This week we give a world title fight the English Language treatment as we look at the WBO Super Flyweight title bout between defending world champion Naoya Inoue (8-0, 7) and Filipino challenger Warlito Parrenas (24-6-1, 21), in what was actually Inoue's first defense of the title.
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Earlier this year we saw the professional debut of Rentaro Kimura (0-0), as he faced off with Yuya Azuma (5-3-1, 1) at Korakuen Hall. The match up was highly anticipated, because of how successful Kimura had been as an amateur, and was expected to be a test for Kimura. Although there was no fans for this bout, given what was going on in the world when the bout took place, the bout it's self is one that really does deserve attention, and it's a shame that Kimura's debut did lack a live crowd. Saying that however, he has kept us talking about him since this bout took place! He is really one to keep an eye on going forward, as you'll see by the end of this bout. To begin the month of August we've decided to dub a fight involving a man we bloody love, and that's Akira Yaegashi. Here we look at Yaegashi's professional debut as he took on the much more experienced Tomoyoshi Nakayama (8-8-1, 1) at Korakuen Hall. For those, like ourselves, who love seeing a man develop from novice to champion this is a great chance to see what a young, baby faced, Yaegashi looked like, and it also ends with a brilliant finish from the future cult fight fan favourite. We continue this series of covering Asian fights with English dubs by looking at a 2005 bout between future 2-weight world champion Takahiro Ao (8-0, 5) and Korean fighter Jae Choon Moon (6-0, 3). This bout took place in Kanagawa, as part of a card that featured two world title bouts, with both Yutaka Niida and Hozumi Hasegawa picking up wins. Despite Ao becoming a future world champion, he wasn't known as being a really fighter to watch. Despite that this is one of those bouts that showed he can be fun, at least he could be fun, at times. In May 2005 Takashi Uchiyama (0-0) made his professional debut, fighting at Korakuen Hall against Thai visitor Chandet Sithramkamhaeng (0-1). The bout isn't a very high profile one, but is one we felt deserved our attempt at giving the fight some English Language commentary. The bout is a short one but a great way to see how Uchiyama kicked off his legendary career that ended up with him having a lengthy reign as the WBA Super Featherweight champion. Interestingly the one fight on Chandet's record prior to this bout had come against Pungluang Sor Singyu, who also went on to become a world champion. The latest fight to be given our English language treatment is the 1972 bout between Koichi Wajima (24-2, 21) and Domenico Tiberia (63-17-7, 16), which was for the undisputed Light Middleweight title. The bout was Wajima's first defense and although he was a champion his fame was only just starting to take off. Over the years that followed he went from strength to strength and by 1974 he was a real star, with a huge following of fans . Whilst not a well known fight now, and it did take place almost 50 years ago, it is a pretty significant one in helping put Wajima on the map, and showing how exciting he could be. Today's bout dubbed with English commentary was the second between the then Japanese Super Featherweight champion Koji Arisawa (15-0, 12), a hugely popular domestic fighter in the 1990's and early 00's, and talented southpaw challenger Yutaka Nishida (14-6-1, 3). Although not too well known in the West Arisawa had a genuinely sizable following, was a second generation fighter and part of a fighting duo with his brother Kazu. This was his third defense of the title, and came well before his career defining fight, a loss to Takenori Hatakeyama. Nishida on the other hand was getting his third shot at the title and likely knew it was now or never. The shortest ever Japanese title fight was Daisuke Naito's win over Takeyuki Kojima, in 24 seconds. That record was set in 2004 but could, and maybe should, have been broke a year later when Tadashi Yuba (27-2-2, 19), the then Japanese Welterweight champion, took on Teruyoshi Omagari (14-4-3, 13). Given how short this is, we have changed the format of the video slightly, with an image of the poster for the bout, but it's something that fans should watch. Short, exciting, and a real blink and you miss it fight. In the final English language version of a fight for the month we look at the rather obscure, but thrilling, 2007 clash between Tadashi Yuba (29-4-2, 1) and Akihiro Furukawa (9-0-1, 7). The two men were battling for the Japanese welterweight title and went straight to war. This is one of those bouts where you don't want to blink. It's not very long but it is very, very entertaining and well worth the time to watch. The bout isn't a well known one, but is a very intense incredibly exciting. In late 2018 the criminally under-rated Valentine Hosokawa (26-6-3, 10), the then Japanese national champion at 140lbs, took on the challenge of the highly experienced Takashi Inagaki (20-17-2, 9). Whilst the bout wasn't a high profile one it is one we felt deserved the English language treat, much due to our love of Hosokawa, who has had a really fun career to follow. The bout might not be a high profile one, but is one that gives fans a chance to learn a little something about Hosokawa who later fought Koki Inoue. |
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