 The Star, Sydney, Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia
Back in July unbeaten Kazakh Middleweight Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10) was supposed to defend the WBO and IBF Middleweight titles against unbeaten challenger Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13) in Las Vegas. That was however cancelled when Alimkhanuly was dehydrated, and was pulled from the bout before the weigh in. Rather than the bout being forgotten about, the IBF, rather notably, ordered the bout to take place as a mandatory defense by the champion who now had to travel to Australia after his team lost the purse bid for the bout. As a result the US based Kazakh now has to go into the backyard of his unbeaten foe to have the bout just a few months later. If Alimkhanuly has any problems this time it’s unlikely the IBF will give him any leeway and he’ll almost certainly end up being stripped and likely have to move up in weight, joining the deeper and more interesting Super Middleweight division. As for Mikhailovich it’s great that he’s not being left in the cold and will get his shot, but he is still the clear under-dog against a talented, yet frustrating, champion who has lost much of the momentum he once seemed to be building. In regards to the bout this should be interesting, but does appear to be a huge step up for the challenger, but he does seem confident and seemed to suggest he had been messed about in the summer by Alimkhanuly.
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 Fashion Center Event Hall, Seoul, South Korea
This coming Thursday attention turns to Seoul for a show featuring a regional title fight and 3 Korean title fights. Sadly, though as is often the case with Korean title fights, the men involved in the contests are all novices, and it’s hard to know much about them. The main event will be for the WBA Asia title at 140lbs as the hard hitting Yoon Tak (6-0, 6) takes on once beaten Thai teenager Phongthep Homjui (14-1-2, 8). The 30 year old Tak is one of the few Korean fighters who looks like he could mix on the genuine regional scene, with nasty spiteful power not only take out domestic foes, winning the national title in June, but also Japanese fighter Kenshin Kidoguchi, in what was Tak's international debut. As for Homjui he suffered a loss early in his career, but is unbeaten in 11 fights since then, though his only result of any note during that stretch is a draw with Kittithat Ungsrivongs, with almost all of his other bouts coming against debutants. On paper this looks like a good match up, but sadly Homjui’s competition has been so weak that it’s hard to read much into this bout. At 154lbs Se Yul Yang (6-8-2, 3) will make his first defense of the Korean title as he takes on Korean based Mongolian fighter Mongontsooj Nandinerdene (2-2-1, 2). Yang won the title back in June, in what his third shot at a Korean title, and despite the win he's not really shown much to suggest he can go beyond Korean domestic level. As for Nandinerdene this is his second shot at a Korean title, and although his record might not look great he did impress us last time out, when he gave touted Japanese hopeful Issei Aramoto a real test, before being knocked out in the 6th round. That bout showed Nandinerdene had plenty to offer and we wouldn't be surprised at all by him having too much for Yang here. The other two title fights are both for vacant titles, with the most interesting being at Lightweight, as the hard hitting Hyun Jin Moon (5-1-1, 5) takes on the light hitting Jong Heon Kim (5-2-1). Moon was last seen losing inside a round to Yoon Tak, but prior to that had shown some promise with wins against Takuya Takahashi and Xinbo Ning. This is his second shot at a Korean title and given his power he will be favoured here. As for Kim he's well travelled, with bouts in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam, but has been struggling to pick up wins, with a 1-2-1 record in his last 4. This will be his first bout scheduled for more than 6 rounds, and he might have the skills to ask questions of Moon, but we suspect his lack of power, especially over 10 rounds, will be an issue here. The other title fight will be at Super Bantamweight, where the fun to watch Chan Young Yook (6-4, 5) will be up against Jung Hyun Shim (2-4-2, 1). Yook has been in some great fights due, in part, to a mix of his limitations and the Korean spirit. Win or lose he has rarely been in a bad fight and 8 of his 10 bouts have finished early. As for Shim this will be his third shot at the title, and he unfortunately comes into the bout with no momentum, at all. In fact he is 0-4-1 in his last 5 and you need to go back to 2017 for his last win. Glan, Sarangani, Philippines As well as the Korean card there is also a show in the Philippines headlined by a regional title bout, as Romer Pinili (7-2-1, 6) takes on Reymond Empic (8-7-2, 3) in a bout for the vacant PBF Lightweight title. Pinili is 7-0 -1 at home, with his only losses coming on the road, losing to Chan Ho Song in Vietnam and Mikyo Wataria in Japan. He lacks a notable win, but didn't embarrass himself in his two losses, and looked like there was something to be excited about with his recent win against Dennis Ireno. As for Empic he has notched just a single win since 2020. and is 1-4-2 in his last 7. He has been matched hard in that run, with bouts against the likes of Brian Lobetania, Rolando Servania, Tomjune Mangubat, Rhonvex Capuloy and Pete Apolinar, but it’d be a genuine surprise to see him over-come Pinili here.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
To end the month of September we return to Korakuen Hall for a show from Ichiriki Promotions. One of the bouts on the card features a former world title contender taking on a rising hopeful, with that being the main event, whilst another of the notable bouts pits two experienced fighters against each other in what should be a solid 8 rounder. The main event will see the unbeaten Eikichi Kawamura (5-0, 3) taking a huge step up to face veteran Akihiro Kondo (37-12-2, 21), who is coming to the end of his long and successful career. The 25 year old Kawamura is ranked in the top 15 by the JBC at 140lbs and is really taking a monstrous step up in class. He made his debut in May 2023 and has scored 5 wins in 17 combined rounds, with wins over 3 unbeaten fighters already, including Kaiji Nakajima. Although clearly talented he doesn't have the long amateur pedigree of fighters typically thrown in with experienced fighters like Kondo this early on. Saying that it is clear that if he beats Kondo he will be moved aggressively to a title fight next year. As for Kondo the 39 year old veteran has been a professional since 2006 and has fought a genuine who's over the years, including domestic rivals like Nihito Arakawa, Yoshitaka Kato, Daishi Nagata, Andy Hiraoka, and Aso Ishiwaki, regional foes like Ricky Sismundo, Konsan Polsan and Apinun Khongsong and even touched world level with bouts against Sergey Lipinets, for the IBF title. He is showing his age, but has plenty of veteran tricks up his sleeve and could still be too much for Kawamura at this stage in a really interesting matchup between rising upstart and dedicated veteran. In another of note Thai visitor Pornchai Srithong (14-11, 7) will take on Ryuji Ikeda (15-10-5, 10). Ikeda is the more well known, and has been a fixture on the Japanese scene for over a decade now. During his 30 bout career he has faced a who’s who, with bouts against Yuichi Ideta, Koki Inoue, Aso Ishiwaki and Hayato Ono. He has been popular because he makes for fun fights, he comes to win, and regardless of the result he makes a genuine effort and as a result has fan friendly fights. Sadly his career is definitely winding down and he has now won just once since 2019, a run of 9 fights. As for Pornchai the 24 year old Thai has only been a professional since 2018 but has been busy, with 25 bouts in 6 years. Notably almost all have been in Thailand, with exceptions being a 2023 loss to Tsukasa Saito in Japan and a loss earlier this year in Indonesia by James Mokoginta. From his 11 losses he has been stopped 8 times and with Ikeda’s power it’s hard to imagine this one going the distance.  Kanada Gym, Fukuchimachi, Fukuoka, Japan
This coming Sunday we have something of a quiet day for fight fans, with just a single Asian show being scheduled, over in Fukuoka. On paper the bout that stands out the most is the first bout back in Fukuoka for almost 7 years of former world champion Yuko Kuroki (22-8-2, 9), who is from Fukuoka but has been fighting across Japan the last few years. The bout is technically the chief support bout, as she takes on Wisuta Sririttidet (7-3, 5) in what should be a straight forward win for the former 2-time world champion. Kuroki, at her best, is a nightmare, with a good work rate, solid power for the weight and a real energy about her, and really should have been the main event here given her history in the sport, and the respect she has among fans. Whilst the Thai visitor might be limited, we suspect anyone coming to the show for Kuroki is coming for Kuroki regardless of who she’s up against. This 8 rounder really should be a showcase for Kuroki, who only lost the WBO Atomweight title in January. The actual listed main event is instead a bout between the unbeaten Ryuha Terada (5-0-3, 2) and the inconsistent Kenji Hidaka (7-10, 4), who clash in a 6 rounder. The unbeaten Terada will be facing his first domestic foe of the year, after picking up two wins over Thai foes so far in 2024, and whilst he is another local to Fukuoka it's clear his potential is pretty limited given not just his results to date, despite the unbeaten record, and the fact the 27 year old doesn't seem to have the pop needed to compete at the top of the domestic scene. As for Hidaka, the 32 year old has lost 3 of his last 5 and we need to go back to 2019 for his last win against an opponent with a winning record. He's tough and does tend to be in competitive bouts but is unlikely to put up a real test for Terada here. This coming Saturday we’ve an interesting day, with several bouts across Asia, though most of them are low profile and not worthy of too much attention, with one particular show standing out as being notable and others pretty much filling up the schedule and giving bouts for fans to watch.
Almaty Arena, Almaty, Kazakhstan The one show of any real note is in Kazakhstan, where we see an unbeaten hopeful look to move forward and an unbeaten Olympic champion look to get his career back on track. On paper the best of the match up on the show will see 33 year old Zhankosh Turarov (28-0, 20), once tipped as a future world champion, taking on hard hitting Venezuelan hopeful Jesus Correa Pinto (16-0, 16). Turarov really was regarded as the future of Kazakh boxing, and by the summer of 2019 he had picked up wins in Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, USA and the UK whilst running out to a 23-0 record at the age of 28. Sadly since then he has essentially picked up a win a year, completely killed any momentum he had, and wasted what was left of his prime. He has won the IBO title at 140lns, which he defended last year against Akihiro Kondo, but really has failed to kick on since his UK debut. As for Pinto, the Venezuelan has proven to be a really dangerous fighter on the Venezuelan scene, picking up 15 of his 16 wins at home, and also showed that he could fight on the road when he stopped Jesus Acosta Ayala in 2021. Sadly since his win over Ayala he has fought just twice, combining for 3 rounds, wasting his own momentum. As with many fighters who have crafted their career in Venezuela, it’s hard to say much about how good Pinto is, as his competition has been awful, and footage of him is hard to find. Despite that we have seen plenty of obscure fighters from Venezuela turn out to be legit, and Pinto could be the next surprise from the country. One other bout of note will see 2016 Olympic gold medal winner Daniyar Yeleussinov (11-0, 6) return to the ring after almost 3 years out of action, as he takes on Filipino fighter Joe Noynay (23-4-2, 11), who continues to fight well above his best weight. Yeleussinov, at one point, looked like part of a new wave of Kazakh fighters and was being put on big US shows, allowing to build his profile and standing in the sport and seemed to be developing well. Then he was put in something of a holding pattern, with inactivity, issues with his promoter and more inactivity, which lead to what seemed like the end of his career in 2021. Now, after being out of the ring since late ‘21 he is back, looking to restart his career at the age of 33. As for Noynay the Filipino was a very good fighter at 126lbs and very dangerous at 130lbs, where he scored wins against Kosuke Saka, Satoshi Shimizu and Liam Wilson. Sadly though he hasn’t managed to make 130lbs since 2021 and has ended up fighting at Welterweight, where his strengths really don’t work, as we saw earlier this year against Jin Sasaki and like we’ll likely see against Yeleussinov. Maeheon Gymnasium, Yesan, South Korea The second most noteworthy show will be in South Korea, where we get a regional title fight as Mongolian fighter Bayarkhuu Ganbaatar (10-1, 8) takes on Marlon Paniamogan (12-3-1, 5) in a bout for the WBO Oriental title at 140lbs. The hard hitting Ganbaatar has bounced back well from an early career loss in Russia, winning 9 in a row including good wins over Yeerlan Nuerlanbieke and Yangyang Li. He looks to be a genuine contender on the regional scene, and like with most Mongolian fighters he’s tough, heavy handed and fun to watch, even if there’s a lack of polish to his work. As for Paniamogan he's not there to make up numbers, and despite losing the 3 times he's left the Philippines, he did put up genuine efforts against Kuntae Lee, Lei Wang and Brock Jarvis, who is the only man to stop him. He’ll be there to win, but we suspect he’ll come up short here. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea Staying in Korea we also get a very low level show in Incheon, where the only 1 bout scheduled for more than 4 rounds will see Joo Hwan Jo (2-3) take on Kyung Soo Kim (2-0-1) in a 6 rounder at Lightweight. PMQ Qube, Hong Kong S.A.R., China We also have some low level title action in Hong Kong as 23 year old local hopeful Saagar Pradhan (3-0, 1) takes on 21 year old Thai fighter Passakron Yakkala (7-2, 5) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Youth title at 154lbs. Pradhan debuted in Thailand last year, picking up two wins over debutants, before beating Ryan Maano in the Philippines, making this his home debut, and it's fair to say that Hong Kong needs a new boxing star to get behind following the retirement of Rex Tso. As for Yakkala the Thai fighter has won 7 from 7 at home and lost both of his fighters outside of Thailand, both by stoppage. Whilst his travels have seen him face stiffer competition than his bouts in the Land of Smiles, they haven't exactly been killers and his record certainly doesn’t suggest he’s a diamond in the rough. Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand
The key show for fans of the Asian scene this coming Friday comes from Bangkok, where we see 3 notable Thai’s in action, sadly all 3 are against opponents who are expected to be brushed aside in a show that looks to be selling it’s self on stay busy fights for a talented trio. The most notable bout on the card, and likely the most interesting, will see Sathaporn Saart (14-2, 8) take on Ariel Antimaro (8-2-1, 2) in a bout for the WBC Asian Featherweight title. Sathaporn was beaten in a competitive debut against the experienced Thiranan Matsali back in 2019, as a teenager and since then has gone 14-1 with his loss coming to the excellent Mikito Nakano, who has since won the OPBF title. He appears to have something about him, with wins over Pipat Chaiporn, Ken Jordan and Nattapong Jankaew, and did survive 7 rounds with Nakano. Although not a world beater there is something to suggest he could become a fixture at the top of the Thai scene. As for Antimaro he's a fighter better suited to Suited Bantamweight than Featherweight, and will not just be undersized but also fighting outside of the Philippines for the first time in his career. He comes into this with some momentum, having won his last 4, but the most notable win during that run has come against Jhunrille Castino, and this is a huge step up from that bout. Another notable name on this card is Thachtana Luangphon (25-1-1, 15), who looks to bounce back from a recent loss to Sam Goodman, who takes on ShunCai Hou (3-3-1, 1) of China. Although Thachtana, aka Chainoi Worawut, came up short against Goodman back in May, he did give Goodman a good test and it's hard to see this bout as anything more than an easy win for him. Hou was beaten last time out, by Japanese prospect Yuichiro Taka, and whilst he has scored a win in Thailand it was at a much, much lower level than this bout. The biggest mismatch will see former world title challenger Navapon Khaikanha (61-4-1, 50) take on Surasit Luangpotha (0-0). Navapon has, during his long career, faced a mini-who’s who with bouts against the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Jason Moloney, Vincent Astrolabio, Daigo Higa, Kompayak Porpramook, Sonny Boy Jaro, Amnat Ruenroeng and Juan Hernandez Navarrete. Sadly though he has often been found wanting against the best he’s faced, particularly when he’s faced natural Bantamweights, having often taken notable wins against smaller men, and it seems that his time at, and around, the top is pretty much over. In Surasit we have a man who really can’t say much about, though he did fight as an amateur and we do suspect there is more fighting experience than the little bit of amateur action that’s on his boxrec. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Bangkok there is also a Dangan card in Tokyo, this show does however lack in terms of notable names as it’s one of the All 4 Rounder shows, where all the bouts, all 11 of them, are 4 rounders. In fact not only do all 11 bouts feature a debutant but the card, in total has 18 debuting fighters on the show. Notably the 4 fighters on the show who aren’t making their debut all have 0-1 records meaning not a single fighter on the entire show has a win to their name. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand
This coming Thursday attention turns to Bangkok for a small card in Bangkok. The card lacks in terms of notable bouts, but does have several fighters of note on it. One of those notable fighters is WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight champion Jayson Vayson (12-1-1-1,6) who takes part in a stay busy bout against Indian fighter Shanborlang Marbaniang (5-2-2, 3). The talented Vayson has been on the road the last few years, with his last bout at home coming in February 2020, since then he has fought in Indonesia, Dubai and Japan, scoring notable wins over Ryuya Yamanaka and Takeru Inoue in his last two bouts to win and retain the WBO Asia Pacific title. Sadly this bout is a huge step backwards for him, and is, on paper, his worst match up since he began his on-going tour of Asia. As for Marbaniang he has never fought outside of India prior to this bout, and has lost 2 of his last 3, and whilst he has never been stopped he has never faced anyone even close to the ability of Vayson. Another bootable Filipino on this card is Jesse Espinas (21-7, 12), who takes on Thai fighter Adisak Ketpiam (8-15-1, 7). At his best Espinas was a good regional level fighter, who has wins over the likes of Joey Canoy, Lito Dante, Phai Pharob, Elias Joaquino and Denver Cuello. Sadly however he is now a man on the back end of his career, with 2 wins in his last 7 dating back over 7 years. Despite now being on the back 9 Espinas should have far, far too much for Ketpiam, who has lost 12 of his last 13 and suffered 12 stoppage losses in his 24 bouts.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
It’s fair to say that September is a great month for the Minimum weight division, with Knockout CP Freshmart defending his WBA title early in the month, Melvin Jerusalem taking on Luis Castillo on the 22nd (that bout hasn’t taken place at the time of writing), and the announcement that WBO champion Oscar Collazo will be defending his title against Edwin Cano Hernandez in November. The great month for the division continues this coming Wednesday with a show promoted by a former world champion in the division, who is set for a sit down talk with a divisional legend, that features 3 Minimumweight title bouts and 7 bouts in total, all at 105lbs. The show will be promoted by Hideyuki Ohashi, who will take part in a chat with Mexican legend Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, with Ohashi being asked about an exhibition but turning it down admitting he wasn’t in fighting shape and likely didn’t want to get beaten up by Lopez again, as he was in 1990. The two, who have great respect for each other, make for an interesting addition to a show that promises a lot of great action. The first of the 3 title bouts on this show will see Rento Miyazawa (7-2-1, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese Youth Minimumweight title, as he takes on the unbeaten Takero Kitano (6-0-1, 3). Miyazawa won the title back in April, when he defeated Yuma Saeki with a split decision, and will be looking to establish his reign here and extend his current unbeaten run to 5 fights, after losing 2 of his first 6 bouts. As for Kitano he’s a 20 year old who is fighting in his first title bout, and his first bout scheduled for more than 6 rounds. After going 4-0-1 against domestic competition to begin his career his last 2 bouts have been against Thai visitors, who looked decent on paper though may well have left him a little unprepared for a bout like this one. The second title bout on the show will be for the vacant OPBF title as unbeaten Filipino John Kevin Jimenez (8-0, 3) takes on once beaten Japanese fighter Takeshi Ishii (8-1, 7). Jimenez might be unbeaten but this is a huge step up for him in his first bout outside of the Philippines. To date his 8 bouts have only seen him beat two fighters with winning records, including a 10 round split decision over Jayson Brillo back in February for the GAB title and he has gone the distance in 5 of his last 6 contests, with the only stoppage in that run coming against the very limited Charlie Malupangue. Ishii on the other hand has been matched notably harder with 5 bouts against fighters with winning records, including his loss to Lito Dante last year. That loss to Dante, a split decision, was close and was the only time Ishii had been taken beyond round 4, as the 24 year old is a genuine power puncher in a division that lacks destructive forces. It’s hard to see this as being anything other than a coming out party for Ishii, though it’s fair to say Jimenez will not have traveled to just make up the numbers. The main event will see the hotly tipped 26 year old Ryusei Matsumoto (3-0, 1) look to continue on the fast track to the top, as he takes on Katsuki Mori (12-3, 3) in a bout for the Japanese title, which was vacated recently by Yuni Takada. Of the two men Mori is the more established as a professional having won the All Japan Rookie of the Year back in 2019 and having come up short twice in bouts for the Japanese title, losing to Kai Ishizawa in 2022 and Yuni Takada last year, as well winning the Japanese Youth title, when he defeated Shunsuke Isa in 2022. Now aged 24 Mori is coming into his prime, but still seems to lack the physicality and the power to move beyond domestic level. Matsumoto on the other hand is one of the most highly regarded Japanese prospects out there, who turned professional after an excellent amateur career which saw him going 77-15 and winning various titles, and who’s amateur background have allowed Teiken to fast track him. In his last bout he dominated Filipino visitor Jomar Caindog and that win really does serve him well coming into this bout. If he wins here there is no doubting that Teiken will look to move him into a world the rankings and towards a world title fight sooner rather than later.  Mandaluyong City College, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
This coming Sunday we see potentially the biggest Filipino card of the year, headlined by a world champion, defending his title against an unbeaten challenger, on a card that also features a former world champion and a huge number of unbeaten prospects. The main event will see WBC Minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem (22-3, 12) defending his title against Mexican challenger Luis Castillo (21-0-1, 3). Jerusalem, now enjoying his second reign as a world champion following an upset win earlier this year against Yudai Shigeoka, has rebuilt really well since a 2023 loss to Oscar Collazo, though will be hoping to secure a successful defense this time after failing in his first defense of the WBO title in his prior reign. As for Castillo the bout is his first outside of Mexico, and is a notable step up in class from wins against the likes of Miguel Angel Herrera, Abraham Rodriguez and Mario Rodriguez. Both men will come into this with plenty of confidence, but it’s fair to say the champion is the clear favourite. In the chief support bout former IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (34-4-2, 23) will take on Thai veteran Sukpraserd Ponpitak (30-19, 20). For Ancajas the bout will be his first since being stopped by Takuma Inoue in a WBA Bantamweight title bout, and it appears that he’s listening to his body and little his frame fill out, fighting at, or around, the Featherweight limit for this bout. At his best Ancajas is fantastic, but it feels like his best is behind him, and years of draining to make 115lbs, and later 118lbs, have taken something from him. If we even see a glimpse of his best here he should be far too much for the Thai visitor. Sukpraserd is no push over, the 49 fight veteran is very much a regional level journeyman, capable of springing the upset, but does typically fall short against the better fighters with a who's who of the regional scene having beaten him over the last 15 or so years. Ancajas should have too much, but the bout will serve as a chance to see what he has left to offer. There are far, far, far too many unbeaten hopefuls and prospects on this card to go through all of them with Kevin Villanueva (4-0, 2), Charlie Adtoon (3-0, 1), Kiyoto Narukami (3-0, 1) and Randy Tanodra (3-0, 2) among others in action on this show. Sadly there isn’t any big names to support the two man bouts, but the card has 15 fights in total with 15 unbeaten fighters on the show, including Castillo.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
At the legendary Korakuen Hall we get a brilliant show pitting prospects from Japan and China against each other, in what could be one of the most under-rated shows of the year. In a battle of unbeaten 23 year olds we’ll see the touted Yuichiro Taka (2-0) take on the hard hitting Lite Dawuxi (7-0, 5). Despite being without a stoppage so far Taka is highly touted and very clearly skilled, and is expected to go a very long way over the coming years. Interestingly Taka’s first two opponents were, like Dawuxi, Chinese fighters, though this is a clear step up in class for him in terms of quality of opponent and his first 8 rounder. As for Dawuxi he returns to the scene of his biggest win so far, a 2nd round TKO win over Eikichi Ueno in May. That win aside, his competition has been relatively limited, but that win did show there was something to him, and it's clear he'll be looking to build on that win over Ueno. Another very highly touted unbeaten Japanese fighter on this card is Hiroki Horiike (2-0, 2) who faces the once beaten LeQuan Wang (8-1, 5), in what may turn out to be the best bout of the show. Horiike turned pro after a stellar amateur career, and some in Japan are tipping him as a fighter who will be fast tracked to domestic and regional honours, and perhaps even a world title down the line. His first two bouts have been blow outs, and he’s barely had 3 minutes of professional experience, but has already looked like a star in the making. Wang on the other hand won his first 7 bouts at home in China before traveling to Thailand and beating Reymond Yanong, inside a round. He was beaten last time out, suffering his only loss, to Thai wonderkid Phoobadin Yoohanngoh in Dubai. Despite losing to Phoobadin, Wang showed toughness and willing, and will be putting up a much better test than anyone Horiike has faced so far. A really intriguing bout in the China vs Japan series of shows will see former Japanese amateur stand out Sento Ito (1-0, 1) take on Guangheng Luan (3-7-2). On paper this is a total mismatch, with Ito tipped to be a star and Luan sporting a record of a journeyman. In reality however we should see Ito being forced to answer a number of questions, questions that he wasn’t asked in his debut. In his debut the 19 year old Ito took out Yotin Thongkhan in just 55 seconds. Here he’s up against a Chinese tough guy who has gone 0-7-1 in his last 8, but never been stopped and has gone the distance with the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Phongsaphon Panyakum and Danai Ngiabphukhiaw. Ito is expected to win, but we suspect he'll have to go rounds here, however if he can stop Luan it would be a huge statement. Another of the bouts in the China Vs Japan series of bouts will see struggling Japanese hopeful Kenshin Kidoguchi (1-1-2) take on the unbeaten Xinqiang Zhao (4-0, 2). The 25 year old Kidoguchi failed to win any of his first 3 bouts, all against unbeaten fighters, but did secure a win back in June against Sho Oba to get mark in the win column. Despite his poor looking record he is certainly not a poor fighter, and whilst he'll have some more rebuilding to do, a win here will do him the world of good. As for Zhao he made his debut in China in 2023 before reeling off 3 wins in Thailand, and won't feel too bothered by being in enemy territory here, though he will be facing his most technically complete and accomplished opponent to date in a bout that promises to be better than it looks on paper. In a notable domestic clash on this card will see Yuki Yonaha (13-6-1, 8) take on Towa Tsuji (8-1, 6), in another 8 rounder, much like the China Vs Japan bouts, in what is likely to be outshone by the other bouts but also deliver a lot of fun. Yonaha is no world beater, but is a game fighter who always tries to win, even though he has been over-matched against the likes of Jin Minamide, Tenshin Nasukawa and Juiki Tatsuyoshi in recent years. He’s technically limited, but tough and comes to fight. Tsuji on the other hand is a hard hitting 24 year old hopeful who won the Japanese Youth Featherweight title last year, and has won his last 5, with 4 of those wins coming in the first 3 rounds. This should be a very entertaining war. A second domestic clash on this card will be a rematch between Yuya Hirose (9-3-2, 4) and Kyosuke Okamoto (7-1-1, 4), in a bout that will see both men desperate to get a win and build some career momentum after recent setbacks. Hirose is a 26 year old who is 2-1-1 in his last 4, with the loss coming in 2022 to Okamoto, and whilst he is clearly more talented than his record suggests he is also inconsistent and his lack of power has made bouts closer than they needed to be. As for Okamoto he will be looking to repeat his win over Hirose and secure his second win since a 2023 loss to Towa Tsuji, in a Japanese Youth title fight. Given their history and the fact neither can afford another set back, this really could be very intriguing. Almaty, Kazakhstan We also have some interesting prospects and hopefuls in action in Kazakhstan. One of the most notable names on this show is former fringe contender Ruslan Madiyev (15-2, 6), who continues his current rebuilding process as he takes on Thai visitor Kittisak Klinson (8-1, 5). Back in 2018 Madiyev was 12-0 and a promising 25 year old. He then lost a technical decision to veteran Pablo Cesar Cano and suffered another technical decision loss to Danielito Zorrilla in March 2021. Since that loss to Zorrilla he has fought just twice, scoring a good win over Luis Hernandez Ramos and then a low key win over Juan Jimenez. He has gone from being a fringe contender to a forgotten man since the loss to Cano, losing all his career momentum. Klinson has a nice looking record, but sadly his competition has been awful so far, and, like many Thai's, he has a lack of quality to his wins. He did score a career best win last time out, beating Min Nuo in China, but this is a huge leap up in class from that bout. Another man who seemed to have early promise but has yet to fulfil it is 30 year old Chinese bor Kazakh Yelshat Nikhemttolla (19-0-1, 6), who looks to continue his unbeaten run as he takes on Muhsin Kizota (20-5, 12), from Tanzania. Nikhemttolla once seemed like he was going to make a market has tread water for much of the last 5 years wasting his prime and letting time pass him by, much like Madiyev. As for Kizota he has served a good role over the years, and has only been truly dominated a few times in his career, with only Sivenathi Nontshinga and Hasanboy Dusmatov stopping him. He lacks notable wins, but is one of the Tanzanian fighters who travels with ambition and will be hungry here, though we suspect he will also be under-sized. In an interesting looking bout we’ll see professional novice Sanatali Toltayev (1-0, 1) will take on Sardar Atakishiev (11-1, 8). Toltayev will look to impress his local fans, much like he did on his debut in June against Dmitrii Khasiev, and another win here will hopefully see his team look to fast track him. Atakishiev, from Kyrgyzstan, has been inactive for 2 years, and whilst his record does look good on paper he lacks any sort of notable win and was beaten by the limited Evgeny Smelov back in 2021. On paper this looks really good, but digging down below Atakishiev’s numbers, we get the feeling that he has been record padding and is here for a paycheck, rather than a chance to kickstart his faltering career. In another bout that looks great on paper, and should deliver, we’ll see unbeaten 23 year old punchers Nurdos Tolebay (12-0, 10) and Ulugbek Qayumboev (6-0, 5) clash in a 6 rounder at Welterweight. Tolebay is the more experienced man, with 12 bouts and 41 rounds, and he’s also going to be the man with the support in the venue, given he’s a Kazakh, but generally speaking his competition has been poor, and he's regularly been fighting at 140lbs. Qayumboev is from Uzbekistan and his 6 career bouts have lasted a total of 19 rounds notably his will be his first pro bout in over 2 years, and only his second in almost 3 and a half since beating Alexander Fedorov in a career best win. Notably whilst Tolebay has often been fighting at 140lbs Qayumboev is himself a natural Lightweight and could look under-sizedhere. Carcar Sports Complex, Carcar, Cebu, Philippines Over in the Philippines we get a relatively small card. One of the more notable bouts on this card will see the unbeaten Junibert Bantay (4-0, 1) take on Reycar Auxilio (6-3-1, 5) at Super Bantamweight. Bantay is unbeaten but has escaped with two very close wins in his first 4 bouts and it’s fair to say that he’s not yet shown himself to be clearly above his competition. As for Auxilio he has mixed results, but has fought at a higher level, has more power and will be looking to keep this out of the hands of the judges. This could be a very entertaining battle, though one that is certainly not going to get major international attention. Another notable hopeful on this show is the once beaten Jemuel Aranas (4-1, 2), who takes on the experienced, but limited, Charlie Malupangue (9-12-4, 6). Aranas is a 19 year old who debuted a year ago won his first 4, before being stopped in June this year by Roderick Bautista, in an OPBF Youth title fight, where he was genuinely destroyed, being dropped in rounds 4, 5 and 6. Given that set back it’s little wonder he’s being matched a bit softer here, and Malupangue hasn’t won a fight since 2019 and has been stopped in 5 of his last 9 bouts. This very much looks like a confidence builder for Aranas. |
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