It's been something like 5 weeks since the year began but it seems, at least, that boxing is starting to come alive in Asia. That was highlighted this past Saturday with a pair of notable shows.

Davao del Sur, Philippines
The most significant of the two shows was in the Philippines as ALA put on their first big show of the year which featured several notable fighters involved with the biggest Filipino promoter.

One of those major Filipino fighters was the world ranked Arthur Villanueva (27-0, 14) who put on a showcase performance against former WBO Flyweight champion Julio Cesar Miranda (28-12-2, 29). Villanueva had been less than impressive in his previous two bouts but really shone here as he almost shut out the very dangerous Miranda of 10 rounds. Given that Villanueva has struggled recently it could well be that he felt the pressure was on to perform here and that he knew a potential world title fight was on the line coming into this bout.

Another fighter who performed was Light Welterweight hopeful Jason Pagara (35-2, 22) who decimated Mexican for Cesar Chavez (24-8, 12) in just 2 rounds. Chavez was bounced off the canvas several times before being stopped at the 1:56 mark of the second round. For Pagara this was the statement performance he needed to move towards his own big fight.

The remaining headline bout from this show was a bit more disappointing as Super Bantamweight hopeful Genesis Servania (26-0, 11) took a wide but unspectacular decision win over Juan Luis Hernandez (17-4-1, 9), who seemed happier to survive than try to win. The crowd seemed to be disappointed by the end of this but know that Servania can produce so much better than they saw in this bout.

As well as the trio of main bouts that card also featured several very exciting prospects on the under-card. The most notable of those was Featherweight hopeful Mark Magsayo (10-0, 8) who stopped Thailand's Sukkasaem Kietyongyuth (13-4, 8) in 5 rounds. This was an especially notable result considering it took the world ranked Ik Yang 8 rounds to stop Sukkasem late last year.

Another unbeaten prospect scoring an early win was Arjan Canillas (10-0-2, 8) who blew away Stevi Ongen Ferdinandus (15-8-1, 8) in 4 rounds whilst Brian Lobetania (10-0-3, 8) took less than 2 rounds to see off Armando Yee (2-7-3, 1).

Just a couple of bouts on this under card went the distance. One of those saw the heavy handed Vic Saludar (9-1, 7) going the distance for the second time as he took an 8 round decision over Lester John Pronco (9-9-1, 6). The other saw Arnold Garde (4-3-2, 1) drop Rafael Sueno (3-2, 3) en route to a 6 round decision win.

Tokyo, Japan
Whilst the Philippines had contenders in action Japan had a former Linear champion in action, albeit one who is really rebuilding his career after a serious injury.

That former world champion was former WBC and linear Flyweight champion Toshiyuki Igarashi (20-2-1, 11) who is now campaigning at Super Flyweight. Igarashi struggled somewhat in his bout as he over-came under-rated Efrain Perez (17-6, 12), who also gave Mark Anthony Geraldo a tough bout recently, with a 10th round technical decision. Igarashi was fighting for just the second time following major surgery and seem to be a long way from title contention still.

In the chief support bout we saw a genuine upset as Yuto Shimizu (9-2-2, 3) scored a very unexpected stoppage win over the usually tough Takehiro Shimokawara (19-10-3, 6). Shimokawara retired at the end of the 7th round with a cut eye and looked to be on his way to another round of hurt had he continued here. Shimizu's win was his 6th in a row and we'd not be shocked to see him in the running for a title bout of some type later this year.

Another stoppage in a key support bout saw Kenichi Ogawa (14-1, 12) score a 1-punch KO against Kazuya Nakano (8-4, 7) in the 3rd round of their bout. The referee waved this one off as Nakano was down without counting.

In a competitive 6 rounder Heisuke Ono (6-2-2, 5) took a majority decision over Tatsuya Mukai (5-4-2, 1). The cards here were a bit all over the place with one judge having the bout level whilst another had it a shut out.

The only other decision on this card came in one of 3 all debutant bouts as Akira Tsutsumi (1-0) narrowly beat Takuma Izumi (0-1).

The remaining 4 bouts on this card all ended early with the longest lasting just a round and a half. That saw the unbeaten Ryota Toyoshima (1-0-1, 1) score his first win as he stopped Makoto Takahashi (1-8-1, 1) at 1:28 of round 2. The quickest of the remaining bouts lasted just 52 seconds as Ryo Matsubara (2-1, 2) blew away Yugo Ueda (3-2, 2). The other opening round blows out saw Hayate Kaji (1-0, 1) see off Tomonari Ohira (0-1) whilst Daiki Funayama (1-0, 1) stopped Seiji Nakazawa (0-1).

(Image courtesy of boxingnews.jp)

This past Friday was an amazing day of boxing in Asia with a number of major cards through Asia and a lot of very notable bouts.

Tokyo, Japan
Although there was 3 notable cards today there was only 1 standout card, the Ohashi promoted "The Fight" card in Tokyo. The card not only had the best fights on it but also the best prospects.

The show, which had several televised bouts, began off TV with a number of bouts of varying levels. 

The least significant bout on the show saw Kazuki Sanpei (3-2, 1) score his first stoppage with a 2nd round TKO over fellow unknown novice Genji Ishida (1-4). The bout really was a preliminary bout but it was the only contest on the card that didn't excite us in one way or another.

The first of the 5 significant bouts on the show saw Takuma Inoue (3-0, 1) score his first stoppage as he beat Thai debutant Chanachai Sor Siamchai (0-1) in 2 rounds. The contest was by far the easiest of Takuma's young career though it was still an impressive performance by the 18 year old who is tipped to go a very long way in the sport. It's a shame this bout was such a huge step backwards from his last fight, an 8 round decision win over Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr, though it seems likely that Inoue will take a big step up in his next bout with a possible title fight looming.

Following Takuma Inoue's win fans then saw the highly touted Ryo Matsumoto (12-0, 10) blow away Thai veteran Denkaosan Kaovichit (63-5-1, 26). Kaovichit, a former Flyweight world champion and an interim world champion at Super Flyweight, was supposed to be a good test for Matsumoto though the touted Japanese fighter dropped the Thai in the opening round and then crumpled him in round 2 with a devastating body shot. After the fight it was strongly hinted that Matsumoto would be challenging for the Japanese Super Flyweight title currently held be fellow unbeaten prospect Sho Ishida.

The first televised bout, at least in Japan, was a Middleweight contest between Olympic champion Ryota Murata (5-0, 4) and Mexico's Adrian Luna Flores (17-3-1, 11). The bout saw Murata score a clear 10 round decision over his Mexican foe though look less than impressive with serious questions be asked about his stamina late in the contest. The Mexican looked ready to go in round 10 though Murata was out of gas and had to coast the final round. The official cards were all in favour of Murata, 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 though it's clear that he has a lot more work to do before stepping up to world level. After just 5 fights however no one will begrudge Murata more developmental fights.

Murata's bout was followed, at the venue and on Japanese TV, by the first of two world title fights. This contest saw Japanese star Naoya Inoue (7-0, 6) in action defending his WBC Light Flyweight title against Thailand's limited but tough Samartlek Kokietgym (17-5, 5). Inoue was in control through out the bout though he looked more flawed than he had in his previous 6 bouts. Fighting with the intention of putting on a show Inoue neglected his defensive duties more often than not as he loaded up with big shots, devastating combinations and some very eye catching offence. At the end of the day however it was a clear case of Inoue trying to entertain the fans and post-fight he admitted that it was a "garbage fight", an honest admission from a young fighter who is chasing genuine greatness. Whilst it was a poor bout it was Inoue's final one at 108lbs and he's now going to be moving to Flyweight where bouts against Juan Francisco Estrada and Amnat Ruenroeng were both mooted.

Another man who Inoue could fight is Roman Gonzalez (40-0, 34) who over-came Inoue's friend and stablemate Akira Yaegashi (20-4, 10) to claim the WBC Flyweight title in one of the best bouts of the year. The fight started slowly though quickly heated up with both Yaegashi and Gonzalez trading combinations through out the fight. Unfortunately for Yaegashi his warrior's mentality let him down in the end and he was eventually stopped after being dropped for the second time in the bout. Prior to the stoppage he had began to look exhausted and it was clear that he wasn't going to last the course against arguably the #1 offensive fighter in the sport. Unlike many fighters these two showed respect to each other before and after the bout knowing that the fight sold it's self on paper and didn't need hyping. In the ring both were warriors and both gave their all, though for Yaegashi he was simply up against a better warrior with bigger weapons.

Nonthaburi, Thailand
In Thailand fans got the chance to see a low profile show headlined by the very promising Teerachai Kratingdaenggym (27-0, 21) who retained his PABA Welterweight "super" title once again. Teerachai became the first fighter to stop Filipino Nelson Gulpe (8-3, 3) who has now lost 3 successive bouts though never has been bossed around as he was here. Sadly it's a shame that Teerachai still isn't stepping up when he has the potential to be so much more than he is showing. We understand there is a lack of Welterweights in the Orient though he needs to find someone better than Gulpe to fight next time out.

Another prospect ready to step up is Eaktawan Mor Krungthepthonburi (5-0, 4) who continued his winning run with an easy stoppage over Indonesian visitor Gaspar Ampolo (2-25-2, 1). Eaktawan didn't look great but didn't really struggle struggle. Like Naoya Inoue however it seemed that Eaktawan ignored his defensive responsiblities in the aim of entertaining fans.

A third bout on this show saw Inthanon Sithchamuang (23-7, 13) defeat the always game Indonesian journeyman Heri Amol (34-19-4, 14). Unfortunately for Amol this was his 5th straight loss and comes just a month after he was defeated by Japanese debutant Ken Shiro. 

Dubai
In Dubai fans saw the international debut of ALA who took their "Pinoy Pride" shows on the road for the first time and saw their trio of fighters all come back with victories.

The first of those Filipino's to notch up a victory was the popular Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista (36-3, 25) who took a 7th round technical decision over Juan Jose Martinez (19-2, 15). The fight was entertaining with both men loking for the knockout and although Bautista did score a knockdown in round 5 he was badly cut from a punch. The fight however came when the cut was worsened by a headclash that left the doctor with no decision but to take the fighters to the cards early where Bautista took a majority decision for the win.

One of the two co-features saw the unbeaten Arthur Villanueva (26-0, 14) claim the IBF International Super Flyweight title with a very narrow split decision win over the heavy handed Henry Maldonado (19-4, 14). The bout, refereed by British veteran Mickey Vann, saw an amazing second round which featured a knockdown against Villanueva though again saw many questioning Villanueava's world class potential. On the back of this fight and Villanueva's narrow win over Fernando Aguilar we're starting to think that he's either not as good as advertised or really struggling at Super Flyweight. Whatever it is, something is going to stop "King Arthur" from reaching the heady heights expected of him.

In the other co-feature we saw the ultra-talented Genesis Servania (25-0, 11) successfully retain WBO Inter-Continental Bantamweight title with a retirement victory over Jose Cabrera (22-5-2, 10). Cabrera had been dominated through out the early portion of the fight and had been dropped in round 2 and battered in rounds 3 and 4 though the bout swung in round 5 and Servania became hesitant after feeling the power of his Mexican foe. From round 8 the bout swung back in favour of the Filipino and Cabrera was eventually pulled between rounds 9 and 10 to give a relatively disappointing ending to the contest.

Prior to the bouts with the Filipino star trio there was a trio of under-card bouts. One of these saw another Filipino, Larry Abarra (3-2-1, 2), take a decision victory over Thailand's limited Chatpayak Sithkopon Nuengkawkawhok (2-8, 1). Another of the undercard bouts saw Dubai based Ugandan Deo Kizito (1-0) take a very narrow decision win over the previously unbeaten Anusher Abdullaev (4-1, 4). The remaining bout was a 1-sided beat down as Mohammad Akram (2-0-1, 1) dominated Thailand's Kong Windy Sports (1-6) to record a 2nd round victory.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Another title fight took place in Burkina Faso as Filipino Silvester Lopez (22-8-2, 16) attempted to claim the WBC International Super Bantamweight title. Sadly for Lopez he suffered a wide loss to Alexis Boureima Kabore (23-1, 6). Lopez, now fighting way above the division that he first made his name, really is too small for Super Bantamweight and should be looking to move back down to Bantamweight, at the highest. Of course however he'll fight where opportunities arise.

Lombardia, Italy
In Italy fans saw the return to the ring of Japanese born European based Aniya Seki (25-3-2, 2) who took a decision over journey-woman Claudia Ferenci (8-36-5, 3). This was Seki's first bout following her stoppage loss to Judith Rodriguez a few months back and although Seki won here few will feel she will be a world champion before she calls it quits on a long career.

(Image courtesy of boxingnews.jp)

Boxing through February was a bit disappointing if we're all being honest with ourselves. Thankfully it seems like March is going to be exactly the opposite and it kicked off in style this past Saturday with major cards held in both Japan and the Philippines.

Metro Manila, Philippines
The bigger of the two major Asian cards of the day was "Pinoy Pride XXIV" and took place in the Philippines. On paper it looked like their was a few good bouts on it though the surprise bout of the day was one of the contests that looked like a mismatch proved to be the fight of the day.

The main event on the show saw the unbeaten Genesis Servania (24-0, 10) continuing to impress as he stopped former 2-time WBA Super Flyweight champion Alexander Munoz (36-6, 28). Servania dropped Munoz several times and although he was cut himself he was dominant, sharp and showed off all the traits that have Filipino fans so excited about him. 

Although Munoz showed off his toughness he was stopped in round 12 with the referee deciding enough was enough and giving the young Servania his 4th stoppage victory in 5 bouts.

Servania's impressive performance in the main event came fellow prospect "Prince" Albert Pagara (19-0, 13) put on scintillating performance to stop Indonesia's Isack Junior (22-5-2, 8) inside a round. The fight, which ended with a devastating body shot, hardly saw Junior throw a punch before crumpling to the canvas in absolute agony. It was little surprise that Junior stayed down for the full 10 count and he'd have been happy for the referee to count to 100 and remained on the canvas. 

The one fight that was supposed to be a mismatch turned out to be anything but as "King" Arthur Villanueva (25-0, 14) was dragged in to an all out war with late replacement Fernando Aguilar (9-7, 1). Aguilar, a late replacement for the injured Juan Hernandez, forced the action through out and although he was bloodied he refused to ever believe he was beaten in a bout that can only be described as a war. Unfortunately for Aguilar fighting away from his native Mexico likely cost him a draw in a bout that should serve as a real wake up call for Villanueva whose world rankings didn't reflect the skill he displayed here.

On the undercard the very promising and highly touted Mark Magsayo (5-0, 4) recorded a 6th round knock out over Roy-Roy Sumugat (9-10-1, 3) to continue his impressive winning streak. Going in to this bout Magsayo had never been beyond 4 rounds so will have been very pleased to have gotten a few rounds under his belt.

The unbeaten fighters really were on a role through the under card with Melvin Gumban (16-0, 8 KOs) stopping the limited Dino Lelis (10-12-2, 5) in round 5 and Cuba's Reymi Castellano Aleye (4-0, 1) easily out pointed Diover Mangaya-ay (1-4) in what proved to be a mismatch.

Amazingly only a single fighter with a loss actually managed to score a victory as the much touted Vic Saludar (3-1, 3) over-came the previously unbeaten Philip Luis Cuerdo (3-1, 1), who in turn was the only unbeaten fighter to suffer a loss on the card.

Tokyo, Japan
As well as the show in the Philippines there was also a big show in Tokyo. 

This card was headlined by the much anticipated rematch between Akio Shibata (22-8-1, 9) and Daisuke Nakagawa (22-4-2, 17). The bout, which pitted the OPBF Middleweight champion against the Japanese Middleweight champion saw Shibata recording his second decision victory over Nakagawa who was just a bit too slow for the accurate and light hitting Shibata.

With the victory Shibata unifies both the Japanese and OPBF Middleweight titles and bounces back well following his loss last year to the then debuting Ryota Murata.

The Shibata/Nakagawa bout wasn't the only Japanese Middleweight bout on the card. Another, on the undercard, saw Hikaru Nishida (10-6-1, 3) upset former world title challenger Makoto Fuchigami (20-9, 11). Nishida, who was just 6-6-1 (1) a year ago has really turned his career around in very impressive fashion with not just this victory but also one over Kazuhiko Hidaka and probably deserves a fight with Shibata, even though he would clearly be the under-dog. As for Fuchigami he's fallen a long way from fighting Gennady Golovkin less than 2 years ago.

A third notable bout on this show saw the world ranked Shin Ono (17-5-2, 2) taking a 5th round technical decision over the massively over-matched Takumi Suda (10-10-2, 2). This was Ono's second bout since suffering a major tendon injury and whilst he clearly won this fight we are curious as to whether or not he's confident in himself to take on a more competitive opponent.

In one more notable match up the hard hitting Kenichi Ogawa (11-1, 9) stopped Indonesian Yon Armed (11-5-1, 6) in just 2 rounds. The bout was a mismatch with the power puncher simply having far to much for the visitor.

On the undercard Hisashi Owada (5-8) narrowly over-came Kenichi Ohara (4-8) in an excellent 6 round match up that was about as even as they come. It may have been a "throw away" match for many though this sort of competitive match making is what makes Japanese boxing so good. The show also saw Shinya Ito (1-1) defeat Takumu Kawano (0-2) via decision and Kensuke Sasaki (1-1) stopping Thai visitor Yodradab Jor Perm Thongmak (0-2) in 3 rounds.

Victoria, Australia
"Down under" we saw Ibrahim Balla (4-0, 3) score his third successive victory over a Thai opponent as he took out Thongtaeng Muangsima (5-4) in just 2 rounds. Whilst this was Balla's third victory against a Thai it was his fourth straight against a fighter from Asia.

(Picture of Shibata landing a punch on Nakagawa is courtesy of http://boxingnews.jp)