On December 9th we'll see the professional debut of Shota Fukumori (0-0), a 28 year old Japanese Lightweight who begins his professional journey and kicks off a career that could, potentially, be a very fun one to follow. Given his age we expect him to be moved quickly, and there is signs that his team will be doing that as they match him with Ryosei Niguma on debut.
 
Ahead of Fukumori's first professional bout we though he was worthy of covering in this series as we introduce the promising Shota Fukumori. This is shorter than our usual introducing pieces, but we still hope this will help some get a feel for Fukumori and why he is worth following ahead of his first professional bout.
 
Hailing from Matsuyama City, in Ehime Prefecture, Fukumori was a solid amateur fighter who ran up an excellent 55-23 (26) record in the unpaid ranks. Sadly his amateur exploits didn't extend to major fights in international competition but he was regularly competing in major domestic competitions, such as the All Japan Championships and the prestigious university competitions, where he captained the Osaka University of Commerce team.
 
As an amateur Fukumori was getting attention way back in 2013, when he was fighting as a Welterweight in the amateurs. He was on the same team as a young Hiroto Kyoguchi, and we've all seen what a success Kyoguchi has been in the professional ranks.
 
Whilst his full amateur results aren't clear we have managed to see footage of Fukumori in the unpaid ranks and from that it's clear he's a talented fighter. He boxes out of the southpaw stance, has good footwork, goes to the body well and knows his way around the ring. Although he doesn't have the fastest hands out there he is a crisp, clean puncher, who mixes his shots up well, and has really good upper body movement. It's clear he is a well schooled fighter and when he needs to let shots go he can let them go with both hands.
 
From the footage out there Fukumori isn't the strongest or biggest puncher, but he still looked like a real natural talent, and given he will be fighting at a lower weight as a professional than he did in the amateurs we suspect he'll look stronger and more heavy handed in the paid ranks.
 
As a professional Fukumori will be fighting out of the Flash Akabane gym. The gym isn't a promotional power house, like Teiken, Ohashi, Watanabe or Kadoebi, but it has shown an ability to develop talented and managed to get both Sugurua Muranaka and Yuzo Kiyota world title fights in recent years. We suspect Fukumori won't manage to get that far, but we do expect Flash Akabane to move him very quickly, and hopefully we will see him in a domestic title fight before his career comes to an end.
 
According to Boxmob Fukumori has revealed that one of his favourite fighters was Edwin Valero and away from boxing he likes to be outdoors, particularly fishing. ​

What a weird, weird, week we've had in the world of boxing. We've seen a champion admit to crashing when he was drunk, we've had an Olympic champion essentially turn off an international audience, two 50 year olds put on a show, a YouTuber scoring a KO of the year contender, a 16 year old shining, and some other real oddities in a week that in many ways over delivered!
 
With that said lets take a look at the Good, the bad and the ugly from this past week!
 
The Good
1-Wanheng Vs Panya delivers a thriller!
It's really rare that a Minimumweight bout will get international attention and will have fans asking us where to watch, and how to stream it. This week was an exception as fans around the globe wanted to watch the WBC Minimumweight title bout between Wanheng Menayothin and Panya Pradabsri. With fans tuning in there was pressure on the bout to shine, and that's exactly what it did with a pulsating, action packed 12 round contest that swung back and forth. This was just brilliant stuff, and whether you agree with the decision or not it's hard not to come away feeling like this was a great showcase for the smallest men in the sport.
 
2-New date set for Takayama Vs Konishi!
Talking about small men it was fantastic to see a new date being set for the highly anticipated bout between Katsunari Takayama and Reiya Konishi, who had their bout cancelled on the day of the event after Konishi had a positive result from a PCR test. It appears that test was a false positive and we can now look forward to this potential thriller on December 27th. Fantastic to see both men quickly working to secure a new date and for giving us fight fans a post-Christmas cracker!
 
3-Phoobadin shines... again!
Thai 16 year old Phoobadin Yoohanngoh did it again this week with a career best win, stopping Atchariya Wirojanasunobol in 6 rounds. The teenage sensation showed fantastic ring IQ and maturity, he boxed brilliantly early on, took the sting out of Atchariya's shots with his movement, countered excellently, and then turned up the head to stop his man. This was brilliant and it was so easy to forget we were watching a 16 year old 9-0 fighter in action. We really can't help be get excited about Phoobadin, who may well be the best young prospect in Asia today. He might only be 16 but he's shining against fully grown men, and is rising the bar for what is expect of boxing prodigies.

4-Joyce Vs Dubois delivers
Another bout that delivered this past week was the British Heavyweight showdown between Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois, who put on a thoroughly enjoyable battle on Saturday. This fight wasn't the most exciting, or the highest skilled, but it was truly entertaining, incredibly engaging, and a real battle of tactics. Dubois, the younger man, fought like his only chance was bombing out the iron chinned Joyce, and he did seem to stagger his man several times. It's unclear how Joyce took the shots but he did! Joyce on the other hand was fighting behind a slow, thudding, consistent jab, that burst up and broke down Dubois face. With Dubois' left eye a swollen, damaged mess, and his heart broken he made the wise decision to take a knee and take the 10 count. The only negative take away here was how the referee and corner essentially forced Dubois' hand. His corner really should have stepped in before he had to take the ultimate call to end the bout.
 
5-Seki-chan and Sakana stream event from Aichi!
On Sunday morning Japanese fight fan Seki-chan along with Japanese boxing video master Sakana ran a free YouTube stream of an event from Aichi and what a stream it was. It was in wonderful quality, with a solid camera position selected. It was basic, simple, but it really worked and gave an insight into the often over-looked Central Japanese boxing scene. Real credit goes to the two-some for organising the stream, and the subsequent video uploads. Fingers crossed this won't be a one off as it was a genuine success, and one of the true highlights of the week. We'll admit the bouts weren't big ones, but that hardly mattered, they were even match ups, exciting to watch, and in high quality. Thank you guys!
 
6-Tyson Vs RJJ ends up... being good!
Whether we like it or not boxing is a weird sport. On Saturday night/Sunday morning we saw how weird it was as we got the exhibition between 54 year old Mike Tyson and 51 year old Roy Jones Jr, and a bout featuring a YouTuber and Basketball player. What made it even weirder was the fact that Tyson looked fantastic, moved well, kept a great rate through 8 rounds and in terms of effort would have embarrassed some of the younger fighters, Jones, despite being younger and fighting much more recently, looked old and exhausted. It was also made even weirder when Jake Paul scored a genuinely brutal KO against Nate Robinson. We wouldn't say it was worth the PPV price but we dare say those who did pay walked away happy with what they got. It was weird, it was wacky, and it was genuinely enjoyable.
 
The Bad
1-Jacobs and Rosado stink out the joint
Now we get into the bad and, thankfully, most of the bad was actually in the ring, with weak performance poor under-cards. Sadly the worst of those bouts was the sleep inducing 12 round bore-a-thon between Daniel Jacobs and Gabriel Rosado. Man was this poor. Jacobs put in an effort akin to an office worker sleeping at his desk, and whilst Rosado tried, he didn't really have the offensive skills needed to turn the bout into anything watchable. Absolutely dire bout, and probably the last we see of Jacobs on DAZN. It's fair to say pressure is on Matchroom US to begin delivering interesting bouts, as this was the second recent main event of theirs that has stunk the joint out.
 
2-Frank Warren under-card
Of course it's hard to talk about Matchroom and Eddie Hearn and not also criticise Frank Warren who's under-card for the Joe Joyce Vs Daniel Dubois bout was dreadful. The under-card dragged on, was full of mismatches and had very, very little drama. We understand the card not being packed with big bouts, but to not have a single competitive bout on the entire under-card was shameful. What made matters worse was that, for the most part, the fighters on the card never really came close to really shining. Hamzah Sheeraz cruised through rounds, Jack Catterall showed some nice touches, but lacked urgency, Jack Massey boxed to orders and David Adeleye was in with a horribly over-matched opponent. Such a poor undercard made the pacing feel awkward and the who show just felt like it dragged, massively. Thankfully the main event delivered, big time, but the under-card was torture to watch
 
3-French card ends up being a turn off
Over in France we also had a nightmare of a show to watch. This was just a mess. The touted Estelle Mossely looked incredibly poor against a very inexperienced opponent, the wrong winner was announced in the Welterweight bout between Aboubeker Bechelaghem and Volkan Gokcek, the bell was used for both the end of the round and as the 10 second clacker and then we had Tony Yoka. Given the hype, and the build up for Yoka, the Rio Olympic Super Heavyweight gold medal winner, his performance just flat out stand. He dropped to the floor like a soccer player every time Hammer was up close, he showed no urgency, his corner team seemed to tell him to take it easy and the entire bout became a chore to get through. With fans in the UK and US tuning in through Boxnation and ESPN+ this was Yoka's chance to capture an international audience but instead he crapped the bed.
 
It's a shame for boxing in France that this show was so amateurish, and that the Golden couple, Yoka and his wife Mossely, really looked flat and limited. This was a rare spotlight on French boxing and it was a spotlight that may not be back any time soon. A huge missed opportunity!
 
The Ugly
1-Kenshiro's drunk incident
Only one ugly this week and it's the news that WBC Light Flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji was involved in a drunken incident in the summer. Despite happening months ago the news only got broke this week, and his planned December world title fight is off. It's unclear what, if any, punishment he'll be given by the JBC, though he has issued an apology. We are massive fans of Kenshiro, but this is disappointing news to say the least and, hopefully, it's a one off mistake, and error in judgement and not a sign of something worse in his out of the ring activity. Thankfully it appears the only damage was to the vehicle of a victim, and no one was harmed, but still, this is not what we were expecting from the "Amazing Boy".

Note - We had originally stated "drink driving" though it now appears that Kenshiro's actions were more drunken tomfoolery than driving. Thankfully.

December, the best month of the year! The part of the year where we get Christmas, New Year's Eve, the birthday of some awesome people (hint hint!), and a great array of match ups right through the month. We really do have a bit of everything in December with world class fighters, domestic and regional title bouts, prospects, intriguing rematches and bouts that are just...interesting.
 
December 3rd
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Masataka Taniguchi (12-3, 7) vs Hizuki Saso (12-6-2, 4)
On December 3rd we'll see a new Japanese Minimumweight champion crowned as former world title challenger Masataka Taniguchi clashed with Hizuki Saso for the vacant title. The title has been vacant since January, when Norihito Tanaka gave it up, and it's great to see it getting a new champion here. On paper it's really hard to see anything but a win for Taniguchi, however we suspect Saso know his opportunities will be limited and he'll have put everything into preparing for this shot.

Ayaka Miyao (23-8-2, 6) vs Etsuko Tada (19-3-3, 6) II -
We'll also see a new owner of the WBO Female Minimumweight title on December 3rd when Ayaka Miyao and Etsuko Tada re-run their January bout. Earlier this year these two veterans fought to a draw, in what was a really, really good bout, and we're looking forward to this rematch. It seemed that Miyao was unlucky in the first bout between the two, and she'll be the favourite here, but Tada should never be written off and she has bounced back from multiple setbacks through her career. This promises to be competitive, exciting and high tempo, even if neither fighter has the power to really hurt the other.

December 5th
Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand
Apichet Petchmanee (7-0, 2) vs Musheg Adoian (7-2, 7) II
Another notable rematch comes from Thailand on December 5th when unbeaten Apichet Petchmanee takes on Thai based Russian fighter Musheg Adoian. This should be really interesting, especially given the controversial nature of their first bout earlier this year. When the men first fought Apichet seemed to get very lucky on the scorecards after being dropped twice, and it's clear that Adoian will be out to avenge what he and his team will feel was an unjust loss. As for Apichet it's a chance to prove he's the better man. Sadly though the close nature of a number of Apichet's wins do suggest that if this goes the distance he'll take the decision and Adoian may well need to stop his man to home a victory.

Phongsaphon Panyakum (10-1, 5) vs Kompayak Porpramook (60-10, 41)
In an interesting match up 20 year old Thai prospect Phongsaphon Panyakum will take on former world champion Kompayak Porpramook. Originally Phongsaphon was supposed to be facing Sarawut Thawornkham on this card, but the bout was changed in mid-November when Sarawut's health forced him into early retirement. As a result Kompayak has stepped in and should make for an interesting test for the youngster. On paper Phongsaphon should be favoured, but we expect he will be given a real acid test here in a very interesting match up.
 
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Mikito Nakano (4-0, 4) vs Ruito Saeki (7-3-1, 1)
Promising Japanese Featherweight Mikito Nakano returns to the ring in search of win #5 as he takes on Ruito Saeki. So far Nakano has looked like a star in the making, and it's a real shame his rise through the ranks has been slowed by 2020, or we'd likely be seeing him in title bouts in 2021. He's talented, quick, powerful and super sharp. In Ruito Saeki we have a capable domestic level fighter who came close to making the 2016 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, but has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3. Although struggling for form Saeki has shown that he's tough and is a clear step up for Nakano in a solid bit of match making.
 
RCC Boxing Academy, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (8-1, 5) vs Manuk Dilanyan (11-4-1, 4)
Rio Olympic gold medal winner Fazliddin Gaibnazarov will be look to continue rebuilding his career following a 2019 loss to Mykal Fox. The talented Uzbek is being matched relatively easily here against Manuk Dilanyan, who hasn't looked all that impressive during his career. Although, on paper, an easy fight for Gaibnazarov it is worth noting that the Uzbek will be giving away around 5" in height and could find Dilanyan to be a tricky customer here.

December 10th
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Daishi Nagata (15-2-1, 6) vs Akihiro Kondo (32-9-1, 18)
Earlier this year this under-rated Daishi Nagata upset Koki Inoue to claim the JBC Light Welterweight title, which he'll defend for the first time on December 10th, when he takes on former world title contender Akihiro Kondo. On paper this looks like a really good first defense for Nagata, but digging a little deeper it's fair to say this is a calculated risk, with Kondo looking like a man who has seen better days. Given the styles of the two men this should be really fun, but the younger, fresher, champion should be strongly favoured against the tough veteran.

Rentaro Kimura (2-0, 2) Vs Thunder Teruya (7-7-1, 4)
Super prospect Rentaro Kimura has hardly put a foot wrong since turning professional earlier this year, and the man from Shizuoka will be looking to end the year 3-0 (3) as he takes on Thunder Teruya. This is expected to be a chance for Kimura to showcase his skills at Korakuen Hall in front of a paying audience, for the first time, and to get some more TV exposure, on Fuji TV, before bigger and tougher bouts in the new year. Teruya certainly shouldn't be a threat for Kimura but won't be there to roll over and Kimura will need to for his win.

Tsubasa Murachi (5-1, 3) Vs Isao Aoyama (12-7-1, 3)
Another prospect who'll have to work for a win will be Tsubasa Murachi, who looks to score his biggest win to date as he take on JBC ranked Super Flyweight Isao Aoyama from the Celes gym. Once touted as a future star Murachi bit off more than he could chew in 2019, when he was stopped by Froilan Saludar in a WBO Asia Pacific title fight, but is is looking to rebuild and looked solid last time out, against Ryotaro Kawabata. We expect another solid performance from him here. Aoyama is a veteran and a talented on, but has lost 4 of his last 4 and a win here would likely be his best to date.

December 13th
EDION Arena, Osaka, Japan
Yumi Narita (4-4-3, 1) Vs Mont Blanc Miki (4-3-1, 1)
Japanese female Minimumweight champion Yumi Narita looks to make her first defense as she takes on Mont Blanc Miki in a bout that won't get much attention based on records though should be an appealing match up when the two women get in the ring. Neither of these are the most polished of fighters but as with many limited level fighters in Asia they both come to fight, and with the title on the line we expect both to dig in deep. The challenger will be the under-dog but is a very, very live challenger here.
 
EDION Arena, Osaka, Japan
Miyo Yoshida (14-1) v Tomoko Okuda (6-2-2, 1)
The once beaten Miyo Yoshida looks to record her second defense of the WBO female Super Flyweight title as she takes on gritty challenger Tomoko Okuda. Coming into this Yoshida will be strongly favoured, given she is riding a 10 fight unbeaten run, and has scored several very notable victories during that rung, including one against Tomomi Takano and another against Casey Morton, to win the title. Although the under-dog Okuda is now push over and she'll be hungry to make the most of her big opportunity, especially as she'll know there's a good chance she won't get a second shot at a world title, given she's 37.

​Back in July 2019 we featured a young Japanese Light Welterweight in our "Introducing" series. That was the then 13-0 (9) Andy Hiraoka, who has really impressed since then and now sits with a record of 16-0 (11), has a win over a former world title challenger and two wins on US soil. In fairness he is among the fighters who have done more than anyone else since we covered him in our "Introducing" series.
 
When we spoke about Hiraoka in 2019 he was preparing for a big step up in class against Akihiro Kondo. At that point in time the most notable win on Hiraoka's record with a 3rd TKO win over Ukyo Yoshigai, in what was his second bout against Yoshigai. That bout saw Hiraoka record his first, and only, defense of the Japanese Youth Light Welterweight title that he had won in November 2018 with a 5th round, come from behind, TKO win over Takahiko Kobayashi.
 
Despite stepping up massively to face Kondo we saw Hiraoka putting on an excellent performance to out speed, out box, and out think the veteran. Kondo's toughness was on show through out, but he was always a step or two behind Hiraoka who went 10 rounds for the first time and dominated the bout, taking a wide decision. The win really took Hiraoka from "Japanese youth Champion" to being in the conversation for a Japanese or regional title fight.
 
Despite the win over Kondo we didn't see Hiraoka race towards a title fight of any kind. Instead he signed with Top Rank promotions, who have promoted his last 2 fights along side Ohashi Gym.
 
In November 2019 Hiraoka made his Top Rank debut, doing so on US soil at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The bout was a low key one, buried dee on an under-card of a show headlined by Patrick Teixeira Vs Carlos Adames. We suspect many watching that card won't even remember seeing Hiraoka on the show, but those who had signed him were watching carefully. And Hiraoka did exactly what he needed, in taking out the over-matched Rogelio Casarez in 2 rounds.
 
We all know Japanese fighters don't tend to travel well, and it had been quite some time since a Japanese fighter had scored a win in New York, but this was exactly what Hiraoka needed. A low profile, impressive win against an over-matched opponent to help him build his confidence and show Top Rank what they had signed. What they were working with, and how much of a work in progress Hiraoka was.
 
Although Hiraoka took the win over Casarez he proved to be very much a work in progress. He looked strong, powerful, athletic, but like a fighter lacking amateur experience. He looked like an athlete, turned boxer, fighting for the 15th time.
 
Sadly Hiraoka's return to the ring was slowed massively due to the on going global situation. Thankfully this past October he was back in the ring and was again in action in Las Vegas, where he stopped Rickey Edwards in 4 rounds, after dropping Edwards several times. On paper it didn't look the best win, and in reality Edwards looked like he offered nothing, but Edwards had taken unbeaten Americans Kent Cruz and Mykquan Williams the distance before Hiraoka battered him into submission.
 
Whilst Hiraoka's win over Edwards was an impressive one it was over-shadowed by fellow Top Rank-Ohashi co-promoted fighter Naoya Inoue, who retained his IBF, WBA "super" and Ring Magazine Bantamweight titles. Despite being over-shadowed Hiraoka did exactly what he needed to do, putting on a solid performance and moving his career forward with his second Las Vegas win.
 
At the moment it's unclear what's next for Hiraoka, though it would seem wise to get him in with a tough opponent in Japan, to get some rounds, before heading back off to the US for his next bout with Top Rank and then a potential title fight back in Japan. We would hope that Top Rank will continue to work with the youngster, and match him more competitively in the future, but for now he's still just a boxing baby. He needs rounds, and we hope Top Rank realise that. He also, still, needs polishing. He's a very strong, fit, fast and powerful youngster, but still a raw boxer who needs time, rounds, fights and tests.
 
Fingers crossed 2021 is a busy year for Hiraoka and that by the end of it he has fought for the Japanese, OPBF or WBO Asia Pacific title and taken the next big step forward with his career.

Talented Thai Chana Porpaoin (53-4-5, 19) is often over-looked when we talk about major players in the Minimumweight division. That's despite the fact he had a 62 fight career that spanned from 1988 to 2006 and saw him face a divisional who's who. Sure he had some mixed results but he really did face almost all the notable names in the division, other than Ricardo Lopez. He was a 2-time WBA Minimumweight champion and managed a host of notable wins.
 
Today we're going to look at the 5 most significant wins for... Chana Porpaoin, talking about why the 5 fights we select are the most significant and the results he had.
 
Before we talk about the specific fights this series is trying to shine a spotlight on wins of significance, not necessarily the best or biggest wins, but the ones of significance, so please join us as we all at the 5 most significance wins for Chana Porpaoin!
 
Manny Melchor (June 30th 1990)
By June 1990 Porpaoin was 15-0 (9) but hadn't scored a win over anyone of note. None of his previous opponents had done anything, and none of them would go on to do anything. That was until he met 21 year old Filipino Manny Melchor. Up to this point Melchor was 14-12-2 (4), a less than inspiring record, and when Porpaoin took a decision over him few would have expected the Filipino to do anything with his career. Surprisingly however Melchor managed to bounce back from this loss to defeat Eric Chavez, just 6 months later and take the IBF Minimumweight title in 1992. This was a win that didn't mean much when it happened, but grew in significance when Melchor claimed his own world title. 
 
Surprisingly Melchor would actually beat Porpaoin to a world title, with the Thai not winning one until 1993...
 
Hideyuki Ohashi (February 10th 1993)
...that leads us perfectly on to this bout, Porpaoin's clash with Japanese fighter Hideyuki Ohashi. By this point The 26 year old Porpaoin was 26-0 (12) whilst Ohashi, the then WBA Minimumweight champion, was 19-4 (12) and was just 27 years old himself. Ohashi had claimed the title just 4 months earlier, when he defeated Hi Yong Choi to become a 2-time champion. The bout wasn't the most exciting, with the two men having styles that did more to neutralise the other man than to press the action. Despite not being exciting it was competitive and made for compelling viewing, with Porpaoin taking a close decision over Ohashi. With this win not only did Porpaoin become a world champion but he also sent Ohashi into retirement, with the Japanese fighter setting up the Ohashi Gym in his retirement.
 
Rather notably the win over Ohashi was also Porpaoin's international debut, with the bout being held in Japan.

In recent months it feels like we've spent a lot of time getting to talk about Thai prospects and hopefuls, and it really does feel like boxing in Thailand has started to turn a corner. Out with the mismatches against Indonesian and Filipino fighters and in with the bouts between between local hopefuls and local veterans, and contenders. The change has made such a huge impact on how much we've enjoyed the Thai boxing scene this year, even with everything else going on in the world. We went from scarcely caring about a typical fight in Thailand to really enjoying almost every show.
 
For that we need to thank Nakorluang, TL Promotions and Tantelecom who have put together some really interesting match ups and cards, and have given their young prospects a chance to shine. We get another opportunity to see a youngster shine on December 5th, when Phongsaphon Panyakum (10-1, 5) takes on former world title challenger Sarawut Thawornkham, aka Dennapa Kiatniwat.
 
With that in mind we've decided to focus another "Introducing" on a Thai prospect, as we take a look at 20 year old prospect Phongsaphon Panyakum. He's probably not someone fans are too familiar with at the moment, even those that follow the Thai scene, but he's got a very bright future ahead of him, and he's someone we are really looking forward to seeing develop into a future contender, if not champion.
 
Interestingly it's hard to be sure when Phongsaphon actually made his debut. We suspect, and believe, it was when he was 17 and travelled over to Japan to face Kai Ishizawa, however it appears that he may have fought before than as on screen graphic listed him as being 7-2 (3). Of course that could be a mistake in it's self. Whatever his record going into that bout he didn't look against Ishizawa, and looked to be cowering after being caught in the opening seconds, after being caught by a solid right hand by the then debuting Ishizawa. He looked completely clueless at times, and Ishizawa didn't let him settle at all. This was an impressive beating by the destructive little Japanese fighter who stooped Phongsaphon in round 2.
 
For his performance in Japan Phongsaphon was put on the "invitation prohibited boxers list" due to "insufficient ability".
 
More than a year later Phongsaphon returned to the ring and picked up his first recorded win, taking a decision over domestic foe Phormsan Chanla in the opening round of a small tournament held by WP Boxing. Just 2 months after that win Phongsaphon took a genuinely notable win over the very talented Thananchai Charunphak, who we currently regard  as one of the most promising prospects in Thailand, to progress to the tournament final. Against Thananchai we saw Phongsaphon pressure and press Thananchai, showing great energy, a real aggressive streak and narrowly defeat his fellow youngster in a genuinely fantastic 4 rounder.

Looking back over things this was really the win that made it clear that Phongsaphon was no longer the youngster who was caught in the headlights against Ishizawa. Instead he was a capable young fighter, and someone who was maturing and developing.
 
Following that win over Thananchai we saw Phongsaphon take on Thodsawat Srisawat in the tournament final in October 2018. This was where Phongsaphon scorred his first stoppage, taking out the aggressive Thodsawat in round 3 of a fun little shoot out.
 
Having won the WP Boxing tournament Phongsaphon then scored a low key win in March 2019, away from the Workpoint Studio, before returning to his boxing him in June 2019, picking up a 6 round decision over Frengky Rohi. That was then followed by a very notable decision win over former world title challenger Samartlek Kokietgym, in what was Phongsaphon's first genuinely notable win. Just 6 months later he added another noteworthy win as he beat Pigmy Kokietgym, also a former world title challenger.
 
Sadly Phongsaphon's momentum died at the start of 2020, and we don't think we need to explain why. As a result he didn't fight in 2020 until July, when he stopped Sophon Klachun in 4 rounds, then added a win over Arthit Kaewbantid in September, as he began to get the juices flowing again.
 
Phongsaphon's next bout, his final bout of 2020, will see him take on Sarawut Thawornkham, aka Dennapa Kiatniwat, and a win there would be his third over a former world title challenger in just 16 months.
 
In the ring Phongsaphon looks so much different to the guy who debuted in 2017. He no longer looks like a little, scrawny kid. He looks tough, he looks big, he looks strong and aggressive. He has taken that loss to heart and has developed his skills. He's still not the most polished fighter, but he knows how to protect himself, he's aggressive throws shots with bad intent, and comes forward. He makes for fun fights, and he looks like a genuinely strong and promising pressure fighter. Defensively he's still quite open, and easy to hit, but he takes a shot well, and makes fighters pay when they catch him.
 
He almost certainly isn't the next Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, but he has got the tools and desire to certainly be a contender. Also at just 20 years old he is nowhere near to the complete article, but someone who should be on your radar!
 
For those that haven't seen Phongsaphon Panyakum before we've included his most recent bout below.

We're on Monday again and once again we get our weekly look over the good, the bad and the ugly. This week has been mostly good, but it's not been perfect and we will have our typical whine about the sport. Thankfully it does feel like the sport is turning corner and heading in the right direction. At least in most places. It's just a shame that greed still exists in this sport, when really it needs to be curtailed during what is, very genuinely, a tough time for a lot of people.
 
The Good
1-Ring City USA leaves a good first impression
On Thursday night we got the first episode of Ring City USA, with the simple premise of making even bouts and putting them on TV with no promotional link to either promoter, a bit like some of the Dangan cards we get. Whilst the bouts on the show didn't really live up the idea of being even bouts they were all interesting contests, with a unique vibe and look and although there are changes that need making we really enjoyed the broadcast and hope it's a success. The idea of giving both fighters a chance to shine in a bout is great, and needs to be done more, the broadcast team were solid, and the venue, the parking lost outside the Wildcard Gym, was certainly an usual and unique one. Fingers crossed that this is a success!
 
2-Free Streams!
TV Osaka and A-Sign both put on free shows earlier today and boy were they both great. The TV Osaka card, spread over two parts, gave us some thrilling action and well matched bouts with some very notable names. It wasn't an amazing show, by any stretch, but it was a really solid, well put together show that made sense, showcased some talent that rarely gets a chance to shine and was thoroughly engaging. The A-Sign card was less notable, but has a thrilling 6 round war, a show case for Jin Sasaki, and the announcement of Sasaki's next bout, a thriller with Aso Ishiwaki. For those who against PPV, or claim they want to support boxing, today was a great day and we got some real treats for free!
 
3-Conor Benn has really improved!
Over in the UK on Saturday we had the chance to see Conor Benn take on Sebastian Formella, in what was a legitimate step up for the second generation British fighter. This turned out to be a sensational performance by Benn, who looks a completely different fighter to the one who had struggled against Cedrick Peynaud back in 2017. Yes it's still very early in his career but this was a great performance by Benn who suddenly looks like he can go a long way in the sport. Fair enough he didn't look heavy handed and he did slow down, notably, by the later stages, but just 2 years ago we would never have assumed Benn would be anything like this. Well done to him, and fingers crossed these improvements continue!
 
4-Sanman Promotions "The Restart"
Althugh boxing has been back in Japan, Thailand, South Korea and China for months we've not really seen much boxing from the Philippines. Thankfully this weekend we got the second card from the Philippines since boxing returned to the country thanks to Sanman Promotions. The show, dubbed "The Restart", wasn't the best show we'll see this year but was a solid one with decent fighters, such as Joey Canoy, Aston Palicte, Marlon Tapales and Dave Apolinario. It's going to be exciting to see what happens with Filipino boxing when it gets back up to speed, but shows like this are a good start, and hopeful will continue to come through the coming weeks and months.
 
The Bad
1-Fights falling through
At the moment we are seeing a lot of bouts fall through for one reason, or another, and sadly we had three very interesting bouts that were supposed to take place this week needing to be cancelled at short notice. One of those was the Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title bout, between Suzumi Takayama and Hiroto Yashiro, another was the step up for Ryosuke Nishida, against Shohei Omori and the third was the anticipated bout between Reiya Konishi and Katsunari Takayama. All 3 of of these bouts appears to be among the most interesting for the week and it really did suck that they were cancelled very late in the day.
 
2-Covid19 continues to be a stumbling block
We mentioned that Reiya Konishi and Katsunari Takayama had their bout cancelled, and that was due to Konishi testing positive for Covid19. Prior to that cases had been picking up, and a gym in Hyogo has been pretty much closed, whilst there's also been a case in Kanagawa recently. It's clear that cases around the globe are picking up, and we suspect more bouts will be cancelled in the near future as boxing is seemingly heading back to the ropes once again.
 
The Ugly
1-PPV bollocks from Hearn
We have, very openly, been anti-PPV and we will continue to be so, especially during a pandemic. So with that in mind we really need to call Eddie Hearn out on not only having a PPV less than 2 weeks before Christmas but just 10 days after England comes out of a 4 week lock down, during a recession. And at a higher price than usual. We can hear all the crap about this is the only way to make big fights, but the reality is that this was a mandatory, not some huge money mega fight. It could have gone to purse bids and he could have bid what he felt the fight was worth if he felt the fight was something so special, and we could have seen Pulev's team pony up the cash that they felt the bout was worth. The reality is that once again fans are being taken for a joyride in the UK. Not only is the bout PPV in the UK, at close to £25, but it's being shown worldwide on DAZN, for less than it's being shown to audience in the UK. As Hearn and co. know there will thousands of people illegally streaming it, but what else do they expect? Really.
 
2-More PPV bollocks
Mike Tyson Vs Roy Jones Jr is an exhibition, yet that is also covered by PPV bollocks in the UK, with a £20 price tag. This is just greed by two shadows of former greats. Yes Tyson and Jones are both legends, genuine legends. But that doesn't change the fact that both men are essentially retired, fighting in an exhibition and charging a premium during a pandemic. The under-card, although interesting, is certainly not worth subsidising an exhibition for and it's one we really can't get behind as a fight. Exhibitions can be great to watch, don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise. Julio Cesar Chavez and Jorge Arce put on some really fun exhibitions, and in the 1990's we had Khaosai Galaxy Vs Jiro Watanabe, and Jiro Watanabe Vs Katsuo Tokashiki, and they were entertaining, fun and unique. This feels more like a cash grab. Thankfully for those interested the bout will be on WOWOW, which is available on isakura, at a singificantly lower price than the PPV in the UK.

This past week promised plenty and whilst it may have slightly under-delivered there was certainly plenty of highlights in a week that seemed to suggest action was picking up, and that boxing was, slowly, continuing in the right direction. We did, sadly, lose two bouts that looked fantastic on paper, though we got more than enough to talk about in the week's weekly awards.
 
Fighter of the Week
Rikki Naito
Although there wasn't any monstrously big fights this week there was an OPBF title bout on Saturday that saw the talented Rikki Naito retain his 140lb belt with a TKO9 over Yusuke Konno. It wasn't a standout performance from Naito, in fact in round 6 it looked like he was in real trouble, but he gritted out some tough times and resumed dominance after Konno suffered a shoulder injury. Despite being the Fighter of the Week, we do still worry about Naito's long term success at 140lbs and we do wonder whether he has the physical power and strength to get the respect of fighters, something he really struggled with here. Despite that he showed some lovely boxing skills, movement, handspeed, timing and a brilliant jab to earn our weekly award.
 
Performance of the Week
Mekhrubon Sanginov
After more than a year out of the ring, and with only 1 fight in 24 months, we didn't really know what to expect from US based Tajik Mekhrubon Sanginov. In the end he really just dominated and controlled American foe Cleotis Pendarvis in what was a controlled yet dominant performance that netted him his first win in over 2 years. We'll not pretend he blew us away, but it was certainly a solid performance, where he forced the action, used his size and controlled a more experienced opponent. This was a solid performance, without being spectacular and left us wanting to see more of Sanginov, who clearly has some tools to work with going forward. Sadly there was no one with a performance that really made us think "wow", but Sanginov getting a solid win in a controlled fashion almost nets this award by default.
 
Fight of the Week
Yoshimitsu Kimura Vs Shuma Nakazato
Going into the weekend we felt like the 8 round Super Featherweight bout between Yoshimitsu Kimura and Shuma Nakazato could deliver something very special, with both men being hungry youngsters looking to make a mark on the sport, and both able to fight or box. In the end it didn't quite reach the heights we expected of the bout, but it certainly was the standout contest from the week. We had boxing skills on show, we had both men hitting the canvas, flash points early and the a real crascendo late on as Kimura tried to stop Nakazato in the final round. If you missed this one it's on Boxing Raise and is well and truly worthy of a watch. A very good bout, even if it didn't quite become the special bout we had been hoping for.
 
Round of the Week
Ryoichi Tamura Vs Ryu Oba (RD1)
If you are ever feeling depressed by the state of boxing we seriously recommend just putting on a fight with Ryoichi Tamura, his mentality in the ring is that of someone who wants to let leather fly and at an incredible pace. That was on show this weekend when he took on Ryu Oba and spent the entire first round setting a pace that was simply insane. To his credit Oba fought back bravely, and saw out the storm, but it was Tamura who stole the limelight with some of the most intense offense we've seen in a long time, making this a thrill a second round. It wasn't competitive, or dramatic, but it was just what we needed and was the type of action that it is pure enjoyment as a fan of the sport.
 
KO of the Week
Jameson Bacon KO2 Roque Agustin Junco
By far, and away, the easiest award this week was the KO of the Week award, which was taken in spectacular fashion by Filipino slugger Jameson Bacon. The hard hitting Pinoy landed brutal left hand on Roque Agustin Junco, who was out cold before heading to the canvas. For fans of brutal 1-punch KO's this is among the best we've seen in 2020 and is well worth hunting down. Truly brutal.
 
Prospect of the Week
Dave Apolinario
Sadly there was a surprising lack of prospects in action over the last week, due in part to fights featuring Ryosuke Nishida, Suzumi Takayama and Hiroto Yashiro being cancelled. As a result we were really left with very few possible for this award. Despite those issues we did like what we saw of Filipino youngster Dave Apolinario, who again impressed with his boxing brain, ring craft, shot selection and movement as he beat Bonjun Loperez. The youngster, who we have raved about in the past, looks like one of the most rounded Filipino prospects out there and fingers crossed that he does get a much deserved step up to fringe Oriental title level in 2021.

We're going to be honest, November has felt like a very, very long month, but also a strangely exciting one, with a lot of action and a lot of great fights. Now we're in the final stretch of the month and we return with our final look at what's to come in the penultimate month of the year.

November 23rd
Bunka Center, Sanda, Hyogo, Japan
Riku Kano (16-4-1, 8) vs Ryoki Hirai (12-6-1, 4)
In the main event of a 2-part show in Hyogo we'll see a new WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight champion being crowned, as former world title challenger Riku Kano takes on Ryoki Hirai for the vacant title. Of the two men it's Kano who has the pressure on his shoulders, despite being the much younger man. After challenging Hiroki Ioka's Japanese record for youngster world champion his career has really struggled and another set back here would likely end his hopes of ever reaching the top of the mountain. Hirai on the other hand is an often over-looked fighter who will almost certainly see this as a chance to make a name for himself.  Don't expect a knockout, but do expect a high intensity game of cat and mouse in this regional title fight.

Sho Ishida (28-2, 15) vs Toshiya Ishii (3-0, 2)
If you must have fire works then the fight to expect them from on November 23rd is the show down between former world title challenger Sho Ishida and thrilling Japanese youngster Toshiya Ishii. For Ishida this is a must win bout following a loss to Israel Gonzalez last December, but he will be moving up in weight and for the bout and he's never really looked all that impressive in jaunts to 118lbs. Ishii on the other hand is a thrilling youngster who won the Japanese Youth Bantamweight title last year and will be looking to score a massive win here. If he can over-come Ishida we suspect Ishii will find himself right in the mix for a Japanese or regional title next year. A compelling match up and one of the most interesting of the month.

Katsunari Takayama (31-8-0-1, 12) vs Reiya Konishi (17-2, 7)
Of course fireworks come in various forms and we are guaranteed explosive action in the 6 round bout between former multi-time world champion Katsunari Takayama and Reiya Konishi. This has the makings of an all out war between two men who like massive power but make up for it in grit, determination and work rate. At the 37 Takayama knows he can't afford a loss, but a win could open doors to another world title fight to the always fun to watch "Lightning Kid". Konishi on the other hand has come up short in 2 world title bouts and will almost certainly know that another one here ends his dream of becoming a world champion. If you like intense action, and incessant output this is almost certainly set to be right down your alley!

Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan
Jin Sasaki (8-0, 7) Vs Tatsuya Miyazaki (9-13-1, 9)
Hard hitting Japanese teenager Jin Sasaki might not be a name on the lips of many fans but he certainly should be. The 19 year old power puncher is one of the hottest prospects in Japan and looks capable of making a mark at both 140lbs and 147lbs. Blessed with power, good looks and natural charisma he's a fighter that will be worth following for every bout. Here he's up against an over-matched foe, but that hardly matter. Tatsuya Miyazaki will be there hunting an upset but, in all honesty, he's going to get mowed down here.
 
November 24th
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Norihito Tanaka (19-8, 10) Vs Yuni Takada (8-5-2, 3)
Former world title challenger Norihito Tanaka returns to the ring for the first time since losing to Knockout CP Freshmart earlier this year as he takes on Yuni Takada. It's unlikely we'll see Tanaka get another big fight, given he's already 35, but the former Japanese national champion will likely be looking to land another major domestic fight before his career is over. As for Takada he's a very live under-dog having recently fought to a draw with future Japanese title challenger Hizuki Saso. This might not look a good one on paper, but sometimes we need to ignore the paper and look at the actual fighters involved.

November 27th
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Wanheng Menayothin (54-0, 18) Vs Panya Pradabsri (34-1, 22)
The highlight for this part of the month will see WBC Minimumweight champion Wanheng Menayothin return to the ring for his 13th defense as he takes on fellow Thai Panya Pradabsri, in what will be the 13th "Bloodline Battle". The unbeaten champion has received widespread attention for his record, and the way he has gone past Floyd Mayweather's 50-0 record, though a loss here would be a nasty mark before his retirement. For Panya this is an opportunity to grab the torch for Thai boxing and plant himself on the wider boxing stage. This is a compelling all-Thai world title bout, and the first in over a decade!
 
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, USA
Daniyar Yeleussinov (9-0, 5) vs Julius Indongo (23-2, 12)
Unbeaten Daniyar Yeleussinov takes his first major step up in class since turning professional as he takes on former unified world champiuon Julius Indongo. The talented Kazakh looked great in 2016, when he won Gold at the Rio Olmypics, but has yet to set the world on fire as a professional. A win over Indongo would be a good step in the right direction and a notable name on his record before bigger and better fights next year. As for Indongo he has seen better days, but he has shocked the boxing world before, and may well have one final upset in him. This isn't likely to be the most exciting of clashes, but it could be an intriguing one.

Mahammadrasul Majidov (2-0, 2) vs Sahret Delgado (8-0, 7)
Former Azeri Super Heavyweight standout Mahammadrasul Majidov goes for win #3 as he takes on unbeaten Puerto Rican foe Sahret Delgado. The heavy handed Majidov signed with Matchroom in 2019, and it seemed the plan was to move him quickly, given he was 32 when he made his debut, but with two low key bouts and and now this one it seems clear that Matchroom have already given up on ever getting the Azeri ready for a world title fight. At 34 it's a shame Majidov isn't 3 or 4 years younger. As for Delgado the 26 year old Puerto Rican has a nice looking record but his competition is very poor and we suspect this will be a serious wake up call for him as he goes in with a live opponent for the first time.
 
November 28th
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Musashi Mori (11-0, 6) vs Tsuyoshi Tameda (21-5-2, 19)
In the final noteworthy bout of the month we'll see WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Musashi Mori defending his title against the hard hitting Tsuyoshi Tameda in an intriguing match up of Skills Vs Power. Mori is by far the more skilled fighter in here, and Tameda has typically struggled with skilled fighters, such as Reiya Abe and Hinata Maruta, but Tameda is a legitimate power house and has dynamite fists, which could be too much at this early stage for Mori. A very interesting match up that should tell us a lot about where both men can go with their career's.