 Tokyo, Japan
Action returns to the Korakuen Hall this coming Friday for a small, but notable card featuring a few names known around the Asian scene. The main event of the card will see the teak tough Tatsuya Takahashi (29-8-5, 21) take on the underrated Gaku Aikawa (9-6-1, 3). The 29 year old Takahashi first came to our attention in 2014, when he challenged the then Japanese Bantamweight champion Kentaro Masuda in a thrilling 10 round contest, in which Takahashi was described as a "zombie" afterwards. Since losing to Masuda in their entertaining bout Takahashi has gone 11-1-2 (8) and been in some entertaining contests. Aikawa is a win some, lose some fighter, going 6-6 in his last 12, though has mixed with good fighters. Sadly for Aikawa it's hard to imagine him picking up a win against Takahashi, even if Takahashi is himself rather crude. Another bout of note on this card will see former Japanese Minimumweight title challenger Masashi Tada (12-5-3, 8) take on former OPBF Light Flyweight title challenger Lester Abutan (13-9-3, 7) in an interesting match up. Coming into this Tada is 1-2-2 in his last 5, dating back 5 years, whilst Abutan has lost 4 of his last 6, though those losses do include defeats by Kenshiro in an OPBF title bout and Ryota Yamauchi in late 2017. Neither of these are a world beater, but this should still be an interesting and competitive contest. Bangkok, Thailand As well as the Japanese card there will also be a show in Thailand, featuring 2 notable Thai fighters. The main event will see OPBF "silver" Super Flyweight champion Kongfah CP Freshmart (24-1, 13) defending his title against Filipino foe Salatiel Amit (11-5-2, 8). This is a mismatch on paper, but the reality is that Amit is much better than his record suggests, and we suspect that Kongfah will have to work hard for a win here. We don't expect to see the title changing hands, but Amit will certainly give Kongfah a really tough test. Another bout on this card will see WBA #2 ranked Flyweight Noknoi Sitthiprasert (68-5, 42) take part in what was being promoted as a tune up bout ahead of a potential world title fight later in the year.
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Saraburi, Thailand
The most interesting of two Thai shows features two men of note. The main event of the show sees former WBA interim Flyweight champion Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep (36-3, 22) fight against Indonesian fighter Iwan Key (10-13-3, 1) for the PABA Flyweight title in what is a massive mismatch. Key, who was once lined up to fight Akira Yaegashi, was last seen being stopped in 3 rounds by Samartlek Kokietgym and it's hard to see anything more than a stoppage loss here. For Yodmongkol however it's a confidence builder before another possible foray towards world class in 2016. The other bout of note on this card will see Kongfah CP Freshmart (14-1, 8) taking on a man we've been told is Chokanan por Pakdee (who appears to be a debutant). For Kongfah this is his first bout since he was stopped, in a thriller, by Daigo Higa for the WBC Youth title and it's an understandable confidence building fight for a man who wimple broken down last time out. This card will be aired on Channel 7 for those interested. Bangkok, Thailand Another Thai card will be from Bangkok, and will be shown on Channel 3. This card features a pair of title fights with both of those coming at Super Flyweight. One of those bouts will see PABA champion Chatpetch Sithmorseng (12-3-2, 6) defending his title against Indonesian Bayu Palue (2-0, 2), who likely has a very incomplete record. The other will see Inthanon Sithchamuang (27-7-1, 16) defending the WBA Asia Super Flyweight title against Ichal Tobida (12-17, 8). It's hard to see anything but a win for the champion, but it's also hard to care too much for this bout given the limitations of Inthanon, who was notably stopped in 2 rounds in Macau by Jerwin Ancajas last year. Cotabato del Sur, Philippines To close out the week Filipino fans get a show that sees prospects facing “professional losers”. On paper the biggest mismatch sees unbeaten Bantamweight hopeful Raymart Gaballo (10-0, 8) put his unbeaten record on the line against Roldan Malinao (11-35-1, 2). The 19 year old Gaballo has only fought at a low level, and this is technically a step up, however Malinao hasn't won a bout in almost 8 years. Another mismatch featuring an unbeaten fighter comes at 122lbs where the 18 year old Michael Angelo Plania (7-0, 4) battles Ronerex Dalut (9-17-2, 2). The 26 year old Dalut is a relatively tough fighter, having been stopped only 6 times in his 17 losses, but has only won once in the last 3 years and won't be expected to really test Plania. A third unbeaten fighter on here is Featherweight 21 year old Rimar Metuda (8-0, 4) who fights the very experienced Jamie Barcelona (38-58-1, 10). Barelona is a true veteran, and a tough one at that, but he has recently been a professional loser and won just once in the last 6 years. Metuda should get a test of his stamina but little else given that Barcelona seems to lack the desire to try and win fights in recent times. This coming Friday isn't a busy day in Asian boxing but is an interesting one with 3 bouts of real note.
Bangkok, Thailand Every week we see bouts in Thailand which are mismatches and bouts that we have very little real interesting in. This coming Friday however is an exception as we get a genuinely mouth watering WBC Youth Flyweight title fight between two young and unbeaten fighters who have been tipped for real success. Those fighters are Kongfah CP Freshmart (14-0, 8) and Daigo Higa (6-0, 6). We have a real interest in both men and suspect the winner will race to become a contender in one of the sports most packed divisions. As for the loser, they will almost certainly come back and rebuild what could be a very successful career of their own. Brilliant match up New South Wales, Australia In Australia we see Filipino tough guy Arnel Tinampay (22-18-1, 8) continue his interesting career as he takes on the unbeaten Sam Ah See (12-0-1, 6). Although on a mismatch Tinampay has often found himself travelling and scoring the occasional upset, as he also most did to see just a few fights back, when see won a controversial majority decision. We know Tinampay isn't world class but the 31 year old is tough, hits harder than his record suggests and is a real banana skin, as he'll be hoping to prove once again here. Mexico Also in action will be Japanese “export” Shoki Sakai (18-5, 12) who continues his his career in Mexico. We're unsure who he will be fighting but he's one of many fighters who is better than his record indicates and could well continue his run of good performances. Although he has lost 2 of his last 3 bouts Sakai has mixed at a good level and will know that he has a chance at scoring another win. Thailand
For Thai fans the day begins in a fun way with Channel 7 televising a show with several notable names. The main event will see the unbeaten Petch Sor Chitpattana (29-0, 19) defending his WBC Youth Silver Bantamweight title against a Filipino opponent. Sadly we don't have the visitors name though looking at Petch's previous opponents we're not expecting a real challenge for the Thai who is slowly climbing towards a world title bout based on his record, not his competition. A much more interesting bout will see former WBC Minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai (55-1-1, 21) battle against the well traveled Rasmanudin (19-8-3, 10), of Indonesia. The Indonesian “Lost Boy” has gone 1-4-1 in his last 6 though has generally been fighting as a Super Bantamweight and may be able to have a size advantage over the very experienced Oleydong. Also in action will be the exciting teenager Kongfah CP Freshmart (12-0, 7)*, who looks to continue his rise through the ranks as he takes on a domestic foe, and the highly aggressive Chanachai Cp Freshmart (2-0, 1), who will also be taking on a Thai foe. Sadly we've not been given the names of the opponents for Kongfah or Chanachai Accra, Ghana In Ghana we see Filipino veteran Ronald Pontillas (17-7-3, 8) attempt to resurrect his career as he goes up against the tough George Ashie (25-4-1, 18) in an interesting 10 round contest. Pontillas, known as “Unpredictable” has lost 3 of his last 5, including a 5th round KO loss last time out to Daud Cino Yordan. As for Ashie he has won his last 2 bouts and is proven to be tough having gone 12 competitive rounds with Kevin Mitchell, however he does lack a notable win. Konstantinovo, Russia In Russia fans will get the chance to see several Asian fighters. One of those is 25 year old Kyrgyzstan prospect Ahmat Uulu Chingiz (1-0, 1) who takes on debutant Evgeny Andrianov (0-0). Hard to say much about Chingiz but we're hoping to see a top fighter emerge from Kyrgyzstan one day. The other Asian fighter is Russian based Uzbek Lazizbek Uzokov (3-8, 2), who is facing a yet to be named opponent. Uzokov is limited but has strung together back-to-back wins for the first time in his career and will be hoping to notch a third successive victory here. *Boxrec.com are missing one of Kongfah's fights Thailand
Action continues in Thailand this week with a trio of notable fighters. The most notable of those fighters is former WBC Minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai (55-1-1, 21) who continues to move, slowly, towards a Super Flyweight world title fight. Sadly Sithsamerchai hasn't fought a notable opponent since he came up short against Kazuto Ioka way back in 2011. With his experience and ability Sithsamerchai does have the potential to claim a world title again but we suspect he'll not get the chance any time soon. Whilst Oleydong is a former world champion there is a man on the card who is said to only be a fight or two away from a title. That is Palangpol CP Freshmart (7-1, 4) who is said to be viewing a possible shot at the WBO Minimumweight title later in the year. Palangpol is a really exciting prospect but we suspect he's not as good as his team hope and although he's made a successful transition from Muay Thai to western boxing there is still the feeling that he made the move too late. The third fighter of note on this show is Kongfah CP Freshmart (11-0, 6)* who we really like the look of. Kongfah scored one of the best KO's we've seen recently, when he iced Saengthong Chor Pakdee, and since then has been a man we've been following closely. At the moment we're unsure who the 3 Thai's will be fighting though we are under the belief that their opponents will all be Filipino's. *Boxrec.com are missing one of Kognfah's bouts from last December.  Bangkok, Thailand
In Thailand fans get their second televised show of the week in what looks like a relatively interesting card with at least one bout worth making a mental note of and several interesting prospects in action. The main event of the show will see the unbeaten Petch Sor Chitpattana (28-0, 18) defending the WBC Silver Youth Bantamweight title against Chinese visitor Hou Tingling (0-1). Tinglong's only previous bout was a decision loss in November 2014 to Japanese Flyweight Katsuteru Yoshifusa and it's hard to see that really helping him against Petch who is a very promising Thai fighter. The most promising looking bout will see the much touted Palangpol CP Freshmart (6-1, 4) battling against Filipino stalwart Donny Mabao (21-23-1, 4). Palangpol is viewed as a very promising fighter following an excellent Muay Thai career however there does seem to be some doubt about his potential following less than impressive back-to-back showings. Although not a star Mabao is capable enough fight to pose serious questions to fighters like Palangpol and we suspect this could be a very good test for the Thai who is said to be eyeing up a world title opportunity later this year. This card will also feature one of the most exciting prospects in Thailand as we get the chance to see teenager Kongfah CP Freshmart (9-0, 4) in action against Fahpikard Twins Gym (2-7. Last year Kongfah caught our attention with a beautiful knockout against Saengthong Chor Pakdee and we'd not be shocked to see him do something similar here against the limited Fahpikard Strangely we do get what looks to be a competitive under-card bout as Phompetch Twins Gym (6-2, 3) battles against fellow limited fighter Chatree Sor Narongchai (4-3, 2). This is a low level match up but both men will be entering the ring with the intention of recording a win and as a result this could end up being the best bout on the show. (Image courtesy of http://www.thairec.com)  Bangkok, Thailand
The most notable bout of the day takes place in Bangkok as the unbeaten Wanheng Menayothin (35-0, 11) takes part in his most important bout to date. Wanheng will be stepping up big time to battle against WBC Minimumweight champion Oswaldo Novoa (14-4-1, 9) and despite the long unbeaten record we suspect that the Thai will be up against it here. The heavy handed Novoa is a free swinger whilst Menayothin is a pressure fighter and we're expecting this one to be very fun no matter who wins. Hopefully this bout will live up to expectation as it really does have us looking for ward to it, a lot. On the undercard we're expecting to see the unbeaten Kongfah CP Freshmart (8-0, 4) battle against Filipino visitor Cris Alfante (10-3, 3) in a bout for the WBC Youth Minimumweight title. For Alfante this is his second shot at the title following a loss in July to Knockout CP Freshmart whilst for Kongfah it appears he'll be moving down a weight, though of course with this being a Thai under-card we're not 100% certain. From what we under-stand there will be one other under-card bout on this show, or at least the televised portion of it, though we're completely unsure as to who will feature in that bout. This entire card will be screened on Channel 7 in Thailand (Image courtesy of Thairec.com)  This coming Friday looks to be a great one for Thai fans though outside of Thailand the day looks to be a disappointing one with little to really note, despite a Misako promoted card at the Korakuen Hall.
Wat Tako, Thailand A televised card from Thailand will deliver a duo of title fights. For us the most notable of the two title bouts will see the hard hitting Petchchorhae Kokietgym (6-0, 4) take on Filipino journeyman Roilo Golez (15-12-1, 6) for the currently vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Flyweight title. So far we have been impressed by Petchchorhae, on the whole, though we do know he needs to improve dramatically if he's to reach the heady heights expected of him. Golez isn't great by any means but he should give the Thai a great test especially considering he has taken big name Thai's, such as Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep, Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym and Wanheng Menayothin, the distance in the past. The other contest will see the unbeaten but untested Saenganan KKP (7-0, 5) battling against Filipino Wilber Andogan (10-15-4, 4) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Light Flyweight title. On paper this is a mismatch but Saenganan has never faced anyone even like Andogan and so this is a step up for the unbeaten men. The Filipino has won just 1 of his last 10 and shouldn't be viewed as a real threat but we do have question marks about the Thai here. Bangkok, Thailand A second Thai show will take place in Bangkok and will feature several notable names. The main event will see Petch Sor Chitpattana (25-0, 16) defending his WBC Youth Silver Bantamweight title for the third time. Petch, who was given a great test last time out by Gerpaul Valero, will be battling with former PABA interim Flyweight champion Jaymart Toyco (14-5, 10) in what looks like being little more than an easy win for the unbeaten Thai, after all Toyco is coming up several weights for this bout. Another of the bouts on this card will see former WBC Minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai (52-1-1, 20) taking on Indonesia's Falazona Fidal (25-40-1, 8). Strangely this will be the third meeting between the two men with the previous 2 both being decision wins for Oleydong, we'd suspect this one will go the same way, though it is a stay busy bout for the Thai who is still hoping to reclaim a world title one day. A third bout from this show that we're aware of will see promising teenager Kongfah CP Freshmart (7-0, 3) taking on fellow unbeaten Thai youngster Sangthong Chor Pakdee (4-0, 4). We don't know much about Sangthong though he is just 18 years and made his debut as a 16 year old in May 2012. This could be a total mismatch but when unbeaten fighters face off we can see some interesting contests, we're hoping for one of those here. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we get a small card at the Korakuen Hall. The main event here will see Yuki Fukumoto (15-9, 5) taking on Yasuhiro Sakurai (7-16) in an 8 rounder. For Fukumoto this will bout will be about him trying to end a 3 fight losing streak dating back over a year. Incidentally Sakurai ended a 10 fight losing streak back in April as he over-came Seiji Watanabe via a decision. It's fair to say that neither of these men will be going far but there is a lot on the line for both of these two The chief support bout is another 8 rounder as the heavy handed Yudai Ueno (7-6-2, 6) battles the tough but limited Kazuki Matsuyama (8-5, 4). Ueno has lost 4 of his last 5, including his most recent bout, but with his power he is dangerous it is worth noting however that Matsuyama has mixed against better opponents and may be able to take the power. Matsuyama has won 2 of his last 5 and we'd tend to feel that he has a great chance here in what looks to be close to a 50-50 bout. A third 8 rounder will see Ryutaro Taira (8-4-1, 3) looking for his first win of the year. Taira, who has lost 3 of his last 4, will be fighting against Ryu Onigashima (12-6, 7) who has been out of the ring for almost 2 years. This is another 50-50 bout even though it's being fought at a low level. For us we tend to enjoy competitive fights rather than too many mismatches. The rest of this card will feature a further 7 bouts, including a single 6 round contest, giving depth to what looks like a competitive though not headline making card. New South Wales, Australia In Australia we will see another Asian in action. That will be is Korean Hwi Jong Kim (5-13, 1) taking on Valentine Borg (7-1, 4). Borg will be the clear favourite considering that Kim has lost his last 8 though he did use to look half decent and gave both Shin Ogata and Rey Bautista good contests, sadly those two bouts were more than a decade ago. (Image courtesy of Kadoebi)  We're all for more countries turning to boxing and whilst we're still waiting for India to embrace the sport it's great to see the sport developing in China. Notably its not just Macau but also the mainland that seems to be fostering an interest in boxing that could well turn the country into a boxing super power.
Changsha, China In't in China that we get the best card of the day as the Chinese city of Changsha hosts a card with truly international appeal courtesy of fighters from Romania, Ghana and Argentina as well as several Asian countries. Not just is it a cosmopolitan show but it's also one that which be shown live on CCTV 5. The running order of the card isn't something we have access too though we're expecting the show ti begin with a bout between China's unbeaten Zhou Yun Fei (2-0) and Thailand's Atthaporn Jaritram (4-1, 1). Atthaporn will be a fighter somewhat familiar to those who have been following the Macau cards that Top Rank have been having as he faced the then 1-0 Egor Mekhontsev back in February. In that fight Atthaporn was dominated by the talented Russian however Fei is no Mekhontsev and this should be more competitive. For the second week running we get the chance to see a Chinese Heavyweight in action as the 6'4" Xia Shunkai (1-0, 1) fights for the first time since December 2012. Whilst we doubt Shunkai will get the attention that Taishan Dong did when he beat Alex Rozman he should still be an interesting fighter to keep an eye on. A second Heavyweight bout on this show will see Romania's Razvan Cojanu (10-1, 5) battles Argentinian veteran Manuel Alberto Pucheta (37-9, 30) for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight title. We're unsure how a Romanian or an Argentinian are eligible to fight for an "Asia Pacific" title but that's the world of boxing we guess! Thankfully there is a title fight that makes some sort of sense as China's Xiang Jing (7-3-1, 1) battles against unbeaten Filipino Ben Mananquil (10-0-1, 2) in a contest for the WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title. Although both Jing and Mananquil are relatively unknown fighters both deserve a lot of respect for the tests they have faced. Jing fought the ultra talented Jerwin Ancajas very early in his career and gave a good account of himself whilst Mananquil was giving the world ranked Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym fits before a headclash caused an early ending in one of his recent bouts. Interestingly we've stoppages given for less than what Mananquil did there and with that in mind we need to favour him over Jing. Another bout on this show will see former WBC Minimumweight world champion Xiong Zhao Zhong (23-5-1, 13) battle against Indonesia's Jack Amisa (20-30-2, 14). Going in to the bout Zhong is still trying to rebuild his career following his upset loss to Oswaldo Novoa for Amisa however he really is just making up the numbers and he's won just once in the last 6 years! A final bout that we know of will see former Olympian Isaac Dogboe (2-0, 1) attempt to extend his unbeaten record, though he has not yet had his opponent announced. Victoria, Australia As well as the Chinese show we also get action in Australia where fight fans will get the chance to see some interesting contests. In the main event Yutaka Oishi (11-3, 6) will be seen as a huge under-dog as he fights #1 ranked OPBF Super Middleweight Zac Dunn (13-0, 11) in a battle for the WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council Super Middleweight title. Oishi will know he needs a career best performance to over-come Dunn, who should be eyeing up a fight with Yuzo Kiyota if he wins here. Oishi isn't the only Asian on this card as we also get a pair of Thai's in action. Of the two Thai's the only one we give a chance to is Paitoon Jaikom (1-6) who fights the unbeaten Lewis Goodritch (3-0) in an 8 rounder. The other Thai is the win-less Pramool Boonpok (0-6) who takes on once beaten Khoder Assi (3-1, 1) in a 6 round bout. We give neither Thai much of a chance though Paitoon is better than his record indicates. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand, and televised on Channel 3, we're expecting to see Filipino Fernando Lumacad (29-8-3, 12) fighting for the interim WBO Asian Pacific Super Flyweight title as he battles Petchbarngborn Kokietgym (26-7-1, 10). Petchbarngborn enteres this bout on a 4 fight winning streak following his stoppage loss to Sho Ishida whilst Lumacad will be hoping to end a 2 fight skid. Interestingly this is the third WBO Asia Pacific title fight of the day and it seems clear that the WBO are going to push this title as hard as they can. On this same card we get to see a rematch between Fonluang KKP (19-1,-1 8) and Budi Risky (8-4, 5). The men fought last December with Fonluang, then fighting as a Kokietgym, stopped Risky in 2. A third bout on this card will see Chaiyong Sithsaithong (33-12-4, 24) battling against the very poor Boido Simanjuntak (18-21-1, 7). Simanjuntak will be hoping to avoid a 5th successive defeat. Chonburi, Thailand A second televised Thai card will take place on Channel 7. This card is headlined by WBC Youth Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (7-0, 4) taking on Filipino youngster Cris Alfante (10-2, 3). Alfante, who last last time out to Florante Condes, will know he's up against it here but will likely be aware of Knockout's fight with Jonathan Refugio which saw the Thai fighter being forced to work for his win. Also on this card will be Kongfah CP Freshmart (6-0, 2) who faces the win-less Jomthong Sor Songsaeng (0-2) in what appears to be little more than a clear mismatch. (Image courtesy of Zovi Boxing) |
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