Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
On Monday fight fans in Tokyo will be getting the latest show from Dangan Aoki. The card isn't the biggest, or best, but it is a show that has a number of notable domestic fighters on it, and has several bouts which should be exciting and entertaining. The main event of the card will see former WBO Flyweight champion Sho Kimura (19-3-2, 12) fight in his first bout for more than 2 years, as he takes on talented youngster Ryu Horikawa (3-1-1, 1). The now 33 year old Kimura is the more well known fighter, and the more accomplished, but also someone who has been inactive, with just 3 fights since his 2018 loss to Kosei Tanaka in their instant class, and was last seen in a ring last year, being dropped on his head in a bizarre exhibition event in China. At his best Kimura would be favoured, but we don't know what he has left in the tank. As for Horikawa he's looking to bounce back from a TKO loss to Yudai Shigeoka last year, and the 22 year old really shouldn't be written off after that loss. He's talented, quick and over 8 rounds does have a chance here to score a win that would put his career on the fast track. In a potentially very fan friendly bout former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (14-6-1, 7) will take on the light punching Kaito Takeshima (6-4-1, 1). Tamura is the much more proven fighter, but the 34 year old he is slowing, and he has been in a host of wars, which do look to be taking their toll on him in recent performances. As for Takeshima, he's 23 and will be looking to use his youth and energy to leave Tamura chasing shadows. Given Tamura has long been a must watch fighter his bouts are always worth tuning in to, but sadly it does feel like this could be his final bout, win or lose. In another supporting bout Japanese ranked Super Flyweight Ayato Hiromoto (4-1, 2) will be up against Wataru Ikegami (9-6-1, 5), in what should be a really, really good bout. Hiromoto will be looking to bounce back from a 2021 loss to current Japanese national champion Kenta Nakagawa, and will know that a win here moves him a step towards a rematch with Nakagawa. Although no world beater he is a talent and will be looking to impress here. As for Ikegami, he has one of the most misleading records in Japan, and is a wonderful fighter to watch, as we've seen in his wins over the likes of Hibiki Jogo and Shion Tamada. This should be a bout where skills are on show, and could turn out to be a high paced chess match. Talking about high paced we also want to mention the scheduled 8 rounder between Seigo Hanamori (7-4, 5) and Hiroshi Takaki (6-9-1, 2). Hanamori was last seen in august 2021 when he lost a 3 round war with Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Gakuya Furuhashi, in what was one of the best 3 round bouts in recent years. His style is genuinely must watch, and he'll be looking to show what he can do here against Takaki. We don't expect this one to be competitive, but we do want to see a lot more of Hanamori over the coming years. As for Takaki, the 36 year old has gone 1-5-1 in his last 7, though does tend to play his part in fun action bouts.
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SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
This Friday isn't a huge day for Asian fighters in general, in fact there isn't too many Asian fighters in action during the day, however there is one Asian fighter in a massive bout, and a bout that could lead him to bigger and better contests down the line, including potentially huge unification bouts. That Asian fighter in question is Uzbekistani fighter Murodjon Akhmadaliev (9-0, 7) , who will be defending his WBA and IBF Super Bantamweight titles against Jose Velasquez (29-6-2, 19), in a bout that was put together at short notice after Ronny Rios contracted Covid19. The talented Akhmadaliev has raced through the division, and in just 9 fights has already picked up wins Danny Roman and Ryosuke Iwasa, to unify and defend his world titles, but did suffer from Covid earlier this year and it's always hard to predict how a fighter will look after testing positive for the virus. At his best he's probably the best fighter at 122lbs, which is a deep division with the likes of Stephon Fulton, Raeese Aleem and Brandon Figueroa also being in the mix for the #1 position. As for Velasquez he's a natural Bantamweight who's best win has come against Melvin Lopez. Despite an underwhelming record, Velasquez has turned his career around, and won his last 21 bouts. Sadly however they have come at a low level, and this is a major step up, as well as a bout he's taken on short noticed and moved up in weight for. An in depth preview of this bout can be read here Akhmadaliev returns for second world title defense! Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan In terms of action in Asia we get a small card in Tokyo, thanks to the Misako gym. It's not a major card, but it does have one bout of note on it. The one bout of note on this event will see former 2-time Japanese Super Flyweight champion Kenta Nakagawa (19-4-1, 12) take on rising prospect Ayato Hiromoto (4-0, 2). The 36 year old Nakagawa hasn't fought since suffering a brutal TKO loss at the hands of Ryoji Fukunaga back in December 2020. That was a loss that would have needed a lengthy rest period for Nakagawa, but at the age of 36 we're really not sure what he has left in the tank. Hiromoto on the other hand is a 24 year old, taking a big step up in class, but a youngster who will be fully aware that a win here puts him right in the mix for a title shot of his own. Of the two men Nakagawa has the edge in experience and power but Hiromoto hasn't taken much punishment, is younger, and the more polished of the two. Despite the show, overall, being bad, this is a fantastic match up and should be a very, very interesting one for the future of both men. Sadly a scheduled bout between Takuya Uehara (17-1, 10) and Ryukyu Oho (7-5, 4), which was planned for this show, was cancelled in the week leading up to the event. Bangkok, Thailand Over in Thailand we should be seeing the return of a familiar face, as Indonesian veteran Daud Yordan (40-4-0-1, 28) takes on Rachata Khaophimai (7-0, 4) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Light Welterweight title. The talented Yordan, who has faced a genuine who's who during his career, will be fighting for the first time since he beat Michael Mokoena, around 2 years ago, and will be looking to remain relevant in the sport. Sadly however Yordan is now 34, and is very much coming to the end of his career, we thought was clear 3 years ago when he looked old and slow against Anthony Crolla. Aged 18 Rachata is a new face on the Thai scene, though sadly his competition so far has been dire, and he's yet to beat a guy with a winning record. Given his competition so far, he's not just stepping up in class here, but leaping up, massively. We do feel Yordan's career is winding down, but a loss here for the Indonesian veteran would be a massive shocker a huge upset. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
We're back at Korakuen Hall this coming Thursday for a Kadoebi promoted event featuring a standout talent defending a regional title in the main event, and a couple of decent on the under-card. It's not a stacked by any stretch, with just 5 bouts on the card, but there really is a feeling that this could be a surprisingly good show. We regard the main event here as a bit of a mismatch as the talented Ryota Yamauchi (7-1, 6) defends his WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title against Yuta Nakayama (8-3-1, 5) , in what should be little more than a stay busy defense for the champion. Yamauchi, who is world ranked by the WBA, WBO and IBF, is one of the more over-looked Flyweights in Japan and looks to be one of the most exciting, with an aggressive style, nasty power and a flawed defense. He can be hit, but he has the power to take opponents out. Nakayama on he other hand has lost his most meaningful bouts, by stoppage, and looks almost made to order for the pressure and power of Yamauchi. Don't expect this one to be competitive, but it's a clear sign that Kadoebi want him to have a few more bouts before an eventual world title shot. Our full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here Yamauchi looks to make first defense of WBO AP title as he takes on Nakayama! One of the notable prospects on this card is JBC ranked Super Flyweight Ayato Hiromoto (3-0, 1), who takes on the more experienced Hiroki Yajima (9-9-3, 4). Hiromoto has impressed since debuting in 2019 and looked really good against Ryosuke Nasu, despite the very poor scorecard of Takaki Handa, and it seems clear that Kadoebi can move him very quickly, with title bouts likely in 2022 or 2023. Yajima on the other hand is limited, but tough and we should see Hiromoto being forced to go 8 rounds, at a decent pace, against a very game foe. Given Yajima went 8 rounds with Hayate Kaji recently this is the perfect sort of test for Hiromoto at this early stage of his career. Another excellent prospect on this show is the technically solid Jun Ikegawa (1-0), who turned professional after a strong amateur career and showed some very good technical ability in his debut. Although technically solid we didn't see Ikegawa get out of first gear in his debut, and we'd like to see a lot more from him. Thankfully we expect to see Ryuya Nihei (5-1-1, 1) try to push him a bit and beat him here, showing a mix of his experience, his own desire and his own skills. Ikegawa should still be too good, but Nihei will certainly not be there to roll over, especially given that he lost last time out, to Yuki Yazan in the East Japan Rookie of the Year final. This coming Saturday is a pretty busy day in terms of Asian boxing with two shows in Japan, one in Thailand and one in India. Across those shows we will see a couple of regional title bouts, and a number of very promising youngsters as we move towards the end of November.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The most notable show of the day is an Ohashi promoted event at Korakuen Hall, which will feature a world ranked fighter defending a regional title, two interesting domestic fights and noteworthy exhibition. In the main event we'll see WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Musashi Mori (11-0, 6) take on the heavy handed Tsuyoshi Tameda (21-5-2, 19) in an excellent match up. Mori, who is currently world ranked by the WBO, will be 21 when this fight takes place and will know that a win will help him move one step closer to a world title fight. Although a light puncher the talented youngster is maturing and following the guidance of legendary trainer Ismael Salas, and has become a very skilled young fighter. Tameda was once touted as one to watch, but in recent bouts he has been picking up losses, and appears to be falling short of expectation. Despite that Tameda is a rock fisted fighter and his power could give him a real chance, if he can catch Mori clean. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Young regional champion takes on dynamite puncher! In a supporting bout JBC #1 ranked Lightweight Seiryu Toshikawa (12-5, 7) will be taking on Takahiko Kobayashi (9-3, 7) in a good looking 8 rounder. The 24 year old Toshikawa, who will be risking his ranking here, has won 6 of his last 7, and has bounced well since a 2018 loss to Shawn Oda, in a very close fight for the Japanese Youth title. This however is not a gimme for him. In Kobayashi we have an under-rated 24 year old puncher who gave Handy Hiraoka real problems in 2017, leading on all 3 cards before being stopped, and beat touted Korean Jeong Han Cha last time out. Although not a spectacular bout on paper this is a really interesting match up, and could be a very, very compelling one when the men get in the ring. In another supporting bout we'll see the in form Hiromu Murota (6-4-1, 4) take on former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Seiichi Okada (22-7-1, 13). We've seen Murota really turn his record around after a 2-4-1 start, and he has run off 4 straight wins coming in to this bout, but they have all been at a very low level. As for Okada the 38 year old is well past his best, and it's more than 8 years since he lost the Japanese title to Daiki Kaneko. At his best Okada had more than enough skills to over-come Murota, but the question is what does he have left at this point in his long career. Also on this card will be an exhibition between former 3-weight world champion Akira Yaegashi (28-7, 17) and rising Japanese prospect Taku Kuwahara (7-0, 4). Although Yaegashi has retired as an active fighter it is good to see him remain in the sport, and it will be good to see him again here. Despite being retired he has continued to work in the sport, and is now working as a trainer at the Ohashi Gym. As for Taku Kuwahara the 25 year old Flyweight is one of the best prospects in Japan and this will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills against a loved figure of Japanese boxing ahead of his next fight in January. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan On a second card in Japan, over in Osaka, we see several interesting match ups. The main event will see Kyonosuke Kameda (5-2-1, 4), the cousin of Koki, Daiki and Tomoki, battle against the debuting Daiki Asai (0-0). On paper it's easy to assume that Kameda will be favoured here, especially after he reached the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year final last year, where he lost to Jinki Maeda, however this bout isn't the gimme it looks. Despite Kameda being from a successful boxing family it needs to be noted that Asai is a former amateur standout and went 61-16 (33), and will be looking to make a statement now he's turned professional. This could be a very intriguing bout, despite having the debutant status of Asai. Another very interesting bout here will see novice professional Ayato Hiromoto (2-0, 1) take on Japanese ranked Super Flyweight Ryosuke Nasu (12-5-3, 2). Originally we were expecting to see Hiromoto battled for world title challenger Masayuki Kuroda but with Kuroda being injured Hiromoto's team looked elsewhere and secured him this bout with Nasu. So far Hiromoto has looked a real talent, with excellent skills and boxing craft, but this is a serious step up. As for Nasu he's looking to secure a third straight wins following a 2019 loss to Kenta Nakagawa. This should be a very interesting match up, and a genuine test to see what Hiromoto really has to offer going forward. A third bout of interest here will see JBC ranked Light Flyweight Sho Omote (8-1, 3) take on Shota Asami (7-7, 4). The once beaten 26 year old is riding a 6 fight unbeaten streak, and had a sensational 2019 which included him winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year in December. The 25 year old Asami might not have a great record, and has lost his last 2 bouts, but he's had a number of very close bouts and he is much better than his record looks. With that in mind we wouldn't be surprised, at all, if Omote was given a very serious test by Asami here. Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand We also get a really good bout in Thailand pitting two talented unbeaten fighters against each other in a truly mouth watering contest. In one corner will be talented teenager Phoobadin Yoohanngoh (9-0, 4), who will be looking to defend his WBA Asia Light Welterweight title, whilst the other corner will play host to unbeaten challenger Atchariya Wirojanasunobol (13-0, 5). Aged just 16 Phoobadin is one of the most promising teenagers in the sport, and is tipped incredibly highly following several excellent performances. He will however need a career best performance here to over come the once touted Atchariya. As for Atchariya this will be his second bout since the start of 2019, following a lengthy legal battle, which derailed a bout in Japan against Andy Hiraoka. Aged 31 Atchariya can't afford an in ring set back, but he's in with a big, strong, skilled, youngster looking to make a big mark and move his career forward. This is a very, very interesting bout, and will be shown live on Thairath for fans interested in watching it live. Bawing Gym, General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines In the Philippines we'll see unbeaten prospect Criztian Pitt Laurente (5-0, 3) take on Renan Portes (10-13, 6), in what is expected to be another win for the talented Laurente. At one point Portes was a very capable fighter but he has now lost 8 in a row, and has been stopped in his last 5 suggesting he's essentially given up with trying to win. Given the talent of Laurente it's hard to see anything but a win for the youngster here. INTHEPINK FITNESS CLUB, Bangalore, India There will also be a show in India, albeit a very, very low key card. In one of the bouts on this show the unbeaten Karthik Sathish Kumar (5-0, 3) will be up against the debuting Jayapal Jaganadhan (0-0). The 24 year old Kumar debuting in April 2010 and has become a well travelled fighter already, with bouts in Thailand, Dubai and India. Sadly for him this will be his first bout since January. As for Jaganadhan, the 21 year old is really an unknown, and this looks like a tough debut, at least on paper. Another fighter making their debut on this card will be Shaik Nagma (0-0), who takes on the once beaten Ramandeep Kaur (6-1) in a female bout. Kaur was beaten last time out, by Rinky Inder Kishore, but will be looking to get back to winning ways here. Batu, Indonesia In a rarity the show that has caught our eye for November 17th comes from Indonesia and will feature the biggest name in Indonesian boxing and one of the hottest prospects in the country. The main event of the card will see former world title challenger Daud Yordan (39-4-0-1, 27), who takes on South African foe Michael Mokoena (15-4, 10) in a bout for the IBA World and WBO Oriental Light Welterweight titles. The talented Yordan is looking to score his second win since his 2018 loss to Anthony Crolla a year ago whilst Mokoena is looking to avoid a third loss in 4. It's hard to go against Yordan in Indonesia but the visitor will not be there to make up the numbers. A second bout of note on this show will see the unbeaten Ongen Saknosiwi (7-0, 7) take on experienced Filipino Marco Demecillo (24-8-1, 19), in a bout for the IBA world Featherweight title. The unbeaten Saknosiwi is, on paper, taking a leap up in class after 7 bouts against relative novices, however he should have size, and physical advantage over Demecillo. The Filipino, who began his career around Super Flyweight, has fought as high as Lightweight in recent years, but is very much a blown-up-Bantamweight type fighter. Despite being the smaller man Demecillo shouldn't be written off, and he's an upset minded type of fighter who will be in the ring looking to shock the unbeaten local hero. Hyogo, Japan In Japan we have a couple of shows with the most notable of those taking place in Hyogo. The main event of this card will see former world title challenger Riku Kano (15-4-1, 8) face off against the once beaten Tetsuya Mimura (8-1, 1), in what looks likely to be a much more interesting bout than the records suggest. Kano is a talent, but isn't looking likely to live up to the early expectations put on his shoulders, and looks like the best he'll do any time soon is a national title. Mimura on the other hand is looking for his third win since losing in the 2018 Rookie of the Year final. We'd assume Kano's experience will be key here, but it's not a given. In the main support bout Japanese ranked Flyweight Arata Matsuoka (8-6, 4) will take on Shota Asami (7-6, 4). On paper this looks like a really competitive bout, and one that is worthy of attention. Matsuoka is a former Japanese Youth Flyweight champion and despite his record he is 6-1 (3) in his last 7, rebuilding from a 2-5 start. Asami on the other hand has suffered a lot of close losses, and could have had a 12-1 record with some good fortune shining his way. This might not look like the best of bouts, but we expect it will be much, much better than the records suggest. Another bout that has the potential to out-shine the main event will see former Japanese Youth Featherweight champion Hikaru Matsuoka (15-5-3, 2) take on Retsu Kosaka (10-4, 4). With 23 bouts to his name it's hard to believe Matsuoka is only 24, but the youngster is an experienced young veteran who always comes to fight, despite his limitations. Kosaka isn't a great, and is 3-4 in his last 7, but can score the occasional upset and hold a a very big 2017 win over current Japanese Featherweight champion Ryo Sagawa. This is another very good match up, even if it's not going to get much attention outside of Hyogo. Yamaguchi, Japan As well as the show in Hyogo there will also be a Japanese card in Yamaguchi, featuring a promising and talented young female fighter, a bout between Japanese fighters and a young novice with a lot of promise. The main event of the show will be the one featuring the talented young female fighter, teenager Eruka Hiromoto (5-0). The promising Hiromoto will be looking to defend her OPBF female Minimumweight title, as she takes on the aggressive, but somewhat clumsy, Sana Hazuki (7-4-1, 2). For Hiromoto this will be her first defense, and the fleet footed southpaw will know she's in for a legitimate test here against the 35 year old Hazuki. Although Hazuki is the more technically limited of the two she's aggressive and will ask serious questions of of the champion in what promising to be a very interesting contest. Our preview of this bout can be read here Teenager Hiromoto takes on Hazuki in first title defense The chief support bout will see Japanese ranked fighters Taiyo Inoue (8-5-2, 5) and Yuto Nakamura (11-5, 8) face off in an interesting looking 8 round contest. Entering the bout Inoue is ranked by the JBC at Light Flyweight, though has been fighting at Flyweight and Super Flyweight recently. Although Inoue is 2-3-2 in his last 7 he is much better than those numbers suggest. Nakamura on the other hand is ranked by the JBC at 115lb is a former Japanese Youth Super Flyweight champion who enters on the back of 4 straight wins. The size and power is with Nakamura here, but Inoue will certainly be in the ring seeking the upset. It's also worth noting that Eruka Hiromoto's older brother Ayato Hiromoto (1-0, 1) will be having his second bout on this card. The talented Hiromoto will be taking on Filipino foe Romel Oliveros (10-5-1, 4), in what is a big step up in class from his debut back in September against Suriyo Chonlathan. Although Oliveros is no World beater he's a very good test for someone as inexperienced in the professional ranks as Hiromoto. Tokyo, Japan This coming Friday in Tokyo we get a low key card with a few notable bouts on it. One of the names on this card to be excited about is the debuting Ayato Hiromoto (0-0), the older brother of promising female fighter Eruka Hiromoto. The talented Ayato is expected to go on to big things, and will get a chance to show what he can do here against Thai opponent Suriyo Chonlathan (1-0, 1). Little is known about the Thai, though from what we under-stand he made his debut 11 months ago, with a win against another debut. In a potentially explosive bout we'll see the hard hitting Zirolian Riku (8-3, 8) take on fellow Japanese foe Ken Matsuzawa (5-5, 3). Between the two men they've had a combined 11 KO wins, from 13 combined wins, and 5 of their 8 combined losses have also been by stoppage. We do not expect this one to see the final bell! Interestingly the actual main event of this card is a low key match up between Joji Tsuchiya (8-5-3, 5) and Kazuki Kobayashi (7-10, 2), in what is a really weak main event bout. It's hard to get excited about this main event, but it should be a pretty competitive 8 rounder and make for some really fun low level action. Metro Manila, Philippines Despite the action in Japan we'd actually say the day's highlight is in the Philippines, where we see a former world title challenger, a top young prospect and a once touted contender all in action. One of two title bouts will see the talented Mark Anthony Geraldo (37-9-3, 18) take on the limited Lorence Rosas (9-4-2, 3), with Geraldo looking to defend the GAB Super Bantamweight title. The talented Geraldo will be looking to make his first defense here, and score his 4th straight win following a 2017 loss to Nordine Oubaali. Rosas on the other hand is looking to avoid a 4th straight loss, but it's now 18 months since he last picked up a win. A second title bout on this card will see the unbeaten Carl Jammes Martin (13-0, 12) go for gold as he takes on the experienced Benezer Alolod (19-12-5, 7) in a bout for the PBF Bantamweight title. On paper this isn't really a step up for Martin, but in reality we;re expecting this to be his toughest bout to date, as Alolod, despite his record is no push over and he'll be in there to win, and to upset the fast rising youngster. Given Martin's energy, power and aggression he'll be favoured, but we expect to see him need to work for this one Also on this card will be former world title challenger Vince Paras (14-2, 10), who has been matched incredibly softly as he goes up against domestic journeyman Vincent Bautista (5-15-4, 1). After taking two hard fought losses in 2018, to Hiroto Kyoguchi and Jonathan Taconing, we can excuse a couple of confidence building wins for Paras, who also picked up an easy win in April against Reymark Taday. At one point Bautista was a solid journeyman but with 9 losses in a row and 3 stoppages losses in his last 7 there is a feeling he's very becoming damaged goods. Bangkok, Thailand Staying in Asia we also get a small card in Thailand. One of the bouts of note here will see Kongfah CP Freshmart (28-1, 15) taking on Hyuma Fujioka (10-9-1, 2), in a bout for a regional WBC Super Bantamweight title. On paper this looks like a mismatch in favour of Kongfah, who is currently riding a 14 fight winning. Despite being a clear under-dog Fujioka is a live dog here, and ran Ryo Akaho close earlier in the year. Kongfah should be favoured, but we wouldn't be surprised if he really needs to work for the win. Yorkshire, United Kingdom We also see some Asian attention in the UK as once beaten Thai fighter Aran Dipaen (6-1, 5) takes on unbeaten Brit Tommy Frank (11-0, 3) in a bout for the WBC international silver Super Flyweight title. For Dipean this will be his third bout outside of Thailand, following a loss in Russia to Zafar Parpiev and a win earlier this year in Japan against Ryohei Arakawa. The under-dog the Thai is a very live fighter coming into this. Frank has been matched tougher than the Thai and until recently had shown little in terms of power, but with 3 stoppages in his last last 4 he is certainly developing belief in his power. This could be a very, very interesting match up. Originally Downua Ruawaiking (16-0, 13) was pencilled into for this card, but he now appears to have had his bout on the show cancelled. |
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