Holy Name University Gymnasium, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
The most notable of the bouts of the day takes place in the Philippines with a card in Bohol. The most significant bout on this card will see the highly skilled Regie Suganob (14-1, 4) take on the hard hitting Kai Ishizawa (11-3, 10) in what will be Suganob’s first defense of the WBO Global Light Flyweight title. The talented “Filipino Phenom” has bounced back well from his sole loss, a close and very competitive decision loss in an IBF title fight against Sivenathi Nontshinga in South Africa, by beating Ronald Chacon for the global title in November. That win over Chacon isn't a win that should be seen in isolation with Suganob also holding wins over Andika D'Golden Boy and Mark Vicelles, and proving himself as among the best in the region at 108lbs. As for Ishizawa the exciting Japanese fighter is one of the biggest punchers in the division, and one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the lower weights, but is certainly going through a rough patch, with losses to Masataka Taniguchi and Vince Paras in his last 3 bouts, with Taniguchi stopping an over-weight Ishizawa in 2022. This is a real 50-50 and should be a great mix of styles, and the winner should certainly be in the mix for a world title fight in the near future. Also on this card is a rematch between the unbeaten Angilou Dalogdog (9-0, 3) and veteran Roland Jay Biendima (17-15-1, 10), who clash over 10 rounds. These two fought back in December, with Dalogdog stopping Biendima in 4 rounds, and it's expected he will extend his unbeaten record here, however it is worth noting their first bout was hotly contested before the referee stopped Biendima due to a cut, and this isn’t a rematch of an easy early win. Instead this should be a good 10 round test for Dalogdog, with Biendima being known as a tough guy, with only 3 stoppages, including the cut loss to Dalogdog, on his record. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Korakuen Hall we get a very good, domestic Japanese card with a number of really well matched bouts thanks to KG Yamato, who are putting on bouts that, in the UK, would be described as “trade fights”, well matched contests, between fighters who are both looking to move their careers forward, with fighters on the fringes of potential title fights. The main bout pits two JBC ranked fighters against each other as the once beaten Shigetoshi Kotari (6-1-1, 5) takes on Hiromasa Urakawa (9-2, 6). The hard hitting Kotari has rebuilt excellently since going 2-1-1 to start his career, and has stopped his last 4 opponents, including the rugged Kanehiro Nakagawa, but is stepping up from Super Featherweight to Lightweight here where his power may not carry up in the same way. Urakawa on the other hand is a natural Lightweight who ran through a 6 fight winning run of his own recently, though did lose last time out, when he came up short against Hironori Mishiro. Like Kotari he does have some solid wins on his resume, including beating Eiji Togawa in the All Japan Rookie of the Year and beating Shinnosuke Saito last year. The winner of this will certainly be in the mix for a Japanese title fight next year. In another solid match up Riki Hamada (9-2, 6) will take on JBC ranked foe Toshiyuki Takahashi (10-5, 5), in what will be Hamada’s first A Class bout. Notably Hamada has shown a questionable sense of durability, with two stoppage losses against his name, however he has bounced back from those losses and won his last two bouts, and it seems like the losses were followed by time out of the ring, allowing him to mature and his last two bouts have been his biggest wins, including a victory over Daiki Imanari. Takashi on the other hand is unbeaten since losing in a Youth title fight in 2022, bouncing back with 3 wins including a notable victory in August against Ryoichi Tamura, which saw him climb the rankings. Neither of these men are likely to win major titles, but both will feel like they could earn a shot down the line, and will know a loss here is a massive setback. In an interesting 6 rounder we’ll see Ikuro Sadatsune (11-4-4, 4) return to the ring for the first time since July 2021, when he had a technical draw in a Japanese Bantamweight title fight, to face off against Retsu Takahashi (5-3, 2). Prior to his break Sadatsune was a genuinely fun to watch and talented fighter, who had fought a genuine who’s who of the Japanese scene, including the likes of Kai Chiba, Tatsuay Takahashi, Kenshin Oshima, Sho Ishida and Kyosuke Sawada. We do however wonder how he’s going to look after so long out of the ring. Takashi won his first 4 bouts, but has gone 1-3 in his last 4, and can ill afford another loss. Despite his recent set backs, he showed he wasn't washed up last year, when he beat Kantaro Nakanishi, in an upset, and also gave Kazuki Kojima a very close bout. This is an interesting match up, and whilst it certainly isn’t a huge bout, it is one that certainly has a sense of serious intrigue. One other bout of note is another 6 rounder, as 19 year old Rikuto Sezutsu (2-0, 2) moves from 4 rounders to take on the debuting 23 year old Yoshito Suzuki (0-0). The teenage Sezutsu made his debut in June last year, stopping a Korean visitor, and made his international debut in December, when he traveled to Thailand. Both of his wins have come in the second round and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do if he gets taken longer into fights. Suzuki on the other hand went 23-21 (4) in the amateurs, and whilst no world beater in the unpaid ranks, that's a lot of experience, much more so than Sezutsu has, and he’ll feel that’s a lot of ring time he can rely on here.
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This coming Sunday we get two Japanese shows, both of which are coming from the same venue, with the Sangyo Shinko Center in Sakai city putting on a pair of shows back to back.
Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The first of the two shows is a card promoted by Shinji Nogami's Diamante Promotions and will feature several interesting match ups with young local hopefuls. The main event will see JBC Youth Featherweight champion Towa Tsuji (7-1, 5) drop down in weight to take on Thai visitor Anuruk Madua (11-12, 8). The 24 year old Tsuji has won 4 in a row following an opening round loss in 2022 to Shugo Hisataka, with 3 of those wins coming inside the distance, including a win over Kyosuke Okamoto for the JBC Youth title and a win over Wirasak Rakchat, in his first bout against a non-Japanese foe. The 26 year old Madua has a very mixed record, and has rarely seen the final bell, with only 5 of his 23 bouts going the distance. Win or lose he tends to be in bouts that end early, and his 6 bouts in Japan have all been T/KO losses, and we’d be shocked if they didn’t end the same way. Another interesting match up on this card will see Seigo Hanamori (7-3, 5) face off with Yuta Nakatsuji (5-3, 2). Hanamori was on the verge of a Japanese title fight a few years ago, but has lost his last two inside the distance, and is now more than 3 years removed from a win. He was once regarded as a genuine hopeful with heavy hands and an exciting style, but will need a win soon to get his career back on track. Nakatsuji on the other hand has won his last 3, and appears to be going in the right direction with his career, after going 2-3 in his first 5, despite those results this is a clear step up in class for him, and a win would easily be his biggest victory to date. Also on this card is the debut of 19 year old female hopeful Hinata Takakura (0-0), who was a solid amateur on the Japanese domestic scene. She’ll be kicking off her career in a 6 rounder against Thai visitor Suphattra Aunruean (7-2, 5). On paper this looks like a tough debut for Takakura, though it should be noted the Thai's record is paper thin, and she has lost the two times she has faced fighters with any ambition, including a loss in Japan in 2023 against Nanae Yamaka. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The second show, primarily promoted by Takashi Hashimoto's Esperanza Sports Promotions, is a show that is packed with West Japan Rookie of the Year bouts, with 5 such bouts on the show. This card is headlined by an interesting looking 8 rounder between Ren Kobayashi (7-3-3, 2) and Mizuki Akima (6-5-2, 4). Kobayashi has had mixed results throughout his career, but is unbeaten in his last 4 and recently scored a career best win, by overcoming Shingo Kawamura in December. Although no world beater he is a solid fighter, who has improved a lot since a shutout loss to Fuya Tomita back in 2020. Akima on the other hand has proven to be rugged and heavy handed, but is technically quite limited, and can be out boxed, as he has been in a number of his losses. Notably, for Akima, this is only his second bout outside of Korakuen Hall, and he's going to Kobayashi's birth town for the bout. The card also supposed to feature a bout between Eiji Togawa (8-7, 4) and Mikado Konishi (8-6, 5), however Konishi had to pull out of the bout in the build up to the event. Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
The most notable action this coming Saturday comes from Suwon, where we see a former world champion in action, though not in a major bout, and in many ways the former world champion in question seems to be something of a forgotten fighter, which is a shame as she was once on the verge of a major unification bout. That aforementioned world champion is unbeaten Korean Hyun Mi Choi (21-0-1, 5), who takes on Jessica Camara (12-4, 3) in a bout for the WBA Gold female Lightweight title. For Choi this will be her 4th bout since her US debut at the end of 2020, when she beat Calista Silgado. Back then she was being lined up as a future opponent for Teri Harper in a unification bout. Sadly after Harper was injured and the bout fell through Choi has been a forgotten fighter, fighting in 3 low profile bouts in Korea. As for Camara the Canadian 36 year old is a former world title challenger, losing to Kali Reis in 2021, who has mixed with good company and holds a notable win over Heather Hardy, but has typically come up short against her most notable opponents, including Reis and Melissa St Vil. Benikea Yangsan Hotel, Yangsan, South Korea Staying in South Korea, though traveling South East from Suwon, there is also set to be a show in Yangsan. This show features a number of 4 rounder along with one bout set for a longer distance. That longer bout is a Korean Heavyweight title bout, which will see unbeaten 29 year old Jung Hyun Kim (3-0, 3) defending the title for the first time, as he takes on 20 year old challenger Jung Soo Kim (5-2, 4). On paper it’s easy to back the champion, who is older, unbeaten, and the defending title holder. However the challenger is possibly just as proven, if not more proven, thanks to his battles on the road, which have seen him go the distance with Mitsuro Brandon Tajima, which he did last July, and winning a genuinely enthralling war with Yamato Fujinaka back in March. Given the styles of the two men, and the stereotypical Korean boxer mindset, do not be surprised if this ends up being something of fan friendly war. CC Gym, Pattaya, Thailand We are also set to get some low level action in Thailand, which features a rather interesting range of fighters from taking on Thai locals, in what looks like a low level but interesting show. At Light Heavyweight Armenian born Thai based Light Heavyweight Artavazd Aroyan (11-2, 8) will take on Thailand’s very own Don Parueang (13-4, 11). Aroyan has gone 5-0 (5) in Thailand, with 3 of those wins coming already this year. His competition hasn’t been great, but he has been dangerous and has bounced back well from a 2023 loss to Sergei Gorokhov. Parueang is a 41 year old fighter who debuted in 2011 and lost 4 of his first 6, but has gone 12-0 since then. Sadly he is best known for a tragic bout against Christian Daghio, who died following the bout. Daghio is pretty much the only notable win on his record, and the others are very, very, very low level bouts. Turkish born fighter Efe Derin Konuk (7-0-1, 3) looks to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on the once touted Thai Campee Phayom (24-8-2, 16). For Konuk this is his third successive bout in Thailand, and his 4th bout in the last 5 in the Land of Smiles. where he has beaten Aekkawee Kaewmanee and former world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu. He seems to hit harder than his record suggests but is certainly not a big banger. Phayom on the other hand started his career 9-0, but has since gone 15-8-2, and suffered losses to a number of notable fighters such as Xiangxiang Sun, Daud Yordan, Pungluang Sor Singyu and Virgel Vitor. Notably 7 of those 8 losses have been by stoppages and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him taken out again here. Also on this card is unbeaten Italian 46 year old Alessio Bisutti (5-0, 4) who takes on Thai native Naphat Ngoenbamrung (8-1, 4). Bisutti made his debut in June 2023 and won the Thai Heavyweight title in September, before adding the Asian Boxing Federation title in November. Although his competition has been poor, he has been doing exactly what he's supposed to, and taking them out early. The 22 year old Ngoenbamrung has been fighting at an incredibly low level, with several of his bouts being rematches with fighters, in fact his sole loss came to Weerapat Kamlangwai who he had previously beaten. He debuted in April 202 and will be fighting for the 10th time in just over a year. On paper this is a step up for both men, though it’s hard to imagine either man going too far in the sport. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday fight fans at Korakuen Hall get the chance to see a low key card, that won’t attract wider attention, but will deliver for the hardcore fans in the venue, with bouts that are made to be fun to watch, competitive and exciting, rather than to sell on name value of those involved. In the main event we’ll be getting a genuine treat as the aggressive and hard hitting Kaiki Yuba (11-2-2, 7) takes on the always fun to watch Aso Ishiwaki (12-7-1, 8). Of the two men Yuba is the more polished fighter, with a boxer-puncher style that makes him deadly. He might not be the freakish puncher his father was but he has shown himself to be devastating at domestic level. Notably his power has carried up from 135 to 140 and even 147, stopping 2 of his 3 opponents at Welterweight. He does however not have the greatest of chins and has been stopped in both of his losses. Ishiwaki on the other hand is a pressure fighter who comes forward, makes for fun fights and although he has 7 losses is much better than his record suggests, with 3 of those losses coming by split or majority decision, including a loss to Ryota Toyoshima. Ishiwaki has mixed at a solid level, and whilst he has been stopped twice, he also has solid power of his own. This one really could be a very, very good fight. In a supporting bout the once touted Kyotaro Yoshida (3-3) will face off with Mirai Imagawa (13-6-1, 5). When he turned professional there was big expectations on Yoshida, who had been a very good amateur, but sadly as a professional his lack of power has proven to be an issue, and whilst he is clearly talented, he has lost some very close fights and it's become apparent he'll not reach the heights expected of him. In saying that he is certainly not a bad boxer, just sadly one lacking the power to climb to the top of the domestic scene. Imagawa on the other hand is someone who has rebuilt from a faltering start that saw him start his career 1-2 and being 3-3. Sadly for him his wins, so far, have come at a relatively low domestic level, with his best wins coming against the likes of Kento Yabusaki. Despite that there was some hope for Imagawa in late 2017, when he won the All Japan Rookie of the Year, and he’ll now be looking to get his career back on track after being winless since late 2022. In a Middleweight bout recent Japanese title challenger Mikio Sakai (5-2-1) will look to score his first win since 2022, as he takes on Korean visitor Dong Su Kim (3-2-1, 1). Sakai is a talented fighter, but has twice come up short in Japanese title fights against Riku Kunimoto, and the feeling is he may well need to hope Kunimoto looks for regional titles if he’s ever to become the Japanese champion himself. As for Kim he won the Korean national title in June 2022, but has only fought once since then and has had an awful stop-start career that, amazingly, began in 2009. Now aged 33 Kim has likely wasted his best years, but should make for a good dance partner for the Japanese local. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main action this coming Thursday comes from Tokyo, where we get a title double header, and the quarter finals of an intriguing tournament. The main event of the card will see hard hitting Japanese Super Flyweight champion Suzumi Takayama (7-0, 6) make his second defense, as he takes on mandatory challenger Akio Furutani (11-6, 4) in a Champion Carnival bout. Takayama has been a wrecking ball since debuting in 20119, with only the naturally bigger Kai Chiba managing to see the final bell with him. He won the title last June, when stopped Ryusei Kawaura and made his first defense 3 months later, stopping Tsubasa Murachi. He’s on the verges, or just in, the world rankings but it does seem like he’s going to need tougher tests before getting a world title bout. Furutani on the other hand is an under-rated fighter, who has suffered 6 defeats in 17 bouts, but has managed to prove himself. He started his career 4-4, but has since gone 7-2, with his only losses in that 9 fight run being close and competitive ones in regional title fights against Masayoshi Hashizume and Kenta Nakagawa. Furutani is tough, and should ask questions of Takayama, but it would be a real surprise to see the title change hands here. A second title bout will see Yuma Saeki (3-0, 3) and Rento Miyazawa (6-2-1, 2) battle for the JBC Youth Minimumweight title. Saeki turned professional following a solid amateur career which saw him going 22-7 (7), and since turning professional he has notched his first 3 wins in a combined 10 rounds, including a 5th round TKO win over Takatora Suzuki. For a guy at 105lbs he has looked hard hitting, and incredibly promising, but this bout will be a clear step up for him. As for Miyazawa he's had mixed results so far, and enters this on the back of a 3-fight unbeaten run, including a win over Masashi Ikeda and a draw against Sei Miyagawa. Whilst Miyazawa has fought through much of Japan, including Osaka, Sakai, Kariya and Uruma, this will be his first bout in Tokyo, and the first time he steps into the ring at Korakuen Hall. As well as the title bouts, this card will also feature the first round of a tournament, dubbed the Asia's strongest lightweight tournament, that’s expected to see the winner not only receive a notable cash prize, but also be left on the verge of a regional title fight. One of the tournament bouts is Saito Vs Saito, as the monstrously hard hitting Yoji Saito (6-3-2, 6) takes on Shinnosuke Saito (12-5, 3) in a really solid 6 rounder. Yoji Saito is a genuinely monstrous puncher, , who has scored all 6 of his wins in the first 5 rounds, and notably dropped Rentaro Kimura twice when they met in 2021. He is however a pretty crude, slow fighter, with limited defensive skills, and when fighters have been able to take his power he has struggled with coming up with a Plan B, as we saw in his thriller with Aso Ishiwaki. Shinnosuke Saito on the other hand is a much better technical boxer, who has impressive speed and movement, and good combinations. Notably coming into this both men are ranked in the top 15 by the JBC, with Shinnosuke Saito being ranked #2 domestically. The other tournament bout will see former amateur stand out Taiga Imanaga (4-0, 3) take on Chinese fighter Qiang Ma (6-3-2, 4). Imanaga made his professional debut in 2022 and looked great through his first 3 bouts, but was tested last year by Indonesian Hebi Marapu. In the ring Imanaga is a talented southpaw, and we dare say his bout with Marapu will help his development, rather than suggest he’s close to his peak, and a test like that early in his career is possibly the best thing for him. As for Ma, the Chinese fighter, he has made his name at Featherweight, and took part in a similar tournament in 2019, where he lost to Shingo Kusano in a thrilling war. Since that loss he has gone 1-1, and was stopped last time out, by Tae Sun Kim last April. Hard to see anything but a win for Imanaga here. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand Over in Thailand we also get some title action, with several bouts taking place in Bangkok for titles. One of the title bouts on this card will be a bout for the WBC Asian Silver Heavyweight title, as 37 year old Azeri Taryel Jafarov (27-7, 25) takes on 23 year old Turkish fighter Gurkan Karadag (7-0, 7). Jafarov debuted in 2017 and has been busy ever since, with this actually being his 4th bout of 2024. For the most part his competition has been terrible, but he has managed to be a well travelled fighter, with fights in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Ghana United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, where he is now based. Karadag on the other hand is a 23 year old who debuted in 2023, and has already racked up 7 wins, in a combined 9 rounds, including a win over the highly experienced Ali Ismayilov, himself an Azeri based Ukrainian born fighter. Given the 32 KO wins in 34 wins we don’t expect this one to go long, and would expect something of a shoot out. A little bit lower down the weight classes, we’ll see Victor Nagbe (7-1, 2) take on the unbeaten Thai Rattawut Thongaram (5-0, 4) in a bout for the WBC Asian Continental Middleweight title. On paper Thongaram looks like he has a promising record, but so far his opponents have a combined record of 11-16-1 and he has only been beyond 3 rounds once in his career. Nagbe on the other hand is an Australian fighter who was born in Liberia, and fought in Thailand in March, and will be back there today. Notably Nagbe has scored wins over Sam Soliman and Adrian Rodriguez and despite being the away fighter, taking on an unbeaten man in their backyard, we suspect he should be seen as the favourite. There is also a female title bout on this show, as Kazakh fighter Angelina Lukas (8-1, 4) takes on Indian Mamta Singh (5-1, 2) in a bout for the lightly regarded WIBF Super Flyweight title. Lukas is a huge hit on social media, with over 2 million followers on Instagram, and is a popular figure on the Kazakh sports news websites, and whilst unknown in the West she certainly generates a buzz. If she can claim the WIBF title here, she is expected to begin chasing bigger and better titles in the future, at least according to her. As for Singh this will be her first bout outside of India. Angono, Rizal, Philippines We also get low level action in the Philippines, where we get a low level domestic card. The most notable name on this show is the experienced Eduardo Mancito (20-15-2, 10), who has shared the ring with the likes of Rey Vargas, Tomas Rojas, Satoshi Shimizu and Charly Suarez. Although Mancit has lost his biggest bouts, he has proven to be something of a domestic stalwart since his debut, more than a decade ago. He’ll be expected to pick up his 21st win, notable all 20 have come at home so far, as he takes on the limited Jason Dogelio (10-9, 3), who has lost his last 3 and is without a win since beating Kim Lindog in December 2021. Another notable bout on this card will see Roslan Eco (10-3, 7) look to end a 3 fight losing streak, as he takes on fellow Filipino Jaybie De Pablo Ignacio (3-1, 1). Eco began his career 10-0 but suffered a 4th round TKO loss in a regional title fight to Goki Kobayashi last May and has been stopped in his two following bouts. He’ll know he can’t afford another loss if he wishes to get his career back on track. Ignacio on the other hand is the naturally bigger fighter, but has fought at an extremely low level, and was stopped in 4 rounds by James Pacamalan last August, though has picked up a single win since then. We don’t expect this to be a great fight, with neither man having much confidence, but it is an important one for Eco’s career. Sumiyoshi Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Sunday we get a great show from Osaka, with a regional title bout headline the show, and an under-card stacked with young and emerging hopefuls. The main event is a genuinely mouth watering bout as Filipino fighter Jayson Vayson (11-1-1-1, 6) seeks his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight title, as he takes on the unbeaten Takeru Inoue (4-0, 2), who is taking a huge leap up in class. For Vayson this will be his third bout in Japan, where he lost to Seigo Yuri Akui in February 2023 before returning to stop Ryuya Yamanaka in December to win the title. He’s a criminally under-rated fighter who holds a draw against Rene Mark Cuarto as well as his win over Yamanaka. As for Inoue he debuted in 2022 and will be stepping up massively for this fight, with his best wins to date coming against Orlie Silvestre and Nanthanon Thongchai. A win here for Inoue would put him on the fast track to a world title shot, but it’s a huge ask, especially given his opposition so far. The chief support bout will see Japanese ranked Featherweight Kaito Yamasaki (7-0, 4) look to extend his winning run as he takes on unbeaten Thai fighter Jatuphon Raksapa (4-0). Whilst Yamasaki has shown a lot to like, it is worth noting that he was dropped last time out, Shoki Yamauchi, who he got up to stop in 3 rounds, and really does need to develop, a lot, before a potential title fight. He’s promising, but very much unproven at this point in time. As for the Thai visitor this will be his first bout outside of Thailand, and whilst most of his fights have been gym fights it is worth noting he has beaten 3 fighters with winning records, something of a rarity for a 4-0 Thai. We assume Raksapa has been selected for Yamasaki’s opponent here due to his lack of power, and we do worry that Yamasaki’s team are trying to cover up the potential crack seen against Yamauchi. Another good looking supporting bout will see the once beaten Riku Yamashita (6-1-1, 3) take on Otoya Inuzuka (6-0-1, 2). Stylistically this should be a lot of fun as Yamashita is regarded as an aggressive fighter, who loves getting up close, and is great fun to watch, whilst Inuzuka is more of a technical boxer, who likes to set things up with his jab and let combinations go. Notably, Yamashita has been out of the ring since August 2022, when he lost to Daichi Hirai, whilst Inuzuka will be looking to build on a December win over Shintari Nagai, and the inactivity could be the difference maker here. One other bout worthy of real attention is the debut of former amateur stand out Ryang Ho Han (0-0), who is making his debut against WBO Asia Pacific ranked Super Flyweight Surat Eaim ong (18-4-1, 13) from Thailand. Han went 52-19 in the amateurs, and is regarded as a brilliant prospect, who uses distance well and is really tall at the weight, which he will look to use to his advantage here. Eaim ong is a 17 year old who debuted back in 2021 and has been a busy fighter, but has lost the few times he's faced someone of some name value, such as Jon Jon Jet and Takahiro Tai. If Han is the fighter some in Osaka expect him to be, he should take a very easy win here, but given the Thai’s power, this could serve as a potential chin check. For fans wanting to watch this bout, it will be streamed live here.. Manolo Fortich Municipal Gymnasium, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Philippines Over in the Philippines we have a small card, though one that features a heavy handed prospect, a former world champion and a clash between two unbeaten men. On paper the best of the bouts on this show will see punchers collide, as Jason Facularin (7-1, 7) takes on James Pagaling (8-2, 5). Facularin has bounced back well since his sole loss, a tragic bout with Kenneth Egano, and despite the passing of Egano following that fight Facularin hasn’t shown the often worried about mental scarring a fight can have after a tragedy, stopping 3 opponents since then. Pagaling on the other hand is very much in a faltering stage of his career, having suffered back to back losses to Kenneth Llover and Sho Ishida, both inside the distance. If Pagaling hasn’t got the heart for the game after those losses he’ll be suffering a third early loss here. The most notable name on this card, by far, is former IBF Minimumweight world champion Rene Mark Cuarto (21-5-2, 12), who looks to end a 2 fight losing streak, as he takes on limited domestic fighter Reymark Taday (11-20-1, 6). Cuarto, who has recently lost 3 of his last 4 and been stopped by both Ginjiro Shigeoka and Shokichi Iwata, is really in need of a win, and his team aren’t taking risks here to get him an easy, confidence builder. Taday has won just 1 of his last 10 and been stopped 6 times in those 10 bouts. If Cuerto loses again here, he really should hang them up, but it would be one of the biggest boxing surprises of the year for him to come up short against Taday. A third bout of note on this card will be a battle of unbeatens as Lourinz Biasong (2-0) takes on Jordan Atlao (2-0, 2). Biasong debuted last October and was most recently in the ring in January, edging past Kyota Watanabe, and so far there are question marks about his power. Atlao on the other hand has moved to 2-0, since debuting in December 2022, in just 3 rounds, but his opponents have been 0-8-1 between them and it's hard to know what he offers given his competition and the stop-start nature of his career so far. Thankfully this bout should answer some questions about both men. Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia There is also a small, but notable, show in Jakarta. The card features a man who was once tipped as a big hope for Indonesia, though has fallen short of expectation, and someone who scored a very notable win on their debut, and could well be the next boxing hope for the country. The once touted star is Andika D'Golden Boy (19-2-1, 10), who was once linked to a fight with Hiroto Kyoguchi for the WBC Light Flyweight title. Sadly his career has faltered recently, and he is now without a win since 2021, and has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3, including a loss to Indonesian veteran Silem Serang (20-27-3, 2), with the two rematching in a bout for the WBC Asian Silver Flyweight title. The loss to Serang, last December, was one of the biggest upsets in recent memory for Indonesian boxing, and saw Serang end a run of 4 stoppage losses, whilst also being his third split decision win in as many bouts in Indonesia. It’s fair to say D’Golden Boy will be seeking revenge here, and another loss really will leave his career in tatters. As for Serang a win won’t change his career trajectory by much, but it would be notable for him to become the bogeyman for D’Golden Boy. The new potential hope for the country is Rahul Pinem (1-0, 1), who debuted last year with a win over the once touted Defry Palulu. He’ll be returning to the ring seeking regional honours, as he faces veteran Larry Siwu (31-14, 27) in a bout for the WBC Asian Silver Welterweight title. From what we understand Pinem is a former MMA fighter who has turned his hand to boxing, after appearing on a few One Pride MMA events, and also competing in some kick boxing events. If he wins here he will become the hope of Indonesian boxing, which has lacked a star in recent years. As for Siwu the 41 year old has been a stalwart for the Indonesian scene, and has mixed in good company across the region, facing a genuine who's who of Asian and Pacific fighters, but time is running down on his career. Pinem will be expected to win, but we suspect he will need to go rounds with Siwu here. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Saturday our attention turns to Osaka for an interesting card, that’s headlined by a Japanese title fight, and one that should be incredibly explosive, and features a number of promising prospects on the card, two of which are looking to extend their unbeaten runs and one is looking to kick start their professional career following a solid amateur career. The main event of the show is a Champion Carnival bout at Super Featherweight, as hard hitting champion Yuna Hara (14-2-1, 8) defends his title against heavy handed challenger Tsubasa Narai (12-2, 9), in what is the 2nd defense by Hara, and a genuine shoot out of a bout. Hara won the title in April 2023, when he shocked Kosuke Saka, and scored an easy win in his first defense against Taison Mukaiyama. The win over Mukaiyama was Hara's 8th straight win since losing in the Rookie of the Year to Hiroki Hanabusa in 2018, and his 6th stoppage in that winning run. He has quickly proven himself as a brutal puncher, despite looking like a light puncher early on, when he was 6-2-1 (2). As for Narai he has always been touted as a dangerous puncher winning 6 of his first 7 by stoppage before losing in a thrilling shoot out for the Japanese Youth Featherweight title against Kyonosuke Kameda in 2021, and losing another shoot out to Kosuke Saka for the Japanese Super Featherweight in 2022, in what is a must watch fight. Since then he has gone 4-0 (2) and continued to be something of a brutally hard puncher. This has “shoot out” written all over it, and it really could be a case of “don’t blink”. In a major support bout Filipino visitor Anthony Gilbuela (7-4-2, 2) will take on Shunpei Odagiri (3-0, 2). Coming into this bout Gilbuela is a Filipino ranked Light Flyweight, who recently came up short in a bout for the Philippines Boxing Federation (PBF) Flyweight title. Sadly Gilbuela has been stopped in 2 of his losses, and has been dropped in other fights, suggesting some durability or shin issues. Odagiri on the other hand is a technically excellent southpaw prospect, with good pop, and he combines skills and power well. Given Gilbuela’s questionable chin, he could be in trouble here if he can’t get Odagiri’s respect, and in fairness if Odagiri does respect Gilbuela there’s a good chance the local hopeful will rely on his pure boxing to take a decision win. Another bout pitting a Filipino visitor against an unbeaten Japanese prospect will see Claudevan Sese (9-5-3, 3) being brought in to test JBC and OPBF ranked Jun Ikegawa (6-0-2, 2). Sese is no world beater, but has mixed at a good level, and despite stoppage losses to Yuki Yamauchi and Sam Goodman, he has shown the toughness to test the tank of prospect, as seen in recent losses to Jinya Shimada and Kaishu Harada. He’s aggressive, clumsy and aggressive and should press Ikegawa. As for Ikegawa he’s technically very good, he's technically very good, but lacks power and can be dragged into the wrong type of fight, however he does seem to have settled into the pro ranks in recent bouts, with good win against Ryo Hinio, Carlo Demecillo and Tomoya Kishine in his last 3. This should be a good test test for Ikegawa, but one he should pass. The debutant on this card is the very promising Sento Ito (0-0), an 18 year old who claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Youth Championships and had a stellar amateur record, whilst also being battled hardened as a kick boxer, twice beating Tenshin Nasukawa’s younger brother in amateur kick boxer. He’ll be up against Thai visitor Yotin Thongkhan (4-1, 2), who looks like a good test on paper, but Thongkha’s win have all come against debutants in gym fights in Thailand, as this is a huge step up in class for him, against someone who might be a professional novice, but is certainly not a boxing novice. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The most notable of the action this coming Friday comes from Korakuen Hall as we get “Who’s Next”, which features two highly regarded debutants, as well as a good looking 8 rounder at the domestic level and a bout with a JBC ranked Middleweight. The main event sees one of the debutants, Hiroki Horiike (0-0) make his debut, as he takes on Chinese fighter Junyi Xie (2-0, 1). As an amateur Horiike fought about 28 times, winning the majority of those bouts, and despite his lack of deep amateur pedigree, he did show a lot in that short amateur career, enough for some in Japan to be very excited about the 22 year old hopeful who made a mark at the 2023 All Japan Championships. He is fighting in and around the 140lb weight class, and has been open about wanting to be raced towards titles. Xie on the other hand has won both of his bouts, including a bout in Thailand last time out, and will be looking to play the roll over spoiler against a touted prospect. The other debutant is Reito Takahashi (0-0), who was much more proven in the amateurs than Horiike, with round 70 amateur bouts. Takahashi is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships, and whilst Horiike has an exciting style Takahashi has a more polished technical style, which looks like it could carry him to major success in the pros, even if his bouts aren’t always likely to be the most fun to watch. His opponent will also be a Chinese visitor, as he takes on Yumeng Yang (2-1, 1), who has faced very limited opponents and really not impressed against them. This should be a bit of a showcase for Takahashi who we think will be one to keep a very, very close eye on going forward. The most noteworthy of the non-debutant bouts will see former Rookie of the Year winner Shunpei Kubo (7-3-1, 5) look to get his career back on the right track following back to back TKO losses. Kubo, who showed a lot of promise before those losses will take on veteran Yoshihiro Utsumi (17-11-5, 10), who is now 40. Kubo is a talented fighter, though we dare say he started to believe in his power too much, and needs to farce some tough opponents, who can take his power, extend him later into bouts and give him a gut check, which we expect him to get here. Utsumi is no world beater but he is rugged and has only been stopped twice in his 11 losses. The JBC ranked fight on the show is the unbeaten Tatsuki Tokiyoshi (4-0-2, 3) who debuted in 2022, and is ranked more due to a lack of divisional depth than accomplishment and achievement, in fact his last win was back in 2022, and his last bout was a technical draw against Mongontsooj Nandinerdene around a year ago. He is expected to pick up an easy win here as he takes on limited 38 year old Mao Tameda (3-16-2), who has been stopped in his last 2 bouts and will likely suffer another early loss here. La Perle, Dubai, United Arab Emirates As well as the action in Japan, we also get some Asian fighters in Action in Dubai, as the gulf nations continue to put on a mix of huge shows, and some smaller ones. With this being a smaller one. One of the bouts with Asian significance will see Indian fighter Digari Mahesh (9-3-1, 5) take on unbeaten Canadian Helmand Meran Alekozai (12-0, 5) in an 8 rounder at 140lbs. On paper this looks like a mismatch but Mahesh has pulled out a couple of surprise wins already, beating Kuldeep Dhanda, when Mahesh was 3-1-1 and Dhanda was 9-2, and beating Murodjon Yokubov last June. As for Alekozai he’s very well traveled having had bouts in Czechia, Canada, the UK, China, Mexico and Dubai. Not only is he well traveled but he has also been able to prove himself as a solid puncher, and against decent competition. Alekozai will be the clear favourite, but Mahesh is an upset minded fighter and will look to spring a surprise here. In an all Asian-bout one beaten Pakistani Khalid Nasir (15-1, 11) will face Thai veteran Aekkawee Kaewmanee (30-22 17) in a bout for the WBC Asian Light Welterweight title. Nasri, who was born and raised in Dubai, has got a good looking record but was shocked in 2023 by the limited Zabeh Shamiyev, though has won 3 straight since then all inside the distance. The Thai, who is also known as Patomsith Pathompothong, has had massively mixed results through his career. At least on paper. In reality he's padded his record with easy wins against novices, debutants and career losers, but struggled when facing any adversity. We can't see that changing here, and would be surprised if he saw the final bell against Nasir. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday attention turns to Korkuen Hall for the next show to be shown by Abema TV, and whilst it’s not a huge card, it is certainly a notable one with a fast rising prospect taking a huge step up in class to face off with a former long term champion. The prospect in question is the exceptional Hayato Tsutsumi (4-0, 1) who steps up to take on Panamanian great Anselmo Moreno (43-6-1, 15), a former long reigning WBA Bantamweight champion. The talented Tsutsumi has been groomed for success since ending his excellent amateur career and has shown his ability with wins over 3 solid Filipino fighters, including Pete Apolinar and Jeo Santisima, and a very impressive dismantling of Luis Moncion Ventura back in December. He is expected to become a world champion down the line, and is following in the footsteps of many other Japanese fighters who have been fast tracked following great amateur careers. As for Moreno he is now 38 and is a faded force, but the slippery southpaw was, at one point, a legitimate pound for pound top 10 fighter and a dominant champion at 118lbs, where he beat the likes of Vic Darchinyan, Nehomar Cermeno, Mahyar Monshipour, Volodymyr Sydorenko and Tomas Rojas. At his best Moreno was one of the best pure boxers on the planet and whilst he is past his best, he has won his last 7 and he will look to make the most of his awkward style and experience against Tsutsumi, who will be expecting to be given a real test here. The main supporting bout will see Tsutusmi’s stablemate Ryuto Owan (11-2, 7) take on Filipino visitor Gary Tamayo (9-2, 5). The talented Owan has, at times, looked like one to watch with a lot to like, including speed and power, and at just 26 years old time is certainly on his side to notch some notable wins and pick up a title before his career is over. Sadly though his progress has been slowed by not only his two losses, including one in a Japanese title fight last year, but also a 2 year break between 2018 and 2020, and it does feel like he needs to begin to make up for lost time. Also his competition has, at times, left something to be desired, with a number of bouts against naturally smaller men on the back end of their careers. As for Tamayo the Filipino has shown some potential, and has scored win over some good younger domestic fighters, but with a loss last time out, to Joseph Ambo, he doesn’t have any real momentum coming into this bout, which will be his first outside of the Philippines. In another supporting bout we’ll see the once beaten Shun Sekine (9-1-1, 7) take on Thai visitor Attanon Kunlawong (22-13-1, 15). The 26 year old Sekine has been destructive since his sole loss, just over 2 years ago, and has stopped all 4 of his opponents since that defeat, in a combined 16 rounds. Whilst his competition hasn't been great, he has looked very spiteful, and it's clear he wants to move his career onto bigger and better things. Sadly Kunlawong has become little more than a whooping boy on the regional scene, with his career falling apart, following an 8-0 start. Once regarded as a genuine hope for Thailand, the now 28 year old has gone 14-13-1 in his last 28 bouts, and been stopped in all 13 of his losses. Given Sekin’s power and Kunlawong’s fragility, it’s hard to imagine this being anything other than another early loss for the Thai. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Sunday we get action from Osaka, with the show set to be streamed worldwide for free on the Osaka News Youtube channel. The show isn’t a massive one, but it is an interesting one, with several noteworthy bouts on it, including a Youth title bout, and two solid looking domestic bouts involving prospects. The main event will see WBC Youth Light Flyweight champion Yuga Ozaki (5-0-1, 4), who is being touted as the next star of boxing in Osaka, take on Thai challenger Kitidech Hirunsuk (12-6, 7), in what is Ozaki’s first defense. The talented 21 year old champion won the title in April 2023, and whilst he hasn't defended the belt since then he has stayed busy, going 2-0-1 since then and notched notable wins over Thai visitor Sitthisak Simsri and the under-rated Japanese foe Kenshi Noda. Ozaki is quick, super sharp, has solid power, and has been compared to Naoya Inoue by some of those in Osaka. As for the challenger he is a 21 year old Thai who has gone 0-4 outside of his homeland, and 0-3 in Japan, though has mixed with good company in those losses, including Riku Kano and Kenshi Noda. We know the Thai isn’t a top fighter, but he has proven to be tough, and should be a good test for Ozaki’s stamina, perhaps extending him the full 10 rounds for the first time. Another unbeaten hopeful on this card is JBC ranked teenager Ryusho Matsue (6-0, 1), who goes for win #7 as he takes on Natsu Ohashi (7-3-1, 5). Aged 19 Matsue has shown touches of real promise, with impressive speed and technical ability, which have helped him climb into the Japanese rankings, and score good wins over 4 previously unbeaten fighters, as well as the experienced Takefumi Higashi. Despite that this bout is a step up for him as it sees him scheduled in his first 8 rounder. Ohashi on the other hand is 25 years old and has had something of a frustrating career. He debuted in 2016, with 3 straight wins, but has gone 4-3-1 since then, and had a 4 year break from acton along the way. His most notable results are a decision against Mammoth Kazunori, in 2018, and a win in Vietnam earlier this year against Keon Kim. Ohashi will be hoping his power will be enough, whilst Matsue will be relying on his speed, in what could be the potential showstealer. The other bout featuring a prospect sees Hikaru Matsuoka (17-7-3, 3) serving as a genuine test for the once beaten Gakuto Yamaguchi (7-1, 5). The 29 year old Matsuoka is better than his record indicates, but has lost 3 of his last 4, and been stopped in his last 2. He's a capable fighter who once won the Japanese Youth Featherweight title, and holds solid wins over the likes of Richard Pumicpic and Daisuke Hasui, though he lacks power and has been stopped in 5 of his 7 losses. Yamaguchi on the other hand is a genuine prospect, who's 22 years old and won his first 7 bouts, before losing a wide decision to the hotly tipped Shunpei Ohata in September. This will be his first bout since that loss, and it's a credible step up from the opponents he was facing earlier in his career. Yamaguchi will feel he has the power to take out Matsuoka, who will feel his experience, at much higher level, will be his key to victory. The main event on this show was originally planned to see Osaka native Riku Kano (22-4-2, 11) take on Thai visitor Jakpan Sangtong (15-9, 13), in what was being described as a world title prelude for Kano. That bout has now been cancelled, leaving Kano open to negotiate a world title fight, with rumours swirling that a deal has been done for him to face Anthony Olascuaga (6-1, 4) in summer for the vacant WBO Flyweight title. |
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