In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Kosuke Tomioka (2-0, 2)
 
Age
17
 
Wh0?
To finish off our honourable mentions for the 20 for 20 articles, which begin properly from tomorrow, we look at a 17 year old who has been tipped as one to watch by those in the know in Japan. He was a youngster who had solid amateur credentials, comes from a boxing family, and has already impressed, despite fighting only 5 rounds as a professional. That is Kosuke Tomioka, who debuted in July and is regarded as one of the best kept secrets in Japanese boxing.

On debut Tomioka left an immediate impact, stopping Shinobu Wakagi in just 42 seconds. By it's self that might not mean much, but given that Wakagi had been the 2018 East Japan Rookie of the year this was an impressive debut from the teenager, who is the youngest of 3 fighting brothers from the Tomioka family.

As an amateur Tomioka won 6 under junior titles, picking up 3 of them in 2016 alone, and looked like an excellent youngster. He decided to turn to professional boxing rather than go to high school, and has quickly impressed with his first 2 bouts both ending with stoppage.

Added to his age, his talent and his amateur pedigree is his style, and he's already proving to be flamboyant, charismatic, sharp and surprisingly strong for someone so young. There is a sense of cocky arrogance about him, but he appears to have the skills to back up his show boating and youthful exuberance.
 
Expectations for 2020?
Given his age we wouldn't expect Tomioka to be fighting for titles in 2020, not even youth titles, but we do expect to hear a lot about the highly skilled youngster who looks like a natural in the ring. He may end up competing in the 2020 Rookie of the Year, and if he does so then there is a real chance that he would be one of the favourites for the tournament, however we're not sure that's really the route to take him.

Whilst Rookie of he Year would provide Tomioka with some exposure on TV we suspect he'd be better off ignoring the tournament, staying busy on on cards made available via A-Sign and Boxing Raise, and fighting a wider variety of opponents. Putting him in with Thai, Filipino and Indonesian visitors, letting him face opponents with strengths and weaknesses, rather than fellow professional novices, would serve him better. After a few more bouts he'll be a B class fighter and might as well be fighting in 6 rounders, proving his stamina and seeing if his style can work well over a longer distance and can also help him tighten up his defenses.

The advantage, for Tomioka, in avoiding the Rookie of the Year would be that he can mature as both a young man and as a boxer in against more varied opposition and we feel that would be best for the talented teenager. ​

​For those who haven't seen Tomioka we have included his bout against ​Asato Mori below.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Shu Utsuki (6-0, 5)
 
Age
25
 
Why?
The Watanabe gym is bringing through a lot of Japanese talent at once, as they look to rebuild following the retirements of Takashi Uchiyama and Kohei Kono, and the downfall of stalwart Ryoichi Taguchi. Among those rising through the ranks from the gym is Lightweight hopeful Shu Utsuki, a hard hitting, aggressive and exciting fighter who will almost certainly be mixing for titles by the end of 2020.

The 25 year old was a former amateur out with over 80 wins in the unpaid ranks and has been moved pretty well since his debut in March 2018. He's not had the big fan fare of other prospects but has ticked a lot of boxed and gone about things the right way with a consistent level of activity. He fought 3 times in 2018 and has added 3 more wins in 2019, including wins over Jerry Castroverde and Omrri Bolivar, and he has also headlined a show himself this year.

Blessed with heavy hands, and exciting style and a strong amateur pedigree it seems impossible for Utsuki to not make a big mark in 2020, especially if the regional and domestic titles are to be split as triple-crown winner Shuichiro Yoshino looks to move onto bigger and better things. Utsuki will be in the mix for all 3 titles and it seems clear that his intention if to claim some silverware in the new year.

Having seen how quickly stablemate Hironori Mishiro has moved through the rankings Utsuki will want to do something similar.
 
Expectations for 2020?
It's clear that Utsuki is a talent. He's a natural in the ring with very sharp punching, impressive composure, nice shot selection and movement. There is no point giving him any more easy wins, especially now that he's headlined a card himself. Instead 2020 has to be about moving forward and claiming silverware.

We do expect Utsuki to wait until Yoshino vacates at least 1 title before getting a title shot of his own but the 25 year old boxer-puncher doesn't need to rush. We expect he'll get a title shot towards the back end of 2020 and before then he'll take on a couple of regionally ranked fighters, taking a couple of good tests, then get a shot.

We have seen Utsuki answer questions that few prospects are asked this early in their careers. We have seen him dropped and hurt, we have seen him battle through adversity and we know he can bite down on his gum shield. We know there is more to him than just his technical skills and power and we suspect that before his eventual title fight Watanabe will want him to just prove his stamina, which really is the only big question mark hanging over him.

Expect a couple of tough and durable opponents for Utsuki before a title bout as Utsuki looks to put himself on the boxing map.
 
For those who haven't seen Shu Utsuki we have included his 2019 bout with Thai visitor Somphot Seesa below.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Ongen Saknosiwi (8-0, 7)
 
Age
25
 
Why?
Since Chris John retired the Indonesian boxing scene has lacked a new star. Daud Yordan, god love him, has remained the most relevant and significant Indonesian fighter out there, but he's coming to the end of his career and the country really needs a new focal point for it's boxing scene. One of the few month who looks capable of being that focal point is the talented Ongen Saknosiwi, who has been one of the more active Indonesian prospects in recent years, and looks like one of the most notable.

The unbeaten Featherweight might not be the most exciting of the Indonesian hopefuls, but he appears to be a solid all round package and the man who ticks the most boxes.

Saknosiwi has already got international experience, with a bout in Singapore this past September, has been shown on Indonesian broadcaster RCTI, has a powerful team behind him and with a win over Marco Demecillo he has proven what he can do in the ring. 

As we saw against Demecillo the youngster can fight and box, and whilst work needs to be done we're very, very impressed by what we've seen of him in 2019 and fingers crossed he'll continue to build on the momentum he's gained in 2019.
 
Expectations for 2020?
In 2019 Saknosiwi scored his first win on international soil, bating Nanthawat Maolichat in Singapore, claimed his first 3 titles, went 12 rounds in a bout and proved his quality with a win over Demecillo. If he can keep on building then 2020 should be a big year for him and he could easily find himself on the verges of a major regional title bout.

It's clear Indonesian boxing needs a break out hopeful, and with losses in recent years for Tibo Monabesa, and Jon Jon Jet the hopes of the country really depend on someone like Saknosiwi, Ari Agustian or Andika Sabu. From what the trio have achieved this yea it looks like Saknosiwi is the most advanced of the trio and hopefully 2020 is the year where he becomes the new face of Indonesian boxing.

Sure Indonesian boxing won't live or die by the success of Saknosiwi but he has the tools to make a big name for himself, so hopefully that happens and by the end of 2020 he sits on the verge of an OPBF title fight. Notably no Indonesian fighter has won an OPBF title in over 20 years, so if Saknosiwi can make his mark at OPBF title level that would be a huge achievement for Indoneisian hopeful.
 ​

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Thanongsak Simsri (12-0, 11)
 
Age
19 
 
Why?
Teenage prospects, especially those from Thailand, can be rather hit and miss though we suspect that Thanongsak Simsri may well be one of the real hits for the future. The Thai, already dubbed "Srisaket II" in the Thai press, has already managed to make an impression in Asia his talent has earned him attention in both Thailand and in Japan. The youngster  is currently working with both Kiatkreerin in Thailand and Green Tsuada in Japan and has has impressed in both countries whilst looking like a definitive one to watch for the future.

Blessed with an exciting and aggressive style, power and work rate he has the physical and technical tools to build a very promising career off. Combine that to working with two solid promotional outfits, both of whom seem to share a philosophy of how to get the most out of the kid and you already have the skills and financial backing for him to go places. The one thing to find out now is whether he has the mental capacity to be a star, and what he's like when he's forced to fight through some adversity. We suspect we'll find that out in December, when he faces the world ranked Christian Bacolod, and if he comes through that test then there is no reason that 2020 can't be a massive year for the talented youngster. Getting past Bacolod isn't going to be easy, but it is the sort of test that we love to see prospects take and the sort of match up that will see a fighter answer serious questions.
 
Expectations for 2020?
We don't think the upcoming bout with Bacolod is a foregone conclusion, but either way we have big hopes for Simsri in 2020.

If Simsri beats Bacolod then he'll likely break into the IBF world rankings, and we suspect the plan would be to move on wards and upwards with bouts against fellow world ranked fighters, or even regional title holders. We had heard early in 2019 that he was aiming for major regional honours in 2020 and a win over Bacolod would be a huge step towards bouts for OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific title fights.

With a win over Bacolod not being a gimme a loss is certainly possible, and if that happens it's not the end for Simsri. Instead we'd expect his team to put him in with tough regional journeymen from the Philippines to get him some solid rounds, push his stamina and develop the areas they view as his weaknesses, for us that's mainly a lack of experience. With 3 or 4 good, experience building bouts in 2020, there would be no reason why 2021 couldn't see him in the regional title picture. 

Either way we see him battling for regional titles sooner rather than later and given his age there's no need to rush him.

For those who haven't seen Thanongsak Simsri we have included his bout with Manop Audomphanawari ​below.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Hasanboy Dusmatov
 
Age
26
 
Why?
After a very long wait we recently saw 2016 Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov make his professional debut, and whilst it was a relatively low key bout in Mexico it was still the first step for him and his professional career. The talented Uzbek showed that he can adapt to the professional style, he looked a natural in the lighter gloves of the pro ranks, and although he had areas to improve it's clear he's one to watch.

We've seen a number of Uzbek fighters moved quickly through the ranks, and the likes of Israil Madrimov and Bektemir Melikuziev have got themselves on the super fast track to the top. There is no reason that Dusmatov can't follow in their footsteps, be moved aggressively through the professional ranks and find himself in world title bouts by the end of 2020. He has the tools, the amateur experience and the maturity to be moved at a rapid pace, but there is, of course, question marks about his desire. If he wants to move quickly there's no reason why he can't be.

It should be noted that later in his amateur career he did begin to go off the boil, and whilst that could be due him aging we suspect it's more due to a lack of challenge and interest, and hopefully the professional ranks reinvigorate his hunger for success.
 
Expectations for 2020?
With everything we know about Dusmatov from his days as an amateur we know he can be fast tracked, we know there's very few as skilled as him, and whilst he's not looking a huge 1-punch puncher, like Madrimov and Melikuziev, there is still no reason to hold him back. If we're right, and it's a lack of hunger that caused him to falter late in his amateur career then he needs testing and we expecting to see that in 2020.

Given the depth at 108lbs there's a chance that Dusmatov won't be raced to a title fight there, but it seems like he can make 105lbs and if he can we would expect him to be in the title mix by the end of the year, with a win over a former world title challenger, if not a former champion.

If Dusmatov can squeeze in 3 or 4 next year then he can go in to 2021 as a legitimate title contender.

On the other hand if he, and his team, want to make a statement there's really no reason why they can't look to fast track even quicker, and he could well fight for a world title in the new year, if they feel there's a weaker champion to target.

We expect big things from Dusmatov, and we expect them quickly.
​
Below we've included Dusmatov's professional debut for those who missed it.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Da Won Gang (3-0, 1)
 
Age
19 
 
Why?
Whilst the Korean Rookie of the Year competitions aren't as strong as their Japanese counterpart their is some good talent that gets the chance to shine through the tournaments. One such example of that is Da Won Gang, a 19 year old who won the BoxingM version of Rookie of the Year, "Battle Royale", this year. He did so by looking very, very talented and scoring 3 wins in the space of 6 months. The youngster didn't look the most polished fighter through the tournament, but being polished has rarely been part of the Korean boxing ethos, where energy, aggression and excitement are key and Won appears to tick all those boxes. The young Gang is certainly aggressive, very strong and has proven his ability to go 6 rounds with a frustrating opponent, in the form of Yoon Ki Kim. Gang is clearly a work in progress, but that's never a bad thing, and at just 19 years old, with a good team behind him and a real desire to show what he can do we're excited about his potential.

Obviously Gang will need to polish his skills off, sharpen his punching and add a bit more power to his shots, which should come when he matures, but that will hopefully happen in 2020.
 
Expectations for 2020?
The way that BoxingM have been in the last few years we've seen a lot top BoxingM guys fight Japanese opponents in Korea Vs Japan shows. We expect Gang will be on one of those in 202, though the reality is that we don't really think that's the best option for him. At least not next year.

It we were handling Gang we would be looking to move him to a BoxingM title fight, giving him more Korean opponents, and maybe importing a limit Thai or Filipino opponent. The focus should be on Gang to get rounds, fighting over 8 or even 10 rounds, getting experience against tough opponents and then getting the chance to smooth out his technical issues. He's a promising fighter but he needs to be given time.

We expect the worse, though if Gang's team can look after him then the future is very bright for this talented and promising Korean teenager.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 

These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!

Name
Chainoi Worawut (8-0-1, 8)

Age
22

Why?
The boxing scene in Thailand seems like it's really fallen apart in the last few years, despite the successes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Wanheng Menayothin. It's disappointing that the number of emerging Thai fighters has dropped, markedly, and the shows that were once show cases for up and coming fighters seem to be more packed with total novices and veterans trying to remain relevant with tick over fights. Thankfully however their are a couple of Thai youngsters worth getting excited about, one of which is unbeaten Super Bantamweight Chainoi Worawut, a hard hitting prospect who has already won his first minor title, and shown that he can come through adversity, having been genuinely tested in October against Alvin Medura. The 22 year old is seen as one of the future faces of Thai boxing, and with WorkPoint getting behind him is one of the most significant fighters on the Thai scene. He will be given opportunities to shine in the new year and if he's as active in 2020 as he has been on 2019 then we look forward to seeing him progress in front of our eyes.

Expectations for 2020?
Given how strongly WorkPoint are backing Chainoi it seems clear that they have big expectations of him. Already this year he has fought 5 times, and has another bout scheduled for December. We don't expect 2020 to feature another 6 fights for him, in fact we'd expect it to be just 3 or 4, but they are likely to be tougher bouts than he's been having and bout which will help temper his aggressive approach. He's a talent, but he's a talent that needs to have some tougher tests and someone who needs to be asked the right questions.

We'd expect Chainoi to be put in with a tough regional level journeyman, someone to give him 8, 10 or even 12 tough rounds, check his stamina, his will to win and what happens when opponents aren't over whelmed by his aggression. If they can get him that type of a test in 2020 then we'd expect him to be knocking on the door of some pretty notable fights in 2021.

​For those who haven't seen the Thai youngster we've included his bout with Yuya Nakamura below.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Bakhodir Jalolov (6-0, 6)
 
Age
25
 
Why?
Whilst we are, and always have been, predominantly focused on professional boxing we do have a passing interest in the amateur scene and in 2019 Bakhodir Jalolov had a big year in the amateur ranks, winning the World Amateur Championships at Super Heavyweight. As well as his amateur triumph he also shined in his two professional bouts, picking up his first professional title in April. He has shown he can box, he can bang and although he's not the most exciting fighter in terms of risks he's a dynamite boxer-puncher with freakish speed and movement for such a natural giant.

Stood at 6'7" he looks like the most fluid giant in the Heavyweight division, and as long as his team can keep him busy he can go a very, very long way, and do so very quickly. There is however a real risk that frustrations and inactivity in the pros may see his attention divert back to the amateurs, and the 2020 Olympic in Tokyo. If that happens it would be a shame in some ways, though would, if he wins gold, add massively to the attention he's getting and help him call the shots going forward.

Expectations for 2020?
Predicting what Jalolov will do in 2020 is almost impossible. He has options in both the professional and amateur codes, and it really does depend on him as to which route he wants to take through the year.

If Jalolov continues down the amateur route, looking to build on his success in the World Championships, then he'll be regarded as one of the favourites for gold in Tokyo. The amateur route would guarantee him some fights against top competition, and that really is what he needs, and a gold medal, as mentioned, would be huge for his career.

If he instead decides to fully commit to the professional ranks it then comes down to whether or not Lou DiBella can actually do his job as a promoter and promote Jalolov. The Uzbek got more attention from knocking out Richard Torrez in the World Championships than he has in his 6 combined professional bouts and it's really worrying that he's still such an unknown despite being such a stand out fighter.

Although we selfishly want to see Jalolov fighting in the professional ranks we totally understand why he'd fight in the Olympics given how badly promoted he has been so far.

Below we've included Jalolov's final bout of the 2019 World Amateur Championships.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Yudai Shigeoka (1-0, 1)
 
Age
20
 
Why?
We've been massively impressed by Japanese youngster Ginjiro Shigeoka, who has managed to race to his first professional title in just 4 bouts and looks likely to be fighting for a world title sooner rather than later. What also needs to be noted however is that his older brother is also one exceptionally talented prospect, and a man who looks like he could be raced to a title just as quickly as his younger brother. As well as being slightly older Yudai is the naturally bigger man, and whilst Ginjiro looks like he has the power to move up one or two weights Yudai has the height to go with that power, and there's no reason why can't make a mark on Flyweight and Super Flyweight in the years to come.

Having only debuted in October 2019, and that was at the very end of the month, it might be a touch too soon to declare Yudai Shigeoka as a true one to watch in 2020, though we suspect he will win a title of some kind next year, but he's planning to be fast tracked and sources are reporting that his second bout will take place in December against OPBF Minimumweight champion Lito Dante, albeit in a 6 round non-title bout. On debut he really impressed with great variety, fantastic body shots and he showed touches of genius. If that continues, he should manage to take a decision of Dante and then kick on in the new year with 8 and 10 rounders as he follows in his little brothers big shadow.
 
Expectations for 2020?
As mentioned in the "Why" section of this article we expect to see Shigeoka moving into 8 and 10 round bouts in early 2020, and chasing his first titles. Given that he's currently rumoured to be facing Dante in a 6 rounder we wouldn't be surprised at a rematch in mid to late 2020 for an OPBF belt, and notably the Watanabe gym could end up having the Japanese, OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific champions at 105lbs by the end of 2020.

The key has to be to test Shigeoka in 2020, not rush him to a world title fight, but get him good quality rounds, test his ability to take a shot, find out what he's like when he's forced to call on his defense, and whether he can tidy up the little holes he showed on his debut. He was a top amateur, and the plan had been for him to chase an Olympic position, before he decided to turn pro and his amateur experience will allow Watanabe to push him to the moon sooner rather than later.

A real question regarding Shigeoka's future is whether he's happy to share honours at 105lbs with his brother or weather he's going to add an extra couple of pounds and join the shark infested waters at Light Flyweight.
 
Sadly due to Shigeoka's debut being shown exclusively on Boxing Raise we can't share his debut.

In December we are going to be sharing our "20 for 20", a list of 20 fighters to keep an eye on for the new year. Ahead of that we will be looking at a number of fighters who just missed out on that list. 
 
These are the fighters who perhaps won't be ready for a world title by the end of next year, but we feel will make a mark in the year, and go on to do big things in the following year or two. Typically they are the prospects who perhaps need a little more time to develop, or who are still a bit too young for the big fights, or maybe just don't seem like they are quite there yet. These are our "Honourable mentions - 20 for 20" fighters and these will be posted daily until the start of December!
 
Name
Mark Antonio (5-0, 5)
 
Age
22
 
Why?
Filipino youngster Mark Antonio seemed to drop off the map in 2018, in fact he was out of the ring for almost 2 years, but returned this past October to record his 5th early win, and it now seems like the excellent 22 year old will get back down to business and show us all what he can do. As an amateur he was a notable fighter, who twice claimed bronze in Filipino competitions and as a professional he has shown a lot of explosive promise. He's skilled, heavy handed and exciting, and with almost 2 years of his career lost we're excited to see what he'll do in 2020.

Before his break from the ring he was on an upward trajectory, and had stopped his first 4 opponents in a combined 14 rounds, and in just 5 months. Notably his last 3 bouts have been scheduled for 5 rounds, so the hope is that every fight will be a step forward, and that he has the desire to make his team chase better tests going forward.
 
Expectations for 2020?
With 23 months of inactivity on his record already it seems likely that the 22 year old Antonio will want to make up for lost time, and 2020 gives him that opportunity. We're expecting him to score one or two more easy wins before taking on a serious test or two later in the year. The Super Flyweight-come-Bantamweight won't be up against any monsters any time soon, but he will be up against more notable opponents than he's faced so far.

The oriental scene at 115 and 118 is deep but there are fights that could see Antonio giving his career a huge boost. Domestic bouts are likely to be lined up for him in 2020 and hopefully those will include at least one durable foe, who can extend Antonio 8, if not 10, rounds, as he gets some much needed ring time. 

Shaking ring rust is a key for him in 2020, and then looking at bigger bouts.

​We've included Antonio's bout with Michael Padayag below for those who haven't seen the Filipino hopeful in action.