By Marcus Bellinger After a dry spell the last week or so has been a hectic one in Japanese boxing with significant bouts both at domestic and world level. The only place to start is at the Kokugikan in Tokyo where Luis Nery rematched Shinsuke Yamanaka for the WBC bantamweight title on 1 March. There was already a cloud of suspicion hanging over Nery after he tested positive for Zilpaterol after dethroning Yamanaka last August. Things then took a huge twist as Nery came in 5 pounds overweight on his first attempt and was only able to shed around 2 pounds a couple of hours later and was stripped of his belt without even making a defense. Coming in a few ounces or even a pound overweight is a real annoyance and has become a far too often occurrence nowadays but coming in a pound over the next weight division is simply unforgivable. Despite the events from the previous day the fight went ahead with only Yamanaka eligible to win the now vacant belt. Whilst the home man was given a rapturous reception on the way to the ring, Nery was roundly booed which is highly unusual as visiting fighters are always given respect from the fans in the land of the rising sun. Yamanaka actually began well, landing with the jab and some body shots but Nery soon took the play away from him and scored a knockdown in the opening round. Realising he was there for the taking Nery overwhelmed Yamanaka, scoring 3 more knockdowns in the second round before the contest came to a conclusion in what was actually pretty painful viewing given the circumstances that had occurred. Yamanaka announced his retirement soon afterwards and the Teiken southpaw can leave with his head held high and will definitely go down as one of Japans greatest world champions. The 35-year-old was a huge draw, pulling in TV audiences of 7 and 8 million more than once and he made 12 successful defences of the WBC 118 lb strap scoring wins over the likes of Vic Darchinyan, Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, Malcolm Tunacao and Liborio Solis. Although unification alluded him his defining victory came in one of the best bantamweight title bouts seen in recent times against Anselmo Moreno in their thrilling up and down rematch in September 2016. As for Nery despite the 2 wins over Yamanaka he leaves Japan with his reputation in tatters and he has since subsequently been put on the Japan Boxing Commissions banned list and been suspended indefinitely by the WBC. Going forward it will be extremely difficult to route for the Mexican and Cliff Rold summed it up perfectly in his Boxing Scene column late last week, “Yamanaka deserved better”. The other world title contest on the show saw Ryosuke Iwasa score a wide unanimous decision against Ernesto Saulong in his first defense of the IBF super bantamweight trinket. The fight was a forgettable one and Iwasa failed to build on the momentum of his terrific 6th round stoppage of Yukinori Oguni last September. Next up for the Japanese southpaw is a mandatory defense against TJ Doheny who should provide a more willing opponent and make for a far more entertaining encounter. The last day of February saw Ohashi protégé Ryo Matsumoto step up for his first world title tilt when he faced super bantamweight titlist Daniel Roman at the Korakuen Hall. The fans in attendance were treated to 12 rounds of absorbing action as the pair went back and forth throughout. At the final bell it was Romans hand who was raise with cards of 119-109 twice and 118-108 although these didn’t tell the full story of what was a competitive scrap where with many close rounds. Matsumoto in spots had real success but the champion’s methodical and more consistent pressure saw him get the nod and going forward the American will be a tough out for any super bantamweight especially if you aren’t able to dissuade him from coming forward. Matsumoto can certainly come again and after avenging his only previous loss to Victor Uriel Lopez then having an operation for hyperthyroidism this experience for the 24-year-old will be invaluable and bouts against the many countrymen at the domestic and regional level would be the wise next step. On 3 March at the Korakuen Hall Masayuki Ito was aiming to maintain his world title dreams and avoid any banana skins when he squared off against Vergil Puton. The super featherweight controlled proceedings throughout, eventually securing a 9th round stoppage and with Vasyl Lomachenko almost certain to vacate Ito's number 1 spot with the WBO should secure him a shot at the vacant belt. Since losing a razor thin split decision to Rikki Naito back in February 2015 the 27-year-old has strung together 7 straight wins capturing the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific trinkets in the process. He has more than served his apprenticeship at the domestic and regional level with victories over the likes of Shingo Eto, Ernie Sanchez, Takuya Watanabe and Lorenzo Villanueva and he is as ready as he’ll ever be for a world title crack. On the same day over in Kanagawa Masayuki Kuroda defended his Japanese flyweight crown against mandatory challenger Katsunori Nagamine. This was expected to be one not to miss and it proved to be the case with Kuroda keeping Nagamine at bay early on with a busy jab before the challengers incessant pressure began to tell as he put the champion on the floor in round 8. Kuroda managed to survive the storm and took the decision with judge’s tallies of 96-93, 96-94 and 95-94. Given his high ranking a world title shot is a solid possibility for Kuroda in the near future. Nagamine has gained a reputation as a real crowd pleasing operator and despite the loss this should remain intact and he can be in many more enjoyable fights going forward. On the same bill Kazuto Takesako blitzed Hikaru Nishida inside a round to claim domestic honours at middleweight, extending his record to 8-0 8 KOs and could be one worth keeping an eye on. Finally on 26 February back at the Korakuen Hall in what looked a tasty matchup on paper for the Japanese Youth lightweight title unfortunately didn’t live up to those expectations as Izuki Tomioka fought to a second round technical decision versus Kaiki Yuba. It has since been revealed that Tomioka will be moving down to 130 pounds in search of a shot at the national super featherweight title. To read more from Marcus follow him on twitter @marcusknockout (Image courtesy of boxingnews.jp)
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By Marcus Bellinger
This past weekend saw the second instalment of the Superfly series take place at the Forum in Los Angeles. Headlining proceedings was the clash for the WBC super flyweight title with champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defending against Juan Francisco Estrada. Unfortunately the card wasn’t picked up by a broadcaster in either the UK or Japan which considering both are strong boxing markets was very disappointing. And there was a genuine outpouring of frustration from fans on social media throughout the week. Thankfully for those of us in the UK ringtv.com streamed the fights to many people’s delight. Before the main 3 bouts there was a contest for Kazuto Ioka’s vacated flyweight strap as unbeaten Ukrainian Artem Dalakian squared off against experienced operator Brian Viloria. Dalakian dominated from the off, making his extra height and reach advantages count to full effect. Viloria was completely off the pace and simply wasn’t able to close the distance and his only major success came in round 7 when he landed a big right hand but Dalakian managed to see out the storm. Despite having a point deducted in round 9 Dalakian remained in control and deservedly took the unanimous decision with all 3 cards reading 118-109. For the new champion there are many intriguing options available especially against fellow belt holders Daigo Higa, Donnie Nietes and Sho Kimura. As for Viloria if it is to be the end then what a fabulous servant he has been to the sport and the lower weights in particular and it’s a real shame that TV channels in America never showed any interest in showcasing him in his prime. Next up was a mandatory defense of the IBF flyweight crown as titlist Donnie Nietes took on Juan Carlos Reveco. The bout started off slowly with both men looking to gain the upper hand. Over the first 4 rounds there was plenty of high level boxing on display but the crowd grew restless and began to boo although I’m not sure what they expected as this encounter was never going to be a toe-to-toe brawl. Nietes picked up the pace in round 5 and he was having real success with his excellent jab. Reveco was then visibly buzzed right at the end of round 6 and had the shot come earlier then there was a distinct possibility of him being stopped. The Argentinian struggled to get back to his corner and Nietes took full advantage as he took out Reveco in the very next round, providing a very good statement finish to a solid all round performance. After over a decade of world title fights it’s wonderful to see the Filipino being showcased on such a big stage and hopefully he now begins to receive the recognition that he deserves and even at35 there still seems to be plenty left in the tank. He has talked about moving up to 115 lb and whilst there are a cluster of solid wins on his record a defining fight has for whatever reason escaped him so hopefully this will now come before he retires. The co-main event saw Carlos Cuadras go up against McWilliams Arroyo over 10 rounds. Having watched both Arroyo brothers early on in their career their talent was obvious but long spells of inactivity have badly plagued their careers’. The first 2 rounds were very exciting with both men hurting each other but then the Puerto Rican assumed command and rightfully claimed the majority point’s decision and he is now in line for another significant fight. It was then time for the main event between Srisaket and Estrada. The Mexican got off to a positive start as he countered effectively over the first 2 rounds. The champion, who can be a slow starter clicked into gear in round 3, landing some thudding body shots and as the middle rounds progressed Estrada struggled with his timing and became more hesitant about throwing having felt the power of the Thai. The challenger had some decent success in rounds 8 and 9, bringing loud cheers from the predominantly Mexican crowd who were in attendance. Estrada managed to sustain the momentum throughout much of the last quarter of the contest and the final stanza was a memorable one as both fighters fought tooth and nail until the final bell. In what was a close fight, Srisaket had shown more wrinkles to his game and Estrada showed the toughness to go with his boxing acumen and we were treated to a fantastic bout and yet again it had demonstrated that the little men usually deliver. Whilst Steve Morrow’s card of 117-111 for Srisaket wasn’t at all a fair reflection the other tallies of 114-114 and 115-113 Srisaket were in line with most observers. As for what’s next, personally I would love to see the champion have a homecoming defense against a lesser opponent but it was correctly pointed out to me on twitter by respected Thai based journalist James Goyder that the financial rewards for this would be minimal however, it would be interesting to see how big a crowd the big punching southpaw was able to draw. Otherwise a rematch with Estrada sounds great and as for the overall card promoter Tom Loeffler deserves an immense amount of credit in coming up with the concept and giving boxers in the lower weights who have been ignored for far too long a platform to demonstrate their skills. By Marcus Bellinger
This past weekend saw 2 of Asia’s top talents take to the ring as Jerwin Ancajas and Daigo Higa defended their respective world titles. It should be noted that both were in bouts they were expected to win but maintaining the excellent momentum that both men had built up was important. Ancajas defended his IBF super flyweight strap for the 4th time against Israel Gonzalez at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. After 3 KO wins on the road in 2017 the Filipino southpaw earned a contract with promotional powerhouse Top Rank and the contest with Gonzalez was his debut for the US outfit. The fight was broadcast on ESPN in America and on ESPN TV5 in the Philippines which was a real coup as the vast majority of Filipino boxers have been starved of TV coverage and media attention. Ancajas nailed Gonzalez with a left hand in the opening stanza, scoring a knockdown and an early night looked feasible however, the Mexican challenger proved to be a competent adversary and made things slightly awkward for the champion. 2 knockdowns in round 10 saw Ancajas eventually get the job done and overall it was a successful night’s work for the 26-year-old. Ancajas did neglect the body more than he had done in previous outings and if you were being hypercritical then a more aggressive approach may have brought an early finish but credit should be given to Gonzalez who proved a game opponent. The thudding jab was again impressive and is an essential tool to set up the left hand and against more willing opposition expect to see Ancajas in some highly entertaining scraps. Next up almost certainly is a mandatory defense against Jonas Sultan in an all Filipino world title clash. If it does take place then it will be the first all Pinoy world title fight since 1925 when Pancho Villa won via 15- round decision versus Clever Sencio in Manila. On the surface to most this would seem a quite staggering statistic but to those who follow the Filipino scene this is just now the unfortunate reality. With the historical reference and uniqueness of the contest it should be a fairly easy sell and if placed in an area with a solid Filipino population it would also hopefully draw a good crowd and maybe, just maybe the ridiculous notion of Filipino versus Filipino is somehow bad for the sport will be dispelled for ever. As for the fight itself Sultan more than earned his shot with a mature and intelligent display to outpoint forma 108 and 112 lb champion Johnriel Casimero last September over 12 rounds. If Ancajas can overcome his countrymen then there are numerous fabulous matchups available in a super flyweight division that is bursting at the seams with talent. A few hours later at the Prefectural Budokan in Okinawa Daigo Higa made the second defense of his WBC flyweight crown against forma WBO strawweight champion Moises Fuentes. Higa has built a reputation amongst hard core fans as this destructive force of nature and was aiming to score his 15th straight KO which would tie a Japanese record set by Tsuyoshi Hamada. The bout against Fuentes was a homecoming with the last world title fight to be held in Okinawa coming way back in 1981 when Yoko Gushiken lost his light flyweight belt to Pedro Flores. The Mexican possessed a significant height and reach advantage over the young champion and towered over him. Fuentes landed a right hand in the first few seconds but that was to be the extent of his success as Higa forced him backwards and landed with numerous hard shots. An attack to the body saw the challenger crumple to the canvas and the fight was over in the first round. It was noticeable in the post-fight interview how much more confident the 22-year-old now is compared to the shy emotional kid from a couple of years ago. With the consecutive KO record now tied next up could be a meeting with unbeaten Pakistani Muhammad Waseem in what would be a mandatory defense with May being targeted. Waseem has been a victim of some financial difficulties but if these can be resolved his excellent amateur background and solid skillset present an intriguing challenge. Higa also stated his desire for a unification and he’ll be attending the upcoming SuperFly card where 2 112 lb title tussles are taking place. All Japanese battles with Sho Kimura and Kosei Tanaka are also a possibility. Making the flyweight limit for the KO wrecking machine isn’t a straight forward task and a move up 3 pounds is an inevitability with 2019 being the likely time this occurs. Venturing over to America is also a wish and given that the lower weights have finally made some traction and his heavy hands and crowd pleasing style Higa would surely be a hit to the US audience. Finally an annual defense in Okinawa is also an aim and for the likes of Tatsuro Nakashima, Ryuto Owan and Shawn Oda who appeared on the Fuentes undercard, Higa is a crucial talisman to keeping up the revival of boxing in Okinawa but a larger venue is necessary to meet the demand to see this quite extraordinary young talent. By Marcus Bellinger
The 8th edition of the World Series of Boxing is right around the corner and once again many of the best amateur boxers from around the world will compete in this unique format. For the second season running the 12 teams are split regionally into 3 groups of 4 although the Uzbek Tigers have been placed into group Americas. This year’s competition has 2 teams making their debut as the Croatian Knights will campaign in group Europe and the Indian Tigers are in Group Asia. Back in 2012 a team from India which was called the ‘Mumbai Fighters’ was schedule to take part in the WSB but received insufficient support from the then federation. Amateur boxing in India went through a turbulent period between the London and Rio Olympics and the situation really came to a head when the IABF, (Indian Amateur Boxing Federation) was suspended by AIBA in 2014 for manipulation of elections in 2012. A poor showing in the 2016 Olympics which saw India fail to pick up a single medal left things at a real crossroads but since the inception of the BFI, (Boxing Federation of India) under the presidency of Ajay Singh the sport has gained some much needed stability and results have really picked up. 2017 was a year of rebuilding and there were many promising signs, firstly at the Asian Championships in Tashkent Uzbekistan where the country picked up 2 silver and 2 bronze medals and qualified 7 boxers for the Hamburg world championships. Gaurav Bidhuri, who incidentally earned his spot through a wildcard, took his chance with both hands as he achieved a world Bronze in Germany in the bantamweight division. Light flyweight Amit Panghal and flyweight Kavinder Singh Bisht reached the quarter-finals and showed they are more than capable of competing with the elite. Multiple medals were won at the Asian Youth and Junior tournaments and light flyweight Sachin Siwach and heavyweight Naman Tanwar are 2 of India’s top talents and both have the potential to be an integral part of the nation’s future in the upcoming years. Women’s boxing is also in good shape with plentiful success and the Asian Championships and the Asian Youth Championships which were held in Guwahati. A further boost came when India was awarded the 2021 world championships which will take place in Delhi and the women’s world championships also take place in the country this year. The national elite championships for both men and women are now an annual part of the calendar giving youngsters a chance to test themselves against the best in the country. In terms of the WSB the Tigers are straight in at the deep end when they face current holders and 3-time winners the Astana Arlans, a tough Russian Patriot Boxing Team and the China Dragons whose results haven’t been spectacular but have had a few years of experience in the 5 round format. Whilst Shiva Thapa and Manoj Kumar have had some brief experience competing for other franchises for most of the Indian fighters this will be a totally new experience with the extra 2 rounds and the high intensity of the bouts in the WSB but it is one which they should all look forward to and one where they should only benefit from. Given the team format and roughly 2 hour time slot hopefully a major broadcast deal can be obtained in the next few years to give the Tigers a real profile boost. Finally with a solid infrastructure in place and if the upward trajectory continues then there is no reason why India can’t be a major force in amateur boxing in the next decade especially with so much young talent coming through. By Marcus Bellinger 2017 wasn’t just about numerous terrific fights, big events and a new generation of stars establishing themselves, it was also a year where we saw a spate of high profile retirements from the sport with fighters such as Wladimir Klitschko, Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Ward calling it a day. Japan also had its fair share of retirements with the likes of Katsunari Takayama, Takashi Uchiyama and Takashi Miura calling it quits but arguably the most notable pugilist to hang up the gloves was Kazuto Ioka with an official announcement coming on New Year’s Eve. With rumours swirling for a while of a vehement disagreement with his father which led to the relinquishment of his flyweight world title the announcement wasn’t a huge surprise to those who follow the Japanese scene. In this piece we take a look back at the career of one of Japans most recognizable figures of recent times and review the impact he had in the land of the rising sun and on the sport of boxing. Ioka was aiming to follow in the footsteps of his uncle Hiroki who was a world champion at 105 and 108 lbs. After running up an amateur record of 95-10 64 KOs Ioka turned pro in April 2009 at just 20 year’s old. His early bouts saw him claim a victory over former world title contender Takashi Kunishige and survive an early knockdown to outpoint Heri Amol. 18 months in and the buzz surrounding Ioka was growing and a 10th round stoppage over Masayoshi Segawa to claim the Japanese light flyweight strap in October 2010 only enhanced his reputation. 4 months later Ioka took part in his first world title fight as he went up against WBC strawweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai. The Thai was undefeated in 36 outings but was no match for Ioka who dropped him in round 2 and finished the job in round 5 to announce himself as a serious talent. The Osakan had made himself the quickest Japanese fighter to win a world title with the victory over Oleydong coming in just his 7th contest. A unanimous decision over Juan Hernandez followed in August before an opening round blow out of Yodgoen Tor Chalermchai on New Year’s Eve completed his 2011 campaign. Next up was the first ever all Japanese unification clash against fellow 105 lb belt holder Akira Yaegashi in June 2012. Ioka jumped out to an early lead but was pegged back by the relentless Yaegashi and after 12 pulsating rounds we had a really close fight on our hands. Ioka claimed a narrow unanimous decision and had unified 2 belts in just his 10th fight. A move up in weight then followed as Ioka won a secondary belt at light flyweight on the last day of 2012 with a 6th round stoppage of Jose Alfredo Rodriguez. Knockout wins over Kwanthai Sithmorseng and Wisamu Kokietgym along with a unanimous point’s victory over hard hitting Felix Alvarado completed Ioka’s 2013 schedule but a refusal to take on Roman Gonzalez who was the full champion at the weight left many feeling disappointed. Ioka then attempted to join the thriving flyweight division when he squared off against IBF titlist Amnat Ruenroeng in May 2014 however, he suffered his first defeat via split decision and although the man from Japan could have got the decision he never really got to grips with the tricky and awkward Thai. Non-title victories over Pablo Carillo and Jean Piero Perez weren’t totally convincing and there were major question marks of Ioka’s ability to hang with the elite at 112 lb. A majority points win over regular flyweight belt holder Juan Carlos Reveco in April 2015 didn’t silence all the doubters and a rematch was ordered. Before the second encounter with Reveco which took place on New Year’s Eve Ioka squeezed in a straight forward defense against Roberto Domingo Sosa in September 2013 as he scored a wide unanimous decision. The rematch saw Ioka produce his best performance for some considerable time as he stopped the Argentinian in 11 rounds and it now looked as if he had fully grown into the flyweight division. After an 11th round stoppage over the plucky Keyvin Lara in July 2016 a bout between Ioka and full champion Juan Francisco Estrada was ordered but the Mexican instead moved up 3 pounds north and yet another potential big fight had disappeared. Instead a mandatory defense against Stamp Kiatniwat was ordered and after flooring his man early on the Thai challenger was eventually stopped in the 7th round on the last day of 2016. A unanimous decision over Noknoi Sitthiprasert last April turned out to be the 28-year-old’s last contest and he finishes with a record of 22-1 13 KOs. There’s no doubting Ioka’s status as a quality champion at strawweight with excellent wins over Oleydong, Hernandez and Yaegashi and the scrap with his fellow countrymen will always be a special part of Japanese boxing history. With the complete muddle created by the WBA with their super/regular/interim nonsense the legitimacy of Ioka’s titles at light flyweight and flyweight can be left to your own personal discretion but a sharp decline in quality of opposition when moving up in weight is undeniable with Reveco and Alvarado easily being the best victories above 105 pounds. A clash with Roman Gonzalez is definitely the biggest miss and despite the best efforts of the Nicaraguan’s team at the Teiken Gym, you never got the sense that the Ioka Gym had the belief that their man could defeat Gonzalez. The failure of his team to secure big named opponents after 2012 could also have been a contributing factor that led Ioka to retirement with a lack of motivation a distinct possibility. Ioka was a genuine draw especially at the EDION Arena in Osaka and pulled in sizable audiences on TV with numbers of over 6 million achieved more than once on free to air channel TBS. He was also a pioneer along with Takashi Uchiyama as both began the now annual trend of headlining major cards on New Year’s Eve. So all in all after a fine start to his career which hinted at something really special things tailed off somewhat and ended in disappointing circumstances and at just 28 a comeback is possible but seems unlikely given the personal issues that exist. By Marcus Bellinger If you’re like me then you probably ate like a king, drunk far too much alcohol and watched a copious amount of sport over the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period but now that’s long gone as we begin yet another year. I won’t patronise you with the “New year new me” bollocks that may have infested your various social media feeds or bore you with meaningless New Year’s resolutions that I don’t make anyway but here are a few things I would like to see occur in boxing in Asia and generally in 2018. More high level all Japanese world title fights and at least 1 all Japanese unification. Given their deep history in the sport it’s astonishing to think that the June 2012 clash between Kazuto Ioka and Akira Yaegashi was the first ever all Japanese unification bout to take place as the pair put their respective strawweight titles on the line. Unfortunately an injury to Kosei Tanaka put pay to a 108 lb unification with Ryoichi Taguchi which would have taken place on New Year’s Eve but there are still potential matchups to be made at 105, 108, 112 and possibly 122 lb that would provide a second unification between 2 pugilists from the land of the rising sun. Naoya Inoue v Kohei Kono, Yukinori Oguni v Ryosuke Iwasa and Sho Kimura v Toshiyuki Igarashi are 3 of the most high profile all Japanese world title scraps seen in the last couple of years and hopefully we see many more of such fights in 2018 especially with very few barriers preventing them from happening given there is a far more flexible approach when it comes to promoters working together and the TV divides are few and far between. At super bantamweight alone there are numerous good quality fights that could be made involving the likes of Ryosuke Iwasa, Ryo Matsumoto, Tomoki Kameda, Shingo Wake, Yukinori Oguni and Yusaku Kuga. A world class fighter to get in the ring with Naoya Inoue. When Inoue blitzed Omar Narvaez in 2 rounds at the end of 2014 in one of the most scintillating performances of recent times, we were witnessing the birth of a new boxing superstar. Whilst hand injuries kept him out for a period and David Carmona and Kohei Kono were solid opponents, taking on the likes of Ricardo Rodriguez, Antonio Nieves and Yoan Boyeaux simply hasn’t advanced his career as it should have been. With fellow belt holders and top contenders avoiding him like the plague Inoue and the Ohashi Gym have seemingly now ran out of patience and the 24-year-old now intends to make a run at bantamweight. A dustup with WBO 118 lb champion Zolani Tete certainly has got boxing fans talking and there seems to be a willingness to make it from all involved as both are craving a true challenge. If Tete should overcome mandatory challenge Omar Narvaez in February then there would be nothing from preventing this salivating clash from taking place with Japan being the likely destination given Inoue’s star power and Fuji TVs resources and even the South African’s promoter Frank Warren conceded this point on the Boxnation podcast. More all Filipino bouts at all levels. Again this may seem like a strange request but for some unexplainable reason putting 2 boxers together from the Philippines can often be a bit of a taboo subject and a complete no-no and the last world title tussle between 2 Filipinos came way back in 1925 which is a staggering statistic. The reason often given is that having more Filipino world champions is the priority but this short sighted approach needs to change to prevent the decline and stunted growth of boxing in the country. Brian Viloria v Donnie Nietes, Mark Magsayo v Genesis Servania, Jerwin Ancajas v Jonas Sultan and Jhack Tepora v Jeo Santisima are just 4 all Pinoy contests I would love to see happen this year and there are many others I haven’t mentioned. TV channels in the Philippines to start giving boxing the coverage it deserves. Apart from ALA’s Pinoy Pride series on ABSCBN, boxing viewing was scarce and even Milan Melindo’s meetings with Akira Yaegashi and Ryoichi Taguchi were only shown on delay which in this day and age is utterly pointless. More channels investing in the sport would also be highly beneficial and it would allow promoters to properly develop the many talented fighters that are in the country and enable them to be seen and gain a far greater profile. Thais to be referred by their fighting name and not their birth name. Boxrec looked to have started this annoying trend with other outlets following and now researching Thai fighters is quite frankly a right pain in the arse. Boxers from Thailand fighting under a name of their Gym or sponsor is simply part of the culture and for identification purposes going with the first name E.G Srisaket, Knockout or Wanheng is preferable as there are a number of Kokietgyms, Freshmarts and Kratingdaenggyms for example. So please, no more Wisaksil Wangek, Thammanoon Niyomtrong or Chayaphon Moonsri references and let’s just leave things be and stop creating any unnecessary confusion. Finally a few general wishes, can we outlaw the terms super welterweight and super lightweight? Can the WBA just have 1 champion in each division? And lastly can various commentary teams from around the world stop insulting their viewers by persisting with predetermined narratives and just call fights as they happen. By Marcus Bellinger
We’ve just about come to that time of year where it is time for reflection and to ponder the events of the last 12 months and to look forward to the possibilities of 2018. It is also about that time where various outlets select their awards for the year but being tighter than a camel’s arse in a sand storm I’m afraid that won’t be happening here but don’t let that put you off from continuing to read this piece as we delve in to the events across Asia both in the professional and amateur sides of the sport during 2017. We begin in Japan and it was another solid year for boxing in the land of the rising sun who at time of writing have 9 world champions (not including regular or interim). More than anything 2017 was a real changing of the guard in Japanese boxing with the retirements of Katsunari Takayama, Takashi Uchiyama and Takashi Miura along with a number of other domestic and regional operators and losses for Akira Yaegashi and Shinsuke Yamanaka are an indication that both are at the tail end of their careers. This has of course made room for the new wave of fighters such as Naoya Inoue, Kosei Tanaka, Daigo Higa, Ken Shiro and Hiroto Kyoguchi to come through and take centre stage and Japanese boxing couldn’t be in better hands going forward. One of the other big stories from Japan was of Kazuto Ioka who not only vacated his flyweight strap but also took a break from the ring due to internal family issues and it remains unclear whether he will return which would be a real shame as he has been one of Japan’s biggest stars over the last 5 years or so. On the TV front Fuji and TBS emerged as the 2 real players especially with TV Tokyo seemingly no longer showcasing the sport and online service Boxingraise continued to provide a valuable platform for young fighters and domestic and regional bouts. On the face of it a shock defeat for Manny Pacquiao at the hands of Jeff Horn which resulted in the loss of his WBO welterweight strap might suggest a disastrous year for boxing in the Philippines but actually the country enjoyed a pretty successful 12 months and at time of writing has 3 IBF world champions, some capable contenders and a cluster of supremely talented youngsters. Donnie Nietes became a 3 weight world champion, claiming the vacant IBF flyweight crown with a hard-fought unanimous decision over Eaktawan BTU Ruaviking but unfortunately this was his only ring appearance of 2017 with a mandatory defense against Juan Carlos Reveco hopefully set to take place in the first quarter of 2018. IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas scored 3 stoppage wins on the road in Macao, Australia and Northern Ireland and earned himself a contract with Top Rank which will hopefully give him the deserved exposure and notoriety his talent deserves. Milan Melindo pulled off a sensational victory over IBF 108 lb titlist Akira Yaegashi, gutted out a 12 round war versus Hekkie Budler and has the chance on New Year’s Eve to unify against Ryoichi Taguchi in Tokyo. Jonas Sultan produced a career best display to defeat Johnriel Casimero, Genesis Servania proved his worth in a points loss to Oscar Valdez and Mark Magsayo and Aston Palicte are right in the mix for world title shots in 2018. Marlon Tapales lost his WBO bantamweight belt on the scales and hasn’t been seen since a repeat KO win over Shohei Omori in April. Jhack Tepora, Reymart Gaballo and Mark Anthony Barriga are just 3 of the promising Pinoys but will need the opportunities to flourish which are by no means guaranteed in a declining and floundering Filipino boxing scene, with lack of coverage and finances from TV massively stunting the growth of the sport amongst other issues. 2017 was a banner year for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai with the hard hitting southpaw scoring back to back victories over the outstanding Roman Gonzalez. After a close decision win in their first encounter the Thai left no doubt in the rematch, drilling Gonzalez in 4 rounds and putting the world on notice of his ability. Srisaket defends his WBC 115 lb belt against Juan Francisco Estrada in the US on 24 February and if he should come through that then there are numerous options available at super flyweight and bantamweight. Fellow Thai world champions Wanheng Menayothin and Knockout CP Freshmart ticked over without doing anything spectacular but both strawweights could face tougher challengers next year. Rex Tso continued to carry the hopes and expectations of Hong Kong on his back and with Naoya Inoue expected to move up a crack at a vacant belt looks certain to come in 2018. Regardless of the result a first world title fight to be held in Hong Kong would be an event to savour and given his fighting style Tso will make it entertaining. Chinese boxing took a hammer blow as Zou Shiming lost his WBO flyweight crown to Sho Kimura and the country is still in search of a bonified talent to open the flood gates. Light flyweight debutant Lu Bin showed real promise and it will be interesting to see how he progresses in his next few fights. Forma strawweight world champion Xion Zhao Zhong made a comeback of sorts, taking a decent win over then unbeaten Petchmanee Kokietgym and he’s set to get another world title crack in 2018 but at 35 the first ever world champion from China has a very limited time left to achieve anything more than he has already. Amateur boxing was consumed by a tumultuous power struggle in 2017 which eventually saw AIBA President of 11 years Mr. Ching-Kuo Wu resign. Inside the ring Asia enjoyed a superb world championships, claiming 15 of the 40 available medals which made them the most successful continent. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan remain the top forces in Asia and both nations have some exceptional young boxers coming through the ranks. The Astana Arlans clinched their third WSB title with a victory over the Cuba Domadores in a final which was closely contested and full of high class boxing and next seasons competition is set to feature a team from India for the first time. Speaking of India the country went from strength to strength in 2017, claiming a Bronze at the world championships and numerous medals at the Asian championships, Asian Youths and juniors and also the women’s Asian championships and Asian Youths. Finally for those who love to stay ahead of the curve and are always on the lookout for the next potential superstar then I would suggest jotting down the name Hayato Tsutsumi. After capturing world youth gold at flyweight at the end of 2016, Tsutsumi added his second Asian youth crown in July this time at bantamweight. He then went on to compete and win in the Japanese Nationals in his first competition at the elite level. In the semi-final the 18-year-old defeated experienced international operator Ryomei Tanaka who is the elder brother of Kosei Tanaka and Tsutsumi could be one of the home stars of the Tokyo Olympics. By Marcus Bellinger Whilst boxing in the West pretty much comes to a halt in the next few days, Japan is slowly gearing up for its annual end of year bonanza. A recent phenomenon, the end of year cards are now a regular feature of the boxing calendar with Kazuko Ioka and Takashi Uchiyama being the focal points of separate cards on New Year’s Eve since 2011 however, neither are in action this year with Uchiyama retiring and Ioka taking a hiatus from the ring due to lack of motivation and a disagreement with his father. Whilst certainly not as stacked as previous years there is still plenty of notable names and solid fights to look forward to from the land of the rising sun before 2017 draws to a close. The world title action commences on 30 December in Yokohama as Naoya Inoue and Ken Shiro defend their respective WBO super flyweight and WBC light flyweight straps. Both look to have relatively straight forward assignments with Inoue facing Yoan Boyeaux and Shiro taking on Gilberto Pedroza. With the persistent and niggling hand injuries seemingly behind him, this will be Inoue’s 3rd fight of 2017 but KOs of Ricardo Rodriguez and Antonio Nieves haven’t taught us anything we already didn’t know about the outstanding 24-year-old and Boyeaux is unlikely to change that. Inoue had his first bout in the US in September against Nieves on the very successful Superfly card and could compete on the second edition in February but securing a quality opponent has become exceedingly difficult with fellow belt holder Kal Yafai turning down an offer and Jerwin Ancajas signing a deal with Top Rank. This has led to the distinct possibility of Inoue moving up to bantamweight in search of quality opposition. Boyeaux is well travelled but is taking a giant leap up in class and the Frenchman goes in a heavy underdog with Karim Guerfi and Anthony Settoul being the best names on his record along with a point’s loss to a fledgling Carl Frampton. Having captured WBC Youth, Japanese and OPBF titles 2017 was the year where we found out whether Shiro could take the step up to world level and the 25-year-old proved his worth with 2 hard-fought victories over Ganigan Lopez and Pedro Guevara. A rematch with Lopez awaits in 2018 if he overcomes Pedroza. The Panamanian has been very active in 2017 fighting 5 times and won a split decision over forma world title challenger Saul Juarez but the 25-year-old was stopped by forma Ryoichi Taguchi victim Robert Barrera back in October 2014. Also featuring is OPBF featherweight champion Satoshi Shimizu who squares off against Eduardo Mancito in his first defense. Mancito has gone the distance with Ray Vargas and Alberto Guevara but was stopped by Tomas Rojas and by the way Shimizu has ploughed through his 4 opponents so far it’s unlikely that the Filipino will be able to hang with him for the duration of the contest. Takuma Inoue goes up against veteran Kentaro Masuda in what should be a pretty entertainment scrap. Masuda has been in some terrific bouts on the domestic and regional scene including his up and down thriller against Mark John Yap in July which he lost but if the younger Inoue sibling has ambitions of winning world titles then he should prevail. Finally Koki Inoue takes on Dong Hee Kim who’s never been stopped and prospects Kazuki Nakajima and Katsuya Yasuda also see action on the bill. We then get a fistic New Year’s Eve treat from the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo as a light flyweight unification between Ryoichi Taguchi and Milan Melindo headlines an excellent triple header. This is a genuine 50-50 fight and it’s difficult to pick a winner as both have flattened to deceive at times whilst looking fantastic on other occasions. Taguchi looked really impressive in stopping mandatory challenger Robert Barrera in 9 rounds in July but Carlos Canizales gave him fits on the last day of 2016 and inconsistency has plague the 29-year-old throughout his world championship reign. Before the bout with Melindo was finalised only the second ever all Japanese unification with then WBO champion Kosei Tanaka was close before unfortunately Tanaka sustained facial injuries against Palangpol CP Freshmart then subsequently moved up in weight. Melindo’s career was in real danger of going nowhere before he won a unanimous decision versus Fahlan Sakreerin Jr to capture the interim IBF 108 lb trinket and position himself for a crack at then full champion Akira Yaegashi. The Filipino produced a phenomenal performance to take out Yaegashi in a round in May and announce himself as a serious threat in the division. He then narrowly retained his title in an absorbing 12 round affair with Hekkie Budler in September and now stands on the cusp of being a unified champion if he can defeat Taguchi. Also on the Tokyo card Show Kimura makes the first defense of his WBO flyweight belt against countrymen Toshiyuki Igarashi. Kimura was a complete unknown to most boxing fans before he ripped the title away from Zou Shiming via 11th round stoppage in July in one of the year’s biggest upsets and he’ll be aiming to continue that momentum and prove that the win over the man from China wasn’t a fluke. Igarashi won’t be on anyone’s list of must watch fighters and 4 of his last 8 contests have ended up being technical decisions. In the build-up he has been receiving advice from his wife who works in cosmetics and has been applying various creams and lotions to try and improve his fragile skin which has been prone to cuts. Igarashi briefly held the WBC flyweight crown before being dethroned by Akira Yaegashi in April 2013. The final world title tussle sees Hiroto Kyoguchi tangle with mandatory challenger Carlos Buitrago for the IBF strawweight strap. Like many boxers from Japan in recent times Kyoguchi was fast tracked and won his world title defeating Jose Argumedo via unanimous decision in just his 8th pro outing. Kyoguchi possesses power and proved he could cope with a rough and rugged customer such as Argumedo but will need to show a bit more nous against the talented Nicaraguan. Buitrago has excellent boxing skills but has failed to get over the line in his most notable bouts against Merlito Sabillo and his 2 encounters with Knockout CP Freshmart and over a year’s inactivity might not prove to be an advantage either. Finally Shingo Wake and Masataka Taniguchi have stay busy fights against Thai foes as both men look to try and set up more meaningful contests in 2018. By Marcus Bellinger- This past weekend Wanheng Menayothin extended his long unbeaten record to 49-0 17 KOs with a 12 round unanimous decision versus Tatsuya Fukuhara in a fight which so could have easily gone the other way. The Japanese challenger set an insane pace from the off and managed to sustain it throughout but the open scoring after 8 rounds never gave him a chance of victory on points and the champion has displayed a good chin during his career. The win gave the Thai his 8th defense of his WBC 105 lb crown and saw him equal Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0 and put him one away from equalling Floyd Mayweather’s 5-0 resume. Joe Calzaghe finished with an undefeated slate of 46-0 and Rene Cesar Cuenca and Roman Gonzalez have all come close but fell before reaching the hurdle of 49 victories. The relevance of these statistics depends on how much stock you put in such numbers but it is at least a nice talking point and for Wanheng it gives him some notoriety that he or his weight class wouldn’t normally receive. Like pretty much all Thai fighters Wanheng’s record is littered with journeymen and non-title bouts against debutants and boxers with multiple losses. After turning pro in January 2007 Wanheng was moved in to title action in just his third contest where he picked up the vacant WBC Youth minimumweight belt. Before contesting for his first world title he beat the likes of Ardin Diale, Florante Condes, Armando de la Cruz and Crison Omayao who were all decent regional level operators at the time. Eventually the world title shot came in October 2014 when he gained home advantage against WBC strawweight champion Oswaldo Novoa. The Mexican had made 1 defence after dethroning China’s first ever world champion Xion Zhao Zhong via 5th round stoppage in February 2014 but couldn’t overcome Wanheng who broke him down in 9 rounds in what for large parts was a competitive scrap. His world championship reign has been mixed with challengers Jeffrey Galero, Young Gil Bae and Go Odaira offering no real threat. His 9th round stoppage over Jerry Tomogdan looks slightly better now on paper as the Filipino went on to stop former world title challenger Rikku Kano in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific strap. His first real test came in August 2015 when he made a mandatory defense against Saul Juarez. The Mexican had mixed in good company having shared the ring with Milan Melindo, Jose Argumedo, Juan Hernandez and Adrian Hernandez amongst others. After the first 4 rounds were keenly contested Wanheng managed to pull away, even cruising the last couple of rounds to a unanimous decision which added some validity to his world championship status. Then unbeaten Melvin Jerusalem gave Wanheng a real run for his money in their January meeting but again after a slow start the champion did just about enough to retain his title. The rough and tough Omari Kimweri was in the opposite corner 6 months later and was always likely to be an awkward obstacle. This proved to be the case early on as Wanheng was cut from a clash of heads but he used his extra class to pound out another unanimous points win. At 32 which is considered old for a fighter in the lightest weight divisions a loss could come at any time as was the case when Thai great Pongsaklek Wonjongkam was shockingly knocked out by Sonny Boy Jaro back in March 2012. Next up is mandatory challenger Leroy Estrada and a win for the Thai would of course bring up a half century of victories. Just 6 KOs in 16 wins and a shaky chin don’t inspire much confidence of the Panamanian spoiling the party but who knows as with Sonny Boy Jaro he could be in the right place at the right time and his southpaw stance may also help him. If Wanheng navigates his mandatory then unifications would be highly desirable but a lack of finances make it extremely inconceivable that a clash with countrymen and fellow belt holder Knockout CP Freshmart will come to fruition however, the extra cash that could be on offer in Japan could possibly see him take on other champions Hiroto Kyoguchi and Ryuya Yamanaka or exciting youngster Tsubasa Koura. By Marcus Bellinger-
The super flyweight division is red hot right now and it was the turn of IBF titlist Jerwin Ancajas to take to the ring as he squared off against Jamie Conlan in Belfast this past Saturday. This was the champion’s third defence of the year having already triumphed on the road in Macao and Australia on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title loss to Jeff Horn. After a fairly quiet opening stanza the challenger went down to what seemed like a delayed reaction but wasn’t abundantly clear. For some reason the challenger was attempting to box which only made things easier and more comfortable for Ancajas and a bad cut suffered by Conlan only added to the Belfast man’s problems. A relentless assault to the body proved too much for Conlan who was finally put out of his Mersey in round 6 and the Filipino had impressed yet again on away soil. So where to next for the 25-year-old? Well, in a weight class that is full of top talent lack of big fights and credible opposition certainly isn’t an issue. Given that TV dates apart from those from the ABSCBN output deal with the ALA Gym are a real luxury, a home defence seems a nonstarter unless promoter Manny Pacquiao somehow manages to put together a final fair well encounter in front of his people. Also because of the poor infrastructure within boxing in the Philippines Ancajas will need to make sure his passport is valid as bouts on the road have become the norm for the vast majority of Pinoy pugilists. At the top of most people’s lists would be a showdown with WBO boss Naoya Inoue who defends his crown against Yoan Boyeaux in Yokohama on the penultimate day of 2017. The Japanese KO artist has expressed a strong desire to partake in the Superfly 2 card which has been set for 24 February in LA. With HBO televising the bill and now involved at 115 lbs there could be bigger financial rewards on the table and hopefully the camps of Inoue and Ancajas can strike a deal and give us what would be a fascinating contest. The fight was reportedly close to being made for 30 December before Ancajas took the option of facing Conlan. Another possible unification could come against WBA champion Kal Yafai who has looked solid if not spectacular so far. Both the UK and the US are feasible destinations with Eddie Hearn’s deals with HBO and Sky Sports providing the necessary finance to bring about this unification clash. Nicaraguan Roman Gonzalez has so far hinted at continuing his career and Mexican Carlos Cuadras and Brian Viloria are also other possible alternatives. Japanese warrior Akira Yaegashi has stated he would like to win a 4th world title in as many weight divisions and at some point an all too rare all Pinoy matchup with Jonas Sultan will need to be navigated in a mandatory defence. Finally Hong Kong’s Rex Tso continues to flourish in and out the ring and is on the lookout for a world title tilt. A genuine draw at home Tso is one of the most fan friendly fighters in the sport and is always value for money. |
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