Talisay, Cebu, Philippines
The big card for us this coming Friday is a Sanman promoted show in Cebu, featuring an OPBF title fight and some very, very promising prospects. The main event of the show will see two former world title challengers battle for the now vacant OPBF Minimumweight title. The match up in question will see Melvin Jerusalem (16-2, 10) take on Toto Landero (11-5-2, 2) in a truly mouth watering match up. The 27 year old Jerusalem is best known for giving Wanheng Menayothin an incredibly competitive bout in 2017, though has failed to secure another top level bout since then. As for Landero he's best known for a competitive loss to Knockout CP Freshmart in 2018. Interestingly not only are both of these men looking to move towards a second world title bout, and claim the OBF title, but they are also looking to end a rivalry which also saw them clash in November 2018, with Jerusalem taking a 10 round decision over Landero in a non title fight. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Jerusalem and Landero clash for regional crown! One of the prospects on this card is the excellent Dave Apolinario (14-0, 9) who has slowly been creating a buzz on the back of some very impressive performances in the last few years. He'll be looking for his 15th straight win as he takes on fellow Filipino Charlie Malupangue (9-4-3, 6). On paper this doesn't look like a terrible match up, though in reality it should be a rather easy win for Apolinario as Malupangue is a natural Minimumweight taking on a well sized Flyweight, who will likely grow into a very strong Super Flyweight when he fully matures. Another of the prospects on this card is the highly touted KJ Cataraja (12-0, 10), a former amateur standout who looks like one of the most talented fighters in the Philippines. Sadly Cataraja has been badly affected by the Covid19 issues in the Philippines, with the closure of ALA Gym and only fighting once since the start of 2020. As a result he's very much just having a stay busy bout here as he takes on the limited but experienced Cris Alfante (17-8-1, 9). Alfante, at his best, was a decent fighter, but now a days he's very much the type of fighter who go rounds with a decent fighter, but end up losing without asking too many questions of a prospect. It really is a shame that Cataraja's career has progressed as slowly as it has. Korakuen Hall, Japan Over in Japan we see the East Japan Rookie of the Year continue as we get a Rookie of the Year card from the Korakuen Hall. This particular show will feature 6 bouts, covering the Super Bantamweight, Featherweight and Light Welterweight divisions. On paper the bout that interests us the most on this show is the all debutant bout between Ryujiro Nakajima (0-0) and Kei Nakayama (0-0), who will be clashing at 140lbs. We love all debutant bouts, and they are one of the best things about the Rookie of the Year competition, with the rawness of the two fighters involved generally making for exciting clashes with a lot of raw energy and often a lack of composure.
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Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday is a solid day for Japanese fight fans in Tokyo, thanks to a Dangan and Watanabe promoted show headlined by a WBO Asia Pacific title bout, and featuring several solid match ups on the under-card. The main event is a truly brilliant match up as the much touted Ginjiro Shigeoka (5-0, 4) defends the WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title against fellow unbeaten Toshiki Kawamitsu (6-0, 3). The explosive Shigeoka hasn't fought since stopping Rey Loreto at the end of 2019, and has had a really frustrating 18 months or so, needing to recover from an injury having several dates slip away. Given his long break from the ring and the issues that covid has had on his career it's hard to really know where Shigeoka is at mentally coming in to this. Kawamitsu on the other hand has really made his name in the "covid-era" of boxing with a brilliant win in 2020 over Kenshi Noda, in a truly fantastic fight, and a swift win over Kosuke Ando this past January. Those wins have helped put Kawamitsu on the map and a win here would boost him to the verges of a world title fight. This is a bout that should be explosive, high tempo, and a must watch for fans of the lower weights. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Shigeoka returns as he takes on unbeaten Kawamitsu! The chief support bout is a genuinely brilliant one as the heavy handed Shu Utsuki (8-0, 7) takes on the skilled Ryo Nakai (2-0-1, 1) in a great 8 round Lightweight clash. The hard hitting Utsuki, who is banging on the door of a title fight, has stopped his last 6 opponents in a combined 21 rounds and looks like he's ready for a serious test after wins over the likes of Jerry Castroverde and Masashi Wakita. Although not too well known Nakai is no push over, and is instead a very talented boxer, who has rebuilt well since a draw on his debut. Although talented we do feel this is maybe a little bit too soon for Nakai, who perhaps could have done with 2 or 3 more fights before facing someone as dangerous as Utsuki. In another interesting supporting bout we'll see the once beaten Fumiya Fuse (9-1, 1) battle against Fuya Tomita (6-2, 2). The talented Fuse, who won Rookie of the Year in 2017, will be fighting for the first time since he beat Melmark Dignos in last 2019, and with more than 18 months out it's going to be interesting to see how he looks here. Tomita on the other hand has been surprisingly busy in recent years, and has fought 3 times since since November 2020, including his win in the All Japan Rookie of the Year in February. Not only is Tomita active and in good form, but he's also a physical freak standing at close to 6 foot, despite fighting as a Bantamweight! This is going to be a very, very tough bout for Fuse. Also on this card is the debut of 24 year old Watanabe hopeful Kyotaro Yoshida (0-0), who went 32-13 in the amateurs, who takes on the once beaten Hiroki Kinjo (5-1, 4). The talented debutant is expected to be a bright hope for the Watanabe gym and someone the gym could move quickly in the coming years. Kinjo on the other hand is 21 and debuted back in 2018, winning his first 5 before losing to the aforementioned Fuya Tomita last November. Prior to that loss Kinjo had been matched softly and this is certainly one of his toughest bouts so far. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Attention turns to the Korakuen Hall this coming Monday for the latest in Dangan 4 round shows, which tend to get over-looked, but do usually provide a lot of great action and excitement in a type of even that's pretty unique to Japan. The show doesn't have a top prospect, or a rising star on it, and instead it has novices, battling it out in bouts that, generally, look competitive. One of the more interesting bouts on this show is a Featherweight clash, as 24 year old hopeful Ryo Hoshino (0-0) takes on 17 year old southpaw Katsutaka Kikkawa (0-0). Whilst fighters debuting in their teens isn't too rare in Japan, there's not many 17 year olds debuting in the country and Kikkawa is a tall rangy kid, who has the physical tools to make a mark. Now we just need to find out if he can fight! Another bout that could be worth tuning in for is a Flyweight bout between 32 years olds Yuki Sato (1-0, 1) and Yasuhiro Akiyama (0-0). Sato debuted last year, with a 2nd round TKO win, and it'll be good to see if he's just as aggressive here. Akiyama on the other hand will know, debuting at the age of 32, that he needs to shine if he's to get anything resembling a meaningful fight in the future. One other bout we expect particularly good things from is between Sota Akazawa (1-0) and Tatsuhide Katabe (0-0). Both of these are men are in their early 20's and just starting out on their careers, also Katabe is a southpaw, and when we get young novices with opposite stances we often see a lot of power shots being thrown, fingers crossed that's exactly what we'll see here! Although this coming Saturday isn't a huge day, it is a busy day with a lot going on featuring fighters from Asia. We have a notable card in Kazakhstan, Rookie of the Year action in Japan, and even more action to talk about!
Almaty, Kazakhstan The big card for us comes from Almaty and is an MTK show which will be available worldwide. The show doesn't have any bona fide stars on it, but does have a lot of exciting prospects featured, as they all look to move their career forward and move on to bigger and better things. The most promising of the hopefuls on this show is Tursynbay Kulakhmet (3-0, 2) , who looks for win #4 as he takes on the 38 year old Aleksei Evchenko (19-14-2, 8), who appears to have been a late replacement for Stanyslav Skorokhod (20-2, 17). Although Evchenko looks like a massive downgrade from Skorokhod the Russian is a real tough guy, who has only been stopped once in his 14 losses, and is less than a year removed from a notable upset win over Viktor Plotnikov and a draw against Asinia Byfield. For a fourth pro bout this isn't terrible for Kulakhmet, who really does need rounds, rather than quick blow outs. Another of the highly touted Kazakh's on this card is Sultan Zaurbek (10-0, 7), who is in a very interesting match up as he takes on Scotland's Ronnie Clark (21-4-2, 10), in what could be the bout of the show Clark is a rough around the edges fighter who comes to have a war and that's a style we think could get the best out of Zaurbek, who seems to fight within himself a bit too much. Not only is this a genuinely interesting contest but there's also real meaning to it, with the WBO European title being on the line, and a potential high WBO world ranking. One of the really talented youngsters on this show is the aggressive and exciting Talgat Shayken (4-0, 2), who is facing 29 year old Russian Alexander Sharonov (12-5-2, 6). Shayken has looked like a fantastic, aggressive, strong and imposing force in the ring, who is improving with every fight. But this is a major step up in class and Sharonov is no push over. In fact Shayken will need to improve further from his last bout if he's to take a win here against a solid and tough fighter looking to prove a point. The card is littered with other unbeaten Kazakh hopefuls, but one name really stands out and that is former amateur star Ivan Dychko (9-0, 9), who returns after close 2 years of inactivity, as he takes on veteran Denis Bakhtov (39-18, 26). Dychko's career, which promised so much when he turned professional, has failed to really come alive, but fingers crossed a win here against the much older and short Bakhtov can kick start things. He's too good to be inactive and really does need someone to take his career by the scruff of the neck and push him into meaningful fights Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom Over in London we'll see the highly ranked Zach Parker (20-0, 14) take on 41 year old Uzbekistani fighter Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10). Parker, who is on the verge of a world title fight after a string of solid performances, will enter this bout as a huge favourite but Khusanov is no push over and will travel to win. We suspect youth will play a major factor here, but Khusanov does have the tools to make Parker work hard for a win Tegelbruket, Orebro, Sweden Over in Sweden Swedish based Azeri born fighter Samo Jangirov (5-2-1, 1) battles against Marcus Alberts (6-6-1, 2) in a Swedish Cruiserweight title bout, and the third bout between the two men for this title! Jangirov won the belt with a 6 round decision over Alberts in 2019, retain the title with an 8 round decision last year, and now looks for his second defense here. Sadly the limitations of Swedish domestic scene are clearly a problem here, but it's nice to see some personal competition between these two men. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan Over in Japan we actually have two different shows at the Shinjuku FACE, both East Japan Rookie of the Year shows. The earlier of the two, begins at mid day and has 8 bouts scheduled for it. They include 2 all debutant bouts as Daichi Akahori (0-0) and Hayato Soita (0-0) and Taiga Ito (0-0) and Gensai Ito (0-0), all look to begin their careers with wins and the chance to advance their careers. With the Rookie of the Year these 4 men all be looking to make a name for themselves over the next 7 months or so and we always love all debut bouts. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan The second show at the Shinjuku FACE is at 6PM and is set to have 6 bouts on it, with just a single all debut clash between Junya Naka (0-0) and Ryota Funabashi (0-0), who face off in a Bantamweight bout. Although the all debutant bouts are lacking here we do like the look of two other bouts. One of those is a clash between the unbeaten pairing of Shohei Fuchida (1-0, 1) and Shogo Namiki (2-0-1, 1), who fight at Lightweight. Fuchida has only fought once, and that was more than 5 years ago, however the 27 year old does seem determined to make the most of things now he's back. Namiki on the other hand will be looking for his third win in 2021, in what could be a very explosive bout. The other will see Tatsuya Kawaguchi (1-2-1) take on the heavy handed Shori Umezu (3-0, 3), who should be regarded as a contender for the All Japan Rookie crown. Umezu looks destructive and heavy handed and should among the favourites for the tournament, certainly one to keep an eye on. Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California, USA
The main action to involve Asian fighters this coming Friday comes from California, and is part of a Golden Boy promoted card. Interestingly not only is the notable action in the US but it's also two bouts featuring veteran female fighters getting their chance to shine in front of a global audience, something both deserved to do much earlier in their careers. The most interesting of the two bouts will see Japanese veteran Tenkai Tsunami (28-12-1, 16) defending her WBO female Light Flyweight title against the sensational Seniesa Estrada (20-0, 8). Tsunami is one of the true veterans of female boxing, having been around the world level for over a decade, and she's also a very well travelled fighter who has shown the toughness, engine and work rate in a brilliant career. But a career which is now heading to the end. Unfortunately for Tsunami she's in against one of the best of the new wave of female fighters in Estrada who looks like the sort of fighter who could, and maybe should be, the new face of female boxing. In her prime Tsunami would have made this very interesting, but right now we really don't see anyone between 105lbs and 115lbs beating Estrada, who is a genuine star in the making. Our full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here Tenkai Tsunami takes on "Super Bad" Estrada! The other bout on this card of note will see WBA female Flyweight champion Naoko Fujioka (18-2-1, 7) make her long over due US debut as she defends her title against Sulem Urbina (12-1-0-1, 2). Fujioka, Japan's only 5 weight world champion, has long been one of the best female fighters in the world, but with her 46th birthday coming in August and with more than a year of inactivity we do wonder what she can actually show here. At her best she belonged very high up the female pound for pound lists, but right now it's really hard to know what she has left in her legs. As for Urbina this is a massive leap up in class and comes on the back of a 2020 loss to Marlen Esparza. It's hard to back Urbina given her record, competition and form, though being 15 or so years younger, without the wear and tear and fighting relatively close to home, she may well be in the right place at the right time. Our in depth preview of this one can be read here Fujioka makes long awaited US debut as she takes on warrior Urbina! Airport Hilton, Miami, Florida, USA Over in Miami we're expecting to see two more Asian fighters in action, albeit in rather low key bouts. The more notable of the two bouts will see heavy handed Kazakh fighter Serik Musadilov (9-0, 9) take on Reuel Williams (8-1, 3) for the NABA Cruiserweight title. On paper this looks like an interestingly match up, even more when you consider Williams has won 8 in a row. Sadly however Williams is now 45 year old and hasn't fought in over 4 years. Even at his best he wasn't very good either and is a natural Light Heavyweight. It really is a shame Musadilov is still wasting his time with this type of fight, when it's very clear he's now needing a test, not just bouts to pad his record, like this one. The other Asian on this card is Kazakh fighter Mark Bernaldez (22-4, 16), who takes on Mexican veteran Juan Kantun (21-11-3, 15). Bernaldez has picked up two wins since losing to Albert Bell in July 2020 and he'll be looking to keep that run going here, as he continues to plug along as a decent fighter, but an unspectacular one. Kantun on the other hand is without a win since 2013, having lost his last 7. As with the Musadilov bout, this is just padding the record of Bernaldez and little else. Tacoma, Washington, USA Staying in the US we have also seen that unbeaten Uzbekistani hopeful Ravshan Makhamadjonov (12-0, 8) is pencilled in to fight in Tacoma. At the time of writing his opponent hasn't been announced, though the 22 year old has been matched softly, on the whole, so far and we're not expecting that to change here. Sadly this is likely to be another easy win for the unbeaten Makhamadjonov Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan Over in Japan we also get action, in fact we get a second successive day of East Japan Rookie of the Year action as the Shinjuku FACE place host to some qualifying bouts. In total there are 7 bouts scheduled for this show, but we'll only take a look at a few of them. On paper the one that stands out the most is a bout between unbeaten novices Kanta Kawamura (1-0-1, 1) and Shingo Koyasu (2-0, 2), who clash at Flyweight. The 21 year old Kawamura made his debut in December, with a quick win over Koyo Nakayama, but was held to a 4 round draw in his second bout, this past August. Koyasu on the other hand has looked explosive since debut in September 2020 and has stopped his first 2 opponents. We expect this one to be explosive and genuinely exciting, as both look to impress in the Rookie tournament. Surprisingly there's only a single all debutant bout on this card, and that will be between Shuhei Hanadate (0-0) and Hiroto Sato (0-0), who clash at Bantamweight. Neither of these men are from particularly big gyms, and whilst that is an issue longer term it also shows that the Rookie of the Year can be used as a shop window for fighters and these two men will know that going all the win in the tournament could open major doors for them. Don't be surprised if this ends up being a very compelling bout. One other bout that needs mentioning is the clash between Keisuke Imabuchi (0-9-2) and Tsubasa Yamashita (0-0). The 35 year old Imabuchi has a genuine weird record, going winless in his first 11, and it would be great to see him score a win before being forced into retirement. Yamashita on the other hand is at the complete opposite end of his career, aged just 18 and kicking things off here. With 17 years difference and 11 bouts difference this is a very unique Rookie of the Year bout, but one that is certainly intriguing. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This main show for us this coming Thursday comes from Korakun Hall as the Ohashi Gym put on a solid show with an excellent Youth title bout, and some compelling under-card bouts. The main event on this card is one of the very best contests on the boxing calendar right now and will see former amateur standout Ryutaro Nakagaki (2-0, 2) take on hard hitting youngster Ayumu Hanada (6-0, 4) in a bout for the Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title. As an amateur Nakagaki was among the very best in Japan and when he turned professional the expectations were high for him, though there was worries about his style and power. In just 2 fights he has gone a long way to answering those worries. Hanada on the other hand is an explosive fighter who cut his teeth in Mexico as a teenager before returning to Japan and impressing back at home. On paper this is a hard one to call, and if Hanada lands clean he can certainly hurt Nakagaki, though we suspect the amateur background of Nakagaki could prove to be the difference maker here. Our full, in depth, preview of this contest can be read here Unbeaten Youngsters Nakagaki and Hanada face off for Youth title! The chief support bout is likely to be a genuine shoot out as the flawed but heavy handed Tsuyoshi Tameda (21-6-2, 19) takes on Soreike Taichi (7-4, 5). The hard hitting Tameda has lost his last two, both by stoppage, and is 2 years removed from his last win. However with his power he is always dangerous. Taichi, who has also lost his last two by TKO, is the naturally bigger man and will likely feel his size will be key. This won't be the highest level of boxing, but it will, almost certainly, see bombs traded and will not see the final bell. We are expecting a real shoot out here. In a potentially competitive bout at Welterweight we'll see Takeru Kobata (9-5-1, 4) take on Tetsuya Kondo (6-2, 4). Neither of these two youngsters are expected to make a mark at the top of the domestic scene, but they should make for an exciting match up. Kobata is highly ranked by the JBC, and will be coming in to this bout on the back of an excellent win over Rikuto Adachi, but is a limited fighter who doesn't look like a Japanese champion in the making. Kondo on the other hand is a solid fighter, but was blown out in 2019 by Jin Sasaki, inside a round, and Kondo will also go in to this feeling like he can stop Kondo. Despite being quite a bit down the show arguably the best supporting bout is a clash between Katsuki Mori (8-0, 1) and Ren Kojima (6-1-2), who fight at just over the Minimumweight limit. The 21 year old Mori has been consistently impressive since starting his career and since winning Rookie of the Year in 2019 he has become a fighter who belongs on the radar of every fan who follows the lower weight classes. Ren Kojima on the other hand won the Rookie of the Year in February and is looking to build on that triumph. Neither man has much power, and this will be expected to go the distance, but both are skilled, and both are busy in the ring. Expect this one to be a very, very compelling contest. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan As well as the Korakuen Hall show there is also an East Japan Rookie of the Year card from the Shinjuku FACE. This isn't a particularly great Rookie of the Year event, with just 4 bouts actually taking place on the card, after two contests set for the show got cancelled. Of the 4 bouts on the card the two we're expecting to be the most interesting are the two all debutant clashes. One of those will see Masato Shinoda (0-0) clash with Juki Kitabayashi (0-0) in a Super Flyweight bout. The Super Flyweight Rookie of the Year is always among the very best, due to the depth of talent, and this is an all debutant bout between two southpaws, which can get very wild. Whilst certainly not close to the quality of bouts on the Ohashi show we suspect this could be a great bout for fans in the venue. The other all debutant bout comes in another strong division for the Rookie of the Year, with Masaki Banjo (0-0) and Koki Yamase (0-0) facing off in a Super Featherweight bout. Both of these men are teenagers and it could well be that one, if not both, of these youngsters go on to make a mark at a higher level over the next decade or so. The Super Featherweight division has long been one of the most interesting in Japan and top Rookies have regularly made a mark at higher levels in the sport, so this could well be the starting chapter of two very interesting stories. Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
In Australia this coming Wednesday we get a genuinely brilliant match up in Australia as unbeaten local Liam Wilson (9-0, 6) takes on defending WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight champion Joe Noynay (18-2-2, 7) in a mouth watering clash between two men on the verge of a potential world title shot. In fact the winner will legitimate be considered one of the top contenders. Of the two men it's Noynay who's the more well known and the young Filipino fighter has been on the scene for years now, despite still only being 25. Although not a big name outside of Asia he has proven to be one of the most under-rated fighters in the region with noteworthy wins against the likes of Kosuke Saka and Satoshi Shimizu, stopping both of those men in 2019. Whilst he's not a big puncher, he does have under-rated power, a gritty toughness and lands with some awkward shots that catch opponents very clean. Wilson, also 25, is one of the many promising Australian's making their way through the ranks. So far he's had pretty much everything his own way, but this is a notable step up in class for him, and a win over Noynay would give his career a massive boost in the right direction. Our full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here Noynay and Wilson clash for WBO Asia Pacific crown! Whilst this isn't a bout that will get too much attention in the west, the winner will be in the mix for a world title, so we suggest keep an eye out for this one. Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan
This coming Tuesday fight fans in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan will get the chance to see the talented, though hugely frustrating, Firuza Sharipova (13-1, 7) in action as she continues to tread water and avoid anyone too testing. The talented Sharipova, who looked on the verge of a world title fight in early 20 18, will be having her 15th professional bout as she takes on limited Russian novice Angelina Semenova (2-1, 2). Whilst we have nothing against stay busy fights, it does seem like Sharipova's career for the last few years has been based around stay busy bouts, including one against the hapless Happy Daudi, and this seems like another that should be regarded as a complete mismatch. Semenova made her debut in 2020, being stopped in seconds by Anna Krasnoperova, and has scored two wins over the terrible Natalya Sava since then. For thinking we're being hyperbolic, Semenova's debut was stopped after she took just a single punch of note, a left hook to the body. Do not be surprised if she's stopped quickly here as well. |
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