10 facts you probably didn't know about...Kenshiro

11/10/2019

One of the most popular and familiar faces on the Japanese scene is the "Amazing Boy" Kenshiro (16-0, 9). The talented and skilled fighter, who has also been dubbed the "Smiling Assassin" and the "baby faced assassin" is one of the fighters who has managed to capture the attention of Japanese fans, and those who follow the Japanese scene.

Despite the growing attention for the youngster, there is a lot about him that fans may not know, so here are "10 facts you probably didn't know about...Ken Shiro"

1-Kenshiro, full name Kenshiro Terahi, was named after the Kenshiro character in "Fist of the North Star".

2-His cousin is boat racer Takahiro Korezawa

3-Originally Kenshiro wasn't interested in boxing, and was almost pushed into it due to bad school grades and his father, Hisashi Teraji who was a successful fighter himself in the 1990's, winning the Japanese Middleweight and OPBF Light Heavyweight titles.

4-As an amateur Kenshiro ran up a 58-16 (20) record, including 2 losses to Naoya Inoue one of which came by stoppage in the 63rd Inter Highschool Final's in August 2009!

5-Interestingly the 63rd Inter Highschool Final saw Rikki Naito win the tournament. Naito and Kenshiro hold a distinction together, as the only second generation fighters to have won OPBF and Japanese titles, following in the footsteps of their fathers who had done the same. Kenshiro's father Hisashi, as already mentioned, won the Japanese Middleweight and OPBF Light Heavyweight titles whilst Naito's father, Cassius Naito, won the Japanese and OPBF Middleweight titles. Kenshiro is however the first son of a former OPBF and Japanese champion to go all the way and win a world title.

6-Kenshiro is the first world champion from his father's BMB gym in Kyoto.

7-Despite having won the Japanese title from Kenichi Horikawa, ending Horikawa's reign, the two fighters have a very good relationship. Horikawa has been used as a sparring partner a number of times for Kenshiro, including in some media spars ahead of world title defenses. Kenshiro returned favour earlier this year when he publicly sparred with Horikawa after Ryuto Oho failed to make weight to face Horikawa in what had been scheduled as a Japanese title defense.

8-Kenshiro was supposed to defend the Japanese Light Flyweight title in the 2017 Champion Carnival against would be mandatory challenger Tetsuya Hisada. That bout, which was scheduled for April 2nd 2017, was scrapped when Kenshiro's team managed to secure a bout with WBC world champion Ganigan Lopez. Kenshiro went on to win that bout by majority decision. Around 4 and a half years after the scheduled Hisada Vs Kenshiro bout, Hisada would challenge for the WBA title against Hiroto Kyoguchi. Interestingly Hisada would still get a shot at the Japanese title in 2017, beating the previously mentioned Kenichi Horikawa for the belt in what was their third bout.

9-Unlike many fighters Kenshiro has actually shown no major rush to become a multi-weight champion, stating on multiple occasions that he'd rather break the Japanese record for most world title defenses of a single title instead. The male record currently stands at 13, held by Yoko Gushiken who held the WBA Light Flyweight title, and has only seriously been challenged a couple of times, most notably by Shinsuke Yamanaka who managed 12 defenses of the WBC Bantamweight title. At the time of writing he has notched 6 defenses of the WBC Light Flyweight title.

10-To end this we go full circle. Kenshiro's ring walk song has long been Crystal King's "Regain Love", which was also the theme song for first 82 episodes of the "Fist of the North Star" anime.

(Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)

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The Asian Fighters to watch in 2016 (Part 2 of 6)

1/3/2016

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Over the next 12 months we're expecting to see a lot of changes in the world of professional boxing. As a result we have put together a list of 30 Asian fighters to keep an eye out for 2016. These range from champions to novices but all are expected to make a mark on the sport over the next 12 months. Here is part 2 which looks at 5 young novices who have impressed in 2015 and look likely to do the same over the next year.

For those who missed it, part 1 is here.

Hinata Maruta
Novice professional Hinata Maruta (1-0) is regarded by many in the know as the best young Japanese fighter to turn professional since Naoya Inoue. The Bantamweight-come-Super Bantamweight was a stand out amateur who has been fighting since he was a very young kid appears to have the natural talent to go a very way. Not only has he got natural talent but he has a team who truly believe in him and are doing everything they can to get him in the ring training with high level fighters. On his debut he beat the world ranked Jason Canoy and it seems very clear that his team will be matching hard in 2016. If he's as good as hyped then the youngster is likely to be one of the true stars of world boxing over the coming years.

Whilst unlikely to be raced to a world title in 2016, despite having insane ability, it does almost certain that Maruta will be in the world rankings before December 31st and, given his backing, he will almost certainly be a fighter getting much deserved TV time, rather than having only a portion of his bouts shown as he did on his tape delayed debut.

Ken Shiro
Another Japanese hopeful that has excited us in 2015 was Ken Shiro (6-0, 3), a Light Flyweight youngster with all the talent a fighter could wish to have. Ken Shiro had a huge 2015, winning the WBC Youth Light Flyweight title and the JBC title, and is expected to carry on his momentum through 2016. The youngster proved that he could cope with adversity, getting off the canvas against Rolly Sumalpong, he proved he could box to a game plan, especially against Katsunori Nagamine, and he proved he could gut it out when he began to tire, against Kenichi Horikawa. Having already gone 10 rounds twice we expect to see Ken Shiro move into 12 rounders next year with a possible OPBF title fight.

One think working against Ken Shiro will be the depth of the Light Flyweight division, which is genuine packed with the likes of Ryo Miyazaki, Paipharabob Kokietgym, Jonathan Taconing and Randy Petalcorin all well above him in the queue for a world title fight. Despite that he doesn't need to rush and will instead moves towards preparing for a world title shot when ever it comes.

Diago Higa
One of the most exciting fighters of 2015 was Japanese Flyweight warrior Daigo Higa (8-0, 8) who broke out from the crowd with an all action win against the then unbeaten Kongfah CP Freshmart in Thailand. The 20 year old Higa has the style which is going to attract fans and make him hard to beat. He's aggressive, heavy handed, exciting and although he does have some defensive issues he is a tough fighter with a lot of energy making him a real nightmare. At the moment he's unlikely to beat any of the top fighters in the division however he will likely find himself breaking into the world rankings in 2016 and claiming either a Japanese or an OPBF title, in one of the most packed divisions in the sport.

With an exciting style a lot of Higa's future success will depend on his toughness, but if he's as tough and gutsy as he looks there has to be real excitement about how far he will go and what he will manage to achieve during a career that has a lot of time left in it. Given his mentor is the great Yoko Gushiken we expect to see Higa continue to fight in a vein similar to Gushiken and hopefully he'll have some of the success of the great "Kanmuriwashi".

Takuma Inoue
The Inoue family really look like they are at the start of a dynasty in boxing. Naoya Inoue is, of course, a world champion already and younger brother Takuma Inoue (6-0, 1) isn't far behind. The younger of the Inoue brothers is just 20 years old but already looks like a nailed on future world champion. The youngster has already beaten 2 men who have challenged for world and has got himself into a brilliant position to fight for a world title during 2016. His biggest worry is that his brother will almost always over-shadow him, though his career is likely to be a very impressive one and he will almost certainly prove himself as a world class fighter in his own right.

At his best Takuma is an outside boxer-mover and whilst this may not endear him to fans in the way his brother's seek-and-destroy style has, it's clear that he is holding himself to a high standard and will be seeking to improve every fight. Given his inexperience it's easy to see he's not the complete article but he's quickly becoming a fighter who looks very tough to beat.

Kevin Jake Cataraja
The youngest Filipino on this list is the very highly touted 20 year old hopeful Kevin Jake “KJ” Cataraja. The Flyweight hopeful is a member of the ALA Gym and so he has an excellent team of training, stablemates and management behind him and they seem to have real belief in him. That belief has been seen in the fact he has started his career in 6 rounders and has been matched with tricky opponents, including Ardi Tefa and Ellias Nggenggo, who stopped Cataraja's stablemate Merlito Sabillo in 2014. Talented, confident, powerful and controlled this youngster could be one of the next stars of Filipino boxing, even if it is still very early to appoint him as a star of the future.

At the moment Cataraja is still a novice but he's the sort of fighter who has the amateur pedigree, confidence and team to do great things. The hope however is that he avoids the tag of being the "Next Pacquiao" as the tag has been less a blessing and more a curse for fighters who have had their own career derailed before getting the chance to really find their own

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Things to look forward to in December PT2

12/24/2015

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Whilst Christmas is fast approaching the action doesn't really end for Asian fight fans with Japanese and Filipino fighters being in a number of notable before the year is out. Here we look at those big upcoming bouts.

December 26th-
Shun Kubo Vs Lloyd Jardeliza
The first of the “post Christmas” bouts comes just a day after the festivities and sees one of Japan's most promising prospects, Shun Kubo (8-0, 6), battle against a Filipino puncher, Lloyd Jardeliza (7-2-3, 6), for the OPBF Super Bantamweight title. The bout looks to be, on paper, a late Christmas present, and one that could well be a cracker. Kubo is seen as the next fighter of note from the Shinsei Gym, the gym that has managed Hozumi Hasegawa, and Kubo is supposed to the fighter who follows in Hasegawa's footsteps. Jardeliza has lost 2 of his last 4 but is regarded as a serious puncher and could well follow in the footsteps of Marlon Tapalese, who recently upset Shohei Omori in Japan. This could be a shoot out, an exposure or a break out win.

December 27th-
Kenichi Horikawa Vs Ken Shiro
Just a day after the Kubo/Jardeliza fight we get two Japanese title fights. In our eyes the more interesting of the two comes down at 108lbs where veteran Kenichi Horikawa (30-13-1, 7) defends his title, for the first time, against the fast rising Ken Shiro (5-0, 3). The men have a good friendship but have a local rivalry, with both being Kyoto fighters, and are likely to have that rivalry over-rule their friendship in what could be a real coming out party for the talented Ken Shiro, or a statement win for Horikawa, who looked better than ever last time out when he stopped Shin Ono.

Yuki Nonaka Vs Koshinmaru Saito
The other Japanese title fight on December 27th sees Light Middleweight champion Yuki Nonaka (27-8-3, 9) defending his title against Koshinmaru Saito (22-7-1, 12). Nonaka, now in his second reign as champion, will be hoping to secure his third successive defense of the title whilst also making his ring return for the first time since his controversial draw against Takayuki Hosokawa back in April. Saito is an experienced title level fighter though has gone 0-4 in title bouts so far, and isn't really being given much of a chance to end that run.

Riku Kano Vs Pigmy Kokiegym
Whilst the two title bouts on December 27th are worthy or attention there is another bout which perhaps deserves to be more than just a foot note. That bout will see teenage hopeful Riku Kano (7-1-1, 4) go up against former world title challenger Pigmy Kokietgym (58-8-2, 23). For Kano, 18, this is a monstrous step up in class however it's one his team will believe he's capable of making, especially considering they are talking about Kano challenging the record for the youngest Japanese world champion. Notably Pigmy is just 4 months removed from his upset loss to Jaysever Abcede.

December 29th-
Naoya Inoue Vs Warlito Parrenas
Whilst December 26th and 27th are notable days it's fair to say that December 29th over-shadows the earlier action. That is mostly due to the ring return of wunderkind Naoya Inoue (8-0, 7) who defends his WBO Super Flyweight title against Filipino slugger Warlito Parrenas (24-6-1, 21). On paper this shouwl be a win for Inoue, especially if he's as good as we believe, however Parrenas is a huge puncher and Inoue's inactivity and injuries could well take their toll and he might not be the fighter he once was, or become he fighter we all wish he would become.

Akira Yaegashi Vs Javier Mendoza
The Inoue/Parrenas bout isn't the only world title fight on December 29th as Inoue's stablemate and close friend Akira Yaegashi (22-5, 12) attempts to become a 3-weight world champion. The popular Yaegashi will be up against aggressive Mexican fighter Javier Mendoza (24-2-1, 19), who will be defending his IBF Light Flyweight title. Yaegashi, a former champion at 105lbs and 112lbs, lost twice last year and will likely know that a loss here will be the end of his career at the top level. He has however got the experience and skills to give Mendoza a tough one, if his body can hold up at 108lbs.

Takuma Inoue Vs Rene Dacquel
Takuma Inoue (5-0, 1), Naoya's younger brother, is also on the card defending a title as he risks his OPBF Super Flyweight title against talented, yet under-rated, Filipino Rene Dacquel (15-5-1, 5). This will be the first defense by Inoue of a title he won earlier this year, when he out pointed Mark Anthony Geraldo, and an impressive showing could see his team push him towards a world title fight in 2016. For Dacquel, a former GAB champion, this is a chnce to really make a name for himself, and add another belt to his collection, as well as improving his 1-1-1 record in Japan. This really could be a tough ask for Inoue.

Satoshi Hosono Vs Akifumi Shimoda
One other title bout here sees a former world champion take on a former world title challenger in a bout that could, very easily have, have headlined a lesser show. That bout will see former 3-time world title challenger Satoshi Hosono (29-2-1, 20) defending his Japanese Featherweight title against former WBA Super Bantamweight champion Akifumi Shimoda (30-4-2, 12).. The loser of this really can kiss their dreams of another top level fight good bye, however the winner will be regarded as a genuine world title challenger for 2016. This bout will be over-shadowed but is incredibly significant.

December 31st-
Takashi Uchiyama Vs Oliver Flores
We get a host of title bouts on New Years Eve, in fact there are 5 world title bouts on the day. Of the bouts in action the biggest mismatch is in Tokyo where long term WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama (23-0-1, 19) defends his belt against limited Nicaraguan challenger Oliver Flores (21-1-2, 17). On paper this looks like an interesting match up for the unbeaten 36 year old champion though footage of Flores really doesn't impress and we suspect Uchiyama finishes off the challenger quickly before moving towards a major bout in early 2016.

Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Luis De la Rose
Staying in Tokyo fans get the chance to see Uchiyama's stablemate Ryoichi Taguchi (22-2-1, 9) defending his WBA Light Flyweight title against the horribly limited Luis de la Rosa (24-5-1, 14). The talented champion is looking for his second defense and shouldn't have to look too hard given the Colombian challenger has lost every time he has faced a notable opponent, and is 3-4 in his last 7. Sadly for Taguchi's fans this is a farce and they will know it, especially given the talent that is in the division and hopefully Taguchi will be facing a much better opponent in early 2016.

Kazuto Ioka Vs Juan Carlos Reveco II
Although both the title bouts in Tokyo are poor we have to admit that Osaka has got a great title fight to end the year as Kazuto Ioka (18-1, 10) defends the WBA Flyweight title against Juan Carlos Reveco (36-2, 19). Ioka beat Reveco, by majority decision, to win the title earlier this year in a really good bout. This rematch was ordered by the WBA but it really is almost certainly going to be one of the most exciting bout to end the year. Both men have a lot on the line here and both will bring the action in what should be something very special.

Katsunari Takayama Vs Jose Argumedo
Staying in Osaka it's also the venue for an IBF Minimumweight world title bout between defending champion Katsunari Takayama (30-7-0-1, 12) and little known challenger Jose Argumedo (15-3-1, 9). This will be Takayama's 3rd defense of the year but seems like a significant step backwards following a win last time out against Ryuji Hara. For Argumedo this is his first bout in 13 months and he enters the bout 1-1 in the last 2 years, leading to real questions as to why he's managed to get a world title fight.

Kosei Tanaka Vs Vic Saludar
Takayama isn't the only Minimumweight champion defending his title as WBO champion Kosei Tanaka (5-0, 2) makes the first defense of his title, in Aichi. The talented 20 year old will be up against Filipino puncher Vic Saludar (11-1, 9) in what looks like a solid first defense on paper. The talented Tanaka has been frustratingly inactive since winning his title in May but is likely to get a chin check here against a man who has serious power and will be looking to continue a 9 fight unbeaten run.

Takahiro Yamamoto Vs Yuki Strong Kobayashi
Going back to the Osaka card, the same show also has two lower level title fights on it, with an OPBF and a JBC title up for grabs. In the OPBF title fight we see Bantamweight kingpin Takahiro Yamamoto (16-4, 13) defending his crown against Yuki Strong Kobayashi (9-4, 5). For Yamamoto this will be his first defense since winning the title, with a TKO victory against Yu Kawaguchi, sadly however it is a bit of a “gimme” against a man we don't see posing any threat to the champion.

Sho Ishida Vs Ryuta Otsuka
As for the Japanese title fight, that comes at Super Flyweight where unbeaten champion Sho Ishida (20-0, 10) defends his belt against Ryuta Otsuka (15-8-2, 5). The talented Ishida will be looking for his 4th title defense whilst Otsuka will be hoping to claim a title in his shot. It's hard to see what Otsuka really offers, given he has lost 3 of his last 5, though it's clear that Ishida still needs a little bit more experience and seasoning before he moves onto the next level.

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Things to look forward to in October!

9/29/2015

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The month of September was a month with a few stand out days, October however looks mouth watering with numerous days of note.

October 4th-
Waseem Muhammad Vs Min Wook Lee
The new month kicks off with an intriguing debut in South Korea. The bout in questions sees Pakistani debutant Waseem Muhammad (0-0) battle against Korean local Min Wook Lee (2-2) in a bout for the South Korean (KBC) Bantamweight title. On paper it looks a strange one but Muhammad is based in Korea and AK Promotions seem to have invested heavily in the former Pakistan amateur stand out. A win for Muhammad as we may see him become the first Pakistan born fighter of real note.

Shusaku Fujinaka Vs Randall Bailey
On the same card as Muhammad's debut we'll see an intriguing match up between Japan's Shusaku Fujinaka (12-5-2, 8) and American veteran Randall Bailey (45-8-0-1, 38), with the two men fighting for the WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight crown. Fujinaka isn't a great fighter but this bout has garnered real attention with Bailey, a former multi-time world champion, bringing genuine attention to the South Korean boxing scene. With Bailey contracted to AK Promotions this could end up being the first of many fights in Korea for the “KO King”.

October 12th-
Ken Shiro Vs Rolly Sumpalong
It's again minor title action that has our attention as Japan's fast rising Ken Shiro (4-0, 3) battles against unbeaten Filipino Rolly Sumalpong (9-0-1, 4) in a bout for the WBC Youth Light Flyweight title. We've been impressed by Ken Shiro since his debut, last year, and if he wins here we're expecting to see him fight for a Japanese title in early 2016. Sumalpong on the other hand has gone under our radar but did claim the WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council Minimumweight title earlier this year and could himself be one to watch.

Yoshitaka Kato Vs Ricky Sismundo
On the same card as the Ken Shiro Vs Sumpalong fight is a potentially explosive Lightweight clash between Yoshitaka Kato (29-5-1, 9) and Ricky Sismundo (29-8-2, 13). This bout will likely go under-the-radar for many fans but it really does look like it could be a very special bout between two tough guys with under-rated power and under-rated skills. It is only scheduled for 8 rounds but it could end up being one of the best 8 round bouts of the year.

October 16th-
Kohei Kono Vs Koki Kameda
In a genuinely historic bout fans will get the chance to see two Japanese fighters fight for a world title on US soil, the first time such a bout has taken place in America. The bouts will see current WBA Super Flyweight champion Kohei Kono (30-8-1, 13) take on mandatory challenger Koki Kameda (33-1, 18) in what is likely to be a must win bout for both men. At 34 years old Kono will be unlikely to get another shot if he loses here to Kameda whilst a loss for Kameda would end a horror year for the Kameda clan, which has also seen Tomoki lose twice and Daiki suffer a huge shock loss. A loss for Koki and the Kameda's really will have lost the appeal they once had.

October 17th-
Gennady Golovkin Vs David Lemieux
It's rare to have bouts with every ingredient, but we think we may have one here with hard hitting Kazakh king Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30) facing off against Canadian destroyed David Lemieux (34-2, 31). Coming into the bout both men are major punchers and world champions, with Golovkin holding the WBA “super”, WBC “interim” and IBO titles whilst Lemieux is the IBF title holder. Potentially this has “FOTY” written all over it, though could be over in a blink of an eye given the power, and styles, of the men involved. It's been a while since a world title bout had us this excited, and we've got it admit it might be a while before we see another, equally as exciting, unification bout.

Roman Gonzalez Vs Brian Viloria
Teiken promoted Nicaraguan sensation Roman Gonzalez (43-0, 37) looks to continue his rise to the top of the sport as he faces Filipino-American Brian Viloria (36-4-0-2, 22) in what looks to be another brilliant bout. Coming in to this one Gonzalez is looking for the 3rd defense of his WBC Flyweight title whilst Viloria is fighting to remain relevant in the sport. A win here for Gonzalez helps cement his place atop the pound-for-pound rankings and could move us a step closer to the potential super fight between the Nicaraguan and Japan's Naoya Inoue whilst a win for Viloria will give his career one more run at the top and continue his up-and-down career.

Donnie Nietes Vs Juan Alejo
In another title bout fans will get to see talented Filipino Donnie Nietes (36-1-4, 21) make his US debut as he defends his WBO Light Flyweight title against little known Juan Alejo (21-3, 13) of Mexico. The bout, which is to take place in California, is part of ALA's first US show and is part of their move towards establishing their outfit as a world wide promotional outfit. A loss for Nietes would be disastrous for both the fighter and the promoter, but he hasn't been matched hard here and it'd be a shock to see Nietes given any real problems.

October 19th-
Naoko Fujioka Vs Hee Jung Yuh
Former 2-weight world champion Naoko Fujioka (13-1, 6) looks to continue her brilliant career as she attempts to claim a 3rd divisional world title. The exceptional Japanese fighter faces South Korean fighter Hee Jung Yuh (15-2, 6) in a bout for the WBO female Bantamweight title in what looks, on paper, like a brilliant fight. Aged 40 Fujioka is certainly “old” but she's in great shape and will be favoured over Yuh, who has won 14 in a row. Interestingly Yuh is married to another fighter Young Kil Bae, who set to fight for a world title himself in early November.

Hikaru Marugame Vs Jonathan Baat
On the same show as the Fujioka/Yuh bout is a great test for one of Japan's most under-rated prospects, Hikaru Marugame (5-0, 3). The talented Marugame steps up massively here as he takes on the highly experienced Jonathan Baat (30-6-3, 14), a Japanese based Filipino. A win for Marugame is expected, but Baat has scored notable upsets in the past, including popping 4 cherries and this is clearly a dangerous assignment for the 25 year prospect.

October 22nd-
Momo Koseki Vs Ayaka Miyao
We get the second world title unification of the month a week after the Golovkin/Lemieux bout as WBC Atomweight champion Momo Koseki (20-2-1, 7) takes on WBA champion Ayaka Miyao (20-5-1, 4). This bout has been on the radar of fans for a while and is finally happening due to the fact both fighters have, essentially, run out of worth while opponents. We're expecting a lot of action here and although it won't be the cleanest action it should be sensationally exciting and amazing fun to watch. Interestingly the winner will claim a place in history as the first ever unified Atomweight champion.

Satoshi Hosono Vs Hideyuki Watanabe
Japanese Featherweight champion Satoshi Hosono (28-2-1, 20) returns to the ring for his second defence in the space of about 9 weeks af he takes on the tough and gutsy Takuya Watanabe (36-5-1, 12). Hosono, a multi-time world title challenger, is looking to record his 4th successive defence but will be up against a man who simple doesn't know how to quit. Watanabe came to our attention last year, in the wake of his “bloody” bout with Jaesung Lee and having seen that war we suspect he'll go through anything in an attempt to claim the title. This could be the perfect bout to close out the month.

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A look back over the month of August with wars, upsets and much more!

8/30/2015

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The month of August appears to have dragged on and on though it has given us a lot to talk about with several FOTY contenders, several notable upsets and a generally fantastic series of fights. For those who missed some of them, this is our review of the month with some videos included of the months most memorable and exciting fights.

On August 2nd we had the first of the months many exciting battles as Takahiro Yamamoto (16-4, 13) avenged his split decision loss to Yu Kawaguchi (23-7, 10) and claimed the OPBF Bantamweight title. The bout saw both men being dropped before Kawaguchi was eventually stopped in the 7th round of a truly wonderful war. Sadly, this bout, like many this month, was untelevised with only ringside footage being recorded.

Later that same day Filipino veteran Dennis Laurente (49-6-5, 30) was eliminated from the 4 man WBA Light Middleweight tournament, losing a wide decision to the fearsome John Jackson (20-2, 15). Despite the loss the tough Pinoy managed to continue his impressive record of never being stopped and may well have booked himself future bouts based just on his toughness.

On the same day fans had a wonderful double-header at the Korakuen Hall, a double-header that was streamed online for free.

The first of those bouts saw Hikaru Nishida (13-7-1, 5) score a 5th round TKO win over former world title challenger Makoto Fuchigami (21-11, 12). Early on Fuchigami looked in control but the pressure of Nishida told and he eventually broke down the former unified Japanese and OPBF champion,though not before a ROTY contender. Incidentally this was a rematch of a previous win for Nishida, who took a decision over Fuchigami in their first meeting.

The Nishida/Fuchigami fight was great but it was over-shadowed by the excellent co-feature that saw Yasutaka Ishimoto (26-8, 7) narrowly out-point Gakuya Furuhashi (17-6-1, 7). This was essentially a Japanese Super Bantamweight title eliminator and although it was over-looked by many it did, essentially, provide a Japanese FOTY contender as the two men put on an excellent high paced fight that showed both men showing solid boxing skills. Although it was an exciting action fight neither man resulted to brawling and as a result we ended with a highly skilled war that both men should be proud of.

The second of the title bouts saw the really promising Masayuki Ito (17-1-1, 8) claim the OPBF Super Featherweight title as he scored a 10th round TKO win against Dai Iwai (17-4-1, 6). Iwai seemed to be out classed from the opening stages by the talented Ito who eventually forced the referee to step in when Iwai was a bloody mess. The win for Ito came just months after he was narrowly beaten by Rikki Naito in a Japanese title fight and it now seems clear just how talented the once beaten 24 year old is.

On the same card, albeit in a support bout, fans saw Ken Shiro (4-0, 3) score a 4th round TKO against Takeshi Omae (13-5-5, 1) and it now looks almost certain that Ken Shiro will get a title fight before the year is out. The 23 year old is quickly becoming one of the men to watch in the lower weights and we'd be shocked not to see him make a mark on the upper echelons of the division in the near future.

We also saw OPBF Light Welterweight champion Keita Obara (15-1, 14) defeat Khompetch Sithsaithong (5-6, 5) in a stay busy fight for the heavy handed champion.

When it comes to the fight of the month, that was an easy one with the August 21st war between Masao Nakamura (20-3, 19) and Daiki Kaneko (21-5-3, 14). The fight, that was won by Nakamura, was one of the most sensational fights of the year and saw the two men combine boxing and brawling to create a fight that took on a life of it's own. The only problem was that the TV cameras again missed the action and we unfortunately had to rely on ringside footage, though thankfully the quality of the footage was more than good enough to enjoy the fight.

On August 22nd there were a couple of things of note. The first of those came from the Philippines where Renz Rosia (12-3, 6) scored a TKO win over Renan Trongco (17-5, 10) to claim the WBC International Flyweight title. Coming into this bout Trongco was ranked #4 by the WBC so his ranking will drop significantly, though we're unsure how highly Rosia will end up.

On the same day, in Chile, fans saw Japanese fighter Tenkai Tsunami (21-11, 10) come up short against local favourite Carolina Rodriguez (15-0, 1) in a bout for the IBF female Bantamweight title. The brave Tsunami often appeared to be a step behind Rodriguez until the final few rounds when she managed to get Rodriguez on to the ropes. Although Tsunami gave a good effort she was well beaten.

Just a few days later, August 5th, we saw prospects collide as Tsuyoshi Tameda (12-1-2, 10) forced a 7th round TKO win against the previously unbeaten Mark Bernaldez (15-1, 10). This was another of those untelevised bouts but was a thriller with Tameda needing to change tactics after Bernaldez got off to a good start. Whilst many fight fans want to see 50-50 “prospect bouts” few seemed to give this one much attention, though it was a fantastic fight.

On August 7th we had a notable bout in Thailand as veteran Bantamweight Pungluang Sor Singyu (51-3, 35) became a 2-time WBO Bantamweight champion. The aggressive and exciting Pungluang scored a shock 2nd round KO against Japan's Ryo Akaho (26-2-2, 18) to claim the title and although Akaho may have some complaints about the stoppage it did seem like he was being bullied by the Thai who looked the much stronger man in the ring.

Also in action on the Thai show was former 2-time world title challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (56-2, 37) who scored a stoppage win against Boido Simanjuntak (18-29-1, 7). Whilst this wasn't a hugely noteworthy bout it does need noting that it did see Chonlatarn beginning life as a Super Featherweight. The move up in weight could be a very interesting one for the tough but limited Thai.

Just a day later, on August 8th, Japanese fans saw OPBF and Japanese Middleweight champion Akio Shibata (26-8-1, 12) retain his titles with an 8th round TKO win against Yasuyuki Akiyama (10-5-1, 8). This was really a mismatch from the off and Akiyama had nothing to trouble the talented Shibata, who has now won 6 in a row since being stopped by Ryota Murata. This win has set Shibata up for an exciting looking showdown with Koki Tyson Maebara.

On August 10th we had another double-header, this time with a pair of OPBF title fights.

The first of those ended with Ryo Takenaka (13-3-1, 7) scoring a KO of the year contender against the defending OPBF Featherweight champion Vinvin Rufino (37-17-3, 16). Rufino was defending the title for the first time but never managed to get into the fight following an early knockdown. The title changed hands in round 5 when Rufino was knocked out cold by the challenger. For Rufino this will feel like a redeeming win considering he almost won the title last year, suffering a 12th round TKO loss, whilst in the lead, against Hisashi Amagasa.

Staying with Thailand we got controversy on August 18th when former world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha (85-2, 54) narrowly out-pointed Mohamed Larabi (4-5, 2) in a bout that saw the visitor express his disgust at the decision whilst still in the ring. In the past we've seen visitors shrug about losing decisions in Thailand but Larabi really made his feelings known and with good cause as he seemed to do more than enough to deserve a very clear win.

On August 20th Japanese fans had the chance to see the heavy handed Satoshi Hosono (28-2-1, 20) retain his national Featherweight title with a clear win over Tatsuya Otsubo (8-7-1, 3). Hosono dominated the bout from round 2 onwards and was a deserving winner. Only days after this bout Hosono's next bout was announce, and he will now defend title in October against Takuya Watanabe.

On the same card as Hosono's win over Otsubo fans saw Ryo Matsumoto (15-0, 13) and Akira Yaegashi (22-5, 12) score wins and direct their attention to world title fights, with hoping to land a top level fight by the end of the year.

The second big controversy of the month came on August 23rd when former world title challenger Teiru Kinoshita (22-1-1, 5) took a very controversial decision win over the little known Cyborg Nawatedani (9-3-2, 4). Nawatedani seemed to easily out work, out land and out fight Kinoshita however he was denied the win on the scorecards with numerous fans calling for the result to be reviewed.

August 28th we saw one of the biggest upsets of the year as former world title challenger Pigmy Kokietgym (57-8-2, 23), who was ranked #1 by the WBO at Minimumweight, was stopped by unheralded Filipino Jaysever Abcede (10-3, 6). Coming in to the bout Pigmy was, supposedly, set to fight WBO world champion Kosei Tanaka though Abcede certainly but a halt on that bout with one of the sweetest right hooks of the year.

Although the world level action was sparse we've still managed to have a brilliant month with a bit of everything and the month, whilst not the best, certainly was one to look back on and saviour as an Asian boxing fan.

Also we suspect we may have missed some of the best moments. If we have then please leave a comment telling us about the best bits of the month that we forgot!

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The best Japanese prospects with 5 or fewer fights...

5/16/2015

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Recently a poster on boxingforum24 asked a brilliant question that caught our eye. It was a simple question, but one with a lot of possible answers. “Good Asian Prospects?” It lead us to wondering what we could narrow it down to. As a result we've decided to do a few prospects features starting with this one which has interpreted the question as “Who are the best Japanese prospects with 5 or fewer fights?”

It was a way to limit the list but also give some exposure to some perhaps lesser known fighters. For those wondering these haven't been put into a particular order but all men featured here have had 5 or fewer fights at the time of writing.

The first fighter that came to mind was teenager hopeful Takuma Inoue (4-0, 1), who fights for the 5th time as a professional in July.

The talented Inoue is the younger brother of the destructive Naoya Inoue and although Takuma doesn't share his brother's vicious power he does appear to have everything else in his locker. We've already seen him show exceptional footwork, timing, movement and hand speed.

Takuma does appear to be missing lights out power thus far however his competition so far has been exceptional with wins against Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr, who he completely schooled in the video opposite, and Nestor Daniel Narvaes being very notable wins so far.

In July we'll see Takuma battle against Mark Anthony Geraldo in a bout for the OPBF Super Flyweight title. A win there would prove that Takuma is deserving of a very high world ranking and a world title fight in the next 12 months wouldn't be any sort of a short.

Notably Takuma went a sensational 52-5 (14) in the amateurs whilst clashing a number of times with Kosei Tanaka with all their fights together being very close.

The second fighter that came to mind was the sensationally talented Ken Shiro (3-0, 2), the boxing son of former OPBF and Japanese champion Hisashi Teraji. Ken Shiro isn't a man that has made the same instant impact as say Kosei Tanaka or even the Inoue brothers but he's on that same incredibly level of ability and in fact he's just as impressive as Takuma Inoue.

Ken Shiro debuted last year, schooling Heri Amol though it was really his bout against Katsunori Nagamine earlier this year that boosted the youngster from “promising youngster” to “most watch prospect”. It was against Nagamine that we saw the youngster show off his defensive smarts and totally neutralise his naturally bigger foe who was later stopped by the referee. And for those interested it's that fight that can be seen in the video here.

At the moment we've not heard any news regarding Ken Shiro's next bout but the 23 year old will likely return in July or August. It's unlikely that that bout will be for a title though we can see Ken Shiro being moved to title fights very soon, probably early next year, and given his talent there is no doubting he'll take titles sooner rather than later.

If you like stoppages and an aggressive style then a man worth noting is Daigo Higa (5-0, 5), a Shirai Gushiken Sports Gym prospect who has really impressed so far despite being just 19 years old.

Although the most experienced man listed here in terms of fights Higa has fought just 7 rounds as a professional and has steam rolled everyone before him. That's included a genuinely impressive victory over Filipino foe Virden Rivera last time out, with Rivera being stopped in the 2nd round, and a win in South Korea against Pongpayu Chaiyonggym. We won't pretend they are sensational wins but they are very good for a youngster like Higa who has already experienced fighting outside of his homeland.

Higa is next expected to be in action on June 8th, albeit against a yet to be named foe. That bout is scheduled for 6 rounds and we suspect that be the end of the year the youngster will be moved to 8 rounds and may even be up against a Japanese ranked foe. He does need rounds though at the moment he's been looking like a bull terrier and is a frightening prospect given his style and power.

A wildcard entry of sorts is the “yet to debut” Hinata Maruta (0-0) who is widely regarded as the “next star prospect”. Although yet to make his debut Maruta has been sparring with the world ranked Shun Kubo, he has been showcased training in short videos released by Morioka gym and has been receiving really positive feed back.

At the moment Maruta is a wildcard though all the sounds coming from those in the know is that this kid is very special and at the moment he's only 18.

We'll see Maruta make his pro debut later this year, with a late summer or early fall date expected, and from then on we'll know if he's as good as the hype suggests. If he is as good as we're hearing then there is little doubt that he could be moved at a similar pace to Naoya Inoue or Kosei Tanaka. And that's despite the fact that he's likely to be fighting in, or around, the Super Bantamweight division.

Unfortunately amateur footage of Maruta is sparse however we have been informed that the youngster went 55-11 (31) in the unpaid ranks, often fighting older fighters due to his ability.

Super Bantamweight hopeful Hikaru Marugame (4-0, 2) hasn't moved particularly quickly, given that he debuted back in July 2013, though the 25 year old is certainly a rare talent and a lot of promise. The question with him will be whether or not he'll manage to live up to that potential in the long run.

Marugame made his debut, as mentioned, back in the summer of '13 and since then has scored notable wins over Roman Canto and Wataru Miyasaka. The Miyasaka fight saw Marugame taking a clear win but being forced to work hard for it against a very testing opponent who took the prospect 8 hard rounds. It now seems likely that Marugame will continue to compete in, or around, the high end of the domestic scene with the likely intention being to work towards a title fight next year.

Although not the biggest puncher Marugame is a former amateur standout who competed in a number of notable international competitions and he certainly has the experience from the amateurs to build a successful professional career. The question is how successful he'll be however and that's something we're hoping to find out in the coming years.

Sadly the only footage we've got of Marugame is his debut against Makoto Kato, which can be seen opposite.

The last of these fighters that we have some form of footage of is Genki Hanai (4-0, 3) a fighter who is expected to make his name around 105lbs or 108lbs. He's unfortunate to be over-shadowed by the likes of Kosei Tanaka and Ken Shiro though he is a talented fighter with an aggressive style and heavy hands. He's also proven his ability to go the distance, having surprisingly been taken then 8 round distance by Crison Omayao.

Hanai is the hope of Gifu and although he's not linked up with a big gym there is a lot of excitement behind him. In the very early stages of his career we under-stood that excitement though his last couple of bouts have slowed his momentum a little bit, despite their being positives to take from those bouts.

At 24 years old he doesn't have as much time to “waste” as some of the others on this list so we're expect him to be moved quickly over the next 18 months or so. Hopefully that will tell us how good Hanai really is, though something makes us feel that he'll be more impressive when he steps up to face better competition.

Sadly we've no footage of the the next two fighters.

At Welterweight Koki Koshikawa (4-0, 2) has been making waves and has been doing it quietly with out much fan fair. Part of why he's been doing it with out too much noise is his promoter, Celes Kobayashi, who doesn't have a huge TV and doesn't have the backing to give his man huge publicity. Despite that he has been very impressive, as seen in his debut win over Quaye Peter.

Koshikawa fights in a huge step up on June 8th when he battles former Japanese title challenger Koshimaru Saito. Saito will enter that bout as a ranked domestic contender though a win for Koshikawa would boost him from “prospect” to “contender”. Given how weak the Japanese domestic scene is at 147lbs there is every chance Koshikawa will be in the title mix by the middle of next year.

For fans from the west Koshikawa is likely to be the most notable due to his size and, like many others, he was a good amateur. We wouldn't say Koshikawa was an international star in the unpaid ranks but he was a very capable fighter. It was due to that amateur pedigree that he began his career in 6 rounders and why he is already being moved towards 8 round bouts. Given that he is now 24 he's a baby in the division but we do expect to see him matched very hard if he looks good in his clash against Saito.

Another man in, or around, the Bantamweight division is former amateur stand out Kazuki Tanaka (2-0, 2) who scored a genuinely outstanding win last time out, stopping Kaname Tabei in 4 rounds. The 22 year old Osakan is viewed as one of the best kept secrets in Japanese boxing and he's hoping to be moved towards a Japanese ranking later this year, a move that wouldn't be a shock at all despite his “novice” status in the pro game.

As an amateur Tanaka ran up a sensational 63-14 (14) record and it seems that the pro-style has suited him down to the ground already, especially when you consider the way he's been stopping opponents in the paid game. Unfortunately it may be a while until we manage to get footage of him in action but he's confident and talented.

With Green Tsuda backing him he's got a good gym with notable names, such as Nobuhiro Ishida and Yu Kawaguchi, there for him to talk to and get advice from the world really is his oyster. They key to Tanaka's future however seems to be just how much he can develop and how quickly he's moved. If he's given time at Japanese domestic level and the OPBF level to full mature then he really could go a very, very long way.

One more wildcard we'd like to mention is Keisuke Matsumoto (0-0) who isn't expected to turn professional until after the 2020 Olympics. The youngster has been featured in several TV segments, including this one here, and has trained alongside both Naoya Inoue and Akira Yaegashi, in fact Matsumoto's father and trainer is Koji Matsumoto who is also the trainer of Yaegashi.

It's really hard to say how good Matsumoto is, or will be, but the signs are that he could be another prodigy and may well be a real star of the future for Japanese boxing, even if we will need to wait a number of years to see how good he really is.

Images courtesy of-
Celes Gym and Green Tsuda

Note-Kosei Tanaka has not been included on here as he's advanced beyond the "prospect" stage despite still being a "novice".

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A look back over the month of August with wars, upsets and much more!

The best Japanese prospects with 5 or fewer fights...

Thinking Out East

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