planned main event was a bout set to have Akihiro Kondo (30-7-1, 17) take on domestic foe Quaye Peter (11-9-3, 6). Sadly for the teak tough Kondo, who is best known for his November 2017 loss to Sergey Lipinets, this bout has been cancelled due to Peter suffering an injury a a week or so before the show was set to take place. A a result of Peter's injury the card will now be headlined by former 2-time world title challenger Ryo Akaho (31-2-2, 20), who returns to the ring following medical problems that forced him to vacate the Japanese Bantamweight title. It was expected that Akaho would be matched incredibly easily but instead he will be up against Filipino Robert Udtohan (24-3-3, 15). At his best Akaho is a tough, aggressive fighter, who has beaten the likes of Yushi Tanaka, Hiroaki Teshigawara, Masaaki Serie and Yohei Tobe. Sadly though it's unclear how much the health issues has taken from the Japanese fighter. As for the visitor he has got a pretty padded record, and has lost recent bouts to Qiu Xiao Jun and Ryoichi Tamura, but is a tougher opponent than expected for Akaho's ring return. Seoul, South Korea In Seoul there will be a small card courtesy of former world champion Myung Woo Yuh and his Buffalo Promotion. The main event will be an interesting match up between 22 year old Ki Soo Lee (6-3) and 30 year old Hwan Young Jo (5-4, 1). The youngster has had mixed for, though showed he was a capable fighter last December when he ran the touted Katsuya Yasuda close in Yokohama and will look for his third win since that loss. On the other hand Jo hasn't really shined, but is certainly not going to be a push over here and should make for a good dance partner for Lee. Only real issue here is that neither man is much of a puncher. In another bout of note on this card fans will see unbeaten fighters collide with Do Jin Lee (5-0-2) taking on Jong Sun Gang (4-0, 1). Lin is a 17 year old who made his debut at the age of 16 and despite only fighting in 4 rounders so far is worth following as he moves into his first 6 rounder. As for Gang he has been a professional since November last year and has been busy, but will also be taking part in his first 6 rounder. London, United Kingdom As for Indian fans they will turn their attention to London, England, as national hero Vijender Singh (10-0, 7) takes on Lee Markham (17-4-1, 7) for the Commonwealth Super Middleweight title. The Indian star is now 32 years old and his team won't keep holding him back for long. A win here could well open big doors for him and takes him much closer to a potential world title shot. On paper Markham looks limited but he is a former English Middleweight champion who has score several notable results on the British scene, including a draw with Frank Buglioni. Singh should be favoured, but Markham is a very live under-dog coming in to this one.
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Tokyo, Japan In Tokyo this coming Friday fight fans will see the next Asign Bee show. The main event of the card is a mouth watering match up between Reiya Abe (16-2, 8) and Daisuke Watanabe (6-3, 3). Coming in to this Abe is ranked the JBC, OPBF and IBF and looks to be well on his way to a title fight thanks to wins over the likes of Ryo Hino, Hikaru Marugame, Tsuyoshi Tameda and Satosho Hosono. On paper Watanabe looks like an easy opponent for for the red hot Abe but the reality is that Watanabe is a very credible fighter who holds notable wins over the likes of Jun Blazo, Yosuke Fujihara and Gakuya Furuhashi. This is a really well matched bout and should be very contest in the ring. In the led support bout recently title challenger Akihiro Kondo (29-7-1, 16) will be up against a Thai foe. Kondo gained some international respect last November when he gave the talented Sergey Lipinets a competitive 12 round bout for the IBF Light Welterweight title, this will be his first bout since loss In another notable bout fans will see the under-rated Ryohei Takahashi (13-3-1, 5) battle Tetsuya Koyama (7-9, 2). The under-rated Takahashi has been matched hard, but looks like someone who will always be able to mix in and around the top of the domestic level. He shouldn't struggle with Koyama, but Koyama is the naturally bigger man and could ask some questions of his man. Another bout worth noting from this card is a competitive contest between Ryuto Araya (11-6-1, 3) and Tatsuya Otsubo (10-8-1, 3). Both of these men have fought in title bouts, with Otsubo losing a decision to the then Japanese Featherweight champion Satoshi Hosono in 2015 and Araya losing to then then OPBF Featherweight champion Rtyo Takenaka early last year. It's also worth noting that these two fought last October in a nail biting fight,that Otsubo won with cards of 76-75 in his favour from all 3 judges. This could be the highlight of the card. New South Wales, Australia In Australia local fans will see hard hitting prospect Brock Jarvis (12-0, 11) take on once beaten Indonesian fighter Hamson Tiger Lamandau (8-1-1, 5). The hard hitting Jarvis has stopped his last 11 foes, including the notable but very shop worn Rasmanudin, and looks like one of the most exciting prospects down under. As for Lamandau he is best known for suffering a 6th round loss to Hinata Maruta last year, and has fought only once since then. This coming Saturday is a pretty stacked day of action with a pair of world title fights, a regional title fight, a pair of Japanese title eliminators and a non-title bout featuring a controversial world champion. Monte Carlo, Monaco The first of the world title fights will see WBA Light Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (11-0, 9) defending the title he was recently handed, following Badou Jack's decision to avoid Bivol who has seen his “interim” title being upgraded. The talented Russian based Kyrgyzstan born fighter will be up against Trent Broadhurst (20-1, 12) in what looks likely to be little more than a showcase defense. The destructive Bivol looks like one of the best young fighters in the sport, with text books skills, an impressive engine, a fantastic in-ring mentality and very heavy hands. On paper Broadhurst looks like a good opponent, and has won his last 13 bouts, but is unlikely to be able to live with the work rate and power of Bivol, who will be expected to stop the challenger with few problems. New York, USA The other title fight will see unbeaten Kazakh born Sergey Lipinets (12-0, 10) take on Japan's Akihiro Kondo (29-6-1, 16) in a bout for the IBF Light Welterweight title, which was vacated earlier this year by Terence Crawford. Of the two men it's Lipinets who has been the more impressive, with 4 stoppages in a row including wins over Leonardo Zappavigna and Levan Ghvamichava. The Kazakh, much like the previously mentioned Bivol, is an exciting and heavy handed fighter with an aggressive mentality. As for Kondo he's a tough fighter, as most Japanese fighters are, with a good engine and good form, having won his last 8 including stoppages over Patomsuk Pathompothong, Jeffrey Arienza and Yuya Okazaki.. Given the toughness of Kondo and the aggression of Lipinets it's hard not to get excited about this bout, despite the fact that Lipinets will be the very clear betting favourite. Tokyo, Japan Whilst the biggest fighters aren't in Japan we are really excited about a Japanese card from the Korakuen Hall. The main event will see Japanese Heavyweight Kyotaro Fujimoto (17-1, 9) defending his OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight titles against Randall Rayment (8-3, 3). The Japanese boxer-mover became the first Japanese fighter to unify the Japanese, WBO AP. And OPBF titles and will be determined to continue that reign as he slowly moves towards a potential world title fight, though has seen such a contest with Joseph Parker recently falling through. Rayment is a real unknown but he has won his last 6 and is coming in with a bit of momentum, though has never gone beyond 6 rounds and is stepping up massively. In a Japanese Super Bantamweight Japanese title eliminator we'll see Yuta Nakagawa (21-4-1, 12) battle former champion Yasutaka Ishimoto (30-9, 9), with the #1and #2 facing off for a shot at the title in 2018. The 28 year old Nakagawa has gone 11-0-1 (6) since a 2012 loss to Breilor Teran back in 2012 and whilst his competition hasn't been great he does hold notable wins over Yosuke Fujihara, Monico Laurente and Yuta Saito. Ishimoto on the other hand is a real fan favourite who has engaged in some thrilling contests at the top of the domestic scene with the likes of Yukinori Oguni, Gakuya Fukuhara, Yusaku Kuga, Shingo Wake and Yota Sato, among others. Aged 36 Ishimoto has seen better days, but is certainly coming in to this one as a hungry and determined fighter wanting another title run. An even better title eliminator takes place at Middleweight, as the once beaten Shoma Fukumoto (11-1, 9) takes on the thrilling Kazuto Takesako (6-0, 6). Fukumoto burst on to the pro scene in 2012, blowing out Dondon Lapuz in 130 seconds, but would lose his third bout to the dangerous Arnel Tinampay. Since then he has reeled off 9 straight wins to right the ship and now looks like a much improved fighter who came undone against Tinampay. As for Takesako he was a genuine amateur star before making his professional debut in 2015. As a professional he has been destructive with all 6 of his wins coming in a combined 12 rounds and he looks like the type of fighter who will enter the ring with every intent of continuing that stoppage run here. In one of two notable under-card bouts we'll see the exciting Akinori Watanabe (34-6, 29) take on Filipino journeyman Dennis Padua (11-12-2, 6), in what should be a straight forward win for Watanabe, who is looking for a second straight win after losing two in a row. The other under-card bout of note will see former amateur stand out Kazuki Saito (3-0, 3) battle against heavy handed Filipino puncher Alvin Lagumbay (8-1, 7). The talented Saito has the skills to go a long way, but does have question marks over him, especially given that he was dropped by Jimmy Borbon last time out. Lagumbay is stepping up massively, but is clearly a puncher and will be looking to stop Saito and propel himself towards an OPBF title fight. Baja California, Mexico One other bout of note sees unbeaten, and controversial, WBC Bantamweight champion Luis Nery (24-0, 18) fight in a non-title bout against Filipino Arthur Villanueva (31-2, 17). The Mexican, who failed a drugs test for his bout against Shinsuke Yamanaka but appears to have seen the WBC turn a blind eye to his failed drug's test and haven't yet stripped him. The Filipino has lost in his two most notable bouts, and we can't help but feel he'll come up short again here, potentially suffering his first stoppage loss in the process. Tokyo, Japan We get the next of the A-Sign shows this coming Friday and it's another really solid card, littered with really solid Japanese domestic match ups. It won't get a lot of headlines but it will provide some really good action for the fans in attendance. The main event will see Akihiro Kondo (28-6-1, 15) take on Yuya Okazaki (12-9-2, 4) in what should be an entertaining bout, but a one-sided one. Of the two men Kondo is the one who will be strongly favoured, and in fact he's on the verge of a potential world title fight and is essentially risking that shot here. Okazaki is a former OPBF title challenger and is generally a tough guy, but shouldn't really be able to hold his own here against a resurgent Kondo who has won his last 7. Arguably the best on the card will see touted youngster Kazuki Tanaka (7-0, 5) take on the twice beaten Ryohei Takahashi (10-2-1, 2). Touted as a star from his debut Tanaka has looked great at times, but less than great at others and does appear to be falling short of expectation so far. Although he has two losses to his name Takahashi is better than his record suggests, having lost on debut back in 2012 and also losing to the talented Andrew Moloney in Australia. Takahashi comes into this following a brilliant win over Wataru Takeda last October. Also on this card is an interesting rematch as former world title challenger Tomomi Takano (9-2, 6) takes on Kai Johnson (5-10-3, 2), who actually inflicted Takano's first loss. The taller, younger, rangier Tankano will be looking for revenge but was worn down by the hungrier Johnson when the two clashed in June 2014. Johnson has lost 5 in a row since beating Takano, but will fancy her chances again here. Rizal, Philippines In the Philippines fans will see Boy Dondee Pumar (10-7-3, 4) battle for the PBF Super Bantamweight title. Tokyo, Japan Asign boxing get their second stand out show of the month this coming Monday as we get Asign Bee Vol 2, and just like the first show on March 10th, the show is really good one. The main event of the card sees the sensationally talented Naoko Fujioka (15-2, 6) hunt a 4th divisional title as she takes on Mexican Isabel Millan (18-2-1, 8) in a bout for the WBA female Flyweight title. Originally Fujioka had been down for facing Louisa Hawton for the WBO female Light Flyweight title, but that bout was scrapped about 5 weeks before the contest and as a result the promoter got Millan to travel to Japan for this equally as interesting Flyweight bout. A win for Fujioka would see her becoming the first Japanese fighter to become a 4-weight world champion, whilst a win for Millan would massively boost her career. In a major supporting bout we'll see the world ranked Akihiro Kondo (27-6-1, 14) take on Thai visitor Patomsuk Pathompothong (33-6-1-1, 20) in a rematch of a contest the two men had back in 2015. On paper this should be a repeat win for Kondo, who looks to be having a solid run at the moment, but Patomsuk did look good last time out, losing a controversial decision to Kuok Kun Ng. A second notable female bout here sees the unbeaten Jun Yabuki (6-0, 3) take on the in form Shione Ogata (7-5, 2). Although the bout looks like a mismatch on paper Ogata has won her last 6 in a row and has certainly turned her career around since a 1-5 start and she will be hungry to keep that run going here. In another supporting bout we'll see Takafumi Nakajima (26-9-1, 11) take on Jump Ikeo (6-4-2, 4) in what looks like a straight forward win for experienced man. Nakajima will be looking to secure his second straight win since being blown out in 88 seconds last September, by a rampant Kosuke Saka and although a bit of a faded fighter now a days Nakajima is still solid. Ikeo has lost 3 of his last 5 and shouldn't prove much of a test here. Another notable name on this card is the struggling Hikaru Marugame (6-2-1, 4). Marugame turned professional with high expectations and a strong amateur background but has gone 1-2-1 in his last 4 and cannot afford another slip up here. In the opposite corner to the Japanese fighter will be Filipino visitor John Ray Logatiman (5-4-2, 1), who looks to build on a career best win over Brian Lobetania here. This could be a real gut check for Marugame, who's career may be written off with another loss. Tokyo, Japan To kick off a new week we get the next Ichiriki show from the Korakuen Hall. The card features a number of notable Japanese fighters but sadly not much to be excited about in terms of competitive match ups. The main event will see the world ranked Akihiro Kondo (26-6-1, 13) risking his IBF and WBO rankings against a poor imported Thai. Kondo, who is the current WBO Asia Pacific champion at 140lbs, won't be risking his title in this 8 rounder. Sadly we're unsure who the Thai is, and the same applied for the chief support bout, where an unknown Thai will be facing Japanese veteran Takafumi Nakajima (25-9-1, 10), with Nakajima looking to rebuild following an opening round loss to Kosuke Saka in September. On the under-card we have a number of interesting fighters, including the now struggling Hikaru Marugame (5-2-1, 3). Once touted as a potential star Marugame has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3 and needs a win. His team know he needs a win and that appears to be the reason behind him facing Thai visitor Pepsi Sithluangporphun (1-0, 1), who last fought in July 2015 according to Boxrec. Another loss here for Marugame would likely be the end of his dreams. Another hopeful on this card is Bantamweight Sonin Nihei (8-2-2, 1) who looks to bounce back from an August loss to Takayuki Okumoto. The once touted 23 year old is being thrown in against the heavy handed, but limited, Keita Kurihara (7-4, 6) in what looks likely to be a better bout than it initially seems. Although Kurihara doesn'ty have a great record he has won his last 4 and stopped his last 3 so will be full of confidence here. One other bout worthy of noting is one between Japanese ranked Featherweight Junki Sasaki (16-3, 6) and the upset minded Yudai Tamagawa (9-7-1, 3), up is just a year removed from his career best win over Mark Gil Melligen. On paper this is Sasaki's to lose but it should be one where he needs to concentrate as he could be just a few fights from a potential title fight. Tokyo, Japan The action in Japan really has picked up in September and on September 13th we see the first officially sanctioned WBO Asia Pacific title fight on Japanese soil. That title bout will see world ranked Akihiro Kondo (25-6-1, 12) battle against Filipino visitor Jeffrey Arienza (15-4-1, 9) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Light Welterweight title. Although a flawed fighter Kondo is a busy and tough guy in the ring and we suspect he'll out work and break down the visitor however Arienza won't have travelled to just fold so we're expecting a fun bout here between two men who will let their hand go, In an interesting supporting bout fans will see veteran Takafumi Nakajima (25-8-1, 10) battle against the heavy handed Kosuke Saka (13-3, 10). Aged 32 Nakajima is a veteran but one who still seems to have boundless energy and his win over Xian Qian Wei earlier this year showed he still has a lot to give, as did his very good effort against Jonathan Baat last time out. For Saka this bout is great opportunity to make a name for himself. The 24 year old puncher has won his last 5 inside the distance, including both Ryuto Kyoguchi, in what was a fun bout, and Burning Ishii, and he'll be looking to keep that momentum going here. Notably this show will be aired in full on A-sign. Tokyo, Japan The month of June has been relatively busy with low key action so far. That action continues this coming Monday in what looks set to be a brilliant card at the Korakuen Hall. The main event of the card is one of two world title fights, and sees WBO female Bantamweight queen Naoko Fujioka (14-1,6) defending her title against compatriot Shindo Go (16-3, 11), in what is expected to be Go's final fight before she transitions to becoming a man later in the year. The bout should be a really good one and should be one of the most well matched bouts at the top level of female boxing. The other world title bout will see WBO Atomweight champion Nao Ikeyama (17-3-1, 4) defending her title against the under-rated Saemi Hanagata (12-6-2, 6), in what should be a thrilling contest. At 46 Ikeyama knows a loss could be the end of her career, whilst Hanagata will see this as her best chance to win a world title. The bout isn't on the same level as the main event but is a great match up and could be, stylistically at least, a thriller. In a supporting bout Takafumi Nakajima (25-7-1, 10) will be facing Jonathan Baat (30-7-5, 14), in what looks like an absolute corker between two genuine veterans. Baat is the more proven fighter however at 35 years old he may be coming to the end, and is win-less in his last 3 bouts, whilst Nakajima has won his last 3 and is looking like a genuinely hungry 31 year old. Another good looking supporting bout sees the once touted Naoto Uebayashi (9-1-1, 5) battle against Mikihito Seto (34-12-3. 19). Uebayashi was tipped for big then when he turned professional a few years ago, following a very successful career in the amateurs, but problems with durability has seen him struggle to make a good run in the professional ranks. Seto, a genuine veteran at 36, has won just twice in his last 6 bouts but should prove to be a good test for Uebayashi, who really cannot afford another slip up. One final bout of note will see the exciting Akihiro Kondo (24-6-1, 11) battle against Tanva Malihom (0-1) in a stay busy bout. Tokyo, Japan For a second day running the only Asian action is in Japan, though this time we do get a number of interesting looking match ups in what looks to be a solid domestic card from Ichiriki Promotions. The main event will see former Japanese Lightweight champion Akihiro Kondo (23-6-1, 11) battle against the unbeaten Shogo Yamaguchi (9-0-1, 4) in what will be a step up for the unbeaten 22 year old. Aged 30 Kondo is best known for having a short reign as the Japanese national champion back in 2009-2010 though retired in 2013 before mounting a comeback in 2014, that has seen him go 4-3, with notable wins against Jimrex Jaca and Patomsuk Pathompothong. As for Yamaguchi he's on a 9 fight winning run following a draw on his debut, however this is a big step up with his best win to date coming against Shota Suito. Another unbeaten fighter looking to extend his record is the touted Hikaru Marugame (5-0-1, 3) who looks to bounce back from a draw against Jonathan Baat. Marugame will be up against Reiya Abe (10-2, 5), a 2014 Rookie of the Year winner at Featherweight. Whilst Abe has suffered a couple of losses, with one of them coming a year ago to Shingo Kusano, he is still a very good fighter and should be regarded as a very live under-dog against Marugame, who has promises a lot but failed to really deliver on that promise so far. Marugame's stable mate Naoto Uebayashi (8-1-1, 4) will also be in action, as he faces Naoaki Kumagai (7-3, 4), in another bout which looks to be well matched. Uebayashi was a former top amateur in Japan, and has fought internationally in the unpaid ranks, but has shown a somewhat shaky chin in the professional ranks, a chin that let him down last year against Giovanni Escaner. This will be Uebayashi's second bout since he was beaten by Escaner and he will be the favourite but Kumagai will come to fight and this could be another banana skin for Uebayashi. In other bouts on this card Japanese ranked Yudai Arai (7-3-3, 3) will be battling Tatsuya Kaneko (7-11-3, 1) in what looks like a good match up whilst recent Japanese title challenger Taiki Minamoto (10-5, 9) takes on Yudai Tamagawa (8-6-1, 2) in what looks to be a must win for Minamoto given that he is 3-3 in his last 6. Tokyo, Japan The only Asian show today comes from the Korakuen Hall where Ichiriki put on the next of their “Fighting Bee” shows. The main event here looks to be a mismatch as the popular, and currently world ranked, Akihiro Kondo (22-6-1, 11) takes on Thai visitor Vachara Soonkilabangmod (0-2) in an 8 round bout at just under 138lbs. It's hard to see Kondo losing here but his recent form as been win one-lose one and if that form continues we will see a huge upset here. Saying that however Vachara was stopped last time out in 2 rounds by Takuya Uehara and it's hard to imagine him going the rounds with Kondo. In the chief support bout we actually get an intriguing bout at 123lbs between former Japanese title challenger Takafumi Nakajima (23-7-1, 10) and Filipino fighter Dennis Tubieron (19-5-2, 8), who returns to Asia after back-to-back losses in the UK. Whilst Tubieron is known for his losses in Europe they did take place at a higher weight than this bout which is a really competitive and well matched one, rather than one that sees a Super Bantamweight being dragged up to Super Featherweight. Both the main bouts will be 8 rounders, as will another supporting bout that will see Masashi Noguchi (8-5-1, 4) battle against Kazuya Soma (7-8-2, 6). This is interestingly a goof match up with Soma being limited but heavy handed whilst Noguchi has been stopped in 4 of his 5 losses. It could well be an upset if Soma lands clean. |
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