 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday we get a small card from Hideki Todaka, under his “The Greatest Boxing” tagline. The shows don’t tend to be the biggest names, but they always provide amazing action, with some of the most competitive, entertaining and fun bouts, due to the match makers at Hideki Todaka Promotions putting on well matched bouts, where fighters are often matched with styles that are expected to gel. The shows won’t grab much attention outside of Japan, but fans watching will always get a treat with this series. For this particular show the main event will see once beaten 23 year old hopeful Issei Ochiai (4-1, 3) take on Thai veteran Worawatchai Boonjan (23-29-2, 20). On paper this doesn’t look like anything other than a squash match in favour of the prospect, however things aren’t that simple, Todaka wouldn’t allow it to be that straight forward, and this will be Ochiai’s second bout since being stopped by Jun Ikwgawa in 2022, in fact he has fought just 6 rounds in over 2 years, and he needs rounds under his belt now. The Thai, fighting for the 55th time as a professional, has been stopped 19 times, including by a debuting Sam Goodman, but is likely to have the tools to give Ochiai a few questions, take him a few rounds, without being regarded as a genuine threat. The sort of match up an inactive 23 year old hopefully probably needs at this point in his career, and one where we expect him to cruise a few rounds, before going for a late stoppage. In a potentially very fan friendly bout we'll see 26 year old Atsuyuki Sato (8-5-2, 5) take on 32 year old veteran Hyuma Fujioka (13-10-1, 2), in what is a very “Todaka” bout. Sato is very much a lower level domestic fighter, who has been a fun fighter to watch on the domestic scene, especially in recent bouts with his last 4 all ending inside the distance. He’s the sort of fighter that keeps the Japanese as deep as it is, without ever having the ability to win a domestic title. Fujioka, is very similar in terms of level, a solid fighter, but one who isn’t going to beat any of the top domestic foes. He is however much better than his 13-10-1 record, and has won his last 3, including an upset win over former world title challenger Ryohei Takahashi. Sadly Fujioka has been inactive for more than 2 years and it’s hard to know what he will have in the tank after such a lengthy lay off.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
In Tokyo we get the next show from Dangan and it’s one that mixes a female title bout with The main event of the show will see Akane Fujiwara (6-3-1, 2) look to make her first defense of the JBC Female Featherweight title, as she takes on former champion Yoshie Wakasa (7-4, 2). The champion won the title in April, when she beat Kimika Miyoshi in the second bout between the two women, making the most of her 4th shot at a title. Prior to that win she had gone 0-2-1 in title fights, with two of those bouts being incredibly close. As for the challenger, Wakasa won the title in 2020, when she also beat Miyoshi, but lost 2 subsequent bouts to Miyoshi and now hasn’t fought in close to 2 years coming into this bout. From the 10 other bouts on the card 7 are East Japan Rookie of the Year qualifying bouts as the tournament field continues to get cut down. On paper the most interesting of the Rookie bouts will be at Super Bantamweight, and see 20 year old Kazuki Sato (3-0) risk his unbeaten record against fellow unbeaten Marc Yano (1-1), who is only 23 years old himself. Sato made his debut at the start of 2023 and notched 3 wins by the end of the year, though has now been out of the ring since December and lost some of the momentum he had starting the year. Yano also debuted last year, and has actually not fought since August, when he picked up his first professional win. Despite both being out of the ring both are young, unbeaten and hungry and should make for a really entertaining 4 rounder. Rangsit International Stadium, Rangsit, Thailand As well as the Dangan show in Japan we also get an interesting card in Thailand, featuring a former world title challenger, a former world champion and a rising hopeful. The former world title challenger is the headline of this show, and that’s Tasana Salapat (75-1, 53), aka Petch CP Freshmart, who looks to defend his WBC Asian Bantamweight title, as he takes on Chinese fighter GuiMing Li (6-5-1, 2). The 30 year old local, who has a staggering 76 fights to his name is currently riding a 27 fight winning run, since suffering his sole loss in 2018 to Takuma Inoue in a bout for the WBC “interim” Bantamweight title. Sadly that long run looks good on paper, but lacks any type of quality there. Sadly that’s not going to change here as he takes on a Chinese fighter who has 1 win in his last 5. Despite his poor form, Li has never been stopped and should be sturdy enough to take the Thai some rounds, even if he doesn’t survive all 10. Also on this card is former WBC Minimumweight champion Panya Pradabsri (42-2, 26), aka Petchmanee CP Freshmart, who seeks win #3 following his title loss last year to Yudai Shigeoka. The talented former champion will be hoping to land another shot at a world title in the future. The fact Panya’s opponent wasn’t known at the time of writing would suggest it’s not going to be a testing one for the Thai, and should be a tick over rather than a real fight, as he keeps busy, keeps in shape and keeps ring rust off as he awaits a chance to become a 2-time champion. Another man facing, what we suspect, is a late notice opponent is the rising hopeful Anuchai Donsua (14-0, 5). The unbeaten 27 year old debuted in 2022, and within 14 fights has scored several solid domestic wins, beating Sukpraserd Ponpitak and Komgrich Nantapech. Sadly he has been out of boxing all year, despite fitting in 8 fights last year, and has lost some of that momentum he seemed to be building. Fingers crossed we see him in with a notable regional opponent in 2025.  Shiga Daihatsu Arena, Otsu, Shiga, Japan
The main card this coming Sunday will see Koki Kameda and his 3150 Promotion head to Shiga, for what is said to be the first ever world title fight in the area, for what is a really interesting card. The main event will see IBF Minimumweight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (11-0-0-1, 9) defending his title title against mandatory challenger Pedro Taduran (16-4-1, 12), who was supposed to face Shigeoka in March before pulling out at short notice and leaving Shigeoka facing a late notice foe. The unbeaten Japanese champion is looking for his second defense, and is looking to build on stoppage wins against Rene Mark Cuarto, Daniel Valladares and Jake Amparo, who was the late replacement for Taduran in March. He’s fast, exciting, powerful and one of the most fun to watch fighters on the planet, and also a man who is unlikely to move up the weights, given he’s small, even at 105lbs. As for Taduran the 27 year old Filipino is a former world champion, who stopped Samuel Salva in a 4 round shoot out in 2019 for the IBF title. Sadly since his career defining win he has gone 2-2-1 and although he has won his last 2, he will go into this as the very clear under-dog. Taduran is tough, but he has been down before, and given Shigeoka’s power he could be in real trouble here. In a solid supporting bout Filipino Pete Apolinar (17-4-1, 10) will take on Matcha Nakagawa (15-2-2, 6). Apolinar, a former OPBF champion, is 0-3 outside of the Philippines, and 0-2 in Japan, but his bouts on foreign soil has been against tough foes, with the losses on the road coming to Jong Seon Kang, Yoshiki Takei and Hayato Tsutsumi. He’s talented, hits harder than his record suggests, and although he’s suffered recent losses he is very much a solid regional level fighter. As for Nakagawa he’s a very good domestic level fighter, but one who's biggest win came back in 2015, when he beat Tenta Kiyose in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Since that career best win he has gone 7-2-1 with losses in his two most notable bouts. This is a really interesting regional type bout, and the winner will boost their standing in the sport, even if it won’t secure them a major bout. An interesting rematch on this card will see the hard hitting but flawed Kyonosuke Kameda (12-3-2, 8), the cousin of promoter Koki Kameda, take on Mugicha Nakagawa (28-10-3, 18), the brother of Matcha Nakagawa. These two men fought last August, fighting to a split decision draw, and both will be looking to go better this time and pick up a win. Kameda, the younger fighter by 10 years, is coming into his physical prime and has picked up two wins since that draw. At 35 Nakagawa is very much coming to the end of his career but is still a tough guy, who was last seen losing in a regional title bout to the hard hitting Kazuki Nakajima. In his prime Nakagawa would likely have the tools to deal with Kamedam though maybe not the consistency. Here though we’d be surprised to not see Kameda pick up a win. Another supporting bout that’s very interesting will see Toma Kondo (8-8-3, 1) take on Hayate Hanada (1-1, 1), On paper this is a weird one to get excited about, and we’ll admit that, but again it’s not the numbers on paper that tell the story. Kondo is an experienced fighter who has shown him to be much better than his record suggests, despite the fact he has only scored a single win since July 2018, going 1-6-3 in his 10 subsequent bouts. That 10 bout run has included a Japanese Youth title fight, which he lost by split decision, draws with Yuki Nakajima, Ryutaro Nakagaki and Ryo Miyazaki, and a close loss to Tsubasa Murachi. He is much better than his record shows. As for Hanada he might be the best 1-1 boxer on the planet having stopped Sandeep Kumar on debut and then took a huge step up, losing to the world ranked Rene Calixto Bibiano in his second professional fight. He is better than his record suggests, and hasn’t got an opponent here who should take him rounds, whilst also allowing him to rebuild some of his confidence. One other bout of interesting on this card will see Cambodian amateur champion Lim Seavlam (0-0) make his professional debut, against the much touted Japanese hopeful Ryusei Moriwaki (1-0, 1). Moriwaki looks to be another in the long line of top Japanese amateurs looking to make a mark over the coming years, and despite being only 20 years old, he does look to be a very operator. It’s hard to know what Seavlam has to offer, but Cambodians tend to come to win, even when they are regarded as big under-dogs and given the amateur background of Seavlam, he’s certainly be fighting to win, in what could be a very fun fight, for as long as it lasts. Art Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan A second Japanese card, a much smaller one, comes from Kobe where Senrima Kobe will be putting on a small, yet solid, card for the locals. The main event will see Japanese ranked Featherweight hopeful Seira Kishida (9-2-2, 3) battle against Eiji Togawa (8-7, 4). For Kishida this will be his first bout of the year, and his second since losing to Ryusuke Sunagawa last July, though that seemed to show how good Sunagawa rather than how bad Kishida was. Kishida is a solid fighter, though he does have a lack of power which will likely be an issue against top domestic fighters, and will almost certainly prevent him from making a mark at the top of the domestic scene. As for Togawa he is a win-some-lose-some fighter who is 2-4 in his last 6 and has really struggled after reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Despite his losses he is pretty durable and should survive the 8 round schedule here. In a really well matched bout Daiki Kameyama (10-6-2, 3) will take on Shun Kosaka (19-9, 4), with both men looking to get their careers back on track after some recent set backs, and both also hoping to secure another regional or domestic title bout. The 27 year old Kameyama won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018, with a then 7-2-1 record, but has gone 3-4-1 since then losing to Shokichi Iwata, Yuga Inoue, Kosuke Ando and earning a draw in a regional title fight with Riku Kano. He’s been fighting at a good level, but losing at that level. As for Kosaka, he started 9-0, before losing in the 2014 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, and has gone 10-9 in his last 19 fights. Whilst some of his losses have come at a good level, including losses to Junto Nakatani and Seigo Yuri Akui, who both won world titles, others have come against much lower level domestic foes, such as Shota Asami. Given both men have struggled in recent years we suspect both will come into this feeling they have the tools needed to beat the other, and this could end up being a genuinely great fight between two limited but game domestic fighters. One other bout of note on this card will see 18 year old Thai Saharat Taehirun (8-1, 4) take on former regional title contender Kyohei Tonomoto (15-4-1, 7). In 9 bouts Taehirun has lost once, to the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai, sadly the Nakai bout aside there is nothing on his record to show any real ability, with all 8 wins coming against very low level opponents in Thai gym fights and it’s hard to read much into his record. As to Tonomoto he’s a fun fighter to watch, he showed he was game in his most bouts notably bouts, including losses to domestic foes Reiya Abe and Satoshi Shimizu and regional contender Jong Seon Kang, and has also shown enough to get excited about with wins against the limits of Kimihiro Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Takahara and Hikaru Matsuoka. He’s not a world beater, but a very solid domestic fighter, who is much better than his record suggests. Calinan Gym, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines
This coming Friday we turn our attention to the Philippines for a small card in Davao City, and by small card, we do mean small, with the main event being an 8 rounder, and the others all benign 4 or 6 round bouts, with none of them being particularly notable. The main event, the aforementioned 8 rounder, will see once beaten puncher Arnel Lofranco (5-1, 4) take on Roldan Sasan (8-4-1, 3). The 20 year old Lofranco actually lost in his first 8 rounder, back in December when he suffered a decision loss to Arvin John Sampaga, and this will only be his second bout over the distance, but he does come in to it on the back of a confidence building win over Jayson Francisco in April. As for Sasan the 25 year old once looked like he was going places, and was 8-1 at one point with his only loss coming to Mark Vicelles. Sadly though his career has fallen apart in recent years, going 0-3-1 in his last 4, and whilst losses to Joseph Sumabong and Jake Amparo aren’t terrible, a loss to Jonathan Almacen and a draw with Ariston Aton do appear to show his level and it’s hard to imagine him giving Lofranco much of a test. The only other bout of real interest will see former Filipino amateur standout Crisaldy Beltran (2-0, 2) look to continue his perfect start to the pros as he takes on a yet to be named opponent. Beltran, who competed in the 2022 World Youth Championships as an amateur, made his pro debut in April, scored his second win in June, and has yet to see the bell for the end of round 1. Aged 20, and fighting at Lightweight, he is “big” for a Filipino fighter, and will likely race through the domestic rankings, but hopefully get one or two solid tests before facing notable fighters from Asia, and letting us all see just how good he really is. He’s an exciting prospect and one we’re looking forward to following. Sadly it's a shame his opponent for this bout hasn't been named at the time of writing.  Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan
For a second successive day we have East Japan Rookie of the Year action at the Shinjuku FACE thanks to Hachioji Nakaya Promotions. This show has 8 bouts on it, with 6 of them being Rookie of the Year action, and 2 bouts being non-Rookie of the Year 4 rounders. From the Rookie of the Year bout the one that we’re most intrigued by will see youngsters clash as Shun Hayasaka (3-1) battles against Atsuyuki Tanitsu (1-0, 1). Aged 20 Hayasaka is the younger man, but does have more experience with 4 bouts and 16 rounds since he started his career in 2023, with 3 of his fights taking place last year. Whilst he has got a loss, he has certainly had some tough rounds and will be more seasoned than a typical 3-1 Rookie. As for Tanitsu, a 22 year old, he debuted at the end of April, stopping Taiyo Nonaka in the 4th round of their bout, and whilst that was an impressive debut, it’ll be interesting to see what he’s learned since that win. In a non-Rookie of the Year bout we’ll see an all debutant match up between Kaku Sasaki (0-0) and Ryuya Yamazaki (0-0). This bout, being fought at a contracted 74KG, which is 163.14 lb, will see the 19 year old Sasaki, who stands at around 5’8” giving up significant height to the 25 year old Yamazaki. Given the lack of amateur experience for the two men, it’s hard to say much, if anything, about the abilities of the fighters, but is good to see “bigger” men fighting in Japan, and fingers crossed over the coming years we’ll see enough bigger men fighting in Japan to see a competitive scene at Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. Bohol Wisdom School Gym, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
The most notable card this coming Saturday will be in Bohol, and is a really solid looking card, even if the bouts perhaps won’t be as competitive as they look on paper. One of the most notable bouts on the show will see Virgel Vitor (22-3, 15) defending his WBO Oriental Super Featherweight title against Chinese challenger Yeerjialahasi Laayibieke (9-2, 6). Vitor, who won the title earlier this year when he stopped Tae Sun Kim in a war that saw both men being dropped, is a solid fighter at regional level, and whilst he is certainly not world class, he is a very good regional level fighter, with plenty of power, some solid performances and a the heart to get up and fight on. As for Laayibieke, it’s hard to say too much, though he has won his last 9 after losing his first 2 bouts. This is a huge step up in competition for him, but he’ll also know that a win here puts him on the regional map. Another WBO Oriental title bout on this card will be at Bantamweight as local hopeful Gerwin Asilo (8-0, 3) takes on Thai youngster Surat Eaim ong (19-5-1, 14). On paper this looks like a really interesting bout, and a good step up for Asilo, but in reality this is cynical matchmaking for Asilo, who is taking on someone with a good looking record, but one that’s all smoke and mirrors. The Thai, who’s just 17, has been stopped in 2 of his last 3, is 0-2 outside of Thailand, and has lost every time he’s faced someone of any note. He has 19 wins, but they have come against very, very weak opposition. Cynical match making, but it does keep Asilo busy, with this being his 4th fight in 12 months. In a potentially more interesting match, unbeaten puncher Reymart Tagacanao (8-0, 7) will take on fellow Filipino Renoel Pael (23-15-1, 12). Of the two men Pael is the more well known, with the 39 fight veteran having proven himself as a very tough regional journeyman who has faced the likes of Ardin Diale, Go Onaga, Suguru Muranaka, Andrew Moloney, Renz Rosia, Ryusei Kawaura and Edward Heno, and has never been stopped. Sadly though he’s not always been the most aggressive, and can be seen covering up and giving little more than a work out for fighters, rather than real competition. Tagacanao has gone 31 rounds in 8 fights, and we suspect this will be a good 8 rounds work out for the unbeaten fighter, rather than an out and out test. One other fighter who looks to continue an unbeaten run is Christian Balunan (10-0, 6), a 24 year old who was last seen stopping Clyde Azarcon. Sadly he’s not stepping up here, and actually goes from fighting in a scheduled 10 rounder to fighting in a 6 rounder against the once promising Dexter Alimento (13-13, 9). Alimento looked like a star in the making back in 2016, when he stopped Natthaphon Chaiudom in Thailand for a WBC Youth title. Sadly he has gone 3-13 since then, and been stopped 9 times, including his last 6 straight. It’s a real shame to see how badly Alimento has fallen off after his promising start, and we suspect this will be another loss for his career as things continue falling apart. The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines A second Filipino card is set to take place in Metro Manila, and this is a much smaller, less noteworthy card. The main bout here appears to be an 8 rounder as the hard hitting but flawed Argelo Samson (5-3-1, 4) takes on Fernan Agencia (6-2, 2), in what looks like a pretty competitive match up. The 23 year old Samson has only gone the distance 3 times, though surprisingly those 3 bouts were his most recent 3. His most notable bout came in 2022, when he was stopped by Japanese prospect Jinya Yamaguchi, and despite going 1-1-1 since that loss it does seem like he has improved, at least defensively, since then. As for Agencia he started his career 5-0 though has since gone 1-2. Whilst that looks bad those losses were a TKO to the monstrously hard hitting Miel Fajardo and a decision loss to the capable Aljum Pelesio. This really could be a very good bout, despite the underwhelming looking records of the two men involved. Gyeongju Boxinggym, Gyeongju, South Korea Over in South Korea will be putting on a mall card. The more notable of the bouts confirmed for this show is a 6 rounder at 168lbs, which will see the unbeaten Turgynbek Yelsultan (3-0-1, 3) take on Woong Chan Song (2-3-1). Although not looking like he has the tools to mix at regional level Yelsultan certainly seems to have the style to be in some exciting fights, as we’ve seen in some of his 4 rounders, with aggressive, flawed styles based around his power and work rate. We’d be surprised if Song can do enough to get his respect and this is likely to be a 4th win for the unbeaten slugger, Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea Staying in the Korean peninsular, there is also a small card in Incheon. The card is so small that all the bouts are 4 rounders, with all the fighters being novices. The most experienced man on the card is 23 year old Tae Wan Choi (3-2-3), with 8 fights, and he will be in a Welterweight clash with unbeaten 30 year old Jae Sung Park (3-0), who has won all his fights by majority decision. Notably Park is penciled for a fight in September, in what is expected to be his first 6 rounder, though obviously he needs to get through this one without taking too much damage. Little Ceasars Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA Over in the US we’ll see hard hitting Uzbekistani fighter Shohjahon Ergashev (24-1, 21) in something of a stay busy fight, as he takes on Julian Smith (8-2, 5), and looks for his second win since losing to Subriel Matias in November 2023. The talented Ergashev is one to watch, and despite being stopped in 5 round by Matias, in what was a nightmare match up for him from a styles perspective, we expect he will manage to earn another shot at a title in the future, aged 32 however he will need to hope that shot comes soon. As for Smith, the 33 year old dubbed “The Quiet Storm”, has never been stopped, and on paper looks durable, but both of his losses have come to relative novices, sporting 5-0 and 2-0 records, and he should have little in the locker to worry Ergashev.  Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get a show from Hachioji Nakaya Promotions, who will be putting on what is essentially a 2-day event at the Shinjuku Face, with Wednesday and Thursday shows being built around a number of East Japan Rookie of the Year bouts. In total there is set to be 6 bouts on this show, with one of the most interesting being a bout between Kotaro Kasamatsu (2-0, 1) and Keisuke Murata (1-1, 1), who face off at Welterweight. Aged 20 Kasamatsu is someone who seems like one to watch. Standing at just under 6’ he’s young, has size and has boiled down from 154lbs, where he debuted, to a weight where he looks strong and powerful. At 37, 17 years older than Kasamatsu, Murata is a southpaw who lost on debut, back in May 2023, but returned after just over a year to stop Keito Ando. Given both guys are big, for Japanese fighters, coming into this on TKO wins and will know that a win takes them towards an All Japan final, this one could be a bit of a thrilling, but short, fight with bombs thrown early. Another bout where the men involved have a notable age difference is a bout featuring 33 year old Kyohei Sugeta (1-0, 1) and 22 year old Mahdi Miruzad (3-2-1, 1). Sugeta debuted back in April, when he stopped teenager Koki Ishii inside a round. Fighting as a southpaw Sugeta is certainly a Featherweight who will be looking to shine this year, and will know that if he loses it’ll be really hard for him to make a mark, even if he returns for next year’s Rookie of the Year. Miruzad is a Japanese based Afghan fighter, who debuted back in 2022 and has had mixed success, but is certainly someone with experience and interesting back story, regarding how he went from Kabul to Chiba, a story that is likely to get serious attention in Japan if he progresses to the All Japan final.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get a small but notable card at Korakuen Hall thanks to Ichiriki promotions. The main event is a really under-whelming bout, as limited Filipino visitor Renan Portes (13-16, 6) takes on OPBF Bantamweight champion Keita Kurihara (18-8-1, 16) in a bout at Super Bantamweight. Portes is better than his record suggests, but is certainly not a threat above the domestic Filipino level, and has gone 5-13 in his last 18 bouts, including going 0-4 in bouts outside of the Philippines and 0-3 in Japan. Sadly his only real win of note has come against Jason Canoy Manigos, and whilst that win was last time out it said more about just how faded Canoy is now a days. As for Kurihara the hard hitting Japanese fighter has tested the water at 122lbs before, but does seem more of a natural at Bantamweight. Notably he has been stopped in 2 of his last 4, but has bounced back by avenging both those defeats to become a 3, and now 4 time OPBF Bantamweight champion. This should be little more than a stay busy, or tune up, bout for Kurihara, but his results in recent years have been hard to predict, and there are serious cracks showing in his toughness. Saying that, he should still have what’s needed to win against Portes. The only title bout on the card will see JBC and OPBF Female Atomweight champion Honoka Kano (7-1-2, 2) in action, as she defends her national title against the woman she beat for the Japanese title back in 2023, Mont Blanc Miki (6-6-1, 2). In their first bout Kano took a 6 shutout win over Miki, and since then has defended the Japanese title twice, and unified it with the OPBF title, which she did last time out when she beat Nao Sakamoto over 8 rounds and pushed herself to within touching distances of a world title fight. As for Miki she has won 2 in a row since losing to Kano, including a TKO win over the previously unbeaten Aori Matsuo. Notably the loss to Kano was the final bout in a 6 run win-less streak for Miki, who went 0-5-1 during that run, and she seems to have finally turned things around with her recent wins. In a solid supporting bout Haruki Ishikawa (10-5, 8) will take on #2 ranked JBC Bantamweight Kenshin Oshima (8-3-1, 4), who is looking to secure a third shot at the Japanese title in the not too distant future. Ishikawa, the clear under-dog here, began his career 8-1 before losing to Toshiya Ishii, and since then he has struggled to get his career back on track, going 2-4, though he did win the Japanese Youth Super Bantamweight title in one of those two wins. Ishikawa is limited, can be out boxed, can be stopped, but does have enough power to keep fighters honest, and if he catches someone clean he is a dangerman. As for Oshima, he’s a talented fight, but someone who hasn’t yet lived up to his early potential losing an early fight, fight to a draw in his 5th bout, which saw him have a career record of 3-1-1 (3) and suffer recent setbacks to Kyosuke Sawada and Seiya Tsutusmi in 2 of his last 3. He’s seems to lack the power needed to make a mark at the top of the domestic scene, and although there is plenty of skill, behind what he does he does seem to be missing something that will get him to the top domestically.  Hotel Crown Palais Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Over in Fukuoka we have Western Japan Rookie of the Year finals, as well as two bouts, on a show promoted by Orio Boxing. From the Rookie of the Year bouts, the most interesting is the Light Flyweight bout between Suguru Sakiyama (3-0, 2) and Hisayuki Kinjo (1-0, 1). Of the two men Sakiyama is the older, at 21, and he debuted last year, beating the brilliantly named Topgun Kamata, and has had 6 valuable rounds since then, whilst progressing to 3-0. At just 17 Kinjo is the baby of the tournament, and debuted earlier this year with a 3 round TKO win. We expect explosive action here in a bout that might lack classical skills, and composure, but should provide great action. As for non-Rookie of the Year bouts we’ll see Masateru Hatagami (8-4-1, 3) look to secure a third straight win, as he takes on once beaten Thai puncher Passakron Yakkala (6-1, 4), in a scheduled 8 rounder. Hatagami is unlikely to progress into major bouts, but this is his chance to shine in the main event of a small show, and we expect him to give one of his best performances here. As for the visitor Passakron, the 21 year old Thai ran up 6 wins in Thailand against terrible opposition, before being blasted in 2 minutes back in November against Abdelelah Karroum. Given that loss, the door is wide open for Hatagami here. In another Japan Vs Thai bout, we’ll see the unbeaten Ryuha Terada (4-0-3, 2) take on Padyod Kiadcharoensiri (5-2) in a scheduled 6 rounder. The bout will be Terada’s second against a Thai opponent, after being taken the 6 round distance by Bunchuai Phosungnoen in March, and will be looking to secure another victory and move towards bigger and better bouts. The light punching Kiadcharoensiri has never previously fought outside of Thailand, and was last seen being stopped in 6 rounds Zhengwei Xie, back in February. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan A second Japanese show will take place in Aichi, where we continue to see progressively more interesting cards with continued Youtube exposure, with this one being promoted by Hiromasa Ohashi. The main event here will see the light punching Tamaki Miwa (8-9-2, 1) look to end a 3 fight winless streak as he takes on Retsu Takahashi (6-3, 2). Although no world beater Miwa he has faced a number of solid and emerging domestic fighters, such as Hikaru Fukunaga, Kimihiro Nakagawa and Ruito Saeki and has been building his reputation as a fan friendly fighter, particularly in Aichi. As for Takahashi he might not have a stellar record, but is known for picking up domestic upsets, with wins against Kantaro Nakanishi and Ikuro Sadatsune being particularly notable. With neither fighter being known for their power, we’re expecting this to be a high tempo and fun fight. On the subject of high tempo and fun fights between men lacking power, we’re also expecting a really fun fight between Yuya Miyazaki (3-4-3, 2) and the experienced Takahiro Hamazaki (3-12-3, 1). Miyazaki is better than his record suggests, but he does struggle getting over the line in close fights, hence his 3 draws in his last 6 bouts. Hamazaki on the other hand is winless in his last 6 and has been stopped in 5 of those bouts, which is likely to be a potential issue here against Miyazaki, who does have decent pop at this level.  Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
The main show this coming Saturday is the latest in Amazon Prime’s excellent run of shows in Japan, with this one being a world title triple header, which also features a notable step up for a highly touted prospect and the debut of a very talented former amateur stand out. The main event of the show will see 3-weight world champion Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20) defending his WBC Bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Vincent Astrolabio (19-4, 14), in a solid first defense for Nakatani, who is looking to unify titles in the near future. The talented champion looked arguably his best earlier this year, when he stopped Alexander Santiago. It did seem, in that fight against Santiago, that Nakatani had perhaps found the weight best suited to him, though in recent interviews it has sounded like he’s intending to move to Super Bantamweight next year and perhaps he is struggling to keep his weight on point. As for Astrolabio, the bout is a second shot at a title, after losing a hotly contested bout for the WBO title against Jason Moloney. Despite that loss to Moloney the Filipino fighter has had a few excellent years, with notable wins against Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nikolai Potapov and Navapon Khaikanha in 3 of his last 4. Nakatani will be the favourite, and understandably so, but Astrolabio is a very live under-dog. Surprisingly the chief support bout on the card isn’t one of the other title bouts, but instead a scheduled 10 rounder between Tenshin Nasukawa (3-0, 1) and Jonathan Rodriguez (17-2-1, 7). Nasukawa is a former kickboxer-turned boxer, who has raced through the regional rankings, and is expected to fight for his first title later this year. He’s quick and sharp, and although there are question marks about his power, there is little doubting that he has converted excellently to boxing, and will have his sights set on winning world titles in the coming years. As for Rodriguez, the American looks like a really good opponent, with a solid looking record, and a notable recent win over former world champion Kal Yafai. Those facts make him an opponent with some value, though he has been stopped twice, including a 7th round loss against Antonio Vargas in February, where he was dropped twice, and is the naturally smaller man. It’s not Nasukawa fighting a Jonathan Rodriguez, as WBO Super Flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11) will be defending his title against a different Jonathan Rodriguez (25-2-1, 17). Tanaka, now holding a world title in his 4th weight class, has long been one of the hardcore fans favourite fighters, with his flawed defense, aggressive style, and incredible speed. Notably his last bout was a rather dull one, as he out boxed Christian Bacasegua Rangel in a dramaless bout in February, and he has made it clear that he wants to excite fans here. Notably he isn’t expected to have an easy one as Rodriguez is a genuine top contender, who’s tough, rugged, comes to fight and has proven he belongs in and around the title mix at 115lbs. In his 28 bouts Rodriguez has only left Mexico once, but that was a close loss to Jerwin Ancajas, in a bout for the IBF title, which saw him push Ancajas all the way. This could be a genuine banana skin for Tanaka, who likely has his eye on a bout with WBA/IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez. The other title bout on this show will fill the vacancy of the WBO Flyweight title, as Anthony Olascuaga (6-1, 4) takes on Riku Kano (22-4-2, 11), in what will be the second world title fight for both men. The 26 year old Kano was tipped for success early in his career, after debuting at the age of 16, and landed his first world title fight way back in August 2016, losing to veteran Katsunari Takayama. Had he won he'd have been the youngest ever Japanese world champion. Since then he has had mixed success, going 12-2-1, but is now unbeaten in 10. As for Olascuaga, who's a training buddy and long term friend of Nakatani, he got his first world title fight back in April 2023, when he was a short notice challenger for Kenshiro Teraji. Although he lost to Kenshiro he impressed, and then stopped Giemel Magramo to help him secure this shot. This should be a really interesting bout pitting the power of Olascuaga against the aggression of Kano, which could end up giving us the fight of the show. One other bout on this card, is the debut of Issei Aramoto (0-0), as he takes on Mongontsooj Nandinerdene (2-1-1, 2). Aramoto is the latest in a line of top Japanese amateurs making their professional debuts recently, with Teiken expected to move him incredibly quickly, following a staggering 12 amateur title wins, whilst running up a stellar 85-7 (37) record in the unpaid ranks. Although he will be campaigning at a Middleweight, this bout will be fought at Super Middleweight. Is a Korean based Mongolian fighter Nandinerdene, who debuted in 2022 and was last seen losing a split decision in a bout for the South Korean Middleweight title. It’s clear Aramoto will be looking to make a mark here, and we don’t expect anything but an impressive win for a man those in Japan view as their next potential Middleweight star. SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines As well as the huge show in Japan there is also a small card in the Philippines, the card is much smaller than the Japanese one, but does have two noteworthy bouts. One of those will be a serious step up in class for Kit Ceron Garces (7-1, 5), who has won his last two, but has never really faced anyone with any real experience. His opponent here, as mentioned, is a big step up as he takes on former world title challenger Robert Paradero (19-7-2, 13). On paper this is a leap up in class for Garces, though it needs to be noted that Paradero is 1-7-2 in his last 10, and looks to be a man who has started to lose some of his hunger. If he turns up motivated Paradero has the tools to beat Garces, but if he’s going through the motions it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him lose again. On the same card is Carlo Bacaro (11-0, 7), who will be seeking his 12th straight win, as he takes on Jose Roda Jr (9-5-2, 2). The unbeaten “Brown Sugar” is taking baby steps up, as he slowly, but surely, takes on better opponents. He’s talented, promising, but his team are handling him with kid gloves to some extent, when a real step up is needed shortly. Roda Jr isn’t as bad as his record suggests, though is out of form, losing 4 of his last 5, and we do need to wonder what his ambition and motivation is like coming into this bout. A bit like Paradero, if Roda turns up with some hunger, he could give the younger man a real test. 225 Joo Chiat road , Singapore, Singapore Over in Singapore we’ll be getting minor title action, as 36 year old local fighter Mohammad Radeem (3-1, 1) battles against Indonesian fighter Reynold Kundimang (9-3-3, 2) in a bout for the UBO Continental title. Redeem really has very, very little on his record and at 36 there is no suggestion he’ll go far in the sport. As for Kundimang he’s a 23 year old who was once tipped for big things, though has stumbled since an exciting start, and was stopped in 2 of his last 3. |
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