Camarines Sur, Philippines
In a bout originally scheduled for the weekend fans will see Michael Dasmarinas (24-2, 16) facing off with Michael Escobia (11-12-1, 3). On paper this looks like a real mismatch however Escobia is much better than his record suggests and he has given fighters like Masaaki Serie and Koki Eto really competitive bouts, with the Eto bout coming earlier this year. Dasmarinas should win but this is no gimme. Laguna, Philippines There is also action from Laguna. In the main event fans will get an interesting Light Flyweight bout between Lester Abutan (10-5-3, 5) and Mateo Handig (13-11, 7). On paper this looks like a mismatch, especially given that Handig has lost his last 6, however those 6 defeats have come to good fighters, such as Ganigan Lopez, Nawaphon Por Chokchai and Panomroonglek Kratingdaenggym. Abutan has a good record but has failed when he's stepped up in class, losing to Fahlan Sakkteerin Jr and Chanachai CP Freshmart, and as a result we suspect this will be more competitive than the records suggest. In a supporting bout the 20 year old Robert Onggocan (6-1, 2) will face the very experienced Rodel Tejares (20-39-7, 5). Onggocan will be fighting for the third time since his sole defeat and although he has a promising looking record this is actually one of his toughest bouts so far. Tejares has gone 0-16-3 in his last 19 but could well see this as his chance to score his first win in over 4 years! Southern Leyte, Philippines A third show from the Philippines Marvin Tampus (27-23-3, 18) facing off with the out of form Marco Demecillo (21-5-1, 16). On paper it'd be easy to favour Demecillo however he has gone 3-5 over his last 8 bouts, dating back more than 3 years, and he is genuinely struggling to get his career back on track. For Tampus, who hasn't won in 5 years, this a great chance to get win and may be an opportunity that he will make the most of.
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California, USA The most notable bout to feature an Asian fighter this weekend sees former-2 weight world champion Donnie Nietes (38-1-4, 22) make his long anticipated move up to Flyweight where he will kick off his campaign with a fighter against Mexican veteran Edgar Sosa (52-9, 30). The bout isn't a major test, given Viloria's recent performances at world level, but is is a solid introduction to the weight for Nietes, who will be looking to become a 3-weight champion in the near future. In a supporting bout on the same card former world title challenger Arthur Villanueva (29-1, 15) will face Juan Jimenez (22-10, 15) in a rematch. These two men fought earlier this year with Villanueva controversially winning the bout, and the WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight title, with a head-butt KO. Coming into this one Jimenez will be seeking revenge whilst Villanueva will be looking to win this one cleanly. A third notable Filipino in action in the US is the touted prospect Mark Magsayo (14-0, 11), who risks his unbeaten record against Ruben Garcia (17-2-1, 7). The talented Magsayo won the WBO International Featherweight title last time out, beating Chris Avalos in a slugfest, and will be hoping to defend the belt here against Garcia. If he comes out on top then ALA might see fit to step up Magsayo and move him towards a title fight in the next 12 months or so. Tokyo, Japan The day is a busy on in Japan with 4 shows across the country. The most notable of which is a Dangan card in Tokyo. The main event of the card will see Japanese Lightweight champion Nihito Arakawa (27-6-1, 16) face off against Yusuke Tsukada (8-5, 3) in what will be Arakawa's first defense of the title. The teak tough champion won the belt earlier this year, ending the reign of Kota Tokunaga, and looks like he's making a simple first defense before potentially facing Shuhei Tsuchiya. It's worth noting that Shuhei Tsuchiya (20-4, 17) will be in one of the main supporting bout on this card as he takes on Filipino visitor Rex Olisa (11-29-1, 8). The bout is expected to be a mismatch with the bout serving almost entirely to help build for a bout between Tsuchiya and Arakawa in 2017. Aichi, Japan Another Japanese title bout will be held in Aichi as Shota Hayashi (27-5-1, 17) trades blows with veteran Noriyuki Ueno (18-13-5, 5) in a bout for the vacant Japanese Featherweight title, which was recently vacated by Satoshi Hosono. Coming in Hayashi will clearly be the favourite however Ueno is under-rated, knows this will almost certainly be his only chance and comes in riding a huge high after a massive upset win against Yuki Ogata last time out. In the chief support bout Yushi Tanaka (17-1-3,11) will be facing a poor Thai opponent in what will be Tanaka's second bout since losing in a Japanese title bout against Kentaro Masuda this past March. It's hard to see Tanaka losing here but he'll be forced to step up his competition in the near future if he wants another crack at silverware. Ibaragi, Japan Fans in Ibaragi get a less interesting card though one headlined by the insanely tough Tatsuya Takahashi (24-6-4, 17), who faces Thai visitor Parkin Phakdeepin (1-7) in a 10 rounder. The bout, for all intents, is a mismatch but we find it impossible not to love Takahashi who has been in numerous thrillers. Although a mismatch Takahashi should make this fun. Oita, Japan Another low profile card comes from Oita where the main event will see Yuta Sasaki (8-8-1, 1) face off against Hyuma Fujioka (7-4-1). The bout is another less than great match up, however this one should at least be competitive with both men looking to prove they are the better fight. Camarines Sur, Philippines The Filipino fans also get some action, the most notable of which features the very talented and under-rated Michael Dasmarinas (24-2, 16) facing off with Michael Escobia (11-12-1, 3). On paper this looks like a real mismatch however Escobia is much better than his record suggests and he has given fighters like Masaaki Serie and Koki Eto really competitive bouts, with the Eto bout coming earlier this year. Dasmarinas should win but this is no gimme. Rizal, Philippines A second Filipino show is set to take place in Rizal where we get several bouts of note. The main event of the card will see Glenn Suminguit (18-2, 9) face off against Alvin Bais (15-6-1, 4) in a bout for the vacant GAB Bantamweight title. The bout isn't the greatest one but should be a very competitive one and both men will be coming in to this one seeking a title victory. On paper it's easy to favour Suminguit, who has won his last 8, but he will be tested here in what should a relatively competitive bout. On this card in supporting bouts are the Elorde brothers. Juan Martin Elorde (20-1-1, 8) will face off against Indonesian veteran Boido Simanjuntak (23-40-2, 9) whilst Juan Miguel Elorde (21-1, 11) will face Junior Bajawa (14-9, 7). It's hard to see either of the brothers losing here, though we do hope they will both step up a level in the near future, as neither should be tested by their inferior foes here. Almaty, Kazakhstan Staying in Asia there is also action in Kazakhstan where we get several bouts of note. The most interesting bout will see unbeaten puncher Issa Akberbayev (17-0-0-1, 12) face off against fellow puncher Maik Kurzweil (17-6, 17) in a bout we don't imagine will go the distance. Although neither is near “world class” they are fighting for the GBC title and will put it on the line to hold the belt. In an under-card bout the once beaten Russian Medzhid Bektemirov (17-1, 12) will face the highly experienced Gary Abajyan (33-27-1, 17). This will be Bektemirov's second bout since suffering a split decision loss last year to Alexander Brand. It's hard to see Abajyan holding his own here, but Bektermirov is usually fun to watch. In another under-card bout the unbeaten Berikbay Nurymbetov (2-0) will be facing the much more experienced Valentyn Kuts (22-5-0-1, 8). Kuts has failed to win any of his last 5 bouts and we suspect that losing run will continue here against a man who is obviously backed by a very confident team. Quintana Roo, Mexico In Mexico we'll see the much unfancied Hirotsugu Yamamoto (19-12-2, 3) battle against former world champion Jhonny Gonzalez (61-10, 51) for the WBC International Super Featherweight title. It's hard not to favour the much more experienced Gonzalez here in what looks like a mismatch against the visitor. California, USA Back in California, though not on the same show as the three Filipino's, fight fans will be able to see American based Kazakh Madiyar Ashkeyev (5-0, 3) face off with fellow unbeaten Martez Jackson (3-0-2, 2). The bout looks relatively even on paper but we suspect the Kazakh will be too good and too powerful for the unbeaten American. Quebec, Canada Hard hitting Kazakh hopeful Batyrzhan Jukembayev (4-0-0-2, 4) will be looking to continue his reign of terror as he battles Leandro Mendes Pinto (19-9-2, 9) in a notable step up. The Kazakh destroyer has looked promising so far and should look good here, but notably Pinto has been around the clock and could teach the youngster a few new tricks. Although Pinto has avoided regular stoppages it's hard to imagine him being big enough or tough enough to last long with Jukembayev April 29th is an incredibly busy day through Asia with fights all over the continent. Chongqing, China In Chongqing Chinese fans get an interesting card courtesy of Zowi boxing. The card isn't the biggest but it is an interesting one with several notable bouts. The main event will see the unbeaten Bai Shan Bo (7-0-1, 4) battle against Filipino Nelson Tinampay (9-2-1, 4) for the WBC youth 140lb title. This will be Bo's first defense of the title, that he won in February when he stopped Tackie Annan inside a round. If Bo is as good as touted he should win this one, but it is a step up in class for him and Tinampay is no push over. In an under-card bout fans will see unbeaten Venezuelan Omrri Bolivar (4-0, 2) continue his tour of Asia as he faces the highly experienced Indonesian Ricky Manufoe (24-24-3, 10). Bolivar will be fighting in his fourth Asian bout and should over-come the Indonesian journeyman, who has struggled for wins in recent years and suffered losses regularly on the road. Another under-card bout on this card will see Xing Xin Yang (10-4-2, 7) battle against Takamori Akita (10-5-1, 8) in a bout for the PABA and WBC ABC Continental Welterweight titles. On paper this looks a brilliantly matched bout, and whilst neither is likely to go far in the sport we are glad to see an even looking match up. Shanghai, China Staying in China their will also be a Fists of Fury card promoted by SECA and Top Rank. The card, like the other Fists of Fury, will feature novices each looking to become the latest Chinese fighter to catch the attention of Top Rank who could bring put them on to higher profile cards in the future. Yesan, South Korea In South Korea fight fans will see a WIBA Light Flyweight title bout as Su-Yun Hong (13-1-1, 7) faces experienced Filipino Jujeath Nagaowa (13-16-1, 8). This will be Hong's 4th defense of the title and looks to be her most difficult assignment since her 2014 loss to Mako Yamada, in a bout that saw Hong lose the WBO female Minimumweight title. Metro Manila, Philippines Fans in Metro Manila get a title double-header. In a bout for the PBF Bantamweight title fans will see the very talented Michael Dasmarinas (23-2, 15) battle against Jecker Buhawe (16-11-1, 10). We rate Dasmarinas very highly and see him easily over-coming Buhawe here, especially given that Buhawe is 2-4 in his last 6 and hasn't fought in the last 12 months. The other bout is a PBF Super Featherweight title fight which will see the under-rated Vergil Puton (15-7, 7) battle the puncher Marbon Bodiongan (12-4-2, 10). Puton has lost 4 of his last 5 but has been competitive in all 4 losses and he really is a credible opponent. For Bodiongan, who has lost 3 of his last 4, this is a very tricky match up and it's be a surprise if he was to win. Osaka, Japan In Osaka Japanese fans get a small but notable card. In the main event fans will see Shota Kawaguchi (18-7-1, 8) battle Filipino visitor Jonathan Francisco (8-5-1, 2). This will be Kawaguchi's third successive bout against a Filipino, following back to back losses to Sonny Boy Jaro, and he has actually lost 3 of his last 4. For Francisco this bout sees him return to Japan for his second bout in the country, following a technical draw last year against Toshiyuki Igarashi. In a supporting bout fans will see former world title challenger Nana Yoshikawa (5-1, 3) battle against a Thai opponent. This is thought to be a title prelude for Yoshikawa who will be getting a title fight later in the year. Jakarta, Indonesia There is also action in Jakarta where the vacant Indonesia Boxing Association (IBA) Super Bantamweight title will be on the line as the unbeaten Semly Mau (3-0) faces off against Celvin Joe (2-3-1). Mau is thought to have debuted in 2013, though of course Indonesian records are known to be regularly incomplete, and scored a notable win over Erick Deztroyer back in 2014. As for Joe we believe he comes into this on the back of back-to-back defeats, including a loss Mike Tawatchai, though those losses were back in 2012 and 2013. After a bit of a spurt in activity things quieten down a little bit this week, with action kicking off with a pair of low profile Filipino cards.
La Union, Philippines The most notable of the bouts takes place in La Union as the talented, and often under-rated, Michael Dasmarinas (22-2, 14) battles experienced loser Edison Berwela (13-33-8, 3) for the PBF Super Flyweight title. It's hard to see “Hot and Spicy” losing here and in fact there's a good case for him being 23-1 following a very dubious loss in December 2014 to Lwandile Sityatha. If Berwela does more than just survive we'd be surprised. Abra, Philippines A second Filipino card, set to take place in Abra, will be headlined by a less than mouth watering clash between Danilo Gabisay (6-5, 4) and Gerry Patenio (4-10-2, 2). This really isn't anything to get excited by but could give fans in Abra a chance to see some action. Kunming, China In China we'll see an interesting show with a pair of tile fights involving Asian fighters. One of those bouts will see China's Wei Qian Xian (8-4-1, 1) defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Featherweight title against Filipino puncher Rex Wao (11-1, 9), who is fighting for the second time since being stopped by Silvester Lopez last December. On paper it looks a clear mismatch in favour of the visitor but Xian is better than his record suggests and he could very easily upset the Filipino if Wao is still feeling the mental effects of his loss. The other title bout will see the very promising Michael Dasmarinas (21-2, 13) defending his WBC Youth Super Flyweight title against Thai fighter Wisanlek Sithsaithong (14-8, 9). We have become big fans of Dasmarinas in recent times and can't see anything but a clear win for the very talented Filipino southpaw. Tokyo, Japan In Japan fans in the Korakuen Hall will get the chance to see the Rookie of the East finals. The show will feature 9 bouts after several contests were aborted, originally however the show was set to feature 12 bouts from Minimumweight to Middleweight. Where we have had some interesting days already this month we see things go on to a totally new gear on July 11th with the Philippines really dominating a very, very active day. Cebu, Philippines The best of the shows comes from Cebu where ALA will be running the next in the “Pinoy Pride” cards. Not only is the card a “big name” one but it features a little bit of everything from a recognised champion in a really exciting match up to action involving touted prospects and a major debut for a man tipped as a future Filipino star. The main event is the world title bout which sees long term WBO Light Flyweight kingpin Donnie Nietes (35-1-4, 21) defends his belt against former unified Minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez Jr (17-2-1, 11). This is a genuinely mouth watering match up between arguably the best, and most proven, fighter in the division and one of the most promising and battle hardened young fighters on the planet. Credit to both men for getting this one sorted. In the co-feature we'll see the much touted Mark Magsayo (10-0, 8) attempt to claim his first title. The talented Filipino will be up against Mexico's Rafael Reyes (16-4, 12) in a bout for the IBF Youth Featherweight title. Magsayo has, generally, impressed but this is a much more significant bout than his previous 10 and we expect to learn something new of the 20 year old here. Whilst Magsayo is the most touted prospect on the card there is a lot of attention being given to Kevin Jake Cataraja (0-0) who makes his professional debut against Ardi Tefa (6-4, 4). From what we've been told the 20 year old Cataraja is expected to progress quickly through the ranks and could find himself in the same position as Magsayo within the the next year or two. One other prospect on this card worthy of a mention is the heavy handed Vic Saludar (9-1, 7) who has failed to live up to expectation so far. The once touted Saludar will be up against Michael Kaibigan (3-2-2, 2). Metro Manila, Philippines In Metro Manila we have a number of intriguing matches with more Filipino's including a match up that may go down as the best domestic Filipino bout of the year, the card will also feature a pair of former world title challengers and a GAB title fight. The match up we most like is a 10 round bout for the WBC Youth Super Flyweight title between the unbeaten Jhaleel Payao (11-0, 6) and Michael Dasmarinas (20-2, 13). We've been impressed in the past by Dasmarinas who looked fantastic beating Hayato Kimura last year ans was very unlucky against Lwandile Sityatha. As for Payao he's impressed in sessions working with Ryosuke Iwasa and the reports are that he's a very promising young prospect. We really cannot say enough good words about this one. Another WBC strap will be on the line as former world title challenger Richard Claveras (12-1-2, 12) looks to defend his WBC Asian Boxing Council title against Benezer Alolod (16-7-5, 5). This will be Claveras's first bout since his loss, in a WBC world title fight, to Pedro Geuvara back in April and this is a tough return to action, despite Alolod not holding the most impressive of records. A third title bout is for the GAB Super Flyweight title as Rene Dacquel (14-4-1, 5) defends his title against Jonas Sultan (8-2, 5). On paper it's hard to side with Sultan but he has looked good recently with 4 straight wins, 3 by T/KO, and was unlucky in his most recent loss. Whilst it's not the best match up on the card it certainly isn't a bad one. A final title but here will see Rey Juntilla (20-6-4, 13) trading blows with Danilo Pena (26-21-4, 11) for the vacant LuzProBA Featherweight title. We've got to admit we can't see a win for Pena who is now little more than a domestic journeyman, and is 3 years removed from his last win. Juntilla may go on to achieve something more notable, given he is just 25, but we can't see him progressing to the levels that he'd like to get to. One final bout of note here will see former world title challenger Ardin Diale (28-9-3, 14) take on Indonesian veteran Heri Amol (35-23-4, 14). From what we understand Diale is awaiting to get a shot at the OPBF Flyweight title and will know that a win here really will put him within touching distance of a shot later in the year. It does need saying Amol has lost his last 9, including a defeat to the then debuting Ken Shiro, but is still a decent enough journeyman to get Diale some good rounds. Cotabato del Sur, Philippines Another Filipino show really looks very exciting with some fantastic match ups on a more domestic level. The most promising fighter on the card is the unbeaten John Vincent Moralde (12-0, 6), who will be fighting for the first time since his tragic bout with Brayd Smith. The unbeaten Moralde has been matched easily here against William George (10-22, 3) in what should be an easy win, but that allows Moralde's handlers to know where he's at in terms of his mental state. Another very touted young fighter on this card is 20 year old Jade Bornea (3-0, 2), who holds a notable amateur victory over Kosei Tanaka. Bornea will be facing his stiffest test to date as he goes up against fellow unbeaten Salatiel Amit (6-0-2, 4) in what looks to be a very well matched bout. Jade's brother Jake Bornea (9-1, 4) is also in a very good looking bout as he takes on Richard Rosales (9-2-2, 4) in a bout for the WBC Asia Pacific Youth Flyweight title. Jake is highly tipped, like his brother, though it's hard to overlook his 2014 loss to Raymond Tabugon. One other prospect worthy of note from this card is Jelbirt Gomera (8-0, 5) takes on the highly experienced, though limited Prell Tupaz (8-27-5, 1) in a bout for the PBF Super Bantamweight title. Gomera hasn't received the plaudits of many others but has slowly carved out a promising record and a title win here will almost certainly move him onto bigger fights. Whilst this card doe feature a lot of prospects one bout stands out as being a truly mouth watering clash. That bout pits former world title challenger Vergilio Silvano (20-4-1, 12) takes on the talented Jetro Pabustan (25-2-6, 7). On paper this is a brilliant fight with the winner almost certainly being moved towards a bigger and better fight whilst the loser will hover around the top of the domestic scene. Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany It's not in the Philippines that we have a world title as fight fans in Germany get the chance to see WBA Heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (33-2-1, 20) defending his title against German based Italian born fighter Francesco Pianeta (31-1-1, 17). On paper this looks mouth watering but in fairness Chagaev is not the fighter he once was and Pianeta was made to look like a journeyman in his last notable bout, a 6th round TKO loss to Wladimir Klitschko. Although it's a “heavyweight title fight” it's hard to see anyone even pretending that this features 2 of the divisions top fighters. Guerrero, Mexico One final bout comes from Mexico as Filipino Jhon Gemino (12-3-1, 5) takes on the touted and unbeaten Andres Gutierrez (31-0-1, 22). This is a huge task for Gemino, who has clearly been brought in to lose, but we can't criticise him for taking the fight. (Image courtesy of ALA Boxing) April 24th is a strangely active day with notable fights taking place all over the place. The bouts range from relatively small contests to a “world” title fight in China. Despite the action the day will likely go under the radar for many fans, at least in terms of the Asian fighters. Beijing, China The biggest bout of the day will be in the Chinese capital at the “Capital Gym” and will see WBA “interim” Light Flyweight champion Randy Petalcorin (22-1-1, 17) defending his belt against unheralded Chinese challenger Ma Yi Ming (12-5, 7). Coming into the bout Petalcorin is a relatively known quantity and looked very good in his title victory last August, when he stopped Walter Tello in 7 rounds. As for Ming this is a relatively undeserved challenge but the Chinese fighter is a lot better than his record indicated will come to fight, possibly leaving himself open to Petalcorin's fast and accurate shots. This could be a potential banana skin for the talented Petalcorin who should move onto bigger fights if he's successful here. On the same card Qu Peng (6-1-1, 4) will be battling against Australian fighter Dane Campbell (3-2, 2). This will be Peng's first bout since losing to Andrew Robinson in Macau last November. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we get a low level card which doesn't leave us too exciting but it does feature some notable fighters, sadly all of which are in relative mismatches. The main event will see the Japanese and OPBF ranked Akihiko Katagiri (16-7-2, 7) facing off against the over-matched Tatsuya Otsubo (7-6-1, 3). Katagiri comes into this bout unbeaten in 5, following a 4th round TKO loss to Jhonny Gonzalez, and will be hoping to continue that type of form as he edges towards a title fight. Whilst Otsubo has a similar run, with 5 straight wins, he has been fighting at a much lower level and this is a massive step up in class for him. In the chief support bout we'll see former OPBF and Japanese Middleweight title challenger Hikaru Nishida (11-7-1, 3) facing off against the debuting Kungsuk Sor Sompong (0-0. Although we know little about Kungsuk we do know that Nishida is a lot, lot better than his record indicates and should have enough in the tank to beat his foe here. A second support bout will see female fighter Kimika Miyoshi (9-8-1, 4) battle against a Thai foe. Miyoshi, who is ranked in the top 10 by the IBF and the WBA at Bantamweight will be hoping to move towards a world title fight though she's unlikely to be able to beat any of the current world champions in or around 118lbs. As well as the 3 bouts mentioned here there will a further 5 bouts. One of those bouts will see Takuya Watanabe (24-5-1, 11) fighting a Thai foe in a 6 round bout. Watanabe, the IBF Asian Featherweight champion, shouldn't have any issues here in what looks like a stay busy fight for a man facing his 5th straight Thai foe. Other bouts will involve qualified accountant Kohei Kashino (1-0, 1) and risique model Riyako Goshi (3-2) who are both involved in 4 rounders with domestic opponents. Thailand In Thailand fans will get the chance to see former WBA "interim" Flyweight champion Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep (35-3, 20)* fight for the second time since being beaten last year by Juan Carlos Reveco. Yodmongkol is set to fight Jopher Marayan (7-5-2, 3) in a bout for the WBA Asia Flyweight title. Whilst other bouts will be on this show we've not been informed of what they are, yet. What we do know is that this show will be aired on Thai channel 7. Metro Manila, Philippines In the Philippines we're expecting to see WBO #1 ranked Super Flyweight Warlito Parrenas (23-6, 20) facing off against Thailand's Kaichon Sor Vorapin (25-13, 9) in a 10 round bout. It seems Parrenas's bout with Jamie Conlan has been cancelled for a second time and Parrenas has decided to stay busy and take a fight at home instead of waiting on the side lines. In the co-feature Recky Dulay (8-1-0-1, 5) will be facing Warren Mambuanag (7-5-2, 3) in what should be a straight forward victory for Dulay who does look like a promising prospect despite already suffering a loss. Others on this bout include the talented Michael Dasmarinas (19-2, 12), who will be in a 6 round bout against a TBA and Jenel Lausa (3-0, 2), who is facing Benjie Baron (2-1) in a 6 rounder. South Africa We get more Filipino action as a couple of Filipino fighters take to South Africa in the search for IBO titles. One of the Filipino's in action is unbeaten Featherweight Randy Braga (15-0-1, 3) who battles the heavy handed Macbute Sinyabi (24-4, 19) in a bout for the IBO Inter-Continental Featherweight title. For Braga this a very risky assignment but at 27 years old it seems the time is now or never to step up. Sinyabi is a vicious puncher but his power doesn't quite seem to have the same effect in recent bouts as it did earlier in his career and if Braga can take his power there maybe a title heading to the Philippines. The other bout is even trickier for the visitor. This one will see Renz Rosia (11-2, 5) battle against the much touted Makazole Tete (12-0-1, 9) in a bout for the IBO Inter-Continental Flyweight title. Tete is the young brother of current IBF Super Flyweight champion Zolani Tete and is said to be better than Zolani, if that's true then Rosia is on to a beating here. On paper Rosia is on a great run with 9 straight wins but he's stepping up massively for this bout and we suspect he'll come up very short against a very good South African. Accra, Ghana Staying in Africa we will also see the heavy handed Joebert Delos Reyes (13-4-1, 10) taking on Emmanuel Tagoe (22-1, 9) in a bout for the WBA Inter-continental Lightweight title. Tagoe will be fighting for the first time in 20 months and whilst his record looks good he has had some luck, including a debatable decision against Ronald Pontillas. Reyes might not be a star in the making but he really can bang and he'll be hoping to show that power here. *Boxrec are missing Yodmongkol's most recent bout against Pongpan Pattanakarngym. Although January has been a bit of a slow month it does end in exciting and busy fashion with a pair of Filipino shows. We won't pretend that any of them are ground breaking with huge headline bouts but there is certainly something to be intrigued by on both shows.
Davao del Sura, Philippines For us the best of the Filipino shows comes from Davao del Sur and features 4 notable bouts. They aren't earth shattering bouts but all 4 contests have some form of significance to them. The least interesting of the 4 contests will see that talented but light hitting Marlon Tapales (26-2, 9) battles against struggling compatriot Jecker Buhawe (16-10-1, 10) in what looks to bo a straight forward win for Tapales. Buhawe's record however is misleading and he is better than the numbers suggest, though we still favour Tapales. Another bout that looks like a mismatch will see Drian Francisco (26-2-1, 20) fight against Jason Egera (21-11, 10). We suspect this will be 1-sided with Francisco taking a stoppage over Egera, however Egera may feel he needs to put in a career best performance considering that he has lost his last 3 bouts and his career will certainly be on the rocks if he's beaten quickly here. Possibly the best bout on the card will be for the IBF Youth Super Flyweight title as the talented, young and heavy handed Aston Palicte (15-1, 13) battles against Thai visitor Jomyuthlek Sor Narongchai (12-2, 5). Palicte, dubbed “Mighty”, is a serious puncher and a really exciting guy to watch, and he should see off the Thai visitor here, however it's not a forgone conclusion and we hope to see Jomyuthlek really asking some questions of Palicte. In the main event we get another between a Filipino and a Thai as the unbeaten Adones Cabalquinto (18-0, 11) fights against Denkamon Pakdee Gym (12-3, 5) for the IBF Australasian Light Welterweight title. From what we understand this will be Dankamon's first bout in almost 4 years and it's really hard to see him even testing Cabalquinto here. Unfortunately however it does seem that the unbeaten Filipino is doing his best to avoid real challenges and bouts like this are becoming a big common place in his career, unfortunately. Metro Manila, Philippines Another of the Filipino shows takes place in Metro Manila and although this card isn't as good as the other one it does still have a few interesting contests scheduled. The main event will see the heavy handed Richard Claveras (11-0-2, 11) defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Light Flyweight title as he takes on Indonesian visitor Demsi Manufoe (9-3, 6). On paper it looks like a test for Claveras however in reality it's a horrible mismatch and Manufoe has been stopped in both of his bouts outside out Indonesia, lasting 3 rounds with Knockout CP Freshmart and less than a round with Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr. This could be over very quickly. The co-feature will see Rene Dacquel (12-4-1, 4) looking to bounce back from a loss in December. The talented Dacquel, a former WBC Youth champion, will be fighting against Boy Dondee Pumar (10-6-3, 4) in what appears to be a genuinely good contest. Sadly much of the under-card appears to be mismatches however we do like the look of Kyota Otsuka's (5-0, 3) contest, which will see the unbeaten fighter up against the light hitting but under-rated Jesame Dela Cerna (5-2-3, 1). Otsuka will be the favourite though Dela Cerna has the ability to make this a good test for the unbeaten 20 year old from Tokyo. Whilst there are mismatches on the remaining parts of this card they do feature some very fighters including Michael Dasmarinas (18-2, 11) and Ardin Diale (26-9-3, 13) who will both be expect to pick up straight forward wins. Chiapas, Mexico As well as the action in the Philippines there is also a bout of note in Mexico as the unheralded Jomar Fajardo (14-5-2, 7) battles against former Minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez Jr (16-2-1, 11). These two traded blows in a thrilling encounter last year in the Philippines with Rodriguez being surprisingly taken a to a draw and this time out the Mexican will be hoping to make a statement as he looks to get an opportunity to become a Light Flyweight champion later in the year. New South Wales, Australia In Australia there are more Asian's in action, albeit as the clear B-side in bouts they are supposed to lose. One of those Asian fighters is Filipino fighter Rodynie Rafol (12-5-2, 5) who will be trying to upset the unbeaten George Kambosos Jnr (6-0, 3). The other Asian fighter is Indonesian whipping boy Erick Diaz Siregar (16-20-4, 4), who has lost 9 of his last 10 bouts. The Indonesian will need the performance of a life time if he is to win here however as he goes up against the promising Billel Dib (15-1, 6) here. Camarines Sur, Philippines
On the more significant Filipino show we get some interesting fighters, though unfortunately they tend to be involved in mismatches and sadly we're not expecting a fantastic card of action, despite being fans of a number fighters on the show. One such fighter is very talented Michael Dasmarinas (18-2, 11) who will be fighting against the chinny Aroel Romasasa (11-7, 5). Dasmarinas came to our attention last year when he defeated Hayato Kimura in Japan and although he lost last time out, to Lwandile Sityatha, we do have a feeling that this young man is going far. Another man looking to rebuild after a recent loss is youngster Renerio Arizala (12-1-1, 5) who will be looking to score his second win since suffering a stoppage loss to Ardin Diale. Arizala will be fighting former world ranked fighter Lionel Legada (12-7-1, 5) in what looks to be a real crossroads bout. Whilst Arizala is rebuilding it's fair to see that Legada needs a win having lost 5 of his last 8! One fighter hoping to extend a 5 fight winning streak is the once touted Nino Magboo (17-2-1, 8) who should have an easy time with journeyman Mike Espanosa (12-9-1, 7). Magboo is unlikely to ever move into world title bouts but he should be more than capable of picking up easy win here. Others on this card including Bernabe Concepcion (32-6-2, 18) and Al Sabaupan (23-2-1, 18) though at the time of writing neither of these men had opponents listed. NOTE-BOXREC NOW LISTS THIS SHOW FOR JANUARY 23RD. We are sorry IF this show does take place a day earlier than suggested here. Benguet, Philippines The second Filipino show looks a lot less interesting as Diarh Gabutan (19-4-3, 10) battles against a yet to be named opponent. This will be Gabutan's second bout since he suffered a trio of defeats in 2013 and it's fair to say that his career depends on a win here. Colarado, USA In the US we have three talented Russian's in action with both of them being involved in very good looking bouts. The tougher of the bouts sees the once beaten Maxim Vlasov (30-1, 15) go up against the very highly touted Mexican Super Middleweight Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez (30-0, 24). We'll be honest we suspect this could be very painful for Vlasov who is up against a sensationally talented fighter here. The second Russian is the unbeaten Konstantin Ponomarev (26-0, 13) who will be hoping to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on Canadian fighter Steve Claggett (20-2-1, 14) in a very interesting 10 rounder. We have to suspect that the 22 year old “Talant” from Miass will continue his unbeaten start however this is likely to be his toughest bout to date and a real chance to see just how good he really is. A clear win for Ponomarev will almost certainly take him into the world rankings. The third is Aik Shakhnazaryan (15-0, 6) who will be battling against Abner Lopez (21-4, 19) in what we suspect will be a great test of Shakhazaryan's chin. Lopez's record is inflated with a lot of low level KO's though on paper he represents a good test for the world ranked Russian. Some days are busy, this coming Sunday is one such day with a host of bouts through out Asia, even if they aren't the biggest fights of the year. Rizal, Philippines The most interesting of the numerous Asian shows today will come from the Philippines where we see one of the sport's most exciting little men in action. The aforementioned little man is Filipino slugger Denver Cuello (34-5-6, 22) who will be fighting against experienced Indonesian journeyman Samuel Tehuayo (18-27-2, 3) in a 10 round bout. This will be Cuello's second bout in quick succession this year having lost more than a year of his career to inactivity following a nasty arm injury that he suffered in a WBC world title fight in 2013 against Xiong Zhao Zhong. As for Tehuayo, AKA Sammy Hagler, this will be his second fight this month following a loss to Pigmy Kokietgym back on November 14th. The co-feature bout on this show is also a notable one as former WBC Flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro (37-13-5, 27) battles against Arjet Caballes (6-31-5, 3) in another complete and utter mismatch. An interesting under-card bout here will see the unbeaten Kyota Otsuka (4-0, 2) fighting against the much more experienced Ricky Oyan (4-22-2, 2). On paper this is a a good step up for Otsuka but it's a step up he should manage with out too many problems. Ishikawa, Japan In Ishikawa, on one of the three Japanese shows, we see a number of bouts featuring international fighters. The main event will feature promising Filipino Daryl Basadre (13-1-1, 9) fighting against unbeaten Thai Yodsingdaeng Jor Chaijinda (6-0, 4) in what looks to be a genuinely interesting contest for the WBC Youth Bantamweight. Basadre is unbeaten since being stopped by Suriyan Sor Rungvisai back in September 2013 and has since ran up 4 wins, 3 by stoppage, as he's redeveloped his confidence. Yodsingdaeng is a bit of a mystery Thai though hopefully will prove to be better than some other Thai's we've seen fighting on the road recently. The show will also feature two other bouts between a Filipinos and Thais. One will see Mark Gil Melligen (20-4-1, 11) battling against a Thai opponent, though sadly one we haven't the name of. The other will see the very exciting and promising Neil John Tabanao (9-0, 6) fighting against the win-less Tienchai Sor Kanitsorn (0-3). We suspect we'll see the Filipino's going 3-0 here. The 5 other bouts on this card will see Japanese fighters fighting against Chinese fighters. The most notable of these bouts is a 6 rounder between Yukiya Hanabusa (6-2-2, 1) battle against Chinese novice Xu Yuan Cai (0-1). Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines A second Filipino card is going to be held in Zamboanga and will be headlined by a bout between the unbeaten and promising Dexter Alimento (6-0, 4) and the limited but experienced Jherom Tuyor (6-19-2, 3) in what we suspect will be a relatively straight forward win for the unbeaten man. Tochigi, Japan A second Japanese show comes from Tochigi and is only a small one featuring a total of 7 bouts, though only 2 are worth noting. The main event here is a 10 round featuring OPBF ranked Super Featherweight contender Yoshitomo Watanabe (5-1, 4). The 22 year old Japanese fighter will be fighting against a Thai opponent though unfortunately we don't have any information about the Thai in this bout. In the chief support bout fans will get an 8 rounder between Yuki Furuya (6-6, 2) and Masahide Shinabe (6-11-2, 3). This isn't a great bout on paper but it should give the fans something to enjoy before the main event. Kagoshima, Japan In Kagoshima we get the weakest of the three Japanese cards. The show will also feature 7 bouts and it's most notable bouts are both relatively poor. One of the co-features will see Naoya Haruguchi (5-5, 2) fighting against Takeshi Nakayama (3-6-2, 1) whilst the other will see Tomohiro Nagakari (6-2, 1) battling against Takuya Taniguchi (4-5-1, 1). Both of these bouts are 6 rounders and sadly it does leave us feeling under-whelmed with nothing on the show being particularly interesting. Wuhan, China In China there is a small show as well, with yet more Chinese fighters in action. That card, from Wuhan, appears to have a number of novices in action with no real stand out bout. One of those novices is Wang Kun (1-1, 1) who will be battling against limited Georgian Giorgi Gochishvili (3-4-2, 1) in an interesting 8 rounder. Kun fought both of his bouts in 2012 and will be returning to the ring after a notable break. Gochishvili started his career 3-0 though has failed to record a win in his last 6 bouts and suspect that run will be continue here. The other bout will see A Mu (0-0) making his debut. The debuting Chinese fighter will be in action against Georgian visitor Renat Samedovi (10-11-1, 3). We suspect that Mu will be given a good test here and this isn't a gimme as we would usually see from a debutant. Eastern Cape, South Africa We get two more Asian fighters in action in South Africa as we get a pair of IBO title fights, strange the Asian's on this show have actually fought each other in the past. One of the fighters is is the heavy handed Filipino hopeful Marbon Bodiongan (11-1-2, 9) who will be fighting against Xolani Mcotheli (10-1, 8) in a bout for the IBO Super Featherweight title. This is a great bout on paper and one we're excited by given that both guys are talented and both guys appear to have real power. The other Asian on this show is another Filipino, the talented and very promising Michael Dasmarinas (18-1, 11) challenging for the IBO Super Flyweight title against Lwandile Sityatha (17-3-1, 7). Dasmarinas was actually stopped by Bodiongan back in April 2012 though has since ran off 15 straight wins, including an impressive one on the road against Hayato Kimura in Japan. Sityatha comes into this bout following a very narrow win over Edrin Dapudong and we suspect Dasmarinas has been given a heads up about how the South African fighters ahead of this coming contest. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) |
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