The year is still new, which is a relief as so far the Asian action hasn't been worth talking about for the most part. Earlier today we had the first Japanese show of 2020, but it was ravaged by changes that ended up removing 2 bouts from the card changing another, and it never really seemed to get going. There was Chinese action, which was alright but nothing spectacular and of course Bakhtiyar Eyubov was batted in Atlantic City.
 
Despite being left with scraps we have managed to come up with some honours for our weekly awards.

Fighter of the Week
Marvin Esquierdo (16-2-1, 10)
The Filipino is unlikely to ever make it beyond regional level, if he even gets that far, but we can't fault his attitude and his mentality. He's been given a chance to shine in the Knock Out Dynamite tournament and he has made the most of that opportunity in both of his tournament bouts. This week he seemed to be the only man in Japan who realised that he could get a hefty bonus for scoring a stoppage, and went after Ribo Takahata early, dropping the veteran hard in round 2. Esquierdo couldn't get the finish there and then, but did get one in round 4 to net himself a nice bonus. 
 
Performance of the Week
Tuguldur Byambatsogt (2-0)
Whilst it was a very quiet week it was still a week where we did see some impressive action, with Mongolian fighter Tuguldur Byambatsogt really impressing with both his boxing, and his fighting ability. The former amateur standout spent 3 rounds out boxing Vladimir Baez by simply doing the basics. He moved around the ring, landed the jab to control distance and took advantage of the openings Baez gave him. After a tired looking fourth round he found a new gear and dropped Baez completing what had been a solid performance from a genuinely talented young Mongolian hopeful. Fingers crossed we see a lot more of Byambatsogt over the coming years.
 
Fight
Yihao Wang vs Keon Woo Kim
There is something about watching a tough nosed Korean fighter barrelling forward, despite taking big shots that makes things enjoyable. That's what we had at the start of the week as the unbeaten, but under-sized, Keon Woo Kim took on Chinese foe Yihao Wang. Kim, who was always pursuing his man, and taking shots as a result, made this a fun contest despite really getting busted up and broken down. His desire to get close and make this a war made this a fight that had our attention, despite how one sided it was at times, and as Kim's face began to swell his hunger just grew. Of course Wang played his part, and his stamina and punch picking needs to be given credit as well. This wasn't a fight of the year contender, not even close, but was an entertaining little fight all the same.
 
Round
Marvin Esquierdo vs Ribo Takahata (Round 3)
There was no round that truly stood out this week, but we did really enjoy the third round of Marvin Esquierdo's win over Ribo Takahata. The previous round had seen Esquierdo dropping Takahata, hard, and had the round been just 15 seconds longer the bout could have been over. Even with the minute to recover Takahata still seemed shaken at the start of the round, and Esquierdo tried to take him out. Then Takahata recovered, and tried to take out Esquierdo in what was a fun round that saw both men being hurt and letting their shots go. This was fun, exciting and saw both men digging deep.

KO
There was no suitable contender for KO of the Week
 
Prospect 
Tuguldur Byambatsogt (2-0)
We could legitimately rave about the Mongolian fighter all day, but we won't. He showed so much more in just his second professional bout than many show in their first 15. He looked composed, strong, skilled, and like he was fighting well within himself. We look forward to seeing more of him and hopefully we'll see more of his offensive side. For a 2-0 prospect to have done what he's done is really impressive, and he is certainly one to get very excited about.
 
Upcoming fight 
Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (12-4-1, 11) vs Kazuto Takesako (11-0-1, 11)
The coming few weeks have quite a bit of action and after a slow start we do see things begin to pick up. Next weekend is a great example of that and on January 18th we get a brilliant clash of champions, with OPBF Middleweight champion Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa battling Japanese champion Kazuto Takesako. Noth only are both champions, but both are tough guys and both can bang. We are expecting this to be a legitimate shoot out and one of the highlights for the month! Keep an eye on this one next Saturday!

This past week has been a busy one, an exciting one and an interesting one with a lot of action taking place right through the week, with a trio of notable mid-week shows in Asia. The bouts might have all been great but there was some outstanding fights, thrilling action, a huge upset, frighting KO's and some excellent rounds.

Fighter of the Week
Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (12-4-1, 11)
The heavy handed Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa became a 2-time OPBF Middleweight champion this week due to an excellent win over Koki Tyson, in a bout that left Tyson looking disfigured which huge gruesome looking swelling around his right eye. The performance certainly wasn't flawless from Hosokawa, but he showed his fighters mentality and took his lumps before forcing the doctor to step in and save Tyson. Not only did Hosokawa become a 2-time champion but following the bout it was revealed he would be making his first defense in a unification bout Kazuto Takesako
 
Performance of the Week
Jhunriel Ramonal (16-8-6, 9)
At the age of 30 Filipino, and fighting for just the 4th time in 4 years, Jhunriel Ramonal secured the best win of his career, by far. The rugged Filipino battled through a cut, battled through adversity and refused to accept defeat before finally breaking through and dropping the world ranked Shingo Wake. Wake would get up from the first knockdown but not long afterwards Ramonal would drop the former world title challenger, hard. The Filipino was bleeding badly by the time he scored the stoppage, but heart, determination and finish all roll into him earning the Performance of the Week.
 
Fight
Heuk San Lee vs Gyung Mo Yuh
The KBF title might not have huge standing in the sport, but it's hard to refute the fact that some of the KBF title fighters are amazing fights. One great example of that happened this week, when Heuk San Lee and Gyung Mo Yuh tore lumps out of each other in all action 10 round war for the KBF Welterweight title. This bout swung from being a good fight for Lee boxing on the move to an all out war as his feet slowed and Yuh's pressure began to take hold. In the later rounds this was thrilling, none stop, crazy, crude slugging and a must watch bout for those who want to know what the KBF title means to fighters in South Korea. Don't get us wrong, this wasn't a technical show case, but it was thrilling action. Just a shame the judging was a little bit questionable.
 
Round
Kenichi Horikawa vs Yuto Takahashi (10)
We had some solid rounds this last week, though the one that takes the award for us was the gruelling and tiring final round of the Japanese Minimumweight title bout between Kenichi Horikawa and Yuto Takahashi. This wasn't pretty, and it wasn't a round full of clean action, but this was two men fighting for the decision, using all their heart to try and win the bout. It was messy, it was rough, it was hard and was ugly. It was a exciting mess of a round, and fought at a high quality level than the bout in Korea, which had rounds were more wild, but less tough.

KO
Jhunriel Ramonal TKO3 Shingo Wake
On paper it seemed Friday's bout between Shingo Wake and Jhunriel Ramonal was little more than a tune up for Wake against someone he had already beaten. Instead however it ended up being the worst night of his professional career. Was was supposed to be an easy win for sharp shooting southpaw ended with him being dropped twice, and being left flat out thanks to a huge left hook from Ramonal. The KO blow, at the very end of round 3, was a huge left hook right on the chin that dropped Wake hard. This was brutal, this visually impressive and this was nasty to re-watch with Wake dropping on the spot. This is up there with the best KO's of the year.
 
Notable mention Shuichiro Yoshino TKO1 Harmonito Dela Torre

Prospect 
Thanongsak Simsri (12-0, 11) 
The unbeaten Thanongsak Simsri saw his perfect KO start come to an end this week but he answered a lot of questions as he took a clear and wide decision win over fellow Thai Lerdchai Chaiyawed. The talented Thanongsak found someone he couldn't blow through and instead proved he could go rounds, and out-box a capable opponent. Lerdchai might not be well known but he's a very decent regional journeyman and the 19 year old Thanongsak really did well here to make things look as easy as they were. He's certainly one worth making a note of going forward.
 
Upcoming fight 
Xiang Li (7-2-1, 2) vs Ryu Horikawa (2-0, 1)
On Thursday we see a mouth watering WBO Youth Light Flyweight title bout as exciting Chinese fighter Xiang Li takes on fast rising Japanese teenager Ryu Horikawa. Neither of these men are big names, yet, but we suspect that both will go on to achieve notable success in the future. Li impressed in his title win, earlier this year in Hong Kong with a win over Raymond Poon KaiChing, whilst Horikawa, who has only been a pro since June, shone in August when he beat the touted Yuki Nakajima. This has the potential to be a thriller, and to put the winner on to the fact track for some very big regional fights.

This past week has been a bit of a strange, and frustrating, one. We've had 2 legitimately fantastic bouts shown, but we've not had much else being shown, with the major Japanese card from the week being aired next week, and there was nothing of note featured on boxing Raise. There was a Filipino card, but the stream for it was poor to say the least, and it very much feels like a week where there was only the widely available stuff to watch.

Fighter of the Week
Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0, 9)
Whilst the week wasn't great overall it's hard to deny that this was a week where two bouts stood out. One of those was the fantastic IBF Middleweight title bout between Gennady Golovkin vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko and the other was the equally as good WBA Light Flyweight "super" title bout between Hiroto Kyoguchi and Tetsuya Hisada. Both bouts saw the under-dog giving the favourite all they could handle over 12 amazing rounds, and these two bouts would have been highlights in any week. Of the two winners we have to give Fighter of the Week to Kyoguchi, who enhanced his reputation with his win, whilst Golovkin seemed to show that he was one step closer to retirement than anyone had anticipated.
 
Performance of the Week
Tetsuya Hisada (34-10-2, 20)
One of the things that allowed Kyoguchi to take our Fighter of the Week award was his dance partner, Tetsuya Hisada. In the eyes of many Hisada was an undeserving challenger, an old man with 9 losses on his record going into the biggest bout of his career. He had never scored a win above domestic level, and was an unknown outside of Japan, and even that it was only the hardcore fans in the country who really much about him. What he did however was put up one of the best performance of 2019, holding his own with a much young fighter. For those who were impressed by Derevyanchenko against Golovkin, Hisada's effort was very, very similar.
 
Fight
Hiroto Kyoguchi vs Tetsuya Hisada
It'll come as no surprise that there were really only 2 bouts in contention for the Fight of the Week, the Gennady Golovkin Vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko and the Hiroto Kyoguchi Vs Tetsuya Hisada fight. In many ways both were very, very similar. They both had the under-dog massively out performing expectations, despite being dropped. The winner of both fights were hurt and the fights were back and forth action fights. In reality the Golovkin fight was closer, and more competitive, but for us the better fight was actually the other one. Both were fantastic, both deserve to be in the fight of the year short list, but we we found Kyoguchi Vs Hisada more enthralling over the course of the fight.
 
Round
Gennady Golovkin vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko Round 8
With 2 great fights we were treat to some amazing rounds, for this however we have to side with Golovkin's big effort in round 8 against Derevyanchenko. It was one of the few rounds that the Kazakh seemed to put his foot on the gas and was one of the few rounds that saw both men going tit for tat, rather than than Golovkin being backed up and landing the better shots. This was a great round of action, both men were hurt and both looked tired, but they dug deep and delivered a fantastic 3 minutes of action.

KO
No suitable contender
 
Prospect 
Ali Akhmedov (16-0, 12)
The week was a really odd one for prospects. There was plenty in action, but they were in mismatches, and very few of them had to answer and real questions. For us Israil Madrimov isn't a prospect but a contender, and the we almost said the same of Ali Akhmedov. Problem is that if we had, we wouldn't have had a candidate for this category, as no one faced anyone of any note. Even then Akhemdov's opponent, Andrew Hernandez, almost saw him ruled out. Akhmedov stopped Hernandez with the only notable punch and took an opening round TKO. An awful week for prospects looking to announce themselves.
 
Upcoming fight 
Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (11-4-1, 10) Vs Koki Tyson (14-3-3, 12) II
The first bout between Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa and Koki Tyson had the chance to be great, but fell short, in part due to a lack of fitness from Tyson who took the bout on short notice. This time both men have had plenty of time to prepare and we are expecting this to be a genuine thriller between two fighters who can bang, can fight and can put on a show. This might not be a major globally, but it has the fighters to be a truly excellent fight.

This past week we really saw action pick up in a big way, with a number of notable Japanese cards which created headlines, a major upset in Russia and a card in Saudi Arabia. It's a week that felt so much different to recent weeks and it's very clear that business is picking up, after a dreary June.

Fighter of the Week
Ryota Murata (15-2, 12)
When a fighter loses in fashion that sees them being dominated, especially in an upset, it can be easy to write them off. We certainly did that last year when Ryota Murata was beaten by Rob Brant. This week however Murata showed he shouldn't be written off as he avenged his loss to Brant in shocking fashion, beating Brant in 2 rounds, and forcing the referee to save the American, who was wobbling and had been down. This was not what we were expecting from Murata, but we're so glad to have seen him show what he can do, reclaim the WBA "regular" Middleweight title. Although Murata has so much ability this was the first time he's truly shown that ability, and we're really hoping he can build on this win. Sadly though much of his career has been flat and this performance may end up being little more than an anomaly.
 
Performance of the Week
Joe Noynay (18-2-1, 7)
Filipino youngster Joe Noynay has been written off as the under-dog far too many times in his career, and this past Friday he showed that fighters, and fans, need to take notice of him. He travelled to Japan, dropped Olympic bronze medal winner Satoshi Shimizu 3 times, twice in the opening round, and successfully defended the WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title. Although not a puncher this was Noynay's second straight stoppage win in Japan and he is going to be getting himself a serious reputation as a Japanese Killer, similar to that off forgotten Filipino Bantamweight Jess Maca.
 
Notable mentions:
Andy Hiraoka, Kenshiro, Rolden Aldea
 
Fight
Naoko Fujioka Vs Tenkai Tsunami
When we have two of the best female fighters on the planet facing off we can always expect a dark horse of a fight, and that's what we got this week with a thrilling 10 round battle between the legendary Naoko Fujioka and the under-rated Tenkai Tsunami. The bout, was engaging, swung one way then the other and was almost impossible to call. It was one of the bouts that had the potential to be something special, and it delivered. in a big way, again showing what happens when two top, world class, well matched female fighters face off. Given the result, the action and the way the bout was fought we're really hoping to see the two run it over again, and give us another special bout.
 
Round
Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa vs Koki Tyson (RD 12)
One thing we didn't expect this week was for for the OPBF Middleweight title to remain vacant. We expected Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa and Koki Tyson to give us a shoot out, with one man eventually taking the other out to take the crown. Surprisingly however we got the opposite with the two men competing in a 12 round fight that had some dull moments but was a thoroughly engaging contest with tactical holding from Tyson and bombs from both. Despite some sloppy action at times the final round was great, with both firing off some bombs, and the round got better as it went on, with a loud fan base cheering on Tyson. It won't go down as a Round of the Year contender, but with the atmosphere, the huge power shots from both and the clear desire this was a great round, and a fantastic ending to a fight we had expected to be over much, much earlier.

KO
Roldan Aldea KO8 Mikhail Alexeev
For much of the week it seemed like Kenshiro's TKO over Jonathan Taconing, to retain the WBC Light Flyweight title, was going to take the honour of the best stoppage of the week. It wasn't a clear KO but it was a beautiful finish of a usually durable Filipino. Instead however it was Filipino journeyman Roldan Aldea that stole honour for the best KO, and did so in relatively notable upset in Russia. The unheralded Aldea Aldea was cornered by the previously unbeaten Mikhail Alexeev in round before landing a gorgeous uppercut that split the guard of Alexeev who had his senses turned off. It took a second or two, but after a slight delay Alexeev would then crash face down onto the canvas. This was a beauty of a shot, and one of the most eye catchign KO's of 2019. Truly fantastic from Aldea.

Prospect 
Andy Hiraoka (14-0, 9)
It's fair to say that Andy Hiraoka has been almost demanding a chance to show what he can do in recent months, being very much a frustrated man on social media and a young fighter simply wanting a chance. This week he got a chance, and he showed what he could do, as he clearly out boxed former world title challenger Akihiro Kondo to claim his first major scalp. The youngster showed poise, skills, speed and a solid ring IQ to score his best win to date, and the hope will surely be for him to fight for a senior title in 2020
 
Upcoming fight 
Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39) Vs Keith Thurman (29-0-0-1, 22)
Despite having had a great week this past week the next few days are a bit lacking, though we do have 3 fights of real note featuring Asian fighters in the West. One of those will fee Filipino great Manny Pacquiao take on big talking American Keith Thurman, in a bout to unify the regular and super titles at Welterweight. The bout is a good one on paper and we're expecting to see both men being forced to answer big questions about their future. Sadly it's not the same bout it could have been a few years ago, but should still be a very interesting contest.

It feels like the last few weeks I've started our weekly awards by apologising for a lack of action, and interesting awards winners. It was as if I was making excuses for these articles not being the most interesting. This week however things have suddenly changed and we've had a lot of incredible action, compelling match ups and interesting fights. It's not been a perfect week, but given what we've had recently it has been a very solid week.

Fighter of the Week
Koki Inoue (13-0, 10)
After a couple of forgetful performances from Koki Inoue he managed to put on a show as he defended the Japanese Light Welterweight title and stopped Ryuji Ikeda. On paper this was an easy first defense, it was supposed to be, but he still put on the performance he needed, shining like the exciting fighter he proved to be earlier in his career. There was, obviously, areas to still improve on, but his ring IQ, control of distance and powerful flowing combinations were excellent, and it's obvious that matched with the right opponent he can be very fun to watch.

Performance of the Week
Kanat Islam (26-0, 21)
After being out of the ring for close to 2 years we saw Kazakh hopeful Kanat Islam return to the ring and put in one of the shortest bout's well see in 2019. In fact it lasted less time than it would take for most fans to sit down after the national anthem, but still put the 154lbs division on alert. Islam pretty hurt Julio De Jesus with the first connect then let only a handful of shots go before De Jesus hit the canvas and the referee instantly waved off the contest. Officially this was stopped after 14 seconds, and it was all Islam.
 
Fight
Tsuyoshi Tameda (19-4-2, 17) vs Tae Il Atsumi (16-2, 8)
We expected a great fight when Japanese puncher Tsuyoshi Tameda took on Japanese based Korean foe Tae Il Atsumi. There was something about the match up that got us really excited before a punch was thrown and it took only seconds to see that out expectations were pretty accurate. This bout was dominated by Tsuyoshi throwing bombs from the off, his lack of accuracy left him open but it was only a matter of time before he was going to land. When he did Atsumi tried to respond, and the touchpaper was lit! This didn't last long, but was thoroughly entertaining.
 
Round
Tsuyoshi Tameda vs Tae Il Atsumi RD1
Whilst we had some great fights no single round really stood out, with the best of them arguably being the pick of the bunch. It was a round that had some really fun back and forth moments, some knockdowns and some wild brawling as Tameda forced his fight on to Atsumi. The second round was too short to really steal the show, but the first round was damn good action!
 
KO
Kanat Islam KO1 Julio De Jesus
Whilst it wasn't beautiful it's hard to argue with the blow out KO that Kanat Islam scored as the best of the week, it was certainly the most impactful, eye catching and destructive. A huge right hand over the top started things and 2 more followed to send De Jesus crashing to the canvas. Yes this bout was an horrific mismatch, even when you accept the long lay off for Islam, but the finish was truly brutal.
​
Prospect 
Mikito Nakano (3-0, 3)
We had a lot of prospects in action over the last 7 days, and they included some sure fire stars like Taku Kuwahara, Kuntae Lee, Sultan Zaurbek and even the unheralded Mark Vicelles. The one who impressed the most however was Mikito Nakano, who took a huge step up and blew out Filipino Arvin Yurong in what was a really credible test. Yurong had shown some ability against Xiang Li back in January but Nakano went through him like a knife through hot butter to score a 2nd round KO. We knew Nakano was good, but this was special and the Asian scene at Featherweight is seemingly on the verge of a new star.
 
Upcoming fight 
Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (11-4, 10) v Koki Tyson (14-3-2, 12)
This coming week has 4 male world title fights, a female world title fight and so much more, though for us the bout we're most excited about is the OPBF Middleweight title bout between Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa and Koki Tyson, in what we're expecting will be a full on shoot out. It's not the highest quality bout we're expecting to see, but it has the real potential to be the most exciting, the most fan friendly and the most entertianing. In fact if this bout doesn't end up being a shoot out we'll be truly surprised...and a little bit disappointed!
 ​

After a relatively quiet month of June we see things really pick up in July, with what looks to be a truly hectic schedule. We though May was busy but even the craziness of May could end up playing second fiddle to June which features everything we could ever ask for.
 
July 1st-

•  Koki Inoue (13-0, 10) Vs Ryuji Ikeda (14-5-3, 9) - Tokyo, Japan

The first title bout of the new month will see Japanese Light Welterweight champion Koki Inoue make his first defense, as he goes up against Ryuji Ikeda. This really should be a mismatch in favour of Inoue, though it seems like he's planning to make an exciting fight, after a couple of dull performances. The talented Inoue is a class fighter, and in Ikeda he may well have the perfect foil to shine against

• Tsuyoshi Tameda (19-4-2, 17) Vs Tae Il Atsumi (16-2,8) - Tokyo, Japan

A potentially amazing match up will see hard hitting Japanese national Tsuyoshi Tameda up against Japanese based Korea Tae Il Atsumi. This could end up being a sleeper classic, with the two styles being aggressive and both having heavy, thudding power. On paper Tameda is the younger and more powerful guy, but Atsumi is the naturally bigger man, and we should have something amazing here.

• Taku Kuwahara (4-0, 3) v Kyomu Hamagami (4-2-2, 4)- Tokyo, Japan

Touted prospect Taku Kuwahara is expected to be really let off the leash in the very near future, but for now he has to get past domestic foe Kyomu Hamagami. Although not the most skilled fighter out there Hamagami is heavy handed and could give Kuwahara a chin check if he lands clean. Kuwahara on the other hand really does look like he is "the goods".

• Sho Nakazawa (12-3, 6) v Jinya Ito (7-5-1, 2) -Tokyo, Japan

The once touted Sho Nakazawa, who was a fantastic amateur on the Japanese domestic scene, looks to continue his career rebuild after losing 3 of his last 7, including one loss to the previously mentioned Atsumi. Ito shouldn't be much of a test for Nakazawa, but it's hard to know what Nakazawa's future really holds after his recent defeats.
 
July 6th-

• Nordine Oubaali (15-0, 11) v Arthur Villanueva (32-3-1, 18) -Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan 

The biggest bout, for us at least, this Saturday will see Filipino fighter Arthur Villanueva getting a shot at WBC Bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali in Kazakhstan. For Oubaali this will be his first defense of the title he won earlier this year, against Rau'shee Warren, and the plan seems to be for him to get some really big fights later in the year. For Villanueva the opportunity seems a lucky and underserved one, but we can't blame him for taking it. Notable the mandatory for the winner of this will be Takuma Inoue.

• Zhankosh Turarov (23-0, 16) v Mauro Maximiliano Godoy (31-4-1, 16) - Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Unbeaten Kazakh prospect Zhankosh Turarov was in the world rankings before a long break slowed his momentum, now however he is back and in the second bout of his return he takes on experienced Argentinian Mauro Maximiliano Godoy in a bout for the WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight. A win here does set Turarov up for bigger fights down the line, though we do wonder what his ambition is like and what condition his body will be in for big fights it, or when, they happen.

• Viktor Kotochigov (9-0, 4) v Jairo Lopez (24-10, 16)- Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

In a good step up bout we'll see Kazakh hopeful Viktor Kotochigov take a steep up to face off with Mexican veteran Jairo Lopez for the WBC International Lightweight title. The unbeaten Kazakh has shown touches of real promise, but has also been a frustrating fighter to watch at times and looks like a man who needs to change his mindset if he's going to make the most of his ability. Lopez is no world beater, but has mixed with world class opposition during his long career, and has served the sport as a good gatekeeper. Sadly whilst Jairo was one a very solid gatekeeper he has gone 6-7 in his last 13. 

• Kenichi Ogawa (23-1-0-1, 17) Vs TBA - Tokyo, Japan

Originally Kenichi Ogawa was set to headline in Tokyo against Azinga Fuzile in an IBF world title eliminator, though plans were forced to change when Fuzile failed to secure a visa in time. Ogawa will instead face an opponent who hasn't been confirmed, though is expected to be a very limit import in little more than a stay busy bout for the former Japanese champion.

• Shuya Masaki (12-1, 5) Vs Al Toyogon (10-3-1, 6) - Tokyo, Japan

In a really interesting match up the once touted Shya Masaki, who has had some very hit and miss performances, will take on Filipino foe Al Toyogon. The once beaten Masaki has won 3 in a row since losing to Hironori Mishiro in early 2018, but did look like a star in the making in those wins. Toyogon on the other hand will be looking to bounce back from a recent loss to Ryo Sagawa. Toyogon showed his toughness and desire against Sagawa and if he shows that again here he could be a banana skin for Masaki.

•  Hayate Kaji (12-0, 9) Vs Rey Orais (20-18-2, 5) - Tokyo, Japan

Talented and unbeaten Super Flyweight puncher Hayate Kaji looks to take a huge step towards a potential title fight as he takes on Japanese based Filipino veteran Rey Orais. This is pretty much a Japanese Super Flyweight title eliminator, and a win for Kaji would almost certainly put him in the running for an eliminator at the end of the year. Orais has the experience to test the youngster, but with age and power on his side, we struggle to see Kaji losing to his veteran foe.

• Mikito Nakano (2-0, 2) vs Arvin Yurong (12-2, 3) -Tokyo, Japan

Touted Japanese youngster Mikito Nakano takes his a big step up in class as he goes up against Filipino foe Arvin Yurong in a mouth watering clash. The talented Nakano is tipped as one of the future stars of the world famous Teiken gym, following an excellent amateur career, but so far hasn't been tested as a professional. Yurong is a great test and he impressed us in his 4th round loss back in January against the fast rising Xiang Li. This should be a solid test for Nakano.

• Kuntae Lee (1-0, 1) Vs Marlon Paniamogan (9-0-1, 5) -Tokyo, Japan

Another of Teiken's highly regarded prospects, Kuntae Lee, looks to score his second win as he takes a massive step up in class and takes on unbeaten Filipino foe Marlon Paniamogan. Lee really impressed on his debut, but was sadly up against someone who posed no test at all and we really didn't learn much about Lee other than that he had a fantastic jab. Here we should see Lee answering a lot of questions. Not much is known about Paniamogan but he will not be in Japan to roll over and lose.
 
July 7th-

• Tibo Monabesa (19-1-2, 8) vs Omari Kimweri (17-4, 7) -Indonesia

In an IBO Light Flyweight title bout we'll see once beaten Indonesian Tibo Monabesa take on former WBCworld title challenger Omari Kimweri in what should be a very interesting match up. Monabesa was touted as one of the big hopes for Indonesia, but a loss to Hiroto Kyoguchi slowed his climb and it's now unclear what his ceiling is. Kimweri, although not a big puncher, is a nightmare to fight and should ask a lot of questions of the local favourite. This could be a very compelling contest.

• Defry Palulu (21-2-1, 13) Vs Pungluang Sor Singyu (53-6, 35) - Indonesia

Another once touted Indonesian fighter, Defry Palulu, will take on his most notable opponent to date as he battles former world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu for a couple of minor regional titles. The Indonesian was once seen as the successor to Chris John as the face of Indonesian boxing but but a loss to AJ Banal slowed his climb and he's struggled to build real momentum since then. He should have significant size advantage of Punluang, who made his name at Bantamweight, but this is no gimme for Palulu, given the power, experience and toughness of the Thai.
 
July 9th-

• Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (11-4, 10) v Koki Tyson (14-3-2, 12) - Tokyo, Japan 

In an OPBF Middleweight title bout we'll see hard hitters collide with the all action Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa taking on the big punching Koki Tyson. With both of these men having vicious power we don't see anything but a thriller here, though Hosokawa does seem to have advantages in terms of toughness and work rate, whilst Tyson is the bigger puncher and the more technically sounded fighter. With the styles of Hosokawa's pressure and aggression going up against Tyson's movement and boxing we are expecting something absolutely brilliant to finish off the first part of the month.

This past week has been one that has mixed disappointing performances and frustrating broadcasting with some great action, exciting fights and under-rated performances. We're not going to say it's been one of the best weeks of the year, but it has given us a lot to talk about and plenty of fighters to recognise in our weekly awards.

Fighter of the Week
Hiroaki Teshigawara (19-2-2, 12)
 
One of the hardest categories for the week was the Fighter of the Week, with a number of fighters really impressing. For us the winner, by a nose hair, was Hiroaki Teshigawara, who retained the OPBF Super Bantamweight title fight with an exciting with against Yuki Iriguchi. The bout saw Teshigawara show a little bit of everything, from brawling at times to show casing his boxing skills with his left hand, after injuring his right hand in round 2. His battle through adversity was impressive and the way he essentially beat the fight out of Iriguchi in the end was fantastic, gritting his teeth to launch a 2 handed assault late on. It wasn't a flawless performance, but it was the performance of a fighter, and someone who is now deserving bigger fights.
 
Notable mentions: Edward Heno, Kenichi Horikawa, John Riel Casimero, Dave Penalosa
 
Performance of the Week
Dave Penalosa (15-0, 11)
 
Whilst Teshigawara won the Fighter of the Week the Performance of the week was, clearly, the one put on by Dave Penalosa. Penalosa showed his calculating side early on, but was tagged in round 4 and went full on into fighter mode destroying Marcos Cardenas through the round, dropping the Mexican 3 times. Whilst Cardenas had been stopped before this was still a statement, and sees Penalosa joining Miguel Marriaga, Carlos Diaz Ramirez and Rey Vargas as the only fighters to stop the 29 year old Mexican. Penalosa provided excitement, action and real killer instinct, with gut busting body shots. A fantastic performance. 
 
Notable mentions: Carl Jammes Martin, Edward Heno, Kenichi Horikawa, Erika Hanawa

Fight
Dave Penalosa (14-0, 10) vs Marcos Cardenas (19-6-1, 15)
 
What allowed Dave Penalosa to win our Performance of the Week was also what made his fight the Fight of the Week. His perfect foil. Cardenas didn't come to play second fiddle. He hadn't travelled to roll over and lose to Penalosa, instead he had come to win, advance his own career and move towards big fights of his own. This lead to a fantastic fight, with good skills, a real gritty toughness from Cardenas and of course the impressive 4th round destruction from Penalosa. The fight had everything, with Penalosa being wobbled in a moment of drama that worried the local fans, the fight back from that wobble and the skills that came earlier in the fight. A brilliant bit of match making lead to a fantastic fight. 
 
Notable mentions: Hiroaki Teshigawa Vs Yuki Iriguchi, Kenichi Horikawa Vs Satoru Todaka, Carl Jammes Martin Vs Petchchorhae Kokietgym