Category: Prospects

19 for 19: Part 5 - Kazakh puncher and Japanese punchers, plus extras!

12/18/2018

The final part of our 19 for 19 series focuses on 3 more prospects, all of whom are exciting and aggressive fighters with fantastic power and eye catching skills.

If you missed the first 4 parts of this series you catch up here:
19 for 19: Part 1 - The Teenage Prospects,
19 for 19: Part 2 - A Rookie, an Uzbek puncher, a Pinoy Prodigy and an Olympic champion
19 for 19: Part 3 - Unbeaten novices from China, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Japan!
19 for 19: Part 4 - Heavy handed fighters from Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Japan!

Sadriddin Akhmedov (6-0, 6)
Rising Kazakh prospect Sadriddin Akhmedov is one of the best pure prospects in the sport, with great amateur pedigree, an exciting and aggressive style, serious power, a good promotional back, in Eye of the Tiger Management, and a great level of activity. He also has the advantage of fighting in a heavier weight than some other prospects on this list, as he's fighting between Light Middleweight and Middleweight. So far he has scored 6 wins since April this year, and looks likely to be kept active against in 2019, with a bout already pencilled in for January. It's clear his team are wanting to keep him busy and develop him with activity, though we really are hoping to see him take a step up in the new year.

Shawn Oda (10-0, 8)
Japanese Lightweight Shawn Oda has been a professional for just over 2 and a half years but has already accomplished a lot. He came to our attention in 2017, when he claimed the Rookie of the Year and has since gone on to claim the Japanese Youth Lightweight title. At the age of 20 his future is incredibly bright, and he has already shown the ability to box, brawl and bang. For a Japanese fighter at 135lbs he is someone to make a note of, though is still rough around the edges, and perhaps still depends on athleticism when he could be using his skills. Still he should be seen as a genuine top prospect.

Seiya Tsutsumi (4-0, 3)
Someone who really caught our eye in 2018 has bene Seiya Tsutsumi, an aggressive, pressure fighter who fights out of the Watanabe gym and won a B Class tournament this year. The hard hitting youngster had been a very impressive amateur on the Japanese domestic scene before turning professional and at just 22 years old he looks like being one of the most exciting Japanese prospects, in terms of both in ring style and long term potential. Sadly Tsutsumi did have to pull out of a bout earlier in December, though we are hoping to see him make a return in early 2019.

As well as the 19 fighters featured over the 5 parts we've also included a small list below of extra prospects to make a note of. For many of these they were missing from the main series due to a lack of available footage to share, but are all worth adding on to any sort of a prospect list.
Kudura Kaneko (9-0, 6)
Taku Kuwahara (3-0, 2)
Ginjiro Tsutsumimoto (2-0, 2)
Kanan Huseyinaliyev (4-0, 4)
Sultan Zaurbek (3-0, 2)
Makhmud Gaipov (2-0, 1)
Ryusei Kawaura (5-0, 4)
Andika D'Golden Boy (15-0, 8)
Sanjar Tursunov (1-0, 1)
Tran Van Thao (11-0, 8)

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19 for 19: Part 1 - The Teenage Prospects

12/7/2018

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The new year is only a few short weeks away and wonderfully there is so many prospects to get excited about as we enter what could be a very big year for professional boxing. With that in mind we've compiled a 19 for 19 list, looking at 19 of the top prospects in Asian boxing.

Before we get into part 1 of this series of articles we just want to, quickly, determine what fighters will and won't qualify as a prospect. We've not set an age limit or fight limit for this article, though most fighters have only had a handful of fights. One limitation we have applied here however is that a fighter isn't allowed to be world ranked on December 6th 2018. This rules out Shakhram Giyasov, Carls Jammes Martin, Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov and Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who are all in at least 1 top 15 world ranking.

We've also ruled out fighters where we've not been able to get some sort of video of the men in action, as we feel sharing footage of the men included is vital. This has ruled out fighters like Taku Kuwahara and Junjun He among others.

Right so lets begin by having a look at part 1 of this list, which will feature only men who are under the age of 20. The men in this part are proper professional novices in terms of experience, but all of them have impressed us in 2018 and we expect to see them do the same in 2019.

Ginjiro Shigeoka (1-0, 1)
Japanese 19 year old Ginjiro Shigeoka turned professional earlier this year, following a 56-1 career in the amateur ranks, and immediately impressed, stopping Thailand's Sanchai Yotbooon. Although he was in with an over-matched opponent it was clear that Shigeoka was a special talent, with amazing shot selection, exciting aggression, and very explosive hands. His debut performance saw the East Japan Boxing Association award him with their newcomer of the month, for September, and with Watanabe backing him there is massive potential for him to go a very long way, very quickly.

Musashi Mori (8-0, 5)
By the time you read this Musashi Mori may have creeped into the world rankings, but at the time of writing he isn't. The 19 year old Japanese boxer really burst on to the domestic scene in 2017, when he won the All Japan Rookie of the Year at Super Featherweight. Since then he has gone 3-0 (1) and claimed notable international wins against Filipino pair Allan Vallespin and Richard Pumicpic, claiming the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title in the process. He has shown great development this year and his performance against Pumicpic is by far the best of his career.

Dave Apolinario (9-0, 6)
Filipino boxer-puncher Dave Apolinario is another 19 year old who has really impressed, since his debut in June 2017. In 2018 he has gone 5-0 (3), stepped up his competition well and claimed the WBC Asian Boxing Council Youth Flyweight title, with a win over Michael Camelion. Interestingly for such a young fighter he had already gone 8 rounds twice, and looks to be learning from the mistakes of older brother Mark John Apolinario. It's worth noting that he was a very good amateur on the domestic scene and shows those traits every time he's in the ring. Hopefully he'll have a busy 2019 and continue to step up his competition as he did in 2018.

Jeong Han Cha (3-0, 3)
It's nice to get excited about a Korean fighter against and Jeong Han Cha is someone worth getting excited about, especially now that it seems the Korean scene is finally calming down and settling into some sort of order, after years of being a mess. Like the best Koreans of the past Cha is an aggressive fighter, with a little bit of a "rough around the edges" style, but at 18 years old, with power, heart and decent fundamentals he looks like someone who could, potentially, make a mark for himself on the international scene. It will take time and effort to develop him, but Korea do have a talent on their hands here.

Note - Cha will be fighting on December 9th

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The top 5 Indonesian prospects

8/29/2018

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Traditionally the Indonesian boxing scene hasn't been that impressive, with only 4 fighters from Indonesia ever winning world titles. Despite that the country has been able to generate some buzz, and has actually given us a few fighters of note, along side the world champions. They include Daud Yordan, who really should be regarded as the biggest boxing star in Indonesia by quite some distance.

Despite Yordan being the Indonesian face of boxing the country does have some interesting fighters rising through the ranks right now and we could, potentially, be on the verge of a golden era for Indonesian boxing.

Tibo Monabesa (18-0-2, 8)
If Yordan is the face of Indonesian boxing then Tibo Monabesa is the big hope of the country. The 28 year old Light Flyweight is not only unbeaten but also world ranked, holding top 15 rankings with the WBA, WBO and WBC at 108lbs and has a chance to take a huge step towards a world title fight on September 25th, when he faces former IBF Minimumweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi at the Korakuen Hall.

Monabesa made his debut back in May 2012 and since the the southpaw has claimed a number of titles, including the Indonesia Professional Boxing Commission Minimumweight and Light Flyweight titles, the Indonesian Boxing Association Light Flyweight title, and the WBC International Silver Light Flyweight titles. He has not only racked up titles but done so whilst facing some pretty notable opponents, including Rene Patillano and Lester Abutan, both of whom he beat over 12 rounds.

Footage of Monabesa shows a pretty intelligent boxer, who's patient and counters well. There is perhaps a bit of a “diamond in the rough” feel to him, but he gauges distance well, is defensively responsible and has solid power, despite his relatively

low stoppage rate. Offensively here's a little on the wide side, but with time that can certainly be sorted. Sadly though his next bout, with Kyoguchi, does look to be a touch too much too soon. But we'll see for sure in September.

Hebi Marupa (12-0, 9)
The aforementioned Yordan is currently chasing a Lightweight title fight, but he's not the only Lightweight of note in Indonesia, with 29 year old Hebi Marupa making waves of his own. Not only is rising up the ranks but he's also doing so at an impressive pace, having made his debut less than 3 years ago. Since debuting in October 2015 Marapu has already claimed the Indonesian Boxing Association Super Featherwieght title, the Indonesian Professional Boxing Commission Lightweight title and the WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Lightweight title.

Powerfully built with an imposing presence Marupa is less refined in the ring than Monabesa but fights almost with the style you'd expect him to fight with from looking at him. He's a fighter who will bring pressure, looking to land bombs and has genuinely vicious power. There is a very clear wild trait to him but he's very fun to watch and certainly looks to entertain the fans whilst trying to destroy his opponents. Can look ungainly at times, and certainly needs to tidy up his style, but he is insanely exciting to watch.

To date his best win as been a 9th round KO win against Phutthiphong Rakoon, and

it was a performance that saw him certainly show some flaws, but it was the performance that sees a fighter instantly make new fans, whilst the body shot to finish the fight was one of the most brutal body shots we've seen this year. Win or lose Marupa is going to be a lot of fun to follow.

Ari Agustian (7-0, 7)
Indonesian fighters have long been taken off to Thailand, Japan and the Philippines to pad a fighters record rather than to offer a real threat. Earlier this year Chinese fight fans got a rude awakening when Ari Agustian failed to read the script and destroyed Chinese hopeful Baolin Kang in inside a round to put himself on the boxing map and claim the WBC Asian Boxing Council Youth Featherweight title. Prior to that bout little was known about Agustian but the 23 year old went from unknown to one to keep an eye on. He instantly took the fight to Kang and mixed up his head shots, counters and body shots wonderfully well whilst showing genuine power and frightening killer instinct.

Although he had gone into that bout with Kang as an unknown he really shouldn't have been given that he had competed on the amateur scene for a number of years and even competed at the 2015 President's cup, losing to Japan's Mikito Nakano in a preliminary round. He had been a notable on the Indonesian amateur scene before making his debut in April 2017 and looks like he could be on a relatively fast track for an Indonesian fighter.

Aside from the win over Kang there is little to get too excited about on Agustian's record but he does hold a second round win over the once serviceable Zun Rindam, in a bout that saw Agustian pick himself off the canvas to stop Rindam in 2 rounds.

Ongen Saknosiwi (5-0, 5)
Ongen Saknosiwi, like Ari Agustian, has a perfect KO record though is somewhat lacking in that one stand out performance. Despite lacking a big win the Featherweight prospect, dubbed the “Hawk”, looks like a genuinely exciting talented. From the footage available he's a pressure fighter, but looks to be a lot more controlled than the wild pressure of Marupa. He closes the distance well, loves going to the body and has very smart movement for such a novice. Added to hid movement is, of course, his power which seems to be a bludgeoning type of power at this level, and his left hook to the body is wonderfully crisp.

For a fighter with just 5 bouts under his belt, and 13 professional rounds, he is looking very solid and well rounded but still needs work and his defense could do with some tweaking, which we suspect will happen when he steps up in class. Sadly though there could be issues with his hunger and desire, and he's not been very active given he debuted way back in December 2016 or been stepped up in class.

We're hoping to see a lot more of Saknosiwi, he's perhaps the fighter on this list that has the most complete skill set, but yet has faced the weakest competition.

He looks legitimately like a rough diamond who just needs polishing, and if his team can do that then they'll have a real talent on their hands and someone who can help put Indonesian boxing on the map. The problem however is that if he only fights twice a year he's not going to develop as he should or get the opportunities he deserves.

Jon Jon Jet (8-0, 6)
The Super Flyweight division is one of the toughest in professional boxing right now, but it's the one that 27 year old Yohanis Mau Fatin, aka Jon Jon Jet, looks to make his name. Interestingly it is also the division that Indonesia's first world champion Elly Pical claimed his 3 IBF world titles in, back in the 1980's. Few will expect Jet to have the success of the “Exocet” but there is some potential for Jet to make an impact on the international scene, if he can make some pretty obvious improvements to his boxing.

At the moment he's a rangy Super Flyweight, who looks like he could fill out his frame a bit. There's a touch of fragility about the way he looks in the ring, and although he appears to take a shot pretty well at domestic level we do wonder whether that will carry up at a higher level. Offensively he doesn't appear to be a crisp puncher, instead he looks to push his punches quite a bit. From his record one would assume can hit quite hard, but that may say more about his competition than about him. But if he can add that snap to his shots he could be very dangerous, especially given his size at the weight.

Of the fighters on this list we suspect Jet might be the least likely to succeed internationally but may be the easiest to match, with managers from through out Asia potentially looking to match Jet against one of their prospects. And as a result he may find himself getting more opportunities than some of the other, more talented fighters listed.

Other prospects from Indonesia perhaps worth following include 22 year old Light Flyweight Andika D'Golden Boy (14-0, 7), Light Welterweight southpaw Rivo Kundimang (4-0-1, 1), Super Flyweight hopeful Patrick Liukhoto (7-0, 5) and Flyweight novice Ken Neparasi (1-0, 1). Sadly a lack of footage have prevented us from really talking in depth about any of these men like we have with the 5 above.

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How has Japan got so many talented young prospects?

2/21/2014

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It's widely accepted that Japan is the 10th most populated country on the planet. It's got around 128,000,000 people living on it and this places it between Russia with around 144,000,000 and Mexico 118,000,000.

In terms of comparing it with some other boxing countries, the US is the 3rd most populated country with around 317,000,000, the Philippines is the 11th most populated with 99,000,000, Germany is the 16th most populated with around 81,000,000, the UK is the 22nd most populated with around 64,000,000 and Argentina is 32nd with 40,000,000.

This means that Japan has less than half as many people as the US, marginally more than Mexico, 50% more than Germany, twice as many as the UK and thrice as many as Argentina. Despite the population being what it is, there seems to be so many more top youngsters coming from Japan than anywhere else.

The big question then, is how come so many Japanese youngsters look so talented, so young?

At the moment Japan has a wealth of young talent under the age of 25. This includes world champions such as Tomoki Kameda, 22 and Kazuto Ioka, 24, OPBF champions Ryosuke Iwasa, 24 and Masayoshi Nakatani, also 24, up coming world title challenger Naoya Inoue, 20 and more outstanding prospects than I can possibly list such as Kosei Tanaka, 18, Takuma Inoue, 18, Sho Ishida, 22 and Ryo Matsumoto, 20.

Maybe, as we've said in the past, Japanese boxing is on the verge of a Golden Age of young talent, a once in a life time boom of youngsters who are all breaking through at the same time. Something tells me this isn't really the case though as 6 is years is a notably long time between the oldest of these guys and the youngest. Personally I think the the real answer lies in the amateur boxing system of Japan and the match making of Japanese fighters .

It may be a surprising to mentioned the amateur scene considering that Japanese amateur boxers haven't been a key fixture at world meets. We rarely see Japanese fighters taking home medals from either the World Amateur Championships or the Olympics, however what we do tend to see is that the top Japanese amateurs don't tend to remain amateur for much longer than they need to. There are, of course, counter examples such as Satoshi Shimizu who has announced plans to compete at the 2016 Olympics, though these are rare.

What we have instead are youngsters who have come through the Japanese amateur ranks by fighting regularly in high school and then turning professional at a young age before bad habits and amateur traits are engrained in their style.

As well as turning professional at a young age these youngsters also seem to have adapted more professional styles than fighters from around the world. In many countries top amateurs take a number of bouts to learn to adapt. They are basically retrained in how to walk again against a much lower calibre of opponent than they were beating in the amateurs. In Japan however their styles are often fairly professional and they aren't taking huge steps back in their early professional outings.

What is the point in going from fighting the elite, either domestically or on the world stage, as an amateur to then fighting domestic level journeymen as a professional? Are we really suggesting that top amateurs, such as Luke Campbell in the UK or Rau'shee Warren in the US need to learn by taking 10 steps backwards?

If we look, for example, at Ryo Matsumoto. He did start like a typical "western" prospect fighting a string of weak opponents though by fight #5 he was facing a decent opponent in the form of John Bajawa and in fight #10 Matsumoto will be fighting a multi-time title challenger. As for Luke Campbell's 5th fight he's fighting Scott Moises, a guy who holds an 8-8-1 record. Still Campbell did do better than Warren who faced Jiovany Fuentes, a blown up Flyweight who had been inactive for 2 years.

Warren, who now sports a record of 10-0, fought his 10th professional contest earlier this year and faced the very experienced German Meraz who at the time sported a decent looking 46-28-1 record. Unfortunately Meraz hadn't beaten a fighter with a winning record since late 2009 and had only beaten a handful in total. Meraz was the proverbial can crusher with a boosted record that allowed other fighters to look impressive though in reality served as little more than a record padder himself.

So as well as having more professional styles the Japanese youngsters are also matched better. They are matched progressively on the whole and take steps up. There is no point in wasting time in this sport as one good shot could finish your career and if you're good enough you're good enough.

Possibly the biggest reason for the boom in Japanese youngsters however is that promoters are willing to take a risk or two. They aren't hiding their talented youngsters in the shallow end of a swimming pool with water wings but are willing to let them swim with sharks. If they get bitten early then it's a rebuilding process and they can cycle things down a gear, as seen in the career of Keita Obara who lost on debut though is now fighting for an OPBF title just a few years later.

If a youngster doesn't get bitten however then let them swim with more sharks. Kazuto Ioka is probably the best example right now. In fight #6 he faced an experienced domestic level campaigner, then in fight #7 he faced a highly experienced and unbeaten world champion then in fight #10 he faced a fellow world champion in a world title unification. These were risky fights but Ioka believed in himself, his team believed in him and he showed his worth.

In so many places keeping a fighters unbeaten record is actually more important than developing their skills and legacy. You develop by fighting better fighters, you develop by fighting in competitive matches and you develop by needing to prove yourself. Taking a loss along the way is just part of a fighters development.

In the US fans are already starting to turn on Gary Russell Jr who has had 24 fights but no risks, Deontay Wilder is similar though has 33 wins with no risk and Sean Monaghan is 20-0 though has again had no risks. Between them these three fighters have had 77 fights yet we have no idea how good they are. Between Ioka, Tomoki, and Naoya Inoue there is a combined 48 fights and already there 2 world champions and a future title contender.

US promoters might want to protect their investment and that makes sense, but do you really think Japanese promoters aren't doing the same? The difference is Japanese promoters don't tell you they have a wonder talent then protect him, instead they tell you they have a super talent and they prove it. They don't use smoke and mirrors to sell us a prospect they let the prospect talk with their actions.

So why does Japan have so many good, talented youngsters?
Well their amateur system seems to promote a more professional style to boxing at a young age, they don't waste time staying in the unpaid ranks for too long, they are developed quickly as professionals and they are allowed to prove their talent rather than merely defeat over-matched foes for years. This is a combination of "ignoring" the amateur scoring system that has plagued amateur boxing for so long, great training, great desire of the individual fighters to prove themselves and brave promoting.

This isn't a golden age of Japanese boxing, but the start of a revolution which I feel will continue for a long time.

(Pictures-Top is courtesy of Boxrec.com and is Tomoki Kameda, middle is from Ohashi Gym and features Naoya Ioue and bottom is from Kosei Tanaka courtesy of Boxingnews.jp)

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19 for 19: Part 5 - Kazakh puncher and Japanese punchers, plus extras!

19 for 19: Part 1 - The Teenage Prospects

The top 5 Indonesian prospects

How has Japan got so many talented young prospects?

Thinking Out East

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