Candelaria, Quezon, Philippines
This this coming Monday our attention turns to Quezon for MANO MANO 3 SA CANDELARIA. The card isn’t a big one, bu8t does feature some noteworthy fighters, including two genuine veterans in the main event, and a talented regional hopeful in one of the supporting bouts. The main bout will see former regional title challenger Eduardo Mancito (21-16-2, 10) take on Jhon Gemino (24-18-1, 13), in a bout between two well regarded and well travelled veterans. Mancito is, surprisingly, just 32 and has been a professional since 2011. He has faced a genuine who’s who in his 39 fight career, including Rey Vargas, Tomas Rojas, Alberto Guevara, Satoshi Shimizu, Charly Suarez and Jazza Dickens, and whilst he has lost to his most notable foes he has fought as an upset minded fighter and is rugged, with just 4 stoppages in 16 losses. Like his opponent Gemino is 32 has also faced a who’s who, since starting his career way back in 2009. He debuted against Froilan Saludar and has been a mainstay as a journeyman through not just Asia, but the lower weights in general, losing to the likes of Andres Gutierrez, Daniel Rosas, Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr, Christian Gonzalez, Tugstsogt Nyambayar, Emanuel Navarrete, Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov and Hayato Tsutusmi. Although he has got 18 losses he also has some very notable wins, stopping the likes of Toto Helebe, Toka Kahn Clary, Sho Nakazawa, Carlos Ornelas and Arnold Alejandro all on away soil, to give him one of the most misleading records in the sport. Neither of these men are world beaters, but on their day they are a tough out for those not at world class. Against each other, it really will be a case of who turns up the hungrier, and the more in shape, for what is a really good bout, maybe the best we could get for fighters with a combined 34 losses. In a supporting bout we’ll see Evander Dogwe (5-2, 2) look to bounce back from a recent blow out as he takes on the once promising Ronel Sumalpong (9-2-1, 6), who’s career has sadly lost all the momentum it once had. Sumalpong had started his career 8-1-1, beating the likes of Adrian Lerasan, and taking the unbeaten records of Ruben Dadivas and Ian Refuela, before losing a razor thin decision in the UBS Flyweight tournament final to April Jay Abna in 2019. Sadly after that loss he was out of the ring for 5 years before returning last year to beat Jecker Buhawe. Sumalpong is a talent, and if he can focus on the sport he could, very easily, find himself in the mix at regional level in the coming years. As for Dogwe, he was stopped inside a round in September by Charlie Adtoon, a result that doesn't bode well for him here.
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KBS Hall, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
This coming Sunday attention turns to Kyoto for a small card at the KBS Hall, which will be shown on delay on the BMB Boxing Gym Youtube. Sadly the card really is a low quality one, with 9 bouts scheduled for it including 8 bouts scheduled for 4 rounds. The one bout that isn’t a 4 rounder is an 8 round Super Flyweight bout, as JBC ranked Bantamweight Yamato Moriguchi (8-0-1, 3) takes on Riku Yamashita (7-2-1, 3), in a very good looking match up. The 21 year old Moriguchi made a name for himself in 2023, when he won the All Japan Rookie of the Year, but sadly failed to really build on it last year, as he fought just once in 2024 stopping a Thai visitor inside 35 seconds. Given his age he is very much a work in progress but has plenty of potential and Kuratoki Gym do have a genuine prospect on their hands. As for Yamashita he’s a 24 year old who has lost 2 of his last 3, losing a decision to Daichi Hirai and being stopped by Otoya Inuzuka, but is no pushover and will be coming to give Moriguchi a real test here. We’re expecting something of a technical bout here, and it could be a very well contested one, to headline what is a very small show. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday in Tokyo we get a good looking double header from Korakuen Hall as we get the 29th WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT. The main event will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight Subaru Murata (8-0, 8) make his first defense, as he takes on Filipino challenger Joseph Ambo (14-4-1, 9). Murata, who has long been tipped as one to watch following a successful amateur career, won the title in October, winning a thriller with Kaito Yamasaki, will know that if he can continue to pick up notable wins and work his way up the world rankings he might be able to pick up a title in a post Naoya Inoue Super Bantamweight division in 2026. He will however need to tighten up from the Yamasaki fight, where he was dropped, and a fight with Ambo is the ideal first defense. Ambo is no world beater but the Filipino is tough, hits hard enough to hurt fighters at this level, and is upset minded, as we saw when he shocked Darren Cunningham. He can be out boxed, as Kenji Fujita did a year ago, but he can't be overlooked and will give Murata good rounds. Notably Murata has only had 34 pro rounds in 8 bouts, and could do with going deep in a bout and Ambo might well drag him into the later rounds. The other title fight will see the fast rising Ryusei Matsumoto (4-0, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese Minimumweight title, as he battles Masatora Okada (9-5-1, 3). Matsumoto looks to be the next Japanese star at 105lbs, and has followed up an excellent amateur career by really impressing in his first 4 professional bouts, beating opponents with a combined 36-10-2 record, and claiming the Japanese title. In the ring Matsumoto looks like one of those fighters who can really do it all, and it all looks so natural, smooth and easy for him. His win over Katsuki Mori, for the title, late last year was an eye opener for many, and we suspect he will look to build on that moment here, then move onwards and upwards towards potential world title fights in late 2025 or early 2026. The under-card is also packed with really interesting fights. One of those is at 135lbs where Reo Saito (5-1, 5) takes on Go Hosaka (7-3-1, 5). Saito seemed to be on the fast track until he was beaten by the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai, and this will be his second bout since then, as he looks to rebuild his momentum. He's heavy handed, talented, and a former stand out amateur, who at 26 years old still has his best years ahead of him. As for Hosaka he was touted early in his career, but has gone 2-3-1 in his last 6, including an 8 round decision loss to Ryo Nakai, and is now pretty much fighting to give his career a second chance after his recent setbacks. Given the styles of the two men and the mentality of both, and their need for a big performance, this could be an excellent contest, with real drama for both men. On paper Junya Shimada (7-0-1, 2) clashing with Filipino Jing Aguan (6-1, 4) should be good, however it does feel like Shimada should pick up the win here. The local is a really talented fighter, but he lacks the power to make a major mark on the top of the domestic scene, especially given how strong the Japanese scene is at and around 126lbs, for the time being. Despite that he does have a win over Michael Casama that has aged well. Aguan is a 31 year old Filipino who's wins have come at a very low level, with only his debut coming against a fighter with a winning record. Notably he was stopped last time out, taken out in 7 rounds by Fernando Tagpuno Jr., and really has nothing on his record to suggest he could test Shimada, despite how good it looks on paper. Having briefly mentioned Michael Casama it's worth noting that his former victim Kota Kaneko (6-1, 5) will be seeking his second win since being blown out by Casama in July 2024, as he takes on Christian Jude Capuno (7-2, 3). Prior to his loss Kaneko was building plenty of momentum but was totally jumped on by Casama and had no response when Casama hurt him. That will be a serious learning experience and something he will have learned more from than many of his wins. The 23 year old Capuno, who like Aguan and Ambo is also a Filipino on this card, is taking a huge step up here, and has already been stopped twice. He was once fighting at Flyweight, and whilst he last made 112lbs back in 2019 we suspect he'll look small here against the hard hitting and strong Kaneko who will be looking to make a real statement to begin the new year. Prudential Center, New Jersey, USA Over in the US former 2-weight world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) will look to bounce back from her 2024 loss to Shurretta Metcalf, as she takes on Hungarian fighter Beata Dudek (5-5, 4). The bout has been put together at short notice and appears to be a case of the talented Yoshida getting some ring time, rather than having a long lay off. Her career has, sadly, been full of lengthy breaks, and it's been a case of Yoshida not really getting to build on her momentum of big wins. She only fought once in 2020, once in 2021, once in 2022 and once in 2024. Her last fight, her second loss to Metcalf, came in October and despite this being a stay busy fight, we are glad to see her being kept busy. As for Dudek, the Hungarian debuted in 2023, won her first 3 fights, and managed to fit in 7 fights last year. Whilst she did go 2-5 during the year, she was never stopped and will be on there to give Yoshida good rounds, the sort of thing the Japanese fighter needs ahead of a potential third bout with Metcalf later this year. Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Philippines
This coming Saturday attention turns to the Iligan City, for a show featuring some notable Filipino fighters, including a former world champion and several former world title contenders. Sadly though the bouts don’t really look the most interesting, and instead seems to be a case of the most notable fighters being matched relatively softly. The most notable of the fighters on the show is former long term IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (35-4-2, 23) who takes on 37 year old veteran Richie Mepranum (38-9-1, 12). The talented Ancajas is on the slide, and spent far too long making weight for divisions he really wasn’t at 100% for. He had a frame that really could have seen him make a mark at 122lbs had he moved up earlier, but his two wars with Fernando Daniel Martinez in 2022 do feel like bouts that took a lot from him, and a TKO loss to Takuma Inoue in 2024 was a major surprise. Despite that he should have far, far too much for Mepranum, who was once a very solid fighter and holds a 2010 win over Hernan Marquez. Sadly though he's a former Flyweight who is now 37, fighting well above his best weight, lacks power and has suffered 7 stoppage losses, including 2 in his last 6, whilst also being inactive with just 4 bouts since 2020. This really should be little more than a showcase and confidence builder for Ancajas. Another notable fighter on this show is former IBF Minimumweight title contender Samuel Salva (20-2, 13), who will be looking to bounce back from a 2024 loss to Yudai Shigeoka. The "Silent Assassin" has gone 3-1 since losing in an IBF title fight to Pedro Taduran in September 2019, and his lack of activity is a real shame as there was plenty to like about him, and he showed against Shigeoka that there was plenty of miles still in the tank. At just 27 Salva shouldn’t be written off. Sadly though a win over the 2025 version of Jomar Caindog (12-5-1, 5) is unlikely to do much for him. At one point Caindog seemed like he could be a fixture on the regional scene, and gave Jing Xiang a very competitive bout in 2019. Sadly though he has gone 2-3 since then, and suffered a blowout loss to Kyosuke Takami in November, and a dominant 1-sided loss to Ryusei Matsumoto in early 2024. Given recent results this looks like little more than solid work out for Salva. The other notable name on this show will be Jesse Espinas (22-7,13) who seemed to be on the verge of a world title fight for several years, but never landed the big one and has now really fallen off the map. At one point Espinas was 19-2, with notable wins over Lito Dante, Pai Pharob and Joey Canoy. Sadly though he is 2-5 since then and although he will be strongly favoured to make that 3-5, his form really is poor. Looking for the upset here will be Jerald Paclar (17-8-4, 10) who will be the major under-dog, but is an upset minded fighter who gave former world champion Khalid Yafai real trouble in 2022. Sadly he is 1-3-1 in his last 5, but is very much a hungry fighter who comes to score the upset. On paper he shouldn’t have a chance, but in reality, he’s a very live under-dog against someone who appears to have lost their own hunger. Of the three notable bouts, this is one that looks the most interesting, and the only one with the potential to see an upset. Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
The end of 2024 was a disappointing one for fans of big Japanese shows, with two major changes to the scheduled plans for late December. The biggest of those saw a card scheduled for December 24th being postponed, thankfully that was just pushed back a month, and we were set to get the same card this coming Friday. We say we were set, but that was before two issues arose afterwards. The main event was supposed to see Undisputed Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25) take on IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman (19-0, 8). This was the bout that forced the show to be pushed back a month originally, with Goodman suffering a cut in his final sparring session. Sadly Goodman suffered another cut before the rescheduled date and was replaced at short notice, by reserve fighter Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2, 13) from South Korea. Goodman would have been a mandatory, though his pull out, under 2 weeks from the show, leaves the mandatory situation unclear at the time of writing, and whilst his replacement is a huge downgrade we’re glad to see Inoue back in the ring, especially after issues in the past that have kept him out of the ring. With the plan being for Inoue to fight 4 times this year, we suspect many will forget this fight at the end of the year, however a fighter being active is a good thing, and one weak opponent, on 2 weeks notice, is better than not fighting at all. Although a win over Kim is rather meaningless for Inoue’s legacy, wins against then unified champions Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales, Luis Nery and TJ Doheny already have him a cut above the rest at 122lbs, and with a mandatory against Murodjon Akhmadaliev planned for later in the year it’s clear this will be little more than a tune up and stay busy before facing “MJ”. Sadly the main event wasn’t the only bout which was taken over by injury issues, with a planned WBO Bantamweight world title defense between unbeaten champion Yoshiki Takei (10-0, 8) and Thai challenger Yuttapong Tongdee (15-0, 9) being cancelled when Takei was injured in training. This leaves a good card, looking a bit weak overall, though the rest of the show is good for what it is, the two main bouts being affected by injuries have damaged this card massively. Thankfully we do get some of the planned bouts, with one of those being the next defense for unified regional Welterweight champion Jin Sasaki (18-1-1, 17), who defends his WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles against the rugged Shoki Sakai (29-14-3, 15), in what could end up being a very interesting bout. Sasaki is someone who has a genuine aura about him and oozes star power, with a compelling look, an exciting style, frightening power, and the sort of flaws that make him vulnerable and make his bouts musty watch. Sakai on the other hand is flawed, but tough, rugged, strong and comes forward. Technically he’s very flawed, he’s easy to hit, slow, and lacks power, but his toughness and will to win could drag Sasaki into deep waters, or he could find himself up against someone who simply has too much power. Potentially the best bout on the card, given the alterations to the card, will not be a title fight, but will see champions facing off, as Japanese Super Featherweight champion Tsubasa Narai (14-2, 10) takes on WBO Asia Pacific champion Kai Watanabe (13-1-1, 7), though the bout will be above the championship limit and neither man will be risking their titles. Both of these men have power, both are skilled and both are looking to launch themselves beyond regional level, and into the mix at world level. Narai has won his last 6, since losing in 2022 to Kosuke Saka. The run hasn't been a who's who, but has included notable wins against domestic fighters like Hiro Ichimichi, Soreiki Taichi, Yuna Hara and Kanta Fukui, good wins, but none that will propel him to mixing on the fringes of world level. Instead he needs to score a few more wins against international level fighters. As for Watanabe the 22 year old is talented, though did frustrate in some recent bouts, including razor thin wins over Shinsei Otani and Shunpei Ohata. Those struggles were however easy to forget when he blasted out Toshihiro Suzuki back in August, in a sensational performance that really boosted his standing. Like Narai he’s a few wins short of being in the world title mix, but a win here really would set him up for a huge year. In a Japanese title fight, Super Bantamweight champion Toshiki Shimomachi (19-1-3, 12) will defend his title against Misaki Hirano (11-1, 4). There had been some mention of Shimomachi being a potential reserve opponent for Goodman, in the main event, but it never looked on with Shimomachi knowing he isn’t ready for world level. Despite that he’s not far off getting into the regional title mix, and a win over Hirano may well be one of his final at domestic level. He’s a talented fighter, who was given an excellent test last time out, by Ryuya Tsugawa. He's talented, and could mix at world level after Inoue leaves the division, but the 28 year old Southpaw from Osaka is still very much a work in progress. As for Hirano, the challenger is on a 10 fight winning streak, including the 2021 All Japan Rookie of the Year, but his competition hasn't been close to the top of the domestic tree, with his most meaningful win coming in December 2023 against Ryo Suwa. This is a massive step up for him, and it’s hard to see him giving Shimomachi too much of a test, but he will be hungry and will know this is a chance to impress on a major card, shown globally. We have another title bout on this show, as WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight champion Goki Kobayashi (8-1, 5) defends against former Japanese champion Yuni Takada (15-8-3, 6). On paper this doesn’t look like a really tough defense for Kobayashi, however paper doesn’t tell us much of the story here. Kobayashi was put on the fast track from the off and the 25 year old is now enjoying his second reign with the WBO Asia Pacific title, which he originally won in his 5th bout, before losing it in his second defense, then regained it a fight later, with this being his second defense of his second reign. He’s talented, has good power, and has had tough seasoning since his debut in 2021. As for Takada, who actually gave up the Japanese title to actively chase this bout, and Kobayashi’s title, he’s only 26 but very much a battled hardened 26 year old, who debuted in 2015 and was stopped twice in his first 4 bouts, and 4 times in his first 14. He's not been stopped since 2019 however, and has gone 7-2-2 since then, whilst winning his last 7 in a row winning the Japanese title along the way, and recorded 4 defense. Given his form, his pursuit of this bout, and his experience Takada, whilst the very clear under-dog, is very much a live under-dog here, in what is a brilliant bout at 105lbs. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
On January 21st we’ll get a rare all-female card at Korakuen Hall. Not only is the card an all female one, but it's one with a staggering 6 title fights on it, 3 Japanese national title fights, two regional title fights and a world title fight, as 4 vacancies get filled. The first of the 6 title fights will see the unbeaten Megumi Watanabe (3-0-6, 1), who may well sport the most unique unbeaten record of any fighter ever with 6 draws in her first 9 fights, taking on Mont Blanc Miki (6-8-1, 2) in a bout for the vacant Japanese Atomweight title. Aged 35 Watanabe has been a professional since 2021 and went on a genuinely crazy run of 5 successive draws between October 2022 and February 2024. Whilst she is unbeaten she has struggled to get over the winning line, winning just 1 of her last 7 bouts. Miki on the other hand 6th shot at the Japanese title, though has faced a mini who's who, losing to the likes of Eri Matsuda and Marina Loreto, whilst bouncing between Atomweight and Minimumweight. Miki has the edge in experience and the class she has fought against, but with Watanabe’s desire this is a really hard one to call, and that’s despite the very different looking records. The second title fight will see Kanae Maehara (4-2-2) take on the unbeaten Sazanami Valu (4-0-1, 1) to become the new Japanese female Minimumweight champion. The 35 year old Maehara is the more experienced, and comes into this on the back of a 3 fight unbeaten run which has included a win over Kaori Nagai and a draw, in Korea, against Ye Kyeng Seo. Unsurprisingly her 2023 clash with Megumi Watanabe ended in a draw. Valu on the other hand is a 21 year old who debuted in late 2022, fought to a draw with Megumi Watanabe last year and most recently beat a Thai visitor, to record her first stoppage. This could genuinely be a pretty solid fight between two hungry fighters who are well matched, though we do wonder if the youth of Valu will be the difference maker. The third title fight, this time a Japanese Bantamweight title fight, will see Nana Yamashita (5-2, 3) battle against Nodoka Furukawa (4-0-1), again for the vacant title. Yamashita The 26 year old Yamashita has fought for the title before, losing a split decision to Hinami Yanai, but outside of that bout the most notable is an opening round loss very early in her career to Sari Metcalf. As for Furukawa, the 22 year old actually fought to a draw with Yanai for the title last year, and holds a win over the aforementioned Sari Metcalf. On comparable results Furukawa should be the favourite however Yamashita definitely has the edge in power. In the first of the two regional title fights Honoka Kano (8-1-2, 2) will be defending her OPBF Atomweight title against Riho Yoshida (5-1-1, 1), with this being Kano’s second defense. The talented Kano is a 30 year old who will likely be hoping to progress beyond regional level and mix it at world level. She has scored 4 straight wins since her 2022 loss to Sumire Yamanaka, who stopped Kano in 5 rounds in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Atomweight title. Those wins have seen Kano win the Japanese title, which she defended 3 times, and unifying the title with the OPBF belt, scoring two wins over Mont Blanc Miki and a notable one over Nao Sakamoto. As for Yoshida, her most notable bout is a 2024 loss to Nao Ugawa, for the WBO Asia Pacific Atomweight title. That bout aside, there is very little on her record to talk about and this seems like a major step up for her. The other regional title bout will see the aforementioned Nao Ugawa (5-0) make her first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Atomweight title, as she takes on Kaho Munetoshi (4-1, 2). Ugawa won the title with her win against Yoshida, back in June last year, and that’s her biggest win to date, though she does also hold wins over Reika Kawaguchi and Kanae Maehara. As for the challenger Munetoshi is a 28 year old who made her debut 2 years ago, and despite losing her second professional bout things have come together for her, and she scored a very solid domestic win over Nao Sakamoto back in September. This is a step up from that fight, but she has proven to be dangerous early on and will look to make her edge in power count here. The main event will see a new world champion being crowned, as former multi-time world champion Yuko Kuroki (23-8-2, 10) faces unbeaten Korean Ye Kyeng Seo (7-0-3, 5) for the vacant WBA Female Minimumweight title. Kuroki is the one world class fighter on the card, being a former champion at both Atomweight and Minimumweight, having also unified 2 of the Atomweight titles and recorded 7 defenses across her title reigns. Now aged 33 she is probably coming to the end of her prime, but is still very much a world class fighter, and will be strongly favoured to reclaim a world title here. As for Seo she comes into this unbeaten, but on the back of successive draws, against Kanae Maehara and Riyuna Yoshikawa, and only a single win over a fighter with a winning record, with that being limited Thai Kullathida Kueasanor who has lost 2 of her 3 bouts following a 2023 loss to Seo. Kuroki really should be levels above Seo and make this look rather easy, with Seo finding out what world class is all about. Editors note - Following this being made ready to publish, Megumi Watanabe's bout with Miki Mont Blanc was cancelled. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday we get the first Dynamic Glove show of the year, and it’s a great one, with 3 regional title bouts and the next bout of a fast rising prospect that some in Japan are viewing as a major part of the future of Japanese boxing. In the main event we’ll see the hard hitting and really promising Mikito Nakano (11-0, 10) look to make his first defense of the OPBF Featherweight title, as he takes on fellow Japanese fighter Hiroki Hanabusa (13-3-5, 5). The 29 year old Nakano has long been viewed as a potential star for Teiken, but it took him almost 6 years to win his first title, which he did last year when he stopped Bryx Piala in 4 rounds for the OPBF title. Given his undeniable ability it does feel like he’s been moved a bit too slowly, but if he’s busy this year he could well be knocking on the door of a world title. He’s talented, heavy handed, quick, and seems to have it all, other than a real breakout win, which he will hope to get in 20025. As for Hanabusa he's an upset minded fighter who has got some really good domestic wins under his belt, against Kyonosuke Kameda and Kai Watanabe, and he has never lost at Featherweight, with losses at Super Bantamweight and Super Featherweight. Hanabusa is tough and interestingly he will be Nakano’s first Japanese opponent since December 2020, the only time Nakano has gone the distance, when he faced Ruito Saeki. In a Flyweight title bout Jukiya Iimura (7-1, 2) will face Filipino fighter Lorenz Dumam-ag (10-0-1, 7) in a fight for the vacant OPBF Flyweight title. Coming into this Iimura is the Japanese national champion and he has rebuilt excellently since a 2022 loss to Esneth Domingo, in his only previous bout against a Filipino, winning 4 in a row which has seen him win the Japanese title, and run up 3 defenses of the title. In the ring Iimura tends to be in good fights, partly relying on his amateur boxing skills, and partly hamstrung by his lack of power, which tends to see him getting dragged into fun fights, with his bout against Yuga Inoue being a sensational fight. As for the Filipino, Dumam-ag is flawed, but has got real power and goes by the nickname “Shotgun”. He has taken 4 unbeaten records in his last 5 bouts, and is best known for his controversial win over Ramel Macado Jr, where the time keeper messed up failing to ring the bell after 3 minutes after the first round. If he can drag Iimura into a firefight he has a real chance here to claim his biggest win to date Nakano isn’t the only regional Featherweight champion defending his title, as stablemate Kenji Fujita (7-0, 3) makes his second defense of the WBO Asia Pacific title and takes on hard hitting Filipino Michael Casama (10-2-1, 10). The talented Fujita was a stellar amateur, and his talent is undeniable, but his ability to reach the top as a professional does seem limited, with the 30 year old Southpaw lacking the time and power to make a mark at the elite level of the professional ranks. Despite that he is talented, and he can certainly box, and we wouldn’t be surprised by him having a long reign as a regional champion. As for Casama, the Filipino is dangerous, as he showed last time out, when he upset the much fancied Kota Kaneko in 125 seconds, but he does struggle when taken rounds, as seen in losses to Pablito Canada and Junya Shimada. If Fujita can see out the early storm that Casama brings to the table, he should have the tools to take a clear decision win. Also on this show is fast rising Japanese teenager Sento Ito (2-0, 2), who debuted as a professional in April 2024 and will seek his third win in 9 months as he takes on Filipino Alvin Camique (9-3, 4). Ito, who fights around Bantamweight, looks to be a fantastic prospect, he blew out Yotin Thongkhan on debut, in 55 seconds, then showed he had plenty of stamina as he broke down the teak tough Guangheng Luan in 8 rounds 5 months later. This is a genuine step up with Camique having never been stopped, and being upset minded, as seen in his 2023 win over the then 8-0 John Vincent Pangga and his 2024 win over Ben Ligas. Notably he was beaten last time in Japan, when he lost to Ryo Mandokoro, but was competitive and should serve as a real test for Ito. Commerce Casino, Commerce, California, USA
This coming Friday our attention turns to California, for a very notable show with some solid Asian fighters on it, including a world champion, and an upset minded Filipino and a somewhat forgotten, though once touted, Kazakh. The world champion is WBO female Super Flyweight champion Mizuki Hiruta (6-0, 2), who looks to make her third defense as she takes on experienced Mexican challenger Maribel Ramirez (15-10-4, 3). The fun to watch Hiruta was earmarked for success from her professional debut and thrown in with a former world title challenger in just her second professional bout following that she won the Japanese Flyweight title, then moved up in weight to claim the WBO Super Flyweight title, which she has defended twice, scoring stoppages in both bouts, and looking like a much more destructive fighter than she had early in her career. Sadly she’s not been the most active champion, defending the belt just twice since winning it in December 2022, but she will know this is a huge opportunity to make a name for herself and open the door to more fights. As for Ramirez the Mexican veteran is experienced, but has generally lost to the top fighters. She serves as a good type of opponent for Hiruta, and shouldn’t have anything to beat the champion with, but someone Hiruta can showcase what she’s about against. A clever bit of matchmaking, and a great chance for the charismatic champion to boost her profile in the west. In another bout on the card the unbeaten Omar Cande Trinidad (17-0-1, 13) will take on the often under-rated Mike Plania (31-4, 18), from the Philippines. Trinidad, an American fighter, started his career in Mexico with a draw, but has been reeling off good wins recently over the likes of Viktor Slavinskyi and Hector Andres Sosa. His form has seen him win and defend the WBC Continental Americas Featherweight title and begin climbing his way to a world title shot. As for Plania, he has been somewhat forgotten since a career best win over Joshua Greer Jr in June 2020. That win should have boosted his career massively, given the hype around Greer, but sadly he has gone 7-3 since then, moved through the weights and suffered losses to Ra'eese Aleem, Elijah Pierce and Angelo Leo. He’s a solid fighter, but no big enough or strong enough for the fringe world level guys at Featherweight and this could well be a 3rd TKO loss in 6 bouts for the Filipino One other fighter who seems to have been forgotten is Kazakh Ali Akhmedov (22-1, 16), who faces Malcolm Jones (17-4-1, 10) at Super Middleweight. Akhmedov won his first 16 and had real momentum behind him, before losing in a barn burner in 2020 to Carlos Gongora, in a bout that should have helped establish both men as guys to watch. Sadly Gongora was given well deserved chances after that win, but Akhmedov was somewhat forgotten. Since then he has scored 6 wins, including one over Gabriel Rosado in 2022 and one over Pierre Hubert Dibombe last September. Win or lose Akhmedov is a fun fighter to watch and should be on bigger shows, even if his potential isn’t world level, he’s exciting and makes exciting fights. As for Jones the American has been found to have something of a lack of durability, with 4 stoppage losses including 3 in his last 6 fights, and Akhmedov should be seeing this as a chance to get a quick win. Despite that, Jones does have some pop and could well hurt Akhmedov if the Kazakh gets too wild. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the action in California, the day will also give us a small Japanese card at Korakuen Hall, under the Dangan banner. The fighters on this show are mostly rookies, but two bouts do stand out as being perhaps worthy of some attention. The most significant bout on the card will be between Yuna Kimura (1-0) and Maiko Iwasaki (1-0, 1), who come in as the 9th and 8th ranked female Bantamweights in Japan and will take a notable step towards a title fight with a win. The 19 year old Kimura made her debut in November 2024, beating Hana Tanihara with a razor thin decision, and will know that she'll need to be better than she was there to win a national title, though of course that was her debut, and she’ll want to show some clear improvements here. As for Iwasaki, she's a 32 year old Southpaw, who looks like she's probably better suited to Flyweight than Bantamweight. In her debut she stopped a fellow debutant in 3 rounds. Interestingly it appears this bout will be fought at 115lbs, and now 118lbs despite their rankings. Another interesting match up on the show will see unbeaten men collide as Kai Matsumoto (3-0, 2) battles Yuta Hayashi (2-0, 1). Aged 20 Matsumoto is a youngster who comes into this on the back of a very good 2024, which saw him picking up 3 wins. He has clear potential, but has been facing fellow novices, and we’ve no idea how he will be able to develop his potential, and realise the early promise he’s been showing. He’s a relatively tall southpaw who fights at Bantamweight and has stopped his last two after a hard fought decision in his debut. Hayashi is older, at 26, and also had a good 2024, notching 2 wins both against unbeaten fighters, and his competition has been tougher than Matsumoto’s so far, though it’s fair to say that Matsumoto will be hoping his edge in size will be the difference maker here. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The first Japanese show of the new year takes place this coming Tuesday from Korakuen Hall, thanks to Suruga Danji Promotions, who put on a card littered with promising talent, including a notable debutant and a man once tipped for major success, though now needs to get his career back on track after a number of injuries. In the main event we’ll see the once beaten Shunpei Ohata (3-1, 2) take on former world title challenger Karoon Jarupianlerd (55-15, 29). The 24 year old Ohata has bounced back since suffering a razor thin win in a Japanese Youth title fight against Kai Watanabe in April 2024, scoring a good TKO win over Rhonvex Capuloy, and it's clear his team believe he’s a special talent, with a very bright future. They aren’t protecting him, and instead have pushed him hard from the off, taking on a 7-0 fighter in his debut, Watanabe in his third bout and now a former world title challenger in his 5th bout, and will be hoping he can continue to impress. As for Jarupianlerd, also known as Petchbarngborn Kokietgym, he is well known in Japanese circles where he has fought numerous times since 2010. His most notable bouts have been against Japanese fighters, losing to Kohei Kono, Sho Ishida, Naoya Inoue, Kazuki Nakajima, and whilst Ohata isn’t as established as any of those were at the time they beat the Thai. A win for Ohata might not mark him as a future world champion in the making, but this is an excellent bit of matchmaking and should be seen as chance for Ohata to get some good rounds against an experienced, though much smaller, fighter. One of the other main bouts will see the very talented Rentaro Kimura (8-1, 4) face off with Yuri Takemoto (9-3-1, 5). When he turned professional we were hugely excited to see Kimura’s rise through the ranks, and he was expected to be a genuine sat from Shizuoka, though has failed to come close to meeting expectations, in part due to hand injuries, which have resulted in his fighting only 4 times since a September 2021 win over Yoji Saito, and only once in 2022 and once in 2024. He has also had issues making weight, missing weight for his most recent fight. At his best he is an excellent fighter, but with the issues piling up it’s now time for the 27 year old Southpaw to kick on. As for Takemoto he's been even less active, and since losing in a Japanese Featherweight title fight in 2020, to Ryo Sagawa, he has fought just twice with the most recent bout being a win over Thai visitor Atthachai Prasoetsri. He started his career 8-1-1 (4) but now seems to be a man who has already started to look past the sport, and a loss to Kimura will probably be the end of his in ring career. On paper the pick of the bouts is, possibly, the clash between Yuya Tanaka (3-1, 2) and Yushi Yamaguchi (2-0). Tanaka is a 25 year old from the Ohashi gym, who is a tall rangy southpaw with a solid Japan, who suffered his only pro loss in a competitive decision to Hiroki Ogawa, and has notched a single win since then. With 56 amateur bouts to his name Tanaka is an experienced fighter with a lot of potential. Yamaguchi on the other hand is a 23 year old from the Misako Gym who notched a 29-12 amateur record and has looked impressive picking up a debut win over Wesley Caga then traveling to Korea and beating Dong Yub Lee. This will be Yamaguchi’s first scheduled 8 rounder, and is, on paper, a step up, but these two should make for an excellent technical battle. In a really exciting debut, we’ll get the chance to see Haruya Ogo (0-0) kick off his professional career, as he battles Chinese visitor Hu Xiong (4-1, 3). The 18 year old Ogo went 41-8 in the amateurs, won several High School tournaments and looked like one to keep an eye on going forward. He’s not with a huge promoter, fighting out of the Kichijoji Tekken 8 Gym in Musashino City, but he’s likely to be one of the gym’s major focus points and will be given opportunities due to the gym’s good relationships with other gyms. Here he is being thrown in deep on debut as the 23 year old Xiong is no push over, being a previous WBC Youth champion at 140lbs, and having 3 early wins to his name, including one on the road in Thailand. Notably he was beaten last time out, losing a 6 round decision to Guoqi Chu, but will look to chin check the teenager. Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines
This coming Sunday in Batangas City, we get Buntalan XIII, a show promoted by Rafael De La Cruz. It's a small card but one that does ease the Filipino scene into the new year. The main event of the show will see the hard hitting Erwin Banta (4-2-1, 4) take on experienced 24 year old Kresler Tenorio (6-12, 4) in a rematch of a bout the two men had back in November. In the previous bour between these two it took Banta 2 minutes to stop Tenorio, and it appears that is little more than going over old ground for the hard hitting hopeful Banta los his first 2 bouts, but is now unbeaten in 5 and appears to have some promise, but does need to face an actual test, not just blow out over-matched foes like Tenorio. As for Tenorio He has lost his last 5, 3 by stoppage, and looks to be a fighter who is perhaps lacking the desire to try and score wins of his own, unless he can land early. Another bout on this card which appears to lack much genuine competitiveness will see Richard Marino (1-0, 1) look to build on a blow out debut win, as he takes on John Russelle Orpinada (0-1). Marino scored his debut win in just 88 seconds whilst Orpinada was stopped on debut in 46 seconds, however it is worth noting that Orpinada did fight that bout at Flyweight and will be coming down in weight for this one. |
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