Category: Kohei Kono

The Asian Fighters to watch in 2016 (Part 5 of 6)

1/6/2016

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 them the previous parts are available below-
Part 1 is here
Part 2 is here
Part 3 is here
Part 4 is here

Kazuto Ioka
In 2015 we saw Kazuto Ioka (19-1, 11) set the world “speed” record for fewest fights to become a 3-weight world champion. The talented Osakan however never looked like a real Flyweight until the very end of the year when he battered Juan Carlos Reveco into an 11th round TKO. Now with his frame filled out we're expect very big things form Ioka in 2016 and he's already talking about unification bouts. Popular, talented, intelligent and with a devastating body attack Ioka appears to finally be settling into being the fighter than many expected to become. He's no longer a scrawny fighter at 112lbs but instead he's a power young man who looks like he could be on his way to becoming a modern Japanese great.

Talented, fast, confident, conservative and with power that appears to be developing Ioka is one of the biggest stars in Japan, and a mega-star in Osaka. Saying that he is unlikely to crack the global scene unless he can score a genuinely massive win, which would mean facing, and beating, someone like Roman Gonzalez or Juan Francisco Estrada, neither of which is a particularly easy task. He does however have time on his side given that he is just 26 years old, and has already achieved so much since his debut back in 2009.

Akira Yaegashi
Japan has a lot of blood and guts fighters, in fact the warrior mentality does seem to historically sum up a lot of Japanese fighters. Arguably the best of those at the moment is 3-weight world champion Akira Yaegashi (23-5, 12) who has given fans more action on a lb-for-lb basis than almost any other fighter of the 20 years. The 32 year old Ohahsi gym fighter mounted a serious career comeback in 2015 and now looks to unify his IBF Light Flyweight title with another world title bout. He's unlikely to have a long reign but he will have a fun reign and will continue with his balls to the wall action fights. Sadly for Akira his body has taken a lot of punishment in his career but he knows that that punishment has helped him become a fan favourite and one of the most must watch fighters on the planet.

Expected back in the ring in May we're hoping to see a fully fit Yaegashi fight in his second unification bout, though given his hard career there is a case of knowing his body will probably never be 100%. Part of that damage is to his face which now swells up worryingly quickly.

Kohei Kono
If there was one Japanese fighter who will be willing to get his passport out in 2016 it's Kohei Kono (31-8-1, 12) who saw his profile sky rocket in 2015, despite fighting only once. Kono's one bout of the year saw him make his US debut and over-come Koki Kameda in a thriller, a genuine FOTY contender. He's now expected to travel to Macau in early 2016 to face Rex Tso, in what is expected to be another all action war. The Watanabe gym fighter, currently reigning as the WBA Super Flyweight champion for the second time, is tough, gutsy, exciting and hard working and has the style to make very fan friendly bouts, even if his reign is likely to be over-shadowed by that of compatriot Naoya Inoue.

Tough, exciting and hard working Kono isn't a stare but has the traits of someone who can, and does, make TV friendly fights. Unfortunately for him he can be out boxed, can be made to look stationary and can be made to look second rate. His will to win will always make him dangerous to everyone except for the truly elite but at 35 and with years of punishment it's fair to say he may well only have one or two wars left in his body, with a Tso fight likely to be a war when it eventually happens.

Donnie Nietes
The Filipino boxing scene is in a transition period at the moment with many of the stalwarts now looking like they are on the slide. The one exception is the often over-looked Donnie Nietes (27-1-4, 21) who, at 33, actually appears to be getting better. “Ahas” is the current WBO Light Flyweight champion and a man who is looking to finally get international recognition before his career is over. A 2-weight world champion with a 14-0-1 record in world title fights Nietes has a genuine claim to being a top 10 pound for pound for fighter and it seems likely that before 2016 is over he will make a long awaited move to Flyweight, adding to the insane depth in one of boxing's most exciting divisions.

The talented Filipino is a tough, skilled and intelligent fighter who has shown his ability to adapt in fights as well as between fights. He has been able to show that his skills to fight when he needs to fight, box when he wants top box and defeat much younger fighters, as he showed last year when he beat Francisco Rodriguez Jr in a thrilling encounter. He is perhaps showing some frailties at time,s but they are few and far between.

Nonito Donaire
With Manny Pacquiao on the verge of retiring there isn't many of the Filipino “old guard” still around. The most well known of the last generation of Filipino fighters is the popular, and exciting, Nonito Donaire (36-3, 23). The multi-weight champion ended 2015 with the WBO Super Bantamweight title and it's clear he'll be looking to defend the title in the early part of the year. Whether he ends 2016 as the champion is something yet to be seen, but the division is packed and he does have a big name, which arguably makes him a big target for some of the divisional upstarts looking to make a name for themselves. He could be a major player, win or lose, during the coming 12 months.

There is talk that Donaire may fight exciting Russian opponent Evgeny Gradovich in 2016, if that fight gets made then it will be a real crossroads bout with two men who need to shine. Despite that possible match up there are a lot of other options out there for Donaire who could well find himself a man to watch, even if it is the final year of him being a world level fighter.

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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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The Asian Fighters to watch in 2016 (Part 5 of 6)

Things to look forward to in October!

Thinking Out East

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