 T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
To close a 3 day fiesta of huge fights in the US we have a Top Rank card in Las Vegas on Sunday featuring the current star of Japanese boxing, returning to the US for the first time in almost 4 years, and the US debut of a rising Japanese star, who’s expected to fight for a world title sooner rather than later. The headline bout will see Undisputed Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26) defending his title against unheralded challenger Ramon Cardenas (26-1, 14). Inoue, fighting for the second time in 2025, was last seen in an American ring during 2021, when he stopped Michael Dasmarinas, back when he was a Bantamweight champion. Since then he has become Undisputed champion at both Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight, and scored legacy defining wins over Nonito Donaire, Stephen Fulton, Marlon Tapales and Luis Nery. Sadly though since his win over Nery, a year ago, his competition has dropped off, with wins over TJ Doheny and Ye Joon Kim being criticised, despite both coming about after issues securing a fight with Sam Goodman, and this fight, with Cardenas has also come about after issues getting a more notably fighter, in this case Alan Picasso. As for Cardenas, there is no pressure on him here, and he’s getting the opportunity of a lifetime, on the back of wins against the likes of Bryan Acosta, Jesus Ramirez Rubio, Israel Rodriguez Picazo and Rafael Pedroza. This isn't so much a step up in class for the challenger as an astronomical leap, however he deserves credit for saying yes when it seems others have said no to facing The Monster. In a supporting bout unbeaten Japanese hopeful Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11) will make his US debut, as he takes on Pedro Marquez Medina (16-1, 10). The hard hitting Nakano is the OPBF Featherweight champion, who was earmarked as one to watch since debuting in 2018. Had it not been for an injury during the Covid pandemic we genuinely feel he could well have been mixing at world level by now, but the injury slowed his progress drastically, and he's now making up for lost time. He's not seen the final bell since his 5th bout, an 8 round win over Ruito Saeki, and has won, and defended the OPBF title. As for As for Medina, he's unbeaten since a 2015 loss to Luis Lebron, winning 15 in a row since then. Whilst his competition hasn't been the toughest during that run he does hold some notable wins, including one over Felix Caraballo, one of Juan Carlos Pena and one over Alexander Meija, who Japanese fans may remember for his 2017 bout with Hiroshige Osawa. This has the feel of being “Nakano’s international debut” rather than a genuinely competitive bout. Wat Pak Bo School, Suan Luang, Bangkok, Thailand As well as the two notable bouts in Las Vegas, we also have a small card in Thailand, with two Thai title bouts on the show One of the title bouts will see the once beaten Wira Mikham (17-1, 11) take on Surasit Klinkason (4-5, 4) in a bout for the Thai Featherweight title. Despite his 17-1 record, there is a lack of real quality on Mikham's record. His most notable bout is a loss in the UK against Dayan Gonzalez, whilst his biggest wins are against much smaller men, such as Phai Pharob and Wittawas Basapean Despite that he should have far, far too much for Klinkason, who is 1-4 i his last 5, has been stopped 4 times in his last 5 bouts, and has failed to score a single win of note, in fact all 4 of his wins have come against fighters with either fewer wins than losses, or were making their debut. The other title bout will see Patumpong Saengarun (13-8, 7) battle against Bunchuai Phosungnoen (8-6-1, 6) for the Thai Middleweight title. On paper this looks competitive, though if we’re being honest Saengarun should have too much for his foe. The 33 year old Saengarun has only been stopped twice and recently went the distance with Japanese prospect Yukiya Ochiai. Interestingly Saengarun has gone 12-3 after a horror start to his career which began 0-4 and was 1-5 after 6 bouts. Phosungnoen on the other hand has been stopped in 5 of his 6 losses, has fought at 140lbs during his career and lacks anything on his record to get excited about. There is no momentum, there is no bout that has seen him show some toughness and nothing that suggests he can pick up a win here.
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 This coming Saturday is a huge day of action globally, and whilst much of the attention will be elsewhere, there is still some noteworthy Asian action, including two title bouts in Tokyo, a small card in Osaka and an even smaller show in Incheon.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The main card for Asian interest takes place at Korakuen Hall and features two rematches, for titles, along with a former Japanese champion looking to get back to winning ways against a promising unbeaten fighter looking for their career best win. The main event of the show will see the once beaten Jukiya Iimura (8-1, 2) look to make his first defense of the OPBF Flyweight title, as he takes on Filipino challenger Esneth Domingo (21-2, 13), the man who gave Iimura his sole loss, in what is not just an OPBF title fight but also, essentially, a world title eliminator. Iimura was 3-0 when he ran into Domingo for the first time, and was stopped in 6 rounds, in his next fight Iimura claimed the Japanese title, with a win over Josuke Nagata, and recorded 3 defenses before claiming the OPBF title in December. He’s a talented fighter, but very much a skilled one, without much in terms of power, and someone who can get dragged into the wrong type of fight. As for Domingo, the hard hitting Filipino has gone 4-0 (4) since beating Iimura, including a win in Japan over Kosuke Tomioka. Whilst his record might not show him to be a big puncher he now has 5 straight KO’s since his 2022 loss to Nhlanhla Tyirha and it appears the now 26 year old has started to believe in his own power, something that makes him very dangerous at this level. The other rematch will see Yudai Murakami (6-2) and Shuma Nakazato (15-3-3, 8) face off for the vacant Japanese Lightweight title, which was recently vacated by Hironori Mishiro after 2 successful defences. Nakazato and Murakami clashed in late 2023, with Nakazato taking a clear decision over Murakami to score his one, and only, successful defence of the Japanese title. Since their first bout Nakazato has gone 1-1, losing to Hironori Mishiro just over a year ago before beating Cristiano Aoqui in November. As for Murakami he is 2-0 since that loss, beating Hiro Ichimichi and Hiromasa Urakawa. Sadly for Murakami he lacks power and over 10 rounds that is a major issue against someone like Nakazato, who has solid and respectable pop, and solid boxing skills to go with his power. Hard to see revenge here, but the bout should be high level throughout. Whilst the other two bouts will be good high level boxing, with one guy who can bang a bit against someone who needs to walk something of a tightrope, the main under-card bout will see a monster puncher take on a very rugged and unbeaten fighter. That bout will see former Japanese 140lb champion Homura Fujita (12-2, 10) take on the unbeaten Eikichi Kawamura (5-0-1, 3) in a brilliant clash of styles. Fujita is a heavy handed puncher, who’s boxing has improved a lot in recent years, but is still more a puncher than a boxer, and that was shown in his title loss to Kuntae Lee, who showed Fujita what boxing was about. He’s still a work in progress, but at this level Fujita is very dangerous. As for Kawamura, he’s an aggressive, rugged, tough, strong type, who comes to fight, and force fighters to stand with him. Kawamura’s most notable result is a draw with former world title challenger Akihiro Kondo, and that bout, despite being a draw, will have instilled a confidence with him that he’ll look to build on here. Expected this one to be thrilling, violent, and explosive, with both men looking to not just win, but break down their foe. Yodogawa Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The other Japanese show, from Osaka, will be mostly 4 rounders, with the one exception being a 6 rounder between Masaki Kimura (4-2, 1) and Daigo Mori (5-5-1, 2). With a 4-2 record, Kimura will likely be the easy pick on paper, however the 32 year old southpaw has lost 2 of his last 4 and is 2-1 since turning to the sport in 2024, after almost a decade away. Given his age, inactivity, and recent results, it's hard to feel confident in him putting it together here. As for Mori the 26 year old has won his last 2 bouts, following a 0-4 run of fights between 2022 and 2024, and will feel he has some momentum coming into this. This is low level stuff, but should be entertaining for fans in attendance. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea A similar show, albeit a Korean one, to the Osaka card will take place in Incheon, where much of the card is again low level. On paper the most interesting bout on the card is a 6 rounder between Nam Joo Kim (3-3) and Jong Hwa Yoo (2-3-1, 1), who we suspect will put on a show. Neither man is going place, with both having lost 50% of their career bouts and neither having much in terms of power, but both will feel they have a chance to pick up a win here, and will likely put it all on the line for the win. Notably Yoo has lost his last 3 and the 29 year old is almost 5 years removed from his last win, whilst Kim has won his last 3, following a 0-3 start to his career, and definitely seems to have the momentum rolling into this bout. Times Square, New York, New York, USA
This coming weekend is a huge one for boxing, with notable huge fights across a long weekend, if you will, running from Friday to Sunday with major bouts in New York. On Friday the talking point for us however isn’t a huge fight, but instead a very notable debut, as former amateur standout Reito Tsutsumi (0-0) kicks off his career, on one of the biggest shows of the year, taking on Levale Whittington (1-2-1, 1) in a 6 rounder. Tsutsumi, the brother of the world ranked Hayato Tsutusmi, is widely regarded as a special talent, capable of being raced to title fights, and has already linked up with Turki Alalshikh which should help open future doors for him. As an amateur he was truly spectacular, and among the very best Japan has ever produced, with his amateur credentials expected to help him be fast tracked to a world title within 10 fights. Sadly, unlike his brother and a handful of others in Japan, his debut is a high profile affair, but an underwhelming one, as he takes on as he takes on 25 year old American fighter Whittington, who has failed to win any of his last 3 bouts, is naturally smaller than Tsutsumi, and although he's never been stopped he is really facing a major step up in class here, against a very special fighter. We see this as a clear showcase debut for Tsutsumi, before bigger tests later in the year, and we wouldn’t be surprised by him facing a world ranked opponent within a year of this fight. Chongqing, China
To kick off the month of May, which is a genuinely incredible month, with a lot of great action, attention turns to China for a show in Chongqing. Sadly at the time of writing few details regarding the event have been revealed however the main event is a solid looking bout, as Tonghui Li (14-2, 8) takes on Indian visitor Sabari Jaishankar (13-3, 6). Given he’s the home fighter, fighting in his native China, Li is the man who will have the crowd behind him, he’s also the much more established fighter, despite both men having 16 bouts. Li, who is 35, has been a professional since 2015 and holds credible wins over Romeo Jakosalem, Larry Siwu, Arnel Tinampay and Dacong Wang. Notably however he has fought for just 129 seconds since the start of 2021, taking out a very limited Thai opponent back in January, and it’s really hard to know what he has left to offer. At his best he’d been a clear favourite, but with inactivity and father time against him, it’s hard to be sure what Li has left in the tank. As for Jaishankar, he's 28, debuted in 2020, and has fought mostly on the limited Indian scene, though has picked up wins on his travels in Australia, Tanzania and Thailand. Notably however both of his losses have come on the road against decent fighters in the form of Fatih Keles, in Turkey, and Jack Rafferty, in England. He’s younger, hungrier, but also smaller than Li, and will know that this is, probably, the third hardest bout of his career so far, and that a win here would be the best of his career so far, though rather oddly he does howl a win over MMA fighter Sergio Petis, in what was Petis’ professional boxing debut earlier this year.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get an all female card from Korakuen Hall. Sadly the card is most 4 round bouts between novices, with the lone exception being a bout we were supposed to see on a different all female show earlier in the year. The main event is the much delayed bout between 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, and Mont Blanc Miki (6-8-1, 2) who clash for the vacant Japanese Atomweight title and were originally supposed to fight back in January. 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. Despite the fact she is unbeaten she has struggled to get over the winning line, winning just 1 of her last 7 bouts and there has to be questions about what she has to offer the sport given her age. Miki on the other hand is getting her 6th shot at the Japanese title, though having come up short against 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. Back in January the bout seemed interesting, on what was a good show. As we head into this card, it looks like the only bout worth making note of on what is a very weak show overall. Though we must admit, we absolutely love the poster, which is genuinely unique in a sport where original ideas and different concepts are rarely tried, and hopefully we'll see more posters trying something new like this in the future.  EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get the next show from Green Tsuda, and whilst it’s not a big card, it does feature 3 notable bouts on it, one of which features a man who has been on several Naoya Inoue under-cards facing a former opponent of the “Monster”, one is a really interesting domestic clash and the other features an unbeaten All Japan Rookie of the Year winner. The main event sees former Japanese Super Bantamweight Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3, 12), who fought on two Naoya Inoue undercards in the last 12 months, take on Aran Dipaen (20-3, 17), who challenged Inoue back in 2021, when Inoue was struggling to get fighters to travel to Japan during their harsh covid restrictions. Shimomachi made 4 defenses of the Japanese title before vacating it earlier this year, with the intention of moving on to bigger and better fights. Notably this will be his first non-Japanese opponent since late 2020 when he fought Jeo Santisima. As for Dipaen he is unbeaten since his 2021 loss to Inoue, in a bout for the WBA “Super” and IBF Bantamweight titles, going 8-0 (6) since then, with his best wins coming at Super Flyweight against Justine Darap and Cris Alfante. Reality is the Thai should be too small, though we will admit Shimomachi has not been at his best in recent bouts, and we dare say he needs more serious tests after this bout. In a supporting bout we expect fireworks as Kanta Fukui (12-6-1, 8) takes on Shinsei Otani (10-2, 7), with both men feeling confident in their power, both knowing a win moves them to within touching distance of a Japanese title fight at 130lbs, and both knowing that a win here would be among their best as professionals. Of the two Fukui is the one with more to lose, with the 31 year old risking JBC and OPBF rankings against unranked 24 year old Otani. Despite having 6 losses in 19 fights Fukui shouldn't be overlooked, especially given the fact he pushed Tsubasa Narai all the way in a Japanese title fight last year, and has won 4 of his last 5 including wins over Hikaru Matsuoka and Ryo Sagawa. As for Otani, he suffered back to back losses in 2023/2024, losing to Kai Watanabe and Min Ho Jun, but has reeled off 3 wins since then, and even in those losses he was unlucky. He’s a genuine talent and is a very good prospect, who was too patient at times but has shown more killer instinct recently and will definitely see this as a potential bout that moves him into the title mix. The other bout we’re really interested in will see 2024 All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Shota Tashita (5-0, 3) look to build on his success as he takes on Thai visitor Thitikorn Ratanakun (5-6, 5). The 24 year old Tashita, who currently has a top 15 JBC ranking at 140lbs due to his Rookie of the Year success, is a really promising southpaw, with a lovely right hook, a lot of promise and 4 wins against previously unbeaten fighters in his first 5 bouts, a notably feat even against novice professionals. Aged 20 Ratanakun is very much a youngster, but someone who has already taken plenty of punishment in a career that has seen him fighting all over the weights. He lost 4 of his first 5, including bouts against Navapon Khaikanha and Sathaporn Saart, before going on a 4 fight winning run, all against very weak opponents in Thailand. Sadly his winning run came to an end last year, when he was stopped inside a round by Kenshin Yura in Tokyo, and he was also beaten in December, in Shizuoka, by Ryusei Miyagawa. Tashita isn’t on the level of a Yura or Miyagawa, but should still comfortably have too much for the visitor here. April 27th-Tapales in action in the Philippines, Sho Kimura and Akira Yaegashi meet in the ring!4/23/2025  General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines
This big card of the day is in the Philippines, where we see a former unified champion, along with a notable contender and a rising prospect all in action, in a very solid card. The main event will see former 2-weight world champion Marlon Tapales (39-4, 20) take on the once beaten Jon Jon Jet (15-1-1, 12) in a really solid looking bout, though one that Tapales’ should win given his much more accomplished career and the level he’s fought at. Tapales, who has held the WBO Bantamweight title, and the IBF and WBA Super Bantamweight titles will be seeking his third win since his 2024 loss to Naoya Inoue, and will also be looking to make his second defense of the WBC International Silver Super Bantamweight title. As for Jet, this is, easily, the biggest fight of his career and the Indonesian puncher has won his last 5, building up some momentum, though his level was shown in his 2019 loss to Luke Boyd, and it would take a huge upset to see him win here. In a really good supporting bout the criminally under-rated Joey Canoy (23-5-2, 14) will be up against Minh Phat Sam (10-5, 8) from Vietnam, with the two fighting for the WBC International Minimumweight title. Canoy is one of the many Filipino fighters who’s record doesn’t really reflect their ability. He’s one of the fighters who can compete at world level, and he holds a very good win over Melvin Jerusalem, and has mixed with very good company, despite not yet getting a shot at one of the 4 major world titles, though he has challenged for the IBO title twice. As for Sam, the Vietnamese puncher is dangerous, but his wins have come at a low level and he has lost to every notable fighter he's fought, including DainXing Zhu, ArAr Andales and Esneth Domingo. Sam will be hungry for a win, but it’s hard to imagine him having the experience or tools to overcome Canoy, who will be hoping to land a world title shot sooner rather than later. Also on the card, hard hitting southpaw Alvin Lagumbay (14-9-1, 12) will take on the unbeaten Criztian Pitt Laurente (13-0, 8), in what is a very good step up for the unbeaten 25 year old. Laurente is a genuine talent, and was a very good amateur before turning professional, and despite only being 25 it does feel like his career has been something of a grind, with only 13 fights in 6 years. Despite that he is promising and if he can be kept active and motivated he could go a long way. As for Lugambay, he’s a monstrous puncher, albeit a flawed puncher, who is best known for his 2018 win over Keita Obara. Sadly since then he has gone 4-7-1, has lost his last 3 and been stopped 3 times in his last 5. Kumagaya Dome, Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan In Saitama we get a very notable card, featuring two former world champions sharing the ring together. Sadly however they are not taking part in a live contest, but instead an exhibition bout as a local star takes on one of the most popular former champions Japan has, in a retirement ceremony. The retirement in question will see former WBO Flyweight champion Sho Kimura share the ring with former 3 weight world champion Akira Yaegashi, with two men taking part in a short public spar in what is dubbed Kimura’s “Last fight”. The two will compete for 3 round in what should be a a clear bit of fan service and fun for those in attendance, those watching the PPV and the two men involved, who would have had an instant classic had they both faced off when they were active fighters The main event, in terms of actual fights which will go on the records of the men involved, will see 27 fight veteran Hisashi Kato (12-13-2, 8) take on the once beaten Yasuomi Soda (7-1-1, 4). The 39 year old Kato is a true veteran of the Japanese scene. He debuted back in 2006 and during his career has fought a genuine who's who of the Japanese scene at 147 and 154lbs, with bouts against the likes of Nobuyuki Shindo, Shusaku Fujinaka, Yusuke Konno, Masaya Tamayama and Yuichi Ideta. Sadly he has lost almost all of his meaningful bouts, with a win over Rikuto Adachi being one of his few genuine upset wins. He’s never been a world beater, but he has been a great servant to the Japanese scene. As for Soda, he is looking to bounce back from a loss to Ryota Toyoshima back in November, a loss that came in a Japanese title eliminator and a loss that he will be desperate to avenge, though will know he needs to get past Kato to earn a rematch with Toyoshima, with is now the current Japanese champion at 154lbs. Soda should win, and should break down Kato here, look to make a statement and help move himself towards his first title fight. In another solid domestic bout the JBC ranked Mirai Imagawa (13-7-1, 5) will face the experienced Isao Aoyama (14-13-1, 4) in a Super Flyweight bout. The 29 year old Imagawa has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3, and been stopped in both those losses, pushing him from the verges of a title fight to well down the rankings, and he will need to string together a few results to land a shot at the Japanese title. On paper he should be strongly favoured here, however Aoyama is no push over, despite his record, and the 35 year old has proven to be tough, upset minded and will be wanting to do everything he can to end his career on a win, following a 2024 loss to Suzumi Takayama in a Japanese title, fight. Aoyama has fought pretty much anyone who is anyone on the Japanese scene at 115lbs including Keisuke Nakayama, Akinori Hoshino, Tsubasa Murachi, Tetsuro Ohashi and Takuya Kogawa. Aoyama will be determined here, Imagawa is out of form and we dare say Aoyama will see this as a real chance to end his career with a notable win. With that in mind, we expect this one to be a really thrilling, all action, fire fight. Messe Mie, Tsu, Mie, Japan A second Japanese show takes place in Mie, with this being a much, much smaller event. The card is mostly 4 rounders, with the one exception being a sure fire war, as Ren Yamabe (8-4, 7) takes on Yoshiki Shimomura (7-2-1, 7), in a bout that promises fireworks. Yamabe is no world beater, but he is a lot better than his 8-4 record suggests, and is every bit as dangerous as his 7 KO’s in 8 wins suggests. He has lost his most notable bouts, losing to Shinsei Otani, Jinu Lee and Jinki Maeda, but has typically taken fights close and wins over Eiji Togawa and Hikaru Matsuoka show his power is legit. He gave Maeda all he could handle back in December, and despite losing that bout will have given him a lot of confidence to build on. As for Shimomura he was 7-0-1 (7) not too long ago, but has lost his last 2, and knows that he can ill afford another loss here. Expect to see both looking to land power shots early in a fight that will have tension from the off, and could be over in the blink of an eye.  Fashion Center Event Hall, Seoul, South Korea
Rather notably this coming Saturday the main show for us is in South Korea, something we’ve said a few times in recent weeks, for what is a mouth watering card, with 3 title bouts on it, including a really interesting regional title unification bout and the first professional title bout for one of Japan’s top prospects. The main event of the show will see the hard hitting Deok No Yun (9-2, 7) put his WBO AP Super Middleweight title on the line against OPBF champion Yuki Nonaka (38-12-3, 11) in a bout that really is an incredibly interesting match up between fighters with very different styles. Yun is an explosive, aggressive boxer-puncher with brutal power, some real defensive lapses and a style built around destruction, even if he does run the risk of eating a bomb as we saw in his first bout with Tyson Koki last year. He seemed to learn from that loss, and dominated Tyson in a rematch, but there will always be question marks about his defense. As for Nonaka, the 47 year old Southpaw is a pure technician in the ring, with an excellent jab and ring craft, but aged 47 and with 53 bouts, and over 400 rounds, it’s hard to know what he has left. In his prime he was very good at this level, but he’s on the slide and will likely be in trouble due to his age and lack of power. In terms of power, one man on this card who doesn’t lack in that area is unbeaten Super Flyweight hopeful Ryang Ho Han (3-0, 2), who looks to claim the IBF International title as he takes on once beaten Filipino foe Ramil Roda (7-1-2, 4), Han is one of the best prospects in Japan, with the 27 year old widely tipped as a future world champion at 115lbs. He’s a tall, rangy southpaw, with a good amateur background, who has adapted to the pros really well, and already holds a good win over Thai veteran Kongfah CP Freshmart. This will be his first 10 rounder but those in the know are expecting him to impress here before moving on to more recognised titles, such as the OPBF, WBO AP and Japanese, before moving into world class bouts in the a few years time. As for Roda the Filipino went 2-1-1 in his first 4, with both setbacks coming against Dariel Diamante, before reeling off 6 wins on the Filipino domestic scene. To date he has never faced someone with real ambition, and that will likely prove to be a major issue against someone with then hunger and tools of Han. In a domestic title bout fans will see Korean Featherweight champion Ha Nok Shim (11-2, 5) make his first defense, as he takes on Tae Won Jung (6-1, 1). Shim won the belt in November, when he took a wide decision over Khusniddin Maraimov, to record his third straight win following a loss, 10 months earlier, against Mongolian puncher Enkhamar Kharkhuu. His record doesn’t suggest he’s much of a power puncher, but he has 2 of his last 3, and dropped Maraimov twice, and it’s notable he has often fought at Super Featherweight, though seems to be more of a puncher at 126lbs, which looks likely to be his weight going forward. As for Jung he has been up and down the weights, with early bouts at 120lbs, his loss in 2018 against Moo Hyun Kim coming at Lightweight, and fighting as low as Super Bantamweight last year. He really hasn't found his weight yet, and sadly also doesn't seem to have found his power, with his only stoppage win coming way back in 2017. Rodriguez Montalban Gymnasium, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines As well as the action in Korea, we also have a show in the Philippines, albeit a rather easy to overlook one. The most notable bout here will see the heavy handed All Rivera (22-5, 18) take on the experienced Boyce Sultan (10-16-1, 5), in what is reportedly a 6 rounder at 168lbs. At this best Rivera was a solid regional level fighter, albeit way down at 140lbs where he won the OPBF title back in 2016 with a dominant win over Shinya Iwabuchi. Sadly however his best years are well past him, and he's not had a fight in almost 4 years, and failed to build on a major upset win over Omar Juarez, a win that should have opened some pretty notable doors for him. As for Sultan he 31 year old "Astro boy" has scored just 1 win since 2016, going 1-10 since then. At his best he was a Featherweight, though his last bout was above the Middleweight limit, and he is very much winding down his career and taking some punishment on his way out the door. In an 8 rounder the once beaten Mark Sabang (4-1-1, 2) will look for his 4th straight win, as he takes on Argelo Samson (6-3-1, 4), who will be hoping to build on a September win over Fernan Agencia for the PBF Youth Bantamweight title. Aged 22 Sambang is the younger man and has the momentum, however Samson is no push over, has fought at a higher level and the 24 year old will not be there to just make up the numbers, in what should be a very good domestic level bout. This coming Thursday is a relatively quiet day in Asian boxing, but there are two shows taking place, one of which is very small, and the other is bigger, but still not a major event.
World Siam Stadium, Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand The bigger of the two shows is in Bangkok, and will see some minor regional title action. Of the bouts confirmed for Thai show at the title of writing, the most interesting is a bout for the WBF Asia Pacific and Thai Flyweight titles, as Thai based Japanese fighter Toshihiko Era (25-4, 20) takes on Imani Matendo (6-1-1, 3). Era is now 50 years old, made his debut in 1994, had a 20 year break between 1996 and 2016, suffered severe medical issues earlier in his career and is now the oldest male fighter to ever get a JBC A class license. His career is genuinely crazy, and there will almost certainly be movies based, loosely, on his career one day. As for Matendo, he’s a 21 year old from Tanzania who's sole loss came in an IBO Youth World title fight last year, losing in the UK to Alfie Clegg,. Sadly though it's hard to know how good he is, as his wins have come at such a low level. Khadur Sahib, Punjab, India The other show is in India where the card really is a very, very small one. The main event is a Super Middleweight bout, as 31 year old Harpreet Singh (10-2, 6) takes on 21 year old Nitesh Vasisht (3-0, 2) in an 8 rounder. Singh is the much more experienced fighter having made his debut in 2021 and fighting several bouts on the road, including bouts in Thailand, Russia and Tanzania. Sadly whilst his record looks decent on paper, there is nothing behind the numbers, and he has a very paper thin record. As for Vasisht he struggled on debut, narrowly getting past Anteshraj Saini at Welterweight, and has scored two quick wins over debutants at 154lbs. Given the fact he's moving up in weight to face someone with some more experience, it’s really hard to know how he will fare here.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan event
This coming Tuesday we get a triple header at Korakuen Hall, in what is set to be a really good card, even though it did have a late change, with a regional title bout and two Champion Carnival bouts for vacant Japanese titles. The main event will see former WBO AP Super Featherweight champion Kai Watanabe (13-2-1, 7) look to regain the title, which is now vacant, and bounce back from a recent defeat as he takes on the limited but dangerous Ryusei Ishii (12-7-1, 9). Watanabe went 9-0-1 to begin his career and showed some real promise before winning a Japanese youth title in late 2023, in his second shot. He defended that belt once before putting on a sensational performance to win the WBO AP title in late 2024 with a blow out win over Toshihiro Suzuki. The win over Suzuki seemed like one that showed Watanabe was a star in the making, he lost his very next fight, in a rather tense but dull affair against OPBF champion Tsubasa Narai in January. At his best he’s sensational, but sadly Watanabe is very hit and miss, and can focus too much on boxing which doesn’t seem to play to his strengths. As for Ishii he’s a very dangerous southpaw, who has turned his career around in the last 4 years or so. He was 8-7-1 (5) at one point, but has won his last 4 , including big domestic wins over Takuya Uehara, avenging one of his losses, Go Hosaka and Soreike Taichi. You overlook Ishii at your peril, and whilst Watanabe should win, he will need to be aware of Ishii’s power and confidence. In the chief support bout we get a genuinely mouth watering Japanese Super Bantamweight title bout, as Toshiya Ishii (8-1-2, 5) takes on Katsuya Fukui (8-0, 6) for the title which we saw being vacated by Toshiki Shimomachi. For Ishii this will be a second shot at the Japanese title and despite his 8-1-2 record he has already proven he very much belongs at this level, his one loss was a controversial one to Sho Ishida and his draw have come against highly ranked domestic fighters, including Shimomachi in a 2023 title fight.his one loss was a controversial one to Sho Ishida and his draw have come against highly ranked domestic fighters, including Shimomachi in a 2023 title fight. As for Fukui, this is a clear step up in class, but one he’s been working too in the correct fashion with good wins against a mix of styles and fighters, including Hiroki Hanabusa, Sang Heon Oh and Ben Mananquil. Given the styles of the men, we expect this to be high level, explosive and incredibly tense, with both likely feeling they have the power to stop the other. The third bout, another bout for a vacant Japanese title, will see Kyotaro Yoshida (6-3, 3) take on Jinya Yamaguchi (5-0-1, 2), for the Japanese Super Flyweight title. Originally the plan had been for Yamaguchi to face Suzumi Takayama (9-0, 8) in a very good looking Champion Carnival bout, but Takayama had to vacate the title due to illness, and we’ve ended up with this one instead. Yamaguchi, a second generation fighter, has claimed the Youth title already in his career and had earned a shot at the Japanese senior title, but hadn't really shone like some had hoped and he is very much still a work in progress after 6 fights.With 9 fights to his name, and 3 losses, it’s easy to write Yoshida off, but he was a very capable amateur, who has been matched hard since turning professional and has finally began to show his potential as a professional, sitting on his shots more, and scoring TKO’s in his last 3. This is likely to be something of a chess match, but a very interesting one, between two men who likely feel they are somewhat fortunate to be fighting for the vacant, and not taking on Takayama. On the under-card we’ll see Dave Apolinario (21-1, 14) continue to rebuild after his loss in a bout for the IBF Flyweight title last year, as he takes on Chinese visitor Longyi Hu (8-2-2, 4). The talented Apolinario is someone who is really skilled, but needs some seasoning, some higher quality wins, and some good rounds against solid regional fighters, and Hu fits that mould well. He has never been stopped, both of his draws, and his two losses, have been razor thin bouts, and he's a very live fighter with ambitions of his own, as he showed in 2023 when he stopped Shugo Namura. Hu is 2-2-2 in his last 6, but could easily have won all 6 and will look to make the most of the biggest fight of his career. One other bout to be aware of is the debut of Hijiri Oka (0-0), who takes on Thai visitor Witsanu Phimpa (7-6, 5). Oka is tipped for big things after going 40-10 in the amateurs and should be way too good for his foe here, as he looked to make a quick impact, and then move on to bigger and better things over the coming years. |
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