 Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday sees the East Japan Rookie of the Year Final, taking place at the Korakuen Hall. The show features a total of 11 bouts, though was originally set to have 12 before the Minimumweight contest between Retsu Akabane (2-0, 1) and Yuma Wada (4-0-1, 1) was cancelled, due to Wada needing to pull out of the bout. The Minimumweight bout was, on paper, one of the most interesting bouts on paper though we are still left with some pretty good looking match ups. One of those is the Lightweight contest between the heavy handed Kosuke Arioka (5-3, 4) and the unbeaten Mirai Naito (5-0, 2). Although limited Arioka can bang and should be able to chin check Naito, who is the brother of former Japanese champion Rikki Naito. The winner of this bout will have to prove themselves, but will be well deserving of their place in December's All Japan final. Another really mouth watering clash is at Super Bantamweight as the heavy handed pairing of Riki Hamada (7-0, 6) and Arashi Iimi (3-0, 3) face off. The 21 year old Hamada blew out his first 6 foes in a combined 13 rounds, but was taken the 4 round distance last time out, as he over-came Koki Mioya in a real character proving performance. Iimi is also 21, and had his longest bout to date last time out, stopping Ryu Oba in 4 rounds, which makes this even more interesting than it looks on paper. Both guys are young, both are promising and both can clearly punch. Argentina In Argentina fight tans will see American based Kazakh Bobirzhan Mominov (4-0, 4) fight in his 4th bout of the year. The contest, against a yet to be announced opponent, will be Mominov's second bout in Argentina and is likely to be a decent test for the 26 year old, who was taken in to the 5th round last time out.
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Chong Qing, China
The most notable action for us this coming Thursday takes place in Chong Qing, where fans will get 4 regional title fights and the ring return of a former world title challenger. One of those bouts will see once beaten Chinese hopeful Peng Qu (12-1-1, 8) face off with Gasan Gasanov (14-5-1, 12) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Light Heavyweight title. The lanky Peng comes into this bout on the back of two opening round blow outs and will be looking to continue that run in his first 10 rounder. The 26 year old Gasanov also comes into the bout on the back of two blow out wins, but has been stopped in all 5 of his losses, including one in China earlier this year to Fanlong Meng. In an IBF Pan Pacific Light Middleweight title fight fans will see Indonesian visitor Larry Siwu (26-9, 22) take on China's Tong Hui Li (9-1, 5). Of the two men it's Siwu who is much better known, and has shared the ring with the likes of Teerachai Kratingdaenggym, Keita Obara, Sirimongkol Singwancha and Qudratillo Abduqaxorov. Although not a world class fighter Siwu is certainly well tested and has shown he can fight at a decent level. Although relatively unknown Li has shown some promise and has won his last 4, include his US debut. This is a big step up for the local, but a win will push him towards the rankings. This is an interesting bout, despite not being a big one. In a battle of unbeaten fighters Kaisheng Fu (6-0, 1) will take on the heavy handed Yongqiang Yang (7-0, 6) for the WBO China Zone Light Welterweight title. The 30 year old Fu has won his last 2 bouts by very close decision and is rather lucky to still have a 100% winning record. The same cannot be said of Yang, who has only faced limited foes, but has typically blasted them out, including Indonesian journeyman Geisler AP who was stopped inside a round back in April. Another WBO China Zone title bout takes place at Welterweight and will see Abulimiti Tuersunniyazi (4-1-1, 3) take on the unbeaten Youli Dong (9-0-1, 6). The 26 year old Tuersunniyazi has had mixed success recently, going 1-1-1 in his last 3 bouts and has yet to really shine. Dong on the other hand is unbeaten in 10, and has won his last 9, with 6 straight stoppages. It's worth noting that whilst Dong's record ticks the right boxes on paper, his competition is paper thin and he has only really fought novices. Another notable bout will see 22 year old Filipino prospect Adam Diu Abdulhamid (11-4, 4) take on former world title challenger Ik Yang (19-2-0-1, 14). For the Filipino the bout is a huge step up, and he comes into the bout having lost 2 of his last 4, including an opening round blow out in Russia and a decision defeat in Thailand. Yang has lost his last 2, losing to Cesar Rene Cuenca and Leonardo Zappavigna, and his career looks like it's falling apart, though he will know this is a chance to get a much needed win, and another loss will likely be the end for the “Wild man”. This is a must win for both fighters, and could be a very entertaining contest, despite no title being on the line. Louisiana, USA In the US fight fans will be able to see unbeaten Kazakh novice Yedil Kozhamberdiyev (1-0, 1) fight in his first 6 rounder. The Kazakh fighter will be up against 22 year old American Blake LaCaze (3-4-1, 1), who has had mixed results, and shouldn't prove to be any sort of a threat for Kozhamberdiyev.  This coming Sunday is a relatively quiet day in Asian boxing, with only a couple of shows of note.
Hokkaido, Japan The most notable of those shows comes from Hokkaido where Dangan take their show on the road and put one a rare card outside of Tokyo. The main event of this card is a genuinely intriguing one, as the under-rated Daisuke Watanabe (6-2, 3) battles Naoya Okamoto (11-6-1, 5) in a really good match up. Of the two men it's Watanabe who has impressed us more, with notable wins against Ryuto Araya and Yosuke Fujihara, and he's currently riding a 4 fight winning run since back-to-back losses in 2015. Okamoto is a decent fighter but a 1-1-1 record in his last 3 seems like like he's now found his level and he looks like he'll always be a decent fringe domestic level guy. Watanabe should win and move a step closer to a title fight, but he should have to work for his win here. Another bout on this card worthy of a note is a contest between Kiyohei Endo (0-1) and Ninmongkol Phetphumgym (0-1). The bout looks like it should be ignored on paper, but Endo is a real talent and he showed that on his debut, before being stopped by a real lucky punch. Endo will likely show a bit more caution here and it'd be amazing to see anything but an Endo win, as he looks to score his first win as a professional. Kochi, Japan The other show comes from Kochi and will be headlined by the once beaten Tetsu Araki (9-1-1, 1) taking on the heavy handed Akira Ono (7-5-1, 6). Araki has won his last 5, since losing a split decision to Tenta Kiyose in the 2015 Rookie of the Year tournament, and looks to be a promising youngster slowly making a name for himself. Although promising Araki hasn't really been too much of a chin checking, and we're expecting that to change here as Ono can really bang. Although not the most talented Ono can bang, and we're expecting to see that again here. This will be skills against power, and should be very intriguing.  Cardiff, United Kingdom
The biggest fight featuring an Asian this weekend comes from the UK with Japan's Sho Ishida (24-0, 13) looking to make history and become the first Japanese fighter to claim a world title in Europe. The Ioka gym fighter will be up against WBA Super Flyweight champion Kal Yafai (22-0, 14) and is regarded by many as a no-hoper against an Englishman who has long been touted as one of the best in the division. For Ishida this will be his first bout outside of Japan and his first against a European opponent, though he does enter as the mandatory challenger and a former Japanese champion. As for Yafai this will be his second defense and sees him facing a Japanese opponent for a second successive bout, following a decision win last time against Suguru Muranaka. Although regarded as a mismatch by the bookies we do suspect this could be a lot more competitive than fans are thinking. Macao S.A.R., China Boing returns to Macao this weekend with a rescheduled female world title fight headlining the card. That female title bout will see China's Zong Ju Cai (9-1,1) make her first defense of the IBF Female Minimumweight title, as she battles experienced Filipino Gretchen Abaniel (18-8, 6). Originally this bout was supposed to take place back in July, before the card was cancelled, and now looks to see the two finally get it on. Of the two Cai is more naturally talented, and is a speedy outside fighter who moves really well and has lovely speed. Abaniel on the other hand is the far more experienced fighter and is a woman who will likely know she can't afford another loss if she wishes to remain relevant on the world stage. An interesting supporting bout will see Yangcheng Jin (6-2-2, 2) look to bounce back from a loss to Jayar Inson as he takes on Thai veteran Saddam Kietyongyuth (26-3, 21). This is a big test for Jin,who has never faced someone like Saddam before, whilst the Thai will be looking to avoid a 4th loss in 7 bouts. Seoul, South Korea Korean fans get a rare show, in what could end up being an entertaining low key card. Though one that has had major alterations made to it after one competitor was injured in sparring, forcing several bouts to be rescheduled for November. On paper the most notable bout will see Korean based Cameroonian refugee Heuk San Lee (4-0-1, 2) take on Indonesian Jackson Koel Lapie (4-8, 2). Lee has gotten a fair bit of publicity in Korea after his battle for refugee status and will be looking to continue his winnings ways here as he takes on an opponent who has lost his last 4, and is probably best known for being Koki Inoue's debut opponent. In an all debutant female bout we'll get the chance to see Se Eun Park (0-0) take on Eun Bit Hwang (0-0), in what is the show's most well matched bout on paper. It's always good to see more women take up the sport,and in the last few years it's really been the women who have kept Korean boxing alive, so the more the better in our eyes. Ifugao, Philippines Staying in Asia there will also be a low key card in the Philippines. In a 10 rounder we'll see the promising Carl Jammes Martin (5-0, 4) take a step up in class to face off with the under-rated Vincent Bautista (5-9-4,1). The unbeaten man should be favoured here, and the 18 year old has genuine looked like one to watch, but this will be his first 10 rounder and comes against the very stubborn Bautista. Although Bautista's record is nothing to write home about he has proven his toughness against some very good fighters and should prove to have some genuine fighting spirit as he takes on Martin. On the same card we'll see unbeaten's collide as Ariel Bolante (3-0, 3) faces off with Bienvenido Ligas (4-0, 2). Both of these men are taking a step up in what will be their first fight against someone really coming to win, and the bout should show what both fighters are about. It's hard to predict a win, given the quality of opponents so far, but the bout should be very interesting. New South Wales, Australia In Australia fans will be able to see once beaten local punched Kyron Dryden (9-1, 7) battle against unebaten Indian fighter Shiva (6-0, 2), with Shiva seeking his first win outside of his homeland. The unbeaten man is taking a huge step up here but will be full of confidence given his unbeaten record. As for Dryden he has won his last 7 bout and has fought at a higher level than Shiva, so will clearly be favoured here. Mandaue City, Philippines
The biggest show this coming Friday for us is in the Philippines, where we will see a nice mix of bouts, ranging from notable names to unbeaten prospects. One of the biggest names on the card is the teak tough, and heavy handed, Jason Canoy (26-7-2, 19). Canoy, who was the debut opponent of Hinata Maruta, will be up against relatively notable domestic foe Renerio Arizala (13-7-2, 5) in what should be a straight forward win for Canoy. The talented Canoy was beaten last time out, losing a split decision in in South Africa to Mzuvukile Magwaca, but should have far too much for Arizala, who struggled in recent years and has scored just 1 win in his last 8 bouts. In the only title bout on the card fans will be able to see Jhaleel Payao (15-1, 9) make his first defense of the PBF Bantamweight title, as he takes on the heavy handed Raul Yu (9-2-2, 8). The talented Payao has only been beaten by the very skilful Michael Dasmarinas, and since that loss has bounced back with 4 straight forward domestic wins, including his title winning effort back in March against Nelson Tinampay. The big punching Yu was beaten last time out, losing a wide decision to Jade Bornea, but should be viewed as a live challenger here, and he certainly has the edge in power here. This should be a really interesting match up, but we do see the champion retaining his title. Another pretty decent match up on this card will see Kenny Demecillo (12-4-2, 7) take on domestic banana skin Gerpaul Valero (21-19-4, 15), in what could be a very tricky match up. On paper Demecillo will be the favourite, though he did lose his last bout, suffering a decision loss to Mark Anthony Geraldo, and Valero has scored notable upsets in the past. Explosive youngster Tomjune Mangubat (7-0, 7) will be seeking to continue his impressive start as he battles against Crisanto Contemprato (6-3-1, 4) in an decent looking match up. The 20 year old Mangubat is being gradually stepped up, but has so far just been too powerful for everyone he's faced,scoring 7 T/KO's in just 11 combined rounds. The 25 year old Contemprato has only been stopped once in 10 bouts, and that was up at Super Featherweight, suggesting he can take a shot, which he'll need to do to over-come Mangubat. Also on the under is a battle of unbeaten fighters as Rimon Rama (6-0-1, 4) takes on Richard Bulacan (3-0, 3) in a match up that looks likely to be explosive,a little bit wild and very exciting. Despite both men being novices this is scheduled for 8 rounds, and is 18 year old Rama's second bout scheduled for the distance. Quebec, Canada In Canada we'll see touted Kazakh hopeful Batyrzhan Jukembayev (9-0-0-2, 8) take a huge step up in class as he faces off with once touted Panamanian Alberto Mosquera (24-3-2-2, 16). The Kazakh has been an exciting fighter so far, and looks like a very dangerous man with serious power, though has shown decent stamina with an 8 round decision win last year. It's worth noting that whilst Mosquera is a decent fighter he has been stopped in al 3 of his defeats and Jukembayev can certainly punch. Illinois, USA In the US fight fans will get the chance to see former Uzbek amateur star Rustam Tulaganov (0-0) make his professional debut. The talented 26 year old will be debuting in a 4 rounder, though the reality is that he could be fast tracked through the ranks and facing notable names before the end of 2018.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Sunday attention turns to Tokyo, with a world title triple header from the Kokugikan. The biggest of the bouts is a rematch between Ryota Murata (12-1, 9) and Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (36-2, 21), with the Japanese fighter seeking to avenge his sole defeat and claim the WBA Middleweight title. These two fought back in May, with N'Dam winning a very controversial split decision over Murata, in a bout that many felt the Japanese fighter had clearly won, especially given that he dropped the Frenchman and had him rocked a number of times. In another interesting match up we'll see WBC Flyweight champion Daigo Higa (13-0, 13) defending his title for the first time as he takes on French challenger Thomas Masson (17-3-1, 5). The champion won the title back in May when he stopped Juan Hernandez in very impressive fashion to continue his perfect stoppage run. Masson on the other hand is fighting above European level for the first tine, having twice been a European champion. The challenger will be the taller, and longer man, and will be looking to fight at range, but this is a huge step up for him. The third title bout on the show will see WBC Light Flyweight champion Ken Shiro (10-0, 5) defending his belt against mandatory challenger Pedro Guevara (30-2-1, 17), himself a former champion. The champion won the title back in May when he narrowly out pointed Ganigan Lopez and will seeking to continue his rise here against a very talented former champion. As for Guevara the bout will see him return to Japan to try and reclaim the title that he lost to Yu Kimura, also in Japan. A fourth bout of note on this show will see Ryuto Owan (2-0, 2) take on fellow puncher Alvin Medura (5-1, 5) in a bout which should be an explosive encounter. Both guys can bang and both will be in there looking to secure their biggest win to date. Owan, has stopped his first 2 foes in a combined 3 rounds and will be stepping up in a big way here, whilst Medura has had 15 combined career rounds, with his 5 wins coming in just 9 combined rounds. Tottori, Japan A much smaller Japanese show will be held in Tottori, where there is only really two fights of any note. One of those is the main event, which will see former Japanese Lightweight champion Kazuhiro Nishitani (17-4-1, 9) take on a Thai foe, in his first bout since vacant the Japanese title, which he only won in March. Nishitani's opponent shouldn't be much of a threat, though we will admit we would have preferred to have seen him in with a domestic foe rather than a limited visitor. The other will see former world title challenger Mika Iwakawa (6-5-1, 2) fight for the first time since coming up short against Yunoka Furukawa in a bout for the WBA Atomweight title. Like Nishitani she will be up against a Thai foe, and will be expected to pick up an easy win en route to bigger and better things. Okayama, Japan Another small Japanese card will take place in Okayama and will be head lined by a low key match up between Kota Fujimoto (6-2, 2) and Kenta Sugimoto (11-10-2, 1). On paper this looks like a probable win for the 19 year old Fujimoto, but he has lost his last 2 bouts and his early career momentum has come to a screeching halt. Although his record might not show it Sugimoto is a real potential banana skin and he holds notable wins over Tetsuya Hisada and Shunji Nagata, showing that there is a good fighter there, and he shouldn't be over-looked against Fujimoto. New South Wales, Australia We'll see another notable Japanese fighter in title action in Australia, as the Ryuji Hachimitsu Ikeda (12-3-2, 8) takes on Darragh Foley (12-2, 8) in a bout for the WBA Oceania, WBC “interim” Asian Boxing Council and WBO Oriental Light Welterweight titles. The bout looks a really good one on paper and should see two well matched fighters going up against each other in a potentially explosive bout, with both men having enough bang to hurt the other. Also on this card fans will see Thai Pakdee Tor Buamas (11-7-1, 7) take on the once beaten Ben Savva (7-1, 2), in a bout for the lightly regarded vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Welterweight Title. Interestingly the Thai is unbeaten in his last 4, albeit at a very low level, and does have some momentum coming in to this one. He is however up against a man who has won his last 6 and has shown some promise, even if he's not looking like a future world champion in the making.  Belfast, United Kingdom
In regards to Asian fighters the biggest single fight is a Bantamweight unification contest, as Zhanat Zhakiyanov (27-1, 18) takes on Ryan Burnett (17-0, 9) in Belfast. Coming in to that bout the heavy handed Zhakiyanov will be looking to defend the WBA title, however the Kazakh will be up against a real boxing talent in the form of the excellent Burnett. For both men this will not only be a unification world title bout, but also their first defense, making this a very tricky assignment for two men who only won their title's earlier this year. The Kazakh upset Rau'shee Warren for his title earlier this year, out hustling the American in a very competitive bout, whilst Burnett completely schooled fellow Brit Lee Haskins, despite one judge some how confusing the two fighters. This should be a really good bout,and could well crown the heir apparent for the Bantamweight division. Tokyo, Japan Whilst the biggest single fight, from an Asian perspective, takes place in Northern Ireland it's hard not to feel like a card from Tokyo is actually the more interesting show. Not only does it have a Japanese title fight, but it also has 4 Japanese title eliminators, and really does promise a fantastic value show. The main event sees fast rising prospect Shuichiro Yoshino (5-0, 3) battle against veteran Spicy Matsushita (17-9-1, 2) for the Japanese Lightweight title, with both men competing for their first national titles. The unbeaten Yoshino has been touted since his debut, and really has looked like a champion in the making thanks to wins over Chaiyong Sithsaithong, Yoshitaka Kato and Kenta Onjo, and a win here is likely to see him begin a notable reign as a national champion, with not many domestic fighters looking up to the task of beating him. As for Matsushita the bout really is a must win, and he does come into the contest on the back of a huge win over a then unbeaten Yuichiro Kasuya. Sadly for Matsushita form has been an issue and his recent wins have all been razor thin decisions, which won't bode well against the talented Yoshino. At Featherweight we see an elimination bout as Dai Iwai (21-4-1, 7) and Taiki Minamoto (13-5, 11) battle for the right to challenger for the national title next year. Of the two men Iwai is the more experienced and the more technically gifted fighter, but Minamoto certainly has the edge in power, and acquitted himself well in a 2015 loss to the then Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Yukinori Oguni. Coming into this Iwai will be the favourite, we suspect hat the bout will be incredibly competitive. In a potential thriller at Welterweight we'll see the tough and hard working Moon Hyun Yun (18-4-3, 4) take on the big punching Ryota Yada (14-4,12), in possibly the best bout of the card. Yun is coming in to this after a Japanese FOTY contender against Shusaku Fujinaka and he's unbeaten in 6, including a draw with former champion Nobuyuki Shindo. The heavy handed Yada has blown out his last 2 opponents, but has a lot of question marks lingering over him following last years stoppage loss to Jayar Inson, who moved up in weight and bullied him. We're expecting this one to be a little bit special, and can't see anything but an action bout. Another potential action bout will be at Bantamweight and see veteran Eita Kikuchi (21-4-4, 8) take on the exciting Yusuke Suzuki (8-3, 5). The 31 year old Kikuchi lost 2 of his first 11, before rebuilding his career and has subsequently only been beaten by Shingo Wake, in an OPBF title fight, and the aforementioned Minamoto, with both of those losses coming at Super Bantamweight. On paper Suuki's record is less than great, but to date his losses have all come to very good fighters, with the first coming to Yusaku Kuga back in 2013, the second to Ryoichi Tamura in 2015 and the third coming to Jeffrey Francisco in the Philippines last year. All 3 of those losses were close and were losses which will aid the development of the 28 year southpaw. Another eliminator will take place Flyweight, and sees the always fun to watch Katsunori Nagamine (14-1, 10) battle against the in-form and very under-rated Akinori Hoshino (14-7-1, 9). The heavy handed Nagamine began his career 10-0 before being beaten by the excellent Ken Shiro in 2015. Since that loss Nagamine has bounced back with 4 stoppages, including thrilling wins over Kenya Yamashita, Mako Matsuyama and Tetsuya Tomioka, which have all been all out wars. Around a year agoHoshino was 11-7-1 (8) and it looked like his career was going no where. Since then however he has moved down in weight and reeled off 3 big wins, including a stoppage of Kenya Yamashita and a decision over Shun Kosaka. We're expecting another good one here, though it's hard to see a win for Hoshino. Gümligen bei Bern, Switzerland There's yet more notable action featuring a Japanese fighter as Aniya Seki (31-3-2, 5) takes on Hungarian Kleopatra Tolnai (13-12-1, 4) in Seki's adopted homeland of Switzerland. The bout will see Seki defending her WBC Silver female Bantamweight title, for the second time, and in all fairness this be a simple defense against an opponent who has won just 1 of her last 5.  Tokyo, Japan
At the Korakuen we get a genuinely important card, as Japanese and Chinese fighters face off in the second Japan Vs China Dangan card. The main event of the show will see former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Rikki Naito (17-2, 6) take on unbeaten Chinese visitor Baishanbo Nasiyiwula (12-0-1, 5), in a really good looking bout. For Naito it's his second as a 140lb'der, and his 6th since losing the Japanese Super Featherweight title to Kenichi Ogawa. Although Naito's has been troubled recently he will feel confident of picking up a win over the Chinese fighter. For Nasiyiwula the bout will be his first outside of China and his second successive bout against a Chinese foe, having won adecision back in May against Taisho Ozawa. A win for the visitor will open up doors for more significant fights and could well see him in the mix for an OPBF title sooner rather than later. A second good looking bout on here will see the once beaten Takeshi Kaneko (5-1-1) look to bounce back from a June loss as he takes on Wulan Tuolehazi (5-3, 1). The Chinese visitor has a mixed record, but has won his last 3, including a win over former world title challenger Nouldi Manakane. Although this bout will be expected to go the contacted 8 rounds it should still be a lot of fun and a very exciting contest. Negros Occidental, Philippines We get another notable card in the Philippines, with two bouts of note. The biggest in terms of names will see former world champion Merlito Sabillo (26-4-1, 13) battle against well regarded journeyman Crison Omayao (22-14-4, 7), who has share the ring with the likes of Naoya Inoue and Kosei Tanaka. Since losing the WBO Minimumweight title to Francisco Rodriguez Jr back in 2014 life has been hard in the ring for Sabillo, who has gone 3-3 and cannot really afford any more set backs. Whilst Omayao has also had mixed results recently he certainly has time on his side, and the 24 year old really isn't at the end of the line, despite the fact he is racking up losses now a days. The other bout of note on this card will see the unbeaten Jayr Raquinel (7-0-1, 5) take on Richard Rosales (12-4-2, 7) for the OPBF interim Flyweight title, despite the fact the “regular” title was defended just a week ago. The bout should be a good one, given the men involved and their desire for a win, but one does wonder what the OPBF are playing at with the logic that this was going to be an interim title fight, so soon after the last defense of the actual title. Singapore, Singapore The deepest of the Asian shows is from Singapore, where Ringstar Management Pte Ltd will be hosting a notable show with a host of title bouts, and notable names, In one of the supporting bouts on this card we'll see talented Filipino hopeful Michael Dasmarinas (26-2, 17) take on Thai journeyman Phupha Por Nobnom (11-10-1, 10). This should be a total mismatch in favour of the criminally under-rated Filipino, who has won his last 8 and looks ready to be stepped up massively after this contest. A slightly more competitive looking supporting bout will see Thailand's Decha Kokietgym (34-11-3, 18) take on Australian veteran Chad Bennett (36-4-3, 27). The 32 year old Thai hasn't fought since June 2013, and is certainly not the fighter her once was, though Bennett is no spring chicken and had his 44th birthday a few months ago. It's also worth noting that Bennett himself has been out of the ring for over 2 years. This bout may not excite fans, but there is some intrigue on paper. A much more relevant bout will see Malaysian hopeful Keng Fai Hui (3-0, 3) compete in his first title bout, as he battles Petch Fonchang Chonburi (7-3, 2) for the IBO Oceania Welterweight title. On paper this looks like a mismatch but it's a step up for the unbeaten 22 year old, who has been in with really limited opposition for. The Thai is nothing special, but should prove a better opponent that Hui's previous 3. In a competitive looking bout we'll see Muhammad Meeraj (6-2, 3) battle against Chase Haley (5-1, 2), in a second contest between the two men. These two fought back in May, with Haley winning a majority decision in a bout that saw both men being dropping, and it's clear that Meeraj will be out for revenge whilst Haley will be chasing a second win over the Malaysian hopeful. On the line in this bout will be the International Boxing Organization Oceania Light Heavyweight Title, which Haley won last time out. The biggest name on the card will be 2-weight former world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha (92-3, 57), who continues his long career as he takes on Australian fighter Tommy Browne (34-6-2, 13). The 40 year old Thai has lost just once in his last 53 and will be hoping to edge towards 100 wins here, as he takes on a 34 year old Australian, who is 8-0-1 in his last 9. The bout will see the two fighters trading blows for the International Boxing Organization Asia Pacific Super Welterweight Title and there is a good chance the winner will try and move on towards a more notable title bout in 2018. The main event of the show will see Singapore's very own Muhamad Ridhwan (8-0, 7) face off with Namibia's Nataneal Sebastian (9-0, 5) in a battle of unbeaten's. The two men will be trading blows for the International Boxing Organization International Super Featherweight Title and will be looking to extend their unbeaten records. Ridhwan struggled on his debut but has stopped his last 7, taking small but progressive steps up whilst Sebastian will be fighting in a notable step up, and his first bout outside of Namibia. Buenos Aires, Argentina In Argentina fight fan will be able to see unbeaten Kazakh hopeful Bobirzhan Mominov (4-0, 4) take on Argentinian based Uruguayan fighter Carlos Andres Chaparro (7-15-1, 3). The heavy handed Kazakh has needed just 11 rounds for his first 4 wins and will be looking to keep his stoppage run alive here, but may find that tricky against a durable but limited foe.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday Japanese fight fans in Tokyo get an interesting card at the domestic level, featuring a number of notable fighters, many of which were touted and have yet to really shine in the way some had hoped. The main event of the card is a brilliant match up between unbeaten fighters Hironori Mishiro (3-0, 2) and Shuma Nakazato (6-0-1, 5). Mishiro was a touted former amateur standout, and a lot is expected of him during his career, whilst Nakazato was the runner up at the 2015 Rookie of the Year, losing out on the crown on a rule used to separate fighters who draw. This really will push the winner forward with their career, and promises a lot between fighters who are both in their early 20's. In a interesting looking bout on paper Coach Hiroto (12-2-1, 4) will take on Naoki Kumagai (8-6, 5) in what could be an under-the-radar battle. Coming in to this Hiroto will be the favourite, but he has fought just 5 rounds in the last 5 years, whilst the more limited Kumagai is limited but has been busy and has faced decent competition with bouts against the likes of Jin Miura, Naoto Uebayashi and Ryuto Araya. The once touted Kenshin Oshima (2-1, 2) will be looking to get some momentum in his careeras he takes on the heavy handed Takuya Mori (6-2, 5) in a bout that really should be explosive. Oshima was a standout amateur, but was beaten in his second bout by the very capable Yuki Iriguchi, ina very competitive bout. Mori has lost a couple of close decision but has scored all 5 of his stoppages in the opening 2 rounds, and is a very dangerous fighter early on. The debuting Nobuaki Kanazawa (0-0) is a former amateur standout who looks to make a mark on his debut as he takes on Naoto Mizutani (4-3, 2) in a pretty tricky debut. On paper Kanazawa should have the skills to take home a win, and look good, but the bout is certainly no foregone conclusion and Mizutani will be there win. Another interesting bout sees Ryo Sagawa (1-1, 1) look to bounce back from a loss in a Japanese Youth title semi final to Retsu Kosaka. The touted Sagawa lacked the experience to cope with Kosaka and should find himself at a more comfortable level here, as he takes on Kazuki Sanpei (4-4, 1), who gave Juiki Tatsuyoshi a scare last year. On paper this looks like a really interesting match up, and could turn out to be the bout of the show.  Managua, Nicaragua
This coming Saturday is a relatively quiet day for Asian boxing, but there is two notables bout of interest for us, with the most interesting set to take place in Nicaragua. This bout will see former world title challengers collide as Thai warrior Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (32-5-1, 17) takes on the aggressive and teak tough Felix Alvarado (29-2, 25) in what looks like a really mouth watering clash between two highly capable fighters. In Asia we've seen Fahlan play the role of under-dog with mixed success. He is best known for scoring a career best win over Ryo Miyazaki in 2013 and ran both Katsunari Takayama and Milan Melindo close in bouts on the road. As for Alvarado he's best known for competitive losses to Kazuto Ioka and Juan Carlos Reveco, and has never lose below world class, with notable wins over a number of Latin-American fighters like Jose Antonio Jimenez and Luis de la Rosa. Although the bout won't get much “English language” attention it does have the potential to be very exciting. Queensland, Australia The other bout will be taking place in Australia and will see former OPBF and Japanese Light Middleweight champion Yuki Nonaka (31-8-3, 10) take on Australian based Irishman Dennis Hogan (25-1-1, 7) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Light Middleweight title. Coming in to the bout both men are world ranked, with Nonaka holding top 15 rankings with all 4 world title bodies and Hogan having a #4 place with the WBO, and the bout is essentially a world title eliminator for the WBO title, with the winner likely to get a shot in 2018. Hogan, a former WBA “interim” title challenger has won 3 in a row since losing to Jack Culcay in December 2015, and although he lost to Culcay he did actually come out of that bout with a much improved reputation. As for Nonaka he is unbeaten since November 2009, but has been out of the ring for almost a year coming into this contest, and will know that their may be some ring rust that needs shaking if he's to over-come the talented Hogan. |
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