 This coming Sunday is a second big day for Japanese boxing. Saturday was mostly titles whilst Sunday is about the future with the Rookie of the year East finals and a very interest, though smaller, show in Hyogo.
Hyogo, Japan We'll start with that smaller show which is scheduled to feature the only Asian title fight of the day, as well as the debut of a very promising young Bantamweight that we've heard rave reviews about. The title bout will see the unbeaten Kei Takenaka (7-0, 3) defending her OPBF female Light Flyweight title against "debuting" Thai Petchvaree Mor Krungthepthonburi (0-0). Whilst Takenaka needs to be favoured, obviously, we do question whether or not boxrec have the right record for the Thai challenger, especially given that the OPBF do tend to have some sort of standards on who they allow to challenge for titles. Whether Petchvaree is 0-0 or has a few fights on her record is unlikely to matter though as Takenaka is a very good fighter and will likely be moved towards a world title fight in 2015. In an 8 round support bout Shinichiro Morikawa (16-4-1, 11) will battle Thai visitor Keanpetch Manoprungroj (4-1, 2) in what appears to be a clear mismatch between an experienced fringe domestic contender and a limited and inexperienced Thai, especially when you consider that Kaenpetch lost his only other bout outside of Thailand to TJ Doheny in just 3 rounds. The most interesting fighter on this show however is 18 year old Bantamweight debutant Kazuma Yokoya (0-0), who we have mistakenly referred to as Kazuma Yokota in the past. Yokoya will be facing Thailand's Fahpetch Sor Praithong (0-0) in a 6 rounder and the expectation is that the Japanese youngster is a Bantamweight champion in the making. It's going to be good to see how the youngster looks on his debut and from what we under-stand there is going to be a spate of promising Japanese debutants in and around 118lbs in the next 6 months or so. Tokyo, Japan Whilst the Hyogo show looks good it pales in significance to the other Japanese show on the same day, the Rookie of the year East finals. This show will feature a total of 12 bouts from the Minimumweight division to the Middleweight division and will decide the "East" representative at the All Japan Rookie of the Year show in December. Rather than breaking down the bouts here we have instead done a full feature on the show looking at the 12 bouts and the 24 men partaking in them. Hopefully you'll enjoy the feature which can be read here! (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)
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November 1st-Kameda bros in action in the US, Kuroki and Kimura look to defend titles in Japan10/29/2014  If we say November ended in style with a number of big and exciting bouts then we need to confess that November starts even better with a day so brilliant, packed and wonderful that we know a lot of great bouts will go over-looked just do to the depth of the day.
Chicago, USA The headline bout of the day is in the US where WBO Bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda (30-0, 19) battles against interim champion Alejandro Hernandez (28-10-2, 15). On paper this looks a mismatch given that Hernandez's record contains numerous losses however in reality the Mexican is a very good fighter and comes into this bout on a good run of results with wins over Marvin Mabait and Daniel Rosas. We'd still favour the more talented and slicker Kameda but this certainly isn't the mismatch the that numbers would suggest and Hernandez is a tough and difficult assignment for anyone at 118lbs. Tomoki won't be the only Japanese fighter on this side as older brother Koki Kameda (32-1, 17) will also be in action. Koki, fighting for the first this year, will be battling against Mexican veteran Omar Salado (24-8-2, 15) in what we suspect will be a bout designed to help him shake off some ring rust ahead of a probably WBA Super Flyweight title fight next year against Kohei Kono. Notably for Koki this will be his debut and gives him a great chance to impress a new audience much like Tomoki did on his US debut when he stopped Pungluang Sor Singyu. Fukuoka, Japan It's not just in the US that we get a world title fight but also in Japan with Fukuoka hosting a female world title fight between WBC Female Minimumweight champion Yuko Kuroki (11-4-1, 6) and former IBF champion Katia Gutierrez (19-4, 4). Kuroki will be defending her title for the first time since winning it earlier this year with a decision over Mari Ando and she has gone from the frying pan into the fire with Gutierrez being a very, very tough opponent. We favour Kuroki but this is a very tough contest between two truly world class fighters. In the chief support bout we will see the unbeaten and promising Shohei Okuda (11-0, 4) battle against Ryusei Yoshida (24-6, 11) in a very tough and interesting bout. Okuda is a Japanese ranked fighter who will see his opportunity to jump up the rankings with a win here and although Yoshida is unranked this is a great step up for Okuda who has yet to have a coming of age fighter, despite being a 2012 Rookie of the Year winner. Another support bout on this show will see Aiki Koto (7-1-1, 4), a Japanese ranked Light Flyweight, will be battling against Koki Ono (7-2, 4). This is one of those very even bouts that we love seeing on the Japanese domestic scene. Both of these guys has suffered an early blow out defeat but both have the talent and desire to come again and could become a force on the fringes of the domestic scene, especially if they compete in bouts like this one. Tokyo, Japan We get another title bout in Tokyo, albeit at a lower level as Japanese Light Flyweight champion Yu Kimura (14-2-1, 2) battles against Atsushi Aburada (9-6, 5). For Kimura this will be his second defense following an excellent win over Yuki Chinen earlier this year whilst for the challenger this will be his first title opportunity and it looks to be a big ask for Aburada to over-come the world ranked Kimura. It's not just the main event here that looks interesting, far from in fact, and the under-card is packed with some very good fights and fighters. One of those fighters is former Japanese Flyweight title challenger Tetsuma Hayashi (24-2-2, 8) who fights in what looks like a mismatch against Ryutaro Taira (8-4-2, 3). Hayashi is a fun fighter and he really did push Takuya Kogawa close in their bout in 2012, since then he is unbeaten in 7 though did look less than sensational last time out fighting to a draw with Hideyuki Watanabe. Whilst Hayashi wasn't great last time out Taira has only won 1 of his last 5 and can't be favoured here to even push Hayashi close. A good bout on this card will see the heavy handed Yuichi Yokoyama (14-2, 13) battle against Filipino visitor Jonel Alibio (17-18-5, 9) in what looks to be a very good bout, despite the very different records of the two men. Alibio hasn't been in form recently though is a former OPBF champion and may have the experience to trouble Yokoyama. Another heavy handed fighter in action is Hiroyuki Otsuka (7-2, 6) who will be up against the more experienced Takumi Suda (10-10-2, 2). Otsuka looked really promising at one point though has lost 2 of his last 3 and is needing to rebuild his career, however this isn't a gimme and Suda could prove to be a banana skin. For us the best of the under-card bouts will be a contest between Jun Hamana (9-2, 3) and Shota Suito (9-3-1, 1). This is another 50-50 bout and despite it almost certainly being a distance bout it should be really good. Hamana's bout with Kazuma Sanpei impressed us whilst Suito is better than his record indicates and this should be a very interesting, high paced and exciting bout with neither having real fear of the other man. Hyogo, Japan Another Japanese card takes place in Hyogo. Whilst this one doesn't have a title fight on it it does look like a brilliant show and the type of thing that makes the Japanese domestic so exciting right now. The main event here will see Japan's very own Hikaru Matsuoka (7-1-3, 1) battle against one of boxing's most under-rated fighters, Richard Pumicpic (15-6-2, 4). Pumicpic is the type of fighter nobody looks good against, he's hard working, tough, aggressive and a bit like a terrier in many ways. Matsuoka will have home advantage but Pumicpic proved he was good in Japan when he pushed OPBF Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa all the way earlier this year. Very tough assignment for the Japanese fighter. Another solid fight on this card is the co-feature which will see the very experienced Junichi Ebisuoka (23-17-6, 10) battling against Giovanni Escaner (11-3, 7). Neither of these guys are world beaters but both are better than first meets the eye. Ebisuoka has a bad looking record though is just below the Japanese title picture whilst Escaner has lost 3 of his last 4 but has been competing against a solid level, such as Oleydong Sithsamerchai. This has the potential to be a truly sensational contest between two men who both want a win badly and we would suggest that this one will be worth catching if you're in Hyogo. A third bout on this card that has caught out eye is between the destructive Yuji Itani (4-0, 4) and Filipino Jonel Gadapan (8-7-1, 4). We suspect that this will be a somewhat straight forward win for Itani but it's still worth keeping an eye on him, afterall he may be fast tracked given that he's already in his 30's. Distrito Federal, Mexico In Mexico we have two bouts of note in a card that looks like it will be worth tuning in to. The main even will see Mexican based Japanese fighter Shoki Sakai (17-4, 11) battling against the always interesting Nery Saguilan (30-4-1, 11). Going in to this bout the Mexican will be hunting a second successive victory over a Japanese fighter, having beaten Seiichi Okada last time out. Sadly we suspect that Okada was a bit of a shot fighter however Sakai certainly isn't and this could be a very interesting bout. The other bout that has caught our eye is between Filipino fighter Silvester Lopez (22-8-2, 16) and the heavy handed Mexican fighter Rey Vargas (21-0, 18). This will be the second meeting between the two after Vargas scored a stoppage victory over an injured Lopez earlier this year. Interestingly in their first meeting Lopez dropped Vargas prior to being injured in the 7th round. (Image courtesy of http://www.warriorsboxing.com) In the middle of the month we'll admit we were looking forward to October 31st with the promising of a WBA flyweight unification bout between Thailand's Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep, the WBA interim champion, and Argentina's Juan Carlos Reveco, the regular champion. That bout however was cancelled when Reveco suffered an injury. The day may have lost it's most interesting bout but still has plenty to offer.
Chonburi, Thailand Although Thai fans have missed out on a world title fight they will still get title action as the unbeaten WBA Asia Super Featherweight champion Kaewfah Tor Buamas (17-0, 11) defends his belt. We're unsure who Kaewfah is fighting though we have a feeling it could be limited Indonesian Tony Arema (3-5) in what would be an horrific mismatch, though we are used to seeing those in Thailand, sadly. The rest of the card is a mystery to us though we have been informed that it will be on Channel 11 in Thailand. Dubai, United Arab Emirates In Dubai we get an another card that seems more mysterious than it really should. This card is to be headlined by a Light Heavyweight contest between Faris Chevalier (6-1, 4) and Sajjad Mehrabi (13-0-2, 1) though it's not a bout that really interests us. Another contest on this card will feature the talented but light hitting Nasser Al Harbi (16-1-1, 2), sadly his opponent has yet to be named. Ulsan, South Korea The day of mystery takes another turn with a South Korean card that we can't see listed on the Korean Boxing Federation website. This show is to be headlined by a 10 round contest between Jung-Hoon Yang (8-6, 2) and novice professional Ma-Roo Jung (2-2-1). This bout is apparently a contest for the South Korean Welterweight title with Yang defending his title. We're unsure if this bout is as advertised on boxrec but if it is then it will Yang's first fight following his failed OPBF title tilt earlier this year in a bout that saw him being stopped by Yoshihiro Kamegai. The rest of this card is very much low level stuff with little to really get excited about Vladikavkaz, Russia In Russia fans will get the chance to see the unbeaten and world ranked Murat Gassiev (18-0, 12) battling against Engin Karakaplan (12-4-1, 5) for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title. Gassiev is one of a number of Russian Cruiserweights who is making his mark on the world scene and whilst a win here won't push him to a world title fight it will help his world ranking with the IBF. Although IBF champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez is a decent fighter we do think that Gassiev would have a half shot against him if he can open that door for 2015. Queensland, Australia In Australia fans will see Jack Asis (31-18-5, 16) battle against the hard hitting but chinny Isaias Santos Sampaio (19-8, 19) in a battle for the vacant WBA Oceania Super Featherweight title. Asis, originally from the Philippines, may not have a hugely impressive looking record but has gone 10-0-1 in his last 11 and should have more than enough to beat Brazilian visitor Sampaio.  Tokyo, Japan
Some fights are special, exciting and get the blood pumping before even a punch is thrown. One such bout is the standout bout this coming Thursday as OPBF Minimumweight champion Ryuji Hara (18-0, 10) puts his title and world rankings on the line against the sensationally gifted Kosei Tanaka (3-0, 1). Tanaka is a man who we've been excited about since his debut was announced last year and since then he has exceeded all expectation, a win here against Hara will be further proof of his sensational talent and move him on to the verges of a world title bout. If Hara can defend however then the unbeaten Ohashi Gym fighter will likely be the one moving onto a world title fight next year. As well as the sensational main even there is also two interesting undercard bouts. One of those will see Toru Suzuki (23-4, 7) battling against Yuta Matsuda (9-10-2, 4). On paper this is a mismatch however Suzuki has been stopped in 3 of his last 4 and has scored only 1 win in the last 3 years, meaning that this is a real crossroads fight for Suzuki who no longer looks like a man who was competing at title level just a few fights back. Matsuda isn't in great form but with Suzuki fighting like he is this is a lot more even than the records of the men suggest. The other interesting undercard bout will see Junpei Hara (14-5-2, 9) fighting against Spice Matsushita (12-8, 2). What makes this bout very interesting is that it will act as a rubber match between the two men who are tied at 1-1 in their series of fights. Both bouts so far have been very competitive and shown that the records are indicative of their relative talent and we never complain about a competitive contest, the more of them the better. One other fighter confirmed for this show is heavy handed southpaw Yoshimichi Matsumoto (6-1, 5) who will be seeking a third victory following his set back last November to Kazuma Sanpei. California, USA In the US Urmat Ryskeldiev (9-3-1, 5), from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, will be looking for his 4th straight win as he takes on Carlos Lozana (7-4, 4) in a low level bout. Aged 24 we are looking forward to seeing how Ryskeldiev develops and he has certainly began to carve out a career after a less than impressive start to his career. (Image courtesy of Ohashi Gym)  Hyogo, Japan
The only Japanese card this coming Tuesday is the next show from Shinsei Gym and it looks to be a thoroughly interesting one, especially in the development of one of Japanese boxing's leading Lightweight hopefuls. That hopeful is the unbeaten Masayoshi Nakatani (8-0, 5) who will be attempting to make the second defense of his OPBF title title as he battles against #14 ranked OPBF challenger Futoshi Usami (12-1-1, 9). Nakatani was last seen in the ring defending his belt against Ricky Sismundo and a win again here over Usami would complete a memorable year for the fast rising Ioka Gym prospect who began the year with a very hard fought win over Yoshitaka Kato. As for Usami a win here could well put his career back on track after a shock loss to Kazuya Murata last December. The chief support bout will also be a Lightweight bout as former Japanese Lightweight title challenger Yuhei Suzuki (14-4, 11) fights for the first time since his losing to Japanese champion Yoshitaka Kato in April. Suzuki will likely bounce back with a win as he takes on Keisuke Arima (8-9-1, 1), a light hitting but generally tough southpaw. Suzuki was stopped by Kato but he's certainly got to be favoured against Arima even if he does feel some ill effects of his recent stoppage loss. In an 8 rounder at Featherweight Yasunori Kishigami (8-2-1, 5), a stablemate of Nakatani at the Ioka gym, will be battling a Thai visitor whose name we haven't yet been given. As well as the trio of contests already mentioned this card is scheduled to feature another two bouts. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  Tokyo, Japan
Whilst the month has, generally, been a good one for exciting matches, decent quality names and great match ups. In fact the last 2 Dangan shows have both had sensational main events with Takuya Kogawa fighting Hiroyuki Hisataka and Rikki Naito defending his Japanese Super Featherweight title against Shingo Eto. Sadly that run of great Dangan main events comes to and end at the end of October as we get a C Class tournament show with a series of 4 round bouts . Dangan 114 doesn't "look" like the greatest of shows, especially not when compared to some of the other Danagn cards recently, but it's the sort of card that promises a lot of action, a lot of excitement and a lot of fights, 12, with out charging an arm and a leg and without risking any fight boring out the crowd for long. The advantages of these particular Dangan shows is that the action comes fast and thick. One 4 rounder after another after another. If one of them is bad then so be it, the odds are the next one won't be, in fact the odds are with the fighters all wanting to prove themselves they will always give their all in these shows whilst in the fighters at a level high might not. We've got to admit we don't know who will be fighting on this show and we dare say many in attendance won't "recognise" many of the fights but the action should make up for the lack of a recognisable name. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  This Sunday isn't an action packed day but there is plenty of action with two Japanese cards and one Filipino show.
Aichi, Japan One of those two shows takes place at the Aioi Hall in Aichi. This one will be headline by a contest between the the Japanese ranked Lightweight Daiki Koide (21-7-2, 9) and the heavy handed Tatsuya Miyazaki (8-5-1, 8). Koide needs to be favoured but has been stopped in the past and if Miyazaki catches him we could see Kiode suffer his 3rd loss in just 4 fights and if that happens his dream of becoming a champion, even at domestic level, could well be over. In the co-feature in this show Ryosuke Maruki (7-3-1, 5) will be in action against an Indonesian opponent, sadly we've been unable to find the Indonesian on boxrec though we suspect that Maruki hasn't been matched hard here, Strangely this co-feature is scheduled for 10 rounds whilst the main event is just an 8 rounder. We're unsure why but we do know Maruki has lost he previous 2 bouts, both of which narrow 10 round decision losses. In a 6 rounder on the undercard Kosuke Mizuno (6-4-2, 2) will be taking on Kazuki Fukakura (7-7-2, 3). This isn't a huge bout but it should be an entertaining domestic level contest. As well as the 3 bouts mentioned this show will feature a further 6 contests giving the card 9 bouts in total. Fukuoka, Japan The other show comes from the Fukuoka prefectural gymnasium and will feature 7 bouts, 3 of which feature an fighter of some form of interest. One of those men is the OPBF and Japanese ranked Bantamweight Yoshihiko Matsuo (17-5-6, 3) who will be battling against Tatsuya Miyamoto (10-12-1, 6). Miyamoto is very limited and has won just 3 of his last 10 and shouldn't pose Matsuo any problems on paper, though he surprisingly did hold him to a 6 round draw last time out in a real surprise. We suspect Matsuo will be going in to this bout to make a statement but it's hard to be sure given the previous contest between the two men. For us the star of the show is the unbeaten 21 year old Minimumweight Takumi Sakae (9-0, 5) who will be going for his 10th straight win as he takes on a Thai visitor. Ranked #10 by the JBC and #15 by the WBA Sakae is on the way to achieving something notable in the course of his career. Although we're unsure who the Thai is it's fair to say he'll be coming to win and would love to upset a "world ranked" fighter like Sakae. For those who haven't seen Sakae we have managed to hunt down the video of his Rookie of the Year final win from last year which can be seen here. Strangely the main event on this show will see Keisuke Nakayama (6-1, 3) taking on another Thai fighter that we don't recognise. We've got to admit that we find it strange Nakayama is in the main event though we suspect he's almost assured of a win with his opponent likely to be a limited one picked to get beaten easily by the Fukuoka local. Metro Manilla, Philippines In the Philippines Johnny Elorde Promotions puts on an 8 bout show with a few interesting looking contests though nothing that will really interest an international boxing audience. The biggest name on the card is WBC #10 ranked Light Flyweight Lionel Legada (12-6-1, 5) who will be risking his world ranking as he takes on the once beaten Rene Patilano (11-1-2, 6). It's interesting to note that Patilano comes into this bout on a 5-fight unbeaten run, including an 8 round technical draw with current WBA interim Light Flyweight world champion Rany Petalcorin. We're unsure how Legada is still ranked given that he's lost 4 of his last 7 and we are actually to see him lose again here. In the co-feature the unbeaten Randy Braga (13-0-1, 3) will be fighting Benjie Suganob (8-2-1, 4) in what we suspect could be a tough test for the unbeaten man who has been prone to have head clashes in recent bouts. Unfortunately many of the other bouts appear to be mismatches though we do like the look of the 6 rounder between Roderick Flores (3-0-1, 1) and Ryan Medez (1-2-2) which could end up being a very tough contest. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  Not every weekend needs to be packed to be important and this Saturday is certainly an important but relatively quiet day, at least on paper for Asian boxing
Nagano, Japan The first major bout on this busy day comes from Nagano as WBA atomweight champion Ayaka Miyao (18-5-1, 3) defending her belt against first time world title challenger Satomi Nishimura (7-1, 1). For Miyao this will be the 5th defense of her title and she will go into the bout as a big favourite though Nishimura will know she has nothing to lose and no expectation on her shoulders, something that can bring out the best in some fighters. Other than the Atomweight title fight this show is rather disappointing with a weak under-card and the only other thing of note on the card is the retirement ceremony of Yoshinori Nishizawa who has eventually hung them up and will walk away from active fighting at the age of 48. It is however a card sold on Miyao's return to Nagano, her first fight fight there in more than 9 years, and the first to be recognised by the JBC! Monte Carlo, Monaco Whilst Miyao is seeking a defense of her title we will see China's Xiong Zhao Zhong (24-5-1, 14) attempt to become the first man from China to become a 2-time world champion. Zhong, who has previously held the WBC Minimumweight title, will be hoping to capture the WBA title as he takes on South Africa's Hekkie Budler (26-1, 9) in a very important contest for both men. For Zhong this is a huge opportunity to prove himself as a world class fighter against a very talented champion, for Budler however it's an opportunity to impress not just his own fans in South Africa but also fans in Europe and Asia. Durango, Mexico Another title fights takes place in Mexico as Japanese based Filipino fighter Jonathan Baat (25-5-3, 13) attempts to claim the WBC International silver Bantamweight title. Baat is is in a tough ask however as he Mexico's former world title holder Rodrigo Guerrero (21-5-1, 14). Guerrero comes in to this bout on the back of his recent stoppage win against Takahirio Shigee and has won impressive back-to-back fights since losing an IBF world title bout to Daiki Kameda last year. Baat will know he needs a career best performance to win, but it's not a total mismatch and he should be able to be competitive, at least for a few rounds. (Image courtesy of Zovi.cn)  This week comes to an end in brilliant fashion with numerous notable fighters in action across the areas covered by the PABA and OPBF.
Moscow, Russia The most significant action of the day comes from Russia where we have several interesting bouts that range from a world class match up to a solid break through contest for a promising fighter just beginning to make a name for himself. The promising fighter is the unbeaten 28 year old Light Heavyweight Sergey Ekimov (11-0, 5) who will be attempting to defend his CISBB Light Heavyweight title against the experienced Czech based Cuban Miguel Velozo (17-2-2, 5), who was very unfortunate in his last bout. This is a great test for Ekimov, easily his toughest so far, though one he should find a way to win if he's as good as some suggest. A more notable bout comes at Cruiserweight where one-time world title challenger Rakhim Chakhkiev (19-1, 14) battles against former world champion Giacobbe Fragomeni (32-4-2, 13). Fragomeni is solid world level fighter and we suspect he could give Chakhkiev a really hard test here though an impressive win for the Russian may earn him a world title shot next year and with fellow Russian fighters Denis Lebedev and Grigory Drozd holding world titles that could give us an all-Russian world title bout. The main event on this show will see former Heavyweight title holder Alexander Povetkin (27-1, 19) battle against the very under-rated Carlos Takam (30-1-1, 12) in a fight for the WBC Silver Heavyweight title. The winner here will be put near to the front of the queue for a WBC world title bout next year. They will be behind mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder though will view Wilder, and current champion Bermane Stiverne, as beatable opponents if they face either man next year. This is a tough one for Povetkin but it is winnable, especially in Russia where the officials will likely help him if needed. Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Russia we also have an interesting card in Japan courtesy of Watanabe Gym. The main event on this Russian show will see Hayato Kimura (21-7, 15) looking to bounce back from his loss last time out to Michael Dasmarinas as he takes on the limited and thoroughly unimpressive Kanae Onogi (6-6-1, 3). Kimura's record looks impressive but he's far from being an impressive fighter and has lost his last 3, in fact he has lost 3 of his last 5 and 5 of his last 10 suggesting that he's really nothing special, though he should be good enough here. In the co-feature we'll get the chance to see the always fun to watch, and heavy handed, Rikiya Fukuhara (29-7-1, 21) who will be taking on the limited Thiendaeng Manoprungroj (1-4, 1). This should be an easy contest for Fukuhara who we suspect may be fighting to shake off some rust before a Japanese title fight next year against Satoshi Hosono in what promise to be an explosive encounter. Of course Fukuhara was supposed to be fighting Hosono earlier this year though had to pull out due to an injury, hopefully the injury will have full recovered by now and he'll be back to his best. A third 8 round bout on this show will see former OPBF title challenger Ryuichi Funai (21-6, 14) battle against domestic journeyman Toshikuni Wake (8-13-3, 2) in what should be a straight forward win for Funai, even if we don't believe he's a great fighter himself. Wake has won 4 of his last 12 bouts and will likely suffer a stoppage here looking at who has beaten him in the past. As well as the 3 bouts we've mentioned there will be another 6 contests on the show. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand we get to see former world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (46-3, 31) attempting to claim the WBO International Bantamweight title. Pungluang, fighting for the first time since he was stopped by Tomoki Kameda in July, will be fighting against Filipino Bryan Macamay (9-2-2, 5) in what should be a real mismatch in favour of the talented Thai. On the under-card here we're expecting to see Anuntachai Sor Por Lor Krungthep (6-7, 4) battle against China's You-Jie Zeng (5-6, 5) in what could be a very explosive encounter. Queensland, Australia In Australia we see another Asian in action as Indonesia's Ricky Manufoe (23-21-2, 10) battles against the debuting Andrew Maloney (0-0), a former amateur stand out who won a Commonwealth games gold medal. Despite having 46 bouts under his belt Manufoe really isn't likely to give Maloney any sort of a test given how good the Australian is. (Image courtesy of Watanabe Gym)  Tokyo, Japan
A big mid week show this week takes place in Japan as Teiken put on a very interesting show. The main event will see the exceptional and very heavy handed Shinsuke Yamanaka (21-0-2, 16) returning to the ring for his 7th world title defence. This time around Yamanaka, the man known as the "God of Left", will be taking on WBC mandatory challenger Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (37-5-1, 16). Sor Rungvisai is a former WBC Super Flyweight champion has proven ability at both Super Flyweight, where he was a world champion, and at Flyweight, where he ran the great Pongsaklek Wonjongkam very close way back in 2010. For Yamanaka this isn't a gimme, after all Suriyan is tough and more skilled than many other Thai's that we see competing at world level. We suspect Yamanaka will make this look easy though it's a genuine tough bout for the champion, especially considering that how Rungvisai has competed tall southpaws in the past, including Thomas Rojas who made to chase shadows at times by the diminutive Thai. For Suriyan this bout will see him returning to Japan for the first time since he lost his Super Flyweight title to Yota Sato and he'll certainly be looking to score a big win here, though he is with out a win in 4 previous bouts outside of Thailand. In the co-feature we have another excellent match up as 2-weight world champion Takahiro Ao (26-3-1, 12) battles against former 2-time Super Featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado (26-3-1-1, 16). Ao, a former world champion at both Featherweight and Super Featherweight, is on the hint for a third divisional world title though will know that this could be a very difficult assignment considering that Salgado is a proven world class fighter and a former WBA and IBF champion at Super Featherweight. For many Salgado's "signature" win came the first time he fought in Japan, stopping Ao's stablemate Jorge Linares inside a round in a real upset of the year contender, since then however he has been stopped himself by Takashi Uchiyama, also in Japan. Coming into this bout Salgado has lost his last 2 by stoppage and won just 2 of his last 5 bouts with many feeling that he's now coming to the end of his career at the top level. Ao is on a 3 fight willing streak though didn't look good prior to that when he was out pointed by Gamaliel Diaz and some may question how good he really is going into what looks like a clear cross roads bout. In a third notable bout, albeit one notable only to those who follow the Japanese domestic scene, fans will get the chance to see a bout between two Japanese ranked Super Featherweights. The bout will see the heavy handed Kenichi Ogawa (12-1, 10) battling against Ribo Takahata (10-4-1, 2). Going in to this one Ogawa is ranked #15 by the JBC whilst Takahata is #12 despite those rankings we do suspect that Ogawa will come out on top here, and probably inside the distance considering his power and the fact Takahata was stopped just 2 fights back. As well as the 3 bouts mentioned this show will feature a further 4 bouts, albeit at a much lower level to the 3 we've already mentioned. For those interested in watching the card it will be televised on both NTV in Japan and Channel 7 in Thailand. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) |
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