 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday we get the first set of East Japan Rookie of the Year Semi Final bouts, with the winners only 2 steps away from becoming the All Japan Rookie of the Year. Among the picks of the Rookie of the Year bouts here are the Super Flyweight and Light Flyweight bouts. The Super Flyweight contest will see unbeaten fighters collide as 20 year old hopeful Seiyu Hotei (2-0-2, 1) takes on fellow youngster Masahiko Ohashi (4-0, 1). Hotei has fought 3 debutants so far and has a lot of questions to answer, but showed his determination in his June draw with Daiki Nagase, who entered that bout 2-0-2. As for Ohashi he lacks power, having not yet come into his man strength, but has shown that he’s a capable fighter and has no issues going 4 rounds at a good tempo. Given the age of these two men, it’s fair to say neither man is even close to being the complete product, and it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing their development over the coming years. At 108lbs we see the once beaten Shun Hayasaka (4-1, 1), a 20 year old hopefully, take on 22 year old Manaya Sugimoto (1-0, 1). Hayasaka has rebuilt well since a 2023 loss against Ryu Isogane, winning 2 bouts this year, and scoring his first inside the distance win in July, in what was a very entertaining showing from the youngster who got the chance to showcase his aggressive style and show he had more pop than his record suggests. Sugimoto on the other hand made his debut in July and stopped Takeshi Wada in 2 rounds, in what is his only experience as a professional. Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, Philippines As well as the Rookie of the Year show there is also a small card in the Philippines, with two small titles on the line. One of the title bouts will see the once beaten Arnel Lofranco (6-1, 4) take on the experienced Ariston Aton (9-11-1, 5) in a bout for the vacant MinProBA Minimum title. Lofranco is a 20 year old who won his first 4 before being beaten in December by Arvin John Sampaga. Since that loss he has picked up 2 wins and is looking to keep the momentum going here. Aton on the other hand was once 9-1, but has seen his career fall apart since losing a razor thin loss to Tatsuro Nakashima, going 0-9-1 since then and suffering 3 stoppage losses. On one hand that form is terrible, but on the other it needs to be noted that he has been in with a string of notable fighters, such as Tsubasa Koura, Simpiwe Konkco, Vic Saludar and April Jay Abne. He has been matched incredibly hard and is much, much better than his results suggest. This should be a lot more interesting that the match up looks on paper. The other title bout looks like a genuine 50/50 on paper as Jemar Layom (4-1, 1) vs Ricky Cajutol (4-1, 1) vacant MinProBA Bantamweight title. Whilst this is well matched on paper it should be noted that Layom, after winning his first 4 bouts, was beaten last time out, in December, and hasn't notched a win in over a year. Cajutol on the other hand was stopped in April, but has bounced back with a win in August, and this will be his 4th bout of 2024. That activity could serve as a major difference maker here.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday Flash Akabane put on a small card at Korakuen Hall. The promotion lacks a major name, but does look like it will have 2 very interesting domestic bouts, one on the fringes of the domestic rankings and one over the 6 round distance which is low level but should be very entertaining. The main bout on the show will see Japanese ranked Bantamweight contender Ryota Shibuya (8-2-2, 2) take on young hopeful Yushin Inba (7-2-1, 3) in a scheduled 8 rounder. For Shibuya the bout will be his second since losing in a Japanese Youth title bout back in 2023, being narrowly beaten by Ren Anzai. Sadly he does lack power, which will hold him back in the domestically talent laden Bantamweight division, though he certainly has the tools to remain in and around the title picture for the foreseeable future. Inba on the other hand will be fighting in his first 8 rounder, after going unbeaten in 3 bouts over the 6 round distance, and has won his last 2. He is the sort of fighter who makes for fun, high tempo bouts, trying to land enough to cover for his own lack of power, and given that both are relatively light punchers we’re expecting a very hotly contested bout here. The other bout of note will see Yuzuki Yamamori (4-2, 2) take on Tatsuya Kawaguchi (4-4-3, 3). For Yamamori this will be his second 6 rounder, following a loss in his previous bout over the distance, and he’ll be looking to get back to winning ways here. For Kawaguchi, who gave the aforementioned Ryota Sibuya a close bout back in 2023 his recent results are very mixed, going 2-1-2 in his last 5, but he will know a win here will see him promoted to an A Class fighter, and get the chance to compete in 8 rounders, and potentially pursue a rematch with Shibuya down the line.  Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan
This coming Sunday we turn our attention to Aichi for a small cad that, like many in the region, should over-deliver on the action front, despite lacking in terms of notable names. The main event of the show will see 32 year old veteran Takahiro Murai (18-12-2, 6) take on Mizuki Akima (7-5-2, 4). Murai is a true veteran of the sport, having been a professional since 2009 and faced the likes of Tetsuya Hisada, Masayoshi Hashizume, Ryuya Yamanaka and Sora Fukunaga. Sadly he has picked up a lot of losses whilst acting as something of a domestic gatekeeper, and whilst he has lost a lot, he has only been stopped once, always gives an honest account of himself, and generally pushes fighters hard throughout bouts. As for Akima he’s much more of a novice, and has typically been facing fellow novices, but does make for good fights and comes in on the back of a career best win over Ren Kobayashi back in April. A second bout of some interest on this card will see Fuga Komatsu (4-3, 2) take on Yuki Morikawa (4-3-3), in a really hard one to call. This 6 rounder promises a lot of action, with both men being fun fighters to watch, and a case of the records not showing how enjoyable they are in terms of entertainment. Komatsu has some power in his shots but is also seen as someone lacking in terms of durability, having been stopped in all 3 of his defeats. Morikawa on the other hand is the local boy, a 21 year old who has a genuine following in Kariya, where he has fought much of his career. Win or lose his bouts are close, competitive and he makes for engaging battles. With that in mind this bout really could be a bit of a hidden gem on the Japanese scene for the year.  Mobiliar Arena, Gümligen bei Bern, Switzerland
Interestingly, and rarely, the most notable bouts with Asian fighters this coming Saturday are in Europe, more specifically Switzerland, where we see two notable minor title bouts featuring Asian fighters. One of the two bouts will see the unbeaten Spanish born Swiss based Dominican fighter Angelo Pena (9-0, 6) look for his 10th straight wins as he takes on Japan’s Hiroki Hanabusa (13-2-5, 5) in a bout for the WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title. Pena looks like the new star of Swiss boxing, and has stepped up well in recent bouts, including a good win last year against Sofiane Takoucht, and whilst it is still early in his career the expectation is that he is going places. Hanabusa on the other hand will be making his European debut and will be looking to build on a current 7 fight unbeaten run which includes a win over Kai Watanabe, which has aged remarkably well, and one over Kyonosuke Kameda. Notably this will be Hanabusa’s first bout at 130lbs and his first outside of Asia, both of which could be an issue for him here. Another Asian fighter on this show is Filipino fighter Jonniel Laurente (10-1-1, 5), who takes on Swiss based Cameroon born fighter Christopher Mouafo (9-1, 6) in a bout for the vacant WBO Global Lightweight title. Laurente has bounced back well since a 2023 loss to Wensong Liu, scoring 2 wins to claim and retain the GAB Youth Super Featherweight title. Despite those wins it should be noted that the loss to Liu came in his only bout outside of his homeland and he is a natural Super Featherweight, not a lightweight. Mouafo has a decent looking record on paper, though he could be struggle to make 135lbs here, being a natural 140lb fighter, and he has shown some questionable durability, having been topped in 2023 by fellow Cameroon born Swiss fighter Bryan Venant Fanga, who is not a noted puncher, in a Swiss title fight. This is a really interesting match up, but one where we suspect the size difference of the local will be key. Philippines Laurente isn’t the only Filipino in action, as we also get a card in the Philippines. Sadly this card is a pretty weak one, though does have a main event worthy of note, as the hard hitting Mark Antonio (9-2, 9) takes on the experienced Clyde Azarcon (17-12-1, 6). Antonio, who began his career 8-0 (8), has lost 2 of his last 3 including a major upset loss to Mateo Handig, and desperately needs to get his career back on track after those set backs. As for Azarcon he has lost his last 9 and without a win since March 2020, when he beat Mike Kindaaman, and has been stopped in 8 of those 9 losses. This should be an easy win for Antonio, but it’ll be interesting to see what he’s like after those two recent setbacks. IS FCC Pattaya, Pattaya, Thailand Another historic boxing country with a show on is Thailand, which will be having a small card in Pattaya, thanks to FCC Promotion and Highland Boxing Team. One of the main bouts on this card will see unbeaten French fighter Franck Atangana (6-0, 2) take on Afghan Ahmad Samir Dawrani (10-4-1, 7) in a bout for the lightly regarded UBO Continental Super Middleweight title. The 34 year old Atangana is based in Dubai, and this is his 5th bout in Thailand, sadly despite his unbeaten record his ceiling doesn’t appear to be too high. As for Dawrani he is a Thai based fighter who is 3-4 in Thailand and clearly isn’t going to make a mark at the higher levels of the sport, though he may have enough to test Atangana. The other notable bout from this card will see 47 year old unbeaten Italian Alessio Bisutti (7-0, 6) take on limited local Nakhonchai Pantang (9-6-1, 7). Bisutti, who is in charge of FCC Promotion, debuted in June 2023 and has racked up his 7 wins in just 23 rounds, picking up a regional WBC title along the way. He's expecting to pick up a win here and then be back out in October, though his competition, as seen with this bout, have been very low quality. Thankfully if he picks up the expected win here his October bout should be a lot more interesting, against a fellow unbeaten puncher. Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka, Bangladesh We also have a small show in Bangladesh. The main event here is an 8 rounder as “King Kong” Abdul Mottalib (11-2, 7) looks to continue his perfect at home, where he is 11-0, as he takes on English fighter Paul Peers (2-3, 2). Mottalib, who has lost in his two bouts outside of his homeland, will be having his 4th bout of the year, and despite losing to Jye Lane Taylor in May has already bounced back with a win. Sadly he has been fighting at a very low level, for the most part, and it’s hard to imagine the 27 year old becoming the fighter that ignites the Bangladesh boxing scene. As for Peers, the 36 year old will be fighting for the first time in almost 2 years, and continues to get stamps on his passport after fights in Spain, Ghana, Czechia, England and Poland, an impressive run that will now see him fighting in 6 different countries in just as many bouts. Morais Clarion, Trichy, India Staying in the Indian Subcontinent, there is a very low quality show in India. It’s hard to say much about this card, which is all 4 rounders. Maybe the most interesting thing about the show is that Manoj Kumar (1-0) is set to fight at, or around, Middleweight, which is a surprise given he was around 192lbs for his debut in May. Sadly Kumar, the only unbeaten listed for the card at the time of writing outside of debutants, is facing a yet to be named opponent for his 4 rounder.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get a Japanese domestic card with two really interesting bouts on it. One between two highly ranked domestic contenders, and one featuring a novice taking on a regionally ranked contender. The novice in question is the very highly regarded Kosei Nogami (2-0, 2) who takes on WBO Asia Pacific ranked Filipino Ador Torres (12-4-1, 8) in a Welterweight bout. Nogami made his debut last year and has taken a combined 4 rounds to stop his first two opponents, from South Korea and Thailand, but is stepping up massively here. Aged 23 and coming in on the back of a 49-18 amateur record Nogami is seen as one of the few Japanese Welterweights, or Light Welterweights, who could be moved aggressively and this is really shown here in the matchmaking of this bout. As for Torres, he struggled early in his career, going 4-4-1 in his first 9 but since then has won 8 in a row, winning and defending the Asian Boxing Federation Welterweight title along the way. Torres lacks a notable win, but has done enough to earn his regional ranking, which Nogami will certainly be wanting to claim here. The other notable bout, the main event in fact, will see the JBC #4 and #5 ranked Super Flyweights face off as Mirai Imagawa (13-6-1, 5) takes on Kyotaro Yoshida (4-3, 1). Of the two men Imagawa is comfortably the more experienced, with this being his 21st professional bout, and whilst he failed to win either of his last two he has scored good domestic wins against the likes of Kento Yabusaki, Yuji Okinori and won the All Japan Rookie of the Year back in 2017. As for Yoshida he was a notable amateur who hasn’t found success in the professional ranks but has been matched hard throughout, with losses to the likes of Ryutaro Nakagaki and Ryo Mandokoro, as well as a recent win against veteran Phissanu Chimsunthom. Ladgaron Gym, Claver, Surigao del Norte, Philippines Over in the Philippines we get something of a disappointing bout, but one that does feature a genuinely promising Filipino prospect who has stepped up in recent bouts and impressed. The prospect in question is Vencent Lacar (7-0, 3), who has just ended the unbeaten runs of Jemar Layom and Shunpei Odagiri, both then 4-0, with wins in 8 rounders. Sadly rather than continue to take on well regarded hopefuls he is stepping back a few levels, in what is more of a stay busy fight as he takes on Jason Mopon (11-19, 1). The one positive to take from this bout is that it will be Lacar’s first 10 rounder, and whilst Mopon has been stopped in 11 of his 19 losses it’s fair to say that Lacar lacks power, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him score his 4th pro stoppage. The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines
This coming Monday fans in Metro Manila get a small card from Elorde International Productions. Sadly this card really lacks in terms of notable names or mouth watering match ups. The most noteworthy bout on this card does, interestingly, feature two men looking to bounce back from losses last time out, though those losses aren't even close to being the same. The match in question will see Argelo Samson (5-3-1, 4) take on Fernan Agencia (6-2, 2). The 23 year old Samson was beaten back in April by Ariel Antimaro, suffering his second loss in 4 bouts, and is very much a young fighter looking to get his career back on track rather than dwelling on the loss. As for Agencia he was beaten by Aljum Pelesio last time out, back in February 2022, meaning he's been out of the ring for over 2 and a half years. Notably his only other loss was just 3 fights back, back in late 2019, suggesting that his hunger for this sport is pretty low right now. One man with a bit of hunger is 23 year old Roland Toyogon (6-0-1, 3) who looks to secure his 4th straight win as he takes on Ariel Antonio (2-6-1) who he has already beaten twice. It's a shame that Toyogon’s team haven’t been able to secure him a new challenge given he’s already taken a decision over Antonio and stopped him in their previous bouts.  This coming Sunday sees the EDION Arena in Osaka playing double duty, as it hosts the West Japan Rookie of the Year final in the early afternoon, and a Taisei Promotions card running in the evening.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan For the Rookie of the Year card there are 12 bouts scheduled for the show, with the winners set to take a step towards the All Japan Rookie of the Year final later in the year. On paper one of the best bouts on the show will be at Featherweight, as Daichi Sakashita (4-0, 1) and Ruito Tomora (3-0-1, 2) face off. Both of these men are young, with Sakashita being 21 and Tomora being 22, with unbeaten records who have had to answer questions already in their short careers. Tomora is a southpaw and is the slightly shorter man with slightly more pop in his shots, whilst Sakashita is the naturally bigger man with more experience. Another bout that is certainly intriguing will see 28 year old Kisei Takada (3-2-1, 3) battle the debuting Kodai Senba (0-0) at Super Bantamweight. Takada made his debut back in 2016, losing to Yuga Inoue, but then took a 5 year break from the sport before going 3-1-1. He has proven to be really dangerous early, with 3 stoppages in the first round, but he has never won a bout that went into round 2. Senba on the other hand is a 24 who went 15-9 in the amateurs, but will be taking on a very different type of test here, in his first professional bout. One other bout of interest is at Lightweight as the 21 year old Shosei Yoshida (1-0) takes on the hard hitting 22 year old Ruiji Takenaka (4-0, 3). Yoshida had to work hard in his debut, narrowly over-coming the much more experienced Haruka Fujikawa, in a bout that would definitely have helped his development. As for Takenaka, he has had 11 rounds in his 4 bout career, including a 4th round TKO win over Yoshiki Igarashi and a 4 round decision win over Koki Oda. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan On the second card at the event we get more notable names in action, including one of the top prospects in Osaka as well as what should be a very fun match up between two men looking to build some career momentum. The headline bout will see the fast rising Yuga Ozaki (6-0-1, 5) take on the experienced Shota Asami (12-12, 7). Ozaki is regarded as one of the best prospects in Japan, with tremendous skill, speed and spiteful power. In just 7 bouts he has already claimed good wins over Sitthisak Simsri, Kenshi Noda and Kitidech Hirunsuk, whilst winning and defending the WBC Youth Light Flyweight title. Asami on the other hand is a battle tested veteran with 24 bouts to his name, mostly at Flyweight where this bout will take place. During his career he has faced numerous top domestic fighters, often going the distance with them in very close bouts, and scored several upsets over the likes of Ryota Karimata, Shun Kosaka and Sho Omote. On paper this is very much a mismatch, but in reality Asami should be able to test Ozaki and ask questions of him. The other bout worthy of some attention on this card will see Hikaru Matsuoka (18-7-3, 4) take on Ren Yamabe (7-3, 6). The experienced Matsuoka debuted back in 2012 and has been a fixture in Osaka and Sanda for much of his career, with the highlight being his short reign as the Japanese Youth Featherweight champion in 2018-2019. Sadly he is 3-3 in his last 6, and whilst those losses have come to capable fighters he is in need of a few wins to get his career back up and running. As for Yamabe he’s a dangerous fighter with 6 early wins, but he is certainly a flawed fighter and he's been stopped twice in his 3 losses. Yamabe is 2-2- in his last 4 and like Matusoka desperately needs a win to get his career back up and running. Both of these men will see this bout as one to move them towards a JBC ranking and given their styles this should make for a fan friendly bout.  This coming Saturday is set to be one of the busiest days of the month for Asian fighter fans, with a world title fight in Australia and fights across much of Asia, including some very notable names with a former unified world champion in action in Cambodia and some of the hottest prospects in Japan in action in Tokyo.
HBF Arena, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia The most notable show of the day is in Australia, where we see a long reigning world champion in action as well as a hopeful from China. The main bout of the day will see WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (24-0, 9), aka Thammanoon Niyomtrong, defending his title against fast rising Australian fighter Alex Winwood (4-0, 2), who has shown a willingness to risk his 0 in a high risk high reward move. The 33 year old Thai champion has long been regarded as one of the best fighters at 105lbs, but has also been one of the most frustrating fighters in the sport, having not fought since 2022 when he beat Wanheng Menayothin. At his best he was a reliable, talented, strong champion, who’s record is littered with good to very good wins, including wins over Carlos Buitrago, Byron Rojas, Rey Loreto, and Wanheng. Sadly though with 2 years of inactivity, and now edging to his 34th birthday it’s hard to know what he still has to offer the sport. As for Winwood, the Australian is everything we love about boxing, being aggressively fast tracked to the top, and proving himself on his way there, with notable wins over Tibo Monabesa and Cris Ganoza in his first 4 bouts. He certainly hasn’t look unbeatable, but has developed with every fight and could well be the next man to mount a challenge as the king of the division. He has youth, speed, activity on his side and home advantage, but Knockout isn’t a slouch and this should make for a brilliant match up. On the same card is Runqi Zhou (6-2-1, 2) as he takes on hard hitting local Richard Lockett (5-2, 4). Zhou is a 24 year old from China who began his career 6-0, with wins on the road against Surat Eaim ong and Sang Hoen Oh, but has failed to win his last 3, including a draw in a rematch with Oh and a loss to Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov in Uzbekistan Although no world beater he travels to win and will put in a genuine effort here as the visitor. As for Lockett he is, on paper, the one stepping up here, after a very stop-start career so far, with this only being his 4th bout since 2020. Locket seems to have power on his side, with 4 wins inside 4 rounds, but at such a low level that it’s hard to read much into them. This is a good match up, between two fighters who will each see this as a chance to open a door to bigger and better things. Phnom Penh, Cambodia Outside of the show in Australia it’s hard to know which bout is the most significant, but what is clear is who is the best established fighter, with that being former Bantamweight world champion and unified Super Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (38-4, 20). Tapales will be looking to score his second win since being stopped by Naoya Inoue late last year and record his first defense of the WBC Asian Continental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Indian fighter Saurabh Kumar (11-1-1, 6). The often under-rated Tapales shouldn’t struggle here, given the level he’s shown he’s capable of, but it’ll be interesting to see how Cambodia treats the “Nightmare”. As for Kumar this isn’t so much a step up in class, but a rocket powered blast through the levels with his most notable bout so far being a 7th round TKO loss to Zhong Liu. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo The other more notably bouts take place at Korakuen Hall, with two title fights by rising Japanese hopefuls, and three unbeaten prospects on the under-card. The main event will see Kuntae Lee (7-0-1, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese 140lb title as he takes on Ryan Joshua Yamamoto (7-6, 1). On paper this is a huge step down for Lee, who beat Homura Fujita for the title in April and has already scored good domestic wins against Cristiano Aoqui and Aso Ishiwaki. Despite that it’s clear that Lee is still a work in progress and this is clearly about letting him get rounds and develop as a champion. As for Yamamoto he is better than his record suggests, but is certainly not one of the strongest domestic contenders and whilst we suspect he will put up a very genuine effort, it’d be a shock to see him be competitive with the highly skilled Lee. A second title fight will see the very highly touted Mikito Nakano (10-0, 9) take on the once beaten Filipino Bryx Piala (9-1, 3) in a bout for the OPBF Featherweight title. Nakano has looked like a star since very early in his career, but given the depth at Featherweight he has had to take a slow climb to a title fight. He has shown great power, speed and skill but is still clearly a work in progress. As for Piala he has rebuilt excellently since a 2022 loss to Rhonvex Capuloy, thanks to solid domestic wins over Jhunriel Ramonal and Ken Jordan. Nakano will be strongly favoured, but we suspect he will have to work hard for a win here. In other bouts on this card we’ll see Hyoga Miyata (3-0, 1) take on Takara Kawaguchi (8-0-1, 5) in a mouth watering bout and a very good match up between Junya Shimada (6-0-1, 2) and Jiaming Li (5-3, 2). Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok Over in Thailand we’ll get a low level regional title bout along with a bout featuring a Pakistani fighter taking on a veteran from Ghana. The title bout will see Arnon Yupang (14-5, 5) face off with Walid Halima Salem (5-2, 4) in a bout for the lightly regarded Asian Boxing Federation Super Featherweight title. Yupang, at one point, looked like one of the few bright hopes on the Thai scene, but has gone 6-4 in his last 10 bouts and it seems clear that his level has been found, and it’s a long way off world class. As for Salem he is a Thai based Algerian fighter who has been a regular feature on the Bangkok stage since since his 2022 debut, though has lost his last 2 bouts, both to Sangkaphong Chomyong, and it seems clear that he’s been selected to give Yupang rounds, but not be a serious challenge. In an interesting under-card bout Pakistani fighter Shahir Afridi (11-1-1, 7) will take on the very experienced Patrick Allotey (43-6, 33), in a major step up for Afridi. Afridi has become a regular on the Thai scene, but hasn’t really beaten anyone of any note and certainly nobody with the experience and pedigree of Allotey. As for the Allotey he has faced a genuine who’s who over his long career, including bouts with Patrick Teixeira, Kanat Islam, Jaime Munguia and Serhii Bohachuk. He is coming to the end of his career, but may still have too much in the locker for Afridi. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea We also get a small card in Korea, there’s not much to talk about regarding this show, though we do suspect that Do Il Yoo (4-4) and Hae Myung Jung (4-6-2, 1) will put on a great bout with flawed but fun styles.  Fashion Center Event Hall, Seoul, South Korea
This coming Friday we get the next KBM event, promoted by the WON Promotion in association with Ohashi promotions. The card is set to feature two KBM title fights as well as a notable Korea Vs Japan bout. The best bout on the card is a Korean Middleweight title bout as the unbeaten Ki Yul Baek (7-0-2, 4) takes on Mongolian novice Jargal Otgonjargal (1-0, 1) for the vacant title. The 29 year old Baek began his career in 2017 and after having back to back draws to begin his career he has now won 7 in a row, though it’s hard to say much about those 7 wins which have mostly come against limited or inexperienced foes. Aged 33 Otgonjargal is looking to be fast tracked as a professional after a long amateur career that saw him compete on the domestic and international stage. As an amateur he really did rack up a long record, much more so than the incomplete record Boxrec has for him, and it included notable wins against the likes of Daniyar Yeleussinov, along with a variety of medals including taking a bronze medal at the Asian Games. Given Otgonjargal’s amateur background we expect this to be a really good fight, with a lot of offensive, and flawed defense, from both. The other title fight will see Tae Yang Oh (6-3, 3) battle against Hong Shik Oh (3-3-1, 2) for the vacant KBM Featherweight title. The 27 year old Tae Yang Oh struggled to get his career going, losing his first 2 and sitting with a 2-3 record after 5 bouts, but has won his last 4 to get some career momentum. Sadly however those wins have come at a very low level and it’s hard to read anything into them. Hong Shik Oh also had a struggle to get going, losing his first 2 bouts and winning just 1 of his last 5, though he has won his last 2 and is unbeaten in his last 3, including defeating the previously unbeaten Ji Suk Hyun. With both of these men having only won against very low level domestic foes it’s hard to know what either man has to offer, though given the title being on the line we’d be surprised if this wasn’t entertaining, at the very least. The one other bout of some note will see Japan’s New Thunder Teruya (8-12-1, 4), a limited but gutsy fighter who does make for entertaining fights with his toughness and determinations, taking on the 39 year old Woo Min Won (10-2, 6), who returns for his first fight since 2019. Although neither man is going to go far, with Won being a semi-retired old man and Teruya being a limited but fun fighter, we are expecting a hugely entertaining low level bout here between two men willing to let shots go, and stand their ground. World Siam Stadium, Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand
This coming Thursday attention turns to Bangkok for a small show promoted by Fei Wang, and Xian TOPKING Promotion. The show’s main event will see Chinese born Russian fighter Maxim Sazonov (5-0, 3) take on once beaten Thai local Rattawut Thongaram (7-1, 5), in a bout for the WBC Asian Continental Light Heavyweight title. Sazonov made his debut back in January this year and has raced out to a 5-0 record with all 5 of his bouts taking place in Thailand, where he is quickly creating a name for himself. He has already claimed his first title, the ABF Light Heavyweight, and will be looking to claim his most notable win so far here. As for the local Rattawut he debuted in late 2023 and won his first 5 before being stopped by Victor Nagbe back in April Since then he has notched up 2 wins, including a career best win in Jun against Adil Hafidz to claim the WBA Asian Continental title, which he will be looking to defend for the first time here. |
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