 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main show this coming Sunday is the East Japan Rookie of the Year final from Korakuen Hall. The show, which essentially acts as one of the two All Japan Rookie of the Year semi-finals, is a really interesting show and will help make some fighters stars. Rather than going through all the bouts on this we’ll take a look at 3 that we think will be particularly notable. The Lightweight division isn’t one well associated with Japan, but the domestic scene is an interesting one, with something of an artificial ceiling as few can progress to genuine world level. As a result the division is an exciting one, and winners of the Rookie of the Year in the division tend to become fixtures on the domestic title scene. With that in mind we’re interested in the bout between the unbeaten pairing of Rio Nishinoiri (4-0, 1) and Shunsuke Honda (6-0, 2), who are both 24. Nishinoiri made his debut in September 2023 and has notched 3 wins this year, taking 2 unbeaten records along the way, whilst barely losing a round. He’s talented but lacks power and it’ll be interesting to see if he will begin to sit down on his shots in the future. Honda is a tall and rangy fighter, at just under 6’, who made his debut in 2022 had a 14 month break and has now had 5 fights in around 14 months coming into this bout. Like Nishinoiri he has beaten two unbeaten men and appears to lack power, with a lot of his wins being razor thin ones. Another bout between unbeaten men will see the hard hitting Keigo Kitamoto (3-0, 3) take on Kiichi Eda (2-0, 1) at Featherweight. The 27 year old Kitamoto debuted in late 2023 and has seen all 3 of his wins come in the second round, including July's win over the then 4-1 Kenta Yamakawa. Eda on the other hand is a 24 year old southpaw who kicked off his career in July and saw his last win come in 137 seconds. Given Kitamoto’s power and Eda’s early win last time out, we’re not expecting to see this one go long. One of the most notable division’s in Japan has been the Super Flyweight division, and with that in mind it’s worth noting the bout between the heavy handed 23 year old Shuta Takahashi (5-2-1, 4) and unbeaten 22 year old Masahiko Ohashi (5-0, 1). Takahashi began his career in 2021 and is the most experienced man on the show. He is 2-1-1 in his last 4, dating back a little over 2 years, but has beaten his last two opponents, both of whom were unbeaten. Ohashi started his career in 2022 with a bout at Bantamweight before moving down in weight and he has now settled himself at Super Flyweight. Given Takahashi’s power he has the edge, but Ohashi is certainly not going to be there to just roll over. Techno Hall, Toyama, Toyama, Japan As well as the action in Tokyo we also get a card in Toyama, albeit a much, much, smaller one, featuring a promising unbeaten taking on a dangerous, but flawed opponent, and a female bout between two ranked Japanese female hopefuls. Although not the mina event, the bout with the most interest will see ranked 20 year old Japanese hopeful Reon Fujino (5-0-1, 3) take on Shinobu Full Swing Wakagi (4-3-1, 3). Fujino debuted in 2023 and just over 9 months later he had been crowned the All Japan Rookie of the Year, with a narrow win over Tasuku Sato. In just 6 bouts he has taken 3 unbeaten records and made it very clear that he is someone worthy of taking note of. As for Wakagi the 38 year old made his debut way back in 2005, before taking a 12 year break from the ring. He then fought regularly from 2017 to 2019, going 3-3, before taking a break from the run before returning earlier this year with a win over Yuma Aiba. Given his lengthy breaks and his inconsistent results it’s hard to imagine him testing Fujino, but he does have the style and power to keep Fujino honest. Technically the main event is a 4 rounder between Sara Ishiguro (2-1-1, 1) and Mao Kamada (1-0-2), with both being ranked by the JBC at Atomweight. Notably these two have fought before, fighting to a draw in 2023, in what was Kamada’s debut, and since then neither has really managed to get theri career going. Ishiguro has lost her only bout since their draw, whilst Kamada is 1-0-1 since the draw with Kamada. Given how both need a win, and how competitive their first bout was this should be an interesting contest, but a weak main event.
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 This coming Saturday is a weird one in Asia, with Japan hosting 3 shows, which makes it seem busy, but on the whole only really one show is worth any major attention, with that being a show in Tokyo. There’s also 2 shows in Osaka, but of which was low level domestic shows, without a major bout on either.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The Korakuen Hall show, the latest in the Dynamic Glove series, is a really interesting one, with a Japanese title fight, a stay busy bout for a regional champion and then two international bouts featuring touted local prospects. The main event will see Japanese Bantamweight champion Riku Masuda (5-1, 5) make his first defense, as he takes on Yoshihiro Utsumi (17-11-6, 10), with his eyes likely on a rematch with the recently crowned WBA champion Seiya Tsutusmi, who dethroned Takuma Inoue in October. Masuda debuted in 2022, raced through the ranks before losing a hotly contested Japanese title bout in 2023 with Tsutsumi, before winning the Japanese title earlier this year in his second shot at the belt, along with also stopping Jonas Sultan this year, and will definitely look to become the next Japanese force at Bantamweight. As for Utsumi he’s a veteran who’s now 40, has been a professional since 2004 and appears to be getting a title fight almost as a career achievement reward, rather than having earned it. He has a single win since 2020, going 1-2-3 in that time, and isn’t regarded as a genuine threat to Masuda, but on the other hand it is nice to see him getting a major fight before his career winds down. In the main support bout OPBF Super Featherweight champion Yamato Hata (15-2, 14) will be facing off with Presco Carcosia (12-4-1, 9) in a non-title bout, being fought at a contracted 132lbs. The hard hitting Hata won the OPBF title in June, when he stopped Kosuke Saka, and it seems odd that he’s not defending the title now, though perhaps making the 130lb limit is something he’s not fond of and a move to 135lbs might not be far off for him. As for Carcosia the Filipino will be fighting in Japan for the third time, though has been beaten in both prior fights being beaten in 2022 by Musashi Mori and 2024 by Katsuya Yasuda. Notably the Yasuda fight was fought for a regional Lightweight title, so that result will give Hata to beat. Back in July Kota Kaneko (5-1, 4) was upset, as he lost his unbeaten record in just 125 seconds at the hands of Filipino Michael Casama. Rather than wasting time pondering what could have been he's back in the ring just 4 months later as he takes on Chinese visitor ShunCai Hou (3-3-1, 1), Kaneko is heavy handed, fun to watch and the loss to Casama shows he can be hurt, which will make his fights even more must watch. As for Hou the Chinese visitor lacks power but has proven to be tough and recent went the distance with Yuichiro Taka, a top touted Japanese prospect and showed enough in that bout to suggest he should take Kaneko some rounds. The best of the under-card bouts will see the fact rising Kyosuke Takami (7-0, 5) take on Jomar Caindog (12-4-1, 5) in what is being seen as a tune up bout for Takami ahead of a Japanese title bout next year. He has been hugely impressive in recent bouts, stopping opponents, showing great fire power, solid boxing and has the potential to make a real splash on the world scene in the next few years. Caindog is no world beater, but is tough and awkward and has proven to be an awkward out for Jing Xiang and Samuel Salva, though was easily beaten by Ian Abne and Ryuseo Matsumoto in recent bouts. He should definitely ask some questions of Takami, but will clearly be the under-dog and has been picked to get Takami rounds, rather than give him a real test. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the show at Korakuen Hall we have two shows at the EDION Arena Osaka, one being an afternoon show and one an evening show. The first of the shows is an Apollo promoted card, which features the most notable bout from the two cards. The main event here will see Ryo Suwa (13-6, 2) take on Thai visitor Somsak Noolae (5-3-1, 3), in what will be Suwa’s first bout since December 2023, when he was stopped by Masaki Hirano. Suwa was once touted as a future domestic title challenger but has now lost 5 of his last 7 and fallen completely off the map of the Japanese title picture. With the losses piling up, and the lengthy break it’s fair that he’s not getting too stiff of a treat here. As for Noolae he is proving himself to be a favourite of Japanese prospects, with this being his 4th bout in Japan in less than a year, with the Thai known to come to win, though not doing enough to take the victories. He's not a push over and should give Suwa some good work, without the risk of beating the local fighter. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The other card, the evening card promoted by Harada Boxing, has a competitive looking main event, and a bout featuring one of the more popular characters in Japanese boxing. The competitive looking match up will see Shota Yukawa (12-7-3, 5) take on professional glass cannon Takuya Hashimoto (7-7, 7). The 36 year old Yukawa has been semi-retired in recent years, with just 2 bouts since 2020, going 1-1 in those bouts, and is clearly winding down his career since a loss to Xiao Tao Su in China in 2019. Hashimoto on the other hand is known for scoring stoppages or being stopped with his 14 career bouts going just a combined 28 rounds, and 7 of his bouts ending in the first round. This isn’t likely to go long, and is, we suspect, an exciting bout for as long as it lasts. The card also features the very popular and charismatic Vageta Ishikawa (4-19-3, 2) who takes on the much more accomplished Naoto Komatsu (8-2, 3). Ishikawa, who is essentially the Dragon Ball Z fighter coming out in Vegeta cosplay, is popular and well liked despite his limitations in the ring. He is unlikely to pose many, if any, questions of Komatsu who reached the All Japan Rookie of the Year final last year. The main event on this card isn’t the best of match ups as Shiki Kawamura (4-2, 1) takes on 36 year old Beverly Tsukada (5-5-2, 3). Whilst Tsukada has won his last 2, whilst Kawamura lost last time out, it’d be a surprise to see Tsukada pick up the win, but we suspect Kawamura will have to work out for a victory in what is, if we’re being honest, a weak main event. October 31st-Juri and Yamaguchi battle in eliminator, Kira looks for win #2, Mori returns10/27/2024  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
We end the month of October with an interesting card from Shisei Promotions, headlined by a Japanese title eliminator, supported by a top prospect in a major step up, a once beaten hopeful returning after a lay off and the boxing debut of a former kickboxing champion who turns to boxing at the age of 37. The main event of the show will be a brilliant match up between unbeaten hopefuls as Kantaro Juri (7-0-1, 2) faces Jinya Yamaguchi (5-0, 2) in a Japanese Super Flyweight eliminator, with the winner likely to face Suzumi Takayama next year at the Champion Carnival. The bout will be Juri’s 6th bout scheduled for 8 round and he has the edge in experience, but there are question marks about his chin, having been dropped by Pai Pharob, and his power, having not scored a stoppage in his last 5 bouts. Whilst he has been fighting at a good level we do wonder whether his lack of power will hold him back in fights like this. As for Yamaguchi his competition hasn’t been as strong as Juri’s, though a win over Ryutaro Nakagaki in 2023 was very impressive. On paper this is very much a 50-50, with two talented former amateur fighters facing off early in their careers for a title fight next year, very interesting a very hard one to call. In the chief support bout we’ll see the very highly regarded Daiya Kira (1-0, 1) compete in his second professional contest, as he faces Venezuelan Orlando Pino (15-2, 9) in a notable step up. Kira was a stellar amateur, going 46-6 (16) in the unpaid ranks, and is ranked by the WBA after just a single professional bout. Sady as a professional we really don’t know what he has in the locker as his debut foe, Khomsan Kaewruean, offered little and was stopped within 2 minutes. Unlike Kaewruean it’s fair to say Pino has some ambition though he has been stopped in both of his losses, losing in 5 rounds to Robias Reyes in Argentina and 8 rounds to Erick Rosa in the Dominican Republic. This should be a genuine chance to see what Kira has to offer, and if he blows through Pino it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in his first title bouts next year. In another supporting bout we’ll see the talented Musashi Mori (14-1-1, 7) take on Chinese visitor Peng Huang (10-9-3, 5). Mori was once tipped as a future world champion, and whilst a loss to Satoshi Shimizu and a draw with Takuya Watanabe didn’t hinder those hopes, at least not too much, it does feel like he’s not really kicked on from an excellent start to his career. Notably he comes into this on the back of a 16 month break from the ring, so we can’t complain about the poor competition, who will be expected to take him the distance, but the focus for 2025 needs to be on getting back to regional level. As for Huang the Chinese fighter has mixed with decent fighters from Asia, coming up short against them, but has never been stopped and will be expected to give Mori rounds without being a real test. Also on the card is former Kick Boxing champion Tsukuru Midorikawa (0-0), who debuts in a 6 rounder at 154lbs. Midorikawa, who is 37, is coming to boxing at a late age, but is vastly experienced in combat sport, fighting in both Kick Boxing and Muay Thai. Nicknamed the “Green Monster”, it’ll be interesting to see how Midorikawa does in boxing, especially given his age, though it did long seem like his hands were his best weapon in kick boxing. Sadly his debut isn’t anticipated to give him much of a test, as China’s Dacong Wang (8-3-1, 1) has no wins of note on his record, has shown little in the way of power, will be making his international debut and has been stopped recently. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand Over in Thailand we’ll see a show being put on by Brico Santig. One of the main bouts here will see Australian based Liberian born fighter Victor Nagbe (8-1, 3) take on Indonesian veteran Stevie Ongen Ferdinandus (35-17-1, 19) in a bout for the WBC Asian Super Welterweight title, which is currently vacant. Nagbe has won his last 3, but has been fighting at a low level, though oddly fought as a Middleweight last time out. As for Ferdinandus the 44 year old “Wonder” has been a professional since 2009 and is amazingly on one of the best runs of his career with 8 straight wins, 5 by stoppage. Despite his good run, he will be the under-dog here. Another regional title bout on this card will see Iranian fighter Mahdi Sarbaz (4-1, 4) take on Filipino veteran Jimmy Paypa (20-6-1, 8) for the WBC Asian Continental title at 140lbs. Sarbaz only made his debut this past March and is 4-0 (4) in Thailand, though did suffer a loss in May, when he travelled to Bangladesh and suffered a 4 round decision defeat in a Middleweight bout. As for Paypa the Filipino has been around for a very, very long time, debuting in 2009 and facing Shingo Wake for the OPBF Super Bantamweight title in 2015, scoring one of his best wins just 13 months later when he edged out Bernabe Concepcion. Since the win over Concepcion however he has gone 2-3 becoming a semi-retired fighter with only a single fight since 2019. One other title bout worthy of some note is a Thai Atomweight title bout, as Watcharaporn Namphon (11-1, 7) and Muthita Iamsaard (10-1, 5) battle for the vacant title. Aged 23 Namphon is the older fighter and the more experienced though all 11 of her wins have come at a very, very low level. Her most notable bout is her 2023 loss to Sana Hazuki, where she was stopped in 3 rounds in Japan. Iamsaard, who's 19, has also picked up a lot of low key domestic wins, with her sole loss coming by TKO in Japan, by Noa Sakamoto back in 2023. It’s an interesting bout, and the winner will have tier biggest win, but it’s clear the top Thai Atomweights are several levels behind the top Japanese ones. Shimla, India We also have a low key card in India. Sadly the action here really isn’t going to get much attention, with all the bouts being 6 or 4 rounders, between novices. Given the action elsewhere it’s certainly got the feeling of a very low key card, as Indian boxing continues to lay down the foundations for the future, but the foundations are starting to take a very, very long time. Sadly the domestic action really hasn’t unearthed a notable talent, with the best Indian fighters coming from the amateurs, rather than being developed from the pro scene. Coliseo Alcalde Marcelo Trujillo Panisse, Humacao, Puerto Rico
This coming Wednesday is a very quiet day for fights, globally never mind Asian, but there is one bout of note for us taking place in Puerto Rico. That bout will see once beaten local fighter Juan Carlos Camacho (17-1-0-1, 8) face off with Filipino fighter Jayson Mama (20-1, 10), in a bout for the vacant WBO NABO Flyweight title. The 28 year old Comacho won his first 6 before being upset by Edwin Rodriguez in August 2017. Since then he has gone unbeaten whilst notching wins against the likes of Marvin Solano, Carlos Buitrago and Joshue Morales. He will know he has home advantage, which is a big thing here, but hes is facing a more accomplished fighter in Mama. The 27 year old Pinoy has notched notable wins against Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr, Kwanthai Sithmorseng, and Robert Paradero, with his one loss coming 2021 against the then IBF world champion Sunny Edwards. Mama is a bit crude around the edges, but comes to fight, with an aggressive style, and has proven his desire on the road before, Meenayothin Camp, Bangkok, Thailand
This coming Sunday we get a relatively quiet day in terms of fights in Asia, though there is a card in Bangkok that deserves a mention. Overall the card is really poor, though we do have a very notable bout on it, as 19 year old Chinese fighter Zan Huang (1-0, 1), who has 2 professional rounds to his name, takes on Thai veteran Wicha Phulaikhao (64-30-2, 28), aka Pigmy Kokietgym, in a 6 rounders. Huang, who debuted in June, is a real unknown, but Pigmy is well known. The 43 year old Thai veteran, who boasts 96 professional bouts, has been a professional since 1999 is a former multi-time world title challenger, and has fought in Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Cambodia, Monaco and China. At one point his record was a solid 42-5-2 and he was 52-6-2 when he had his second shot at a world title. Since losing to Hekkie Budler in 2014 however he has gone 12-23 and has lost his last 12 in a row. With fights in Dubai, China and Macao, Mama is unlikely to be worried about being on the road here, though likely know the judges will not be there to do him a favour.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
We turn our attention to the holy land of Japanese boxing this coming Saturday, as we get a really interesting show under the Dangan banner. The main event will be a Japanese title eliminator at 140 lbs as we see unbeaten men face off for the chance to face Kuntae Lee in the Champion Carnival next year. The bout here sees the hard hitting Kotaro Sekine (9-0-1, 8) seek his 10th win as he takes on Mikyo Watarai (5-0, 3) in what could be something of a special, and very explosive, technical battle. Sekine, who is ranked #1 by the JBC, was a relatively limited amateur, going a reported 18-20 (5) in the unpaid ranks. Since turning professional however he has risen rapidly through the domestic scene, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year fighting to a draw with the now world ranked Jin Sasaki, making his international debut in January this year, and reaching the JBC #1 ranking. As for Watarai he was a top amateur, going 77-15, before turning professional and debuting in April 2022. Since beginning his professional journey he has really impressed, beating 3 unbeaten men in his first 5 fights, including the then 11-0-2 Ju Wu and the then 10-0-1 Ali Canega. He was tipped for success when he began his professional journey and will see this as a great chance to take a massive step towards his first title bout. This really could be a very fun, explosive bout between two talented, young and hungry fighters. The two main event fighters aren’t the only unbeatens expecting to boost their standing on this card. Another such fighter is Kaishu Harada (4-0, 2), who makes his Korakuen Hall debut as he takes on former OPBF champion Pete Apolinar (17-5-1, 10), from the Philippines. Harada, a former amateur standout with more than 60 bouts in the unpaid ranks, kicked off his professional journey last year fighting in West Japan, with Osaka, Sakai and Aashi hosting his fights, but will see this as a huge chance to boost his profile in East Japan and begin to create a buzz in Tokyo, the center of boxing in Japan. As for Apolinar, the former OPBF Super Bantamweight champion, life is starting to look tough and hs is 1-3-1 since his career defining 2022 win over Jhunriel Ramonal and 4-4-1 since the start of 2021. Despite his poor results he is a skilled fighter and should have the experience and toughness to ask questions of Hrada. One other unbeaten on this card worthy of a mention is Ren Tamegai (3-0, 1), a 22 year old stepping into his first 6 rounder as he takes on Sho Nagasato (5-7, 2). Tamegai made his debut last year, and has taken 2 unbeaten records in 3 fights, but has only been facing fellow novices. This should see him being tested and being asked questions by Nagasato, who has only been stopped twice in his 7 losses and is a notable step up from Tamegai’s early opposition. It would be an upset to see Tamegai lose, but we do hope to see him being forced to show more than he has in his early bouts. Harada Vs Apolinar isn’t the only Japan Vs Philippines bout on this card, another will see former world title challenger Ryota Yamauchi (12-3, 11) take on the experienced Orlie Silvestre (18-9-2, 10). Sadly it’s hard to see this being anything other than an easy win for Yamauchi, who is very good at this level, with spiteful power and an aggressive mentality. He is defensively flawed, but was unlucky in his first loss, to Wulan Tuolehazi in China, before dominated by the sensational Junto Nakatani in 2022 and then lost a very competitive bout to the unbeaten Josuke Nagata in 2023. As for Silvestre he's experienced and tough, having only been stopped once in 29 bouts, but is a natural Light Flyweight facing someone who was a large Flyweight and now appears to be campaigning at Super Flyweight. Even at 108lbs he has lacked fire power, and it’s hard to imagine him hitting hard enough to trouble Yamauchi. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea As well as the Japanese action there is also a show in South Korea, but a much less interesting one. The card is mostly 4 rounders, with the only bout scheduled for longer being a 6 round clash between Woo Sung Kim (2-2, 1) and Chul Woo Yoon (8-11-3, 3), which is hardly a stellar match up itself. Thankfully Korean shows are often better than the parts involved in them, with exciting action due to the Korean fighting mentality, but it’s hard to really talk about the fights in advance, and sometimes you just need to tune in and enjoy the hectic, exciting action. Graakjaer Arena, Holstebro, Denmark
This coming Friday we’ll see hard hitting Japanese fighter Terumi Nuki (15-5, 10) get a long awaited shot at unbeaten unified Bantamweight champion Dina Thorslund (22-0, 9), who will be looking to defend her WBC and WBO Female Bantamweight titles. This bout, originally scheduled for late August, was delayed when Thorslund suffered an injury in training, reportedly a cut around her left eye, and it’s fair to the extra time, at least for Nuki, is potentially a blessing in disguise, with some suggesting she wasn’t given a lot of notice for the original date. In the ring Nuki is a flawed, but heavy handed fighter who has come up short in 3 previous world title fights, losing to Mariana Juarez in two of them and to Debora Anahi Dionicius in the other. Sadly for her those world title bouts came years ago, and now aged 36 she is on the back end of her career and definitely past her best. She’s still dangerous and tough, but she was never the sharpest and that’s not going to change as she gets older. As for Thorslund she’s a real talent, she lacks the power of Nuki, but is a proven world class fighter with top level wins against the likes of Alicia Ashley, Jessica Arreguin Munoz, Alesia Graf, Jessica Arreguin Munoz, Debora Anahi Lopez and Yuliahn Luna Avila. She has enjoyed reigns as a world champion at both Super Bantamweight and Bantamweight, where she has managed to unify the WBC and WBO titles and made 2 defenses of the unified throne. Although not a power puncher, she's got enough pop on her shots to break opponents down, and has scored 3 early wins in her last 6, all at world level. Aged 30 she's still in her prime, and should feel confident of having too much of everything for Nuki, though will obviously need to avoid taking too many bombs from the challenger.  New York, New York, USA
It’s fair to say that 2023 was a rollercoaster year for Japanese fighter Miyo Yoshida (17-4) who ended fought only twice in the year, all in the last 2 months of the year, and felt both the heartache of a loss, and the jubilation of a massive, upset, win to end the year. The first of those two fights saw her lose to American fighter Shurretta Metcalf (13-4-1-1, 2), in a wide decision, and just weeks later she was seemingly picked as a short notice opponent for Ebanie Bridges, the then IBF Female Bantamweight champion. Rather than rolling over and playing the happy loser Yoshida upset Bridges with a career defining performance to become a 3-time, 2-weight, world champion following 2 reigns as the WBO Female Super Flyweight champion. Sadly for Yoshida she hasn’t fought since that remarkable win over Bridges, but she does return this coming Wednesday as she seeks revenge against Metcalf in a much anticipated rematch. In their first bout Metcalf dominated Yoshida on the scorecards, taking the win with scores of 96-94, 98-92 and 99-91. As mentioned Yoshida bounced back, dethroning Bridges, and finishing the year on a high to continue her excellent story as a boxer and a mother, with her daughter often being regarded as the driving force for her career. As for Metcalf she’s actually not fought, at all, since beating Yoshida, and the now 39 year old really needs to repeat the win over Yoshida, prove it wasn’t a fluke, and get a chance to get a good payday on the back of being a world champion. Given their first bout it’s hard to see a win for Yoshida, but the performance against Bridges was brilliant from the Japanese, and it’s fair to say she’s determined to make the most of this chance to avenger her most recent loss, much like she did in 2021, following a 2020 loss to Tomoko Okuda, and in 2017 when she avenged a 2016 loss to Yuki Koseki.  This coming Sunday is an interesting day for fight fans in Asia, with 3 cards in Japan and one in the Philippines. On paper the Japanese cards aren’t the strongest, with few really notable names in action , but there should be some good quality fights between well matched fighters. Over in the Philippines we get a really solid show, with 3 very good match ups on it.
KBS Hall, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan Starting with the Japanese cards, the most notable will be taking place in Kyoto and will be promoted by Futur Promotions who have a former world champion in the main event. The former world champion in question is former WBC Super Flyweight champion Suriyan Kaikanha (52-7-1, 28), aka Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, who competes in Japan for the third time as he takes on Kyonosuke Kameda (13-3-2, 8). Suriyan, a true veteran, is now 35 and made his professional debut in 2006. He really began to make his name in 2010 when he gave the legendary Pongsaklek Wonjongkam a very close bout in a WBC Flyweight title bout, losing a narrow decision to the Flyweight great. Less than a year later he would beat Tomas Rojas for the WBC Super Flyweight title, which he defended once before losing it in Japan to Yota Sato. His only other appearance in Japan 2 years later was when he was beaten WBC Bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka. Sadly though that Yamanaka bout was a decade ago and whilst he has gone 15-1 since then he’s certainly not the same fighter he once was. As for Kameda, the cousin of the fighting Kameda brothers, who is now coming into his prime at 26, he has proven himself a very credible domestic level fighter with notable wins over Tsubasa Narai, Mugicha Nakagawa and Hikaru Matsuoka. He's a big, dangerous fighter at Featherweight, which appears to be his natural weight and although not the most polished fighter, he is rapidly improving having come a very, very long way since a TKO loss on debut against Shinnosuke Kimoto back in 2018. We can’t help but feel this is a bout set up to boost Kameda’s standing and get him a win against a faded former world champion, but in many ways that’s good match making, and even a faded Suriyan is still a very capable fighter. In the chief support bout the once beaten Kotaro Kawai (5-1, 2) will take on Bakuto Nakahara (5-5, 2) in a 6 rounder. Kawai is 22 years old and is looking for his second win since suffering a razor thin loss to Ryugo Yanagibori in June 2023. He is quick, sharp and has a lovely 1-2. As for Nakahara he's a win-some, lose-some fighter from Okayama, where there really aren't many fights forcing him to travel for fights. Sadly for him he has struggled to find his weight class, and for this bout he's stepping up to Lightweight for the first time. 176BOX, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan Over in Toyonaka we get a pretty interesting card, with an unbeaten prospect and a title unification bout. The main event will see the unbeaten Marina Loreto (6-0-2) look to unify the JBC female Minimumweght title with the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title, as she takes on the experienced Mont Blanc Miki (6-7-1, 2). Loreto won the Japanese title in April 2023, and she recorded her first, and so far only, defense in November with a draw. Sadly she has now been out of the ring 11 months, losing some of the momentum she was building. As for Miki this is her 5th shot at a title, having come up short in the previous 4. She’s aggressive and fan friendly, but is defensively flawed and limited, with much of her offense being wild and wide, leaving her open to counters. In the chief support bout we’ll see unbeaten JBC ranked fighter Yamato Moriguchi (7-0-1, 2) take on hard hitting Thai visitor Sarawut Jiamthong (11-5, 10). Moriguchi is a 21 year old who won the All Japan Rookie of the Year last year, and looks to be a real prospect for the Kuratoki Gym to develop and nurture. He’s a clean accurate fighter with an aggressive style, who really impressed in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, unfortunately however he has been out of the ring since winning the Rookie of the Year and lost much of the momentum he had been building at the end of 2023. Jiamthong is something of a glass cannon. The 25 year old has heard the final bell twice in 16 fights, with 10 wins inside the distance and 4 losses coming early. Notably he has been stopped in the 3 bouts where he has travelled outside of Thailand, including a loss to Olimjon Nazarov back in May this year. Whilst it looks like he has power, his competition has been awful and it's hard to put too much weight behind his power. Foodpal Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan A third card in Japan is set to take place in Kumamoto, and this one is the smallest of the 3, by some margin, in terms of its significance. The main event will see Kazuhiro Imamura (3-3-1, 2) take on unbeaten American Alejandro Patrick Meniano (4-0, 2) in a 6 rounder. turned professional with some fan fare, and after a 2-0-1 start to the pros there was some hope he'd develop into a good fighter. Sadly 3 straight losses took away all momentum he was building and it took more than 4 years between his second win and his third win, which came earlier this year. Meniano on the other hand is something of an unknown quantity, though is no stranger to being on the road and will be confident of picking up his 5th straight win, in his third country, after notching a pair of victories in both Mexico and the Philippines. In a support bout Shoki Yamauchi (7-5, 6) will take on fun to watch Korean fighter Ho Jun Kim (3-1-2, 3). Yamauchi is something of a glass cannon with only 3 of his bouts going the distance, all of which were 4 rounds early in his career. Since July 2022 he has never seen the 4th round, going 5-1 (5) in that run. As for Kim the 25 year old debuted last year and despite set backs in his last 2 fights hasn't been stopped. Like Yamauchi he's dangerous early and has an aggressive style, which could lead to some serious fireworks here. Another Japan Vs Korea bout on this card will see once beaten JBC ranked fighter Misaki Hirano (10-1, 4) take on Korean ranked fighter Han Sol Lee (8-5, 4). Hirano is a 27 year old who has won his last 9, including a notable win over Ryo Suwa, and bounced back well from a razor thin loss in his second bout to Hikaru Fukunaga. Although not a nationally recognised name, his success is edging him towards a title fight and if he continues to pick up good domestic type wins he could find himself in the mix late next year. Lee on the other hand has won a couple of titles during his career, namely the WBF Intercontinental Flyweight and South Korean Bantamweight titles. Despite his success he has lot 5 of his last 6, including his last 3, and was stopped inside a round by Kanamu Sakama in his previous visit to Japan, back in 2022 Okada Manila Hotel and Casino, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines As well as the shows in Japan we also get a pretty good looking Filipino show, with several notable names on it, and a few really good looking bouts, in what might end up being the best show of the day. The main event on this show looks to be a really good match up, as former world title contender Giemel Magramo (29-4, 23) takes on rising youngster Judy Flores (14-2, 8) in a bout for the OPBF Super Flyweight title. Magramo was once seen as a future star for the Philippines but at 30 time is starting to run out for him to reach the heights expected of him. Coming from a boxing rich family and blessed with not just boxing in his blood but also spiteful power and well rounded skills he looked like being part of a new wave of Filipino fighters. Sadly for him he ran into Junto Nakatani in 2020 and has gone 5-2 since being stopped by the now 3-weight Japanese world champion. Notably however all 4 of his losses, which have come to Muhammad Waseem, Nakatani, Taku Kuwahara and Anthony Olascuaga, have come on the road to world, or at worst fringe world, level fighters. As for Flores the 25 year old is something of an unheralded Filipino who hasn’t had much fanfare but is 14-0 at home with his only losses, like Magramo's, coming on the road. His first loss was in 2022, to former Naoya Inoue opponent Antonio Nieves, and the second was last year to Andrew Moloney, both by decision, and both above Super Flyweight. Given the hunger of both men, and the fact both will know the OPBF title helps secure world title fights, we’re expecting a really special bout here, in what might be the Asian fight of the day. The main event isn’t the only interesting bout on this card. Another will see unbeaten puncher Roderick Bautista (6-0, 5) go up against the once beaten Arvin John Sampaga (8-1-1, 3) in a 10 rounder. Bautista, dubbed The Bone Crusher, is a 19 year old with nasty power who is living up to his moniker and quickly putting together a solid resume early in his career. In just 6 bouts Bautista has won the OBF Youth Light Flyweight title, taken 2 unbeaten records, had a completed 8 rounder, and either stopped, or dropped, every opponent he's faced. As for Sampaga he's 26 years old has done a completed 8 rounds on 4 different occasions, and bounced back by going 2-0-1 since losing to Lorenz Dumam-ag in 2023, who has since claimed the WBO Oriental Flyweight title albeit in controversial fashion against Ramel Macado Jr. As with the main event this should be really interesting and a very good chance to see whether Bautista can be fast tracked beyond regional level or not. A third bout of note on this show will see Benny Canete (11-2, 8) take on former world title challenger Edward Heno (16-5-6, 6). The 24 year old Canete, dubbed The bull, is an aggressive Southpaw. He's lost 2 of his last 6, losing to domestic foes Kenneth Llover and Noli James Maquilan, but is very much a young fighter who's fan friendly and the losses are unlikely to see him change his in ring mentality. Notably he has two solid domestic wins, over Renoel Pael and Jun Blazo, but a win over Heno would be his biggest, by far. Heno is best known for his 2009 bout with Elwin Soto, for the WBO Light Flyweight title. Despite losing a close decision to Soto it seemed like Heno would cement himself as a top contender for years to come, having given Soto a real test. Sadly however Heno has gone 2-4-1 since that bout, and moved through the weights fighting as high as 124lbs, and falling well out of world title contention. He's still tough, skilled and talented but under-sized, under-powered and as we saw against Toshiya Ishii in July, he's not as capable of taking shows at Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight as he was at Light Flyweight.  This coming Saturday is a pretty quiet one for major Asian names, but we do have some small cards taking place over the continent. Just sadly nothing big enough to attract much international attention or fanfare. In fact both of the shows seem to be very small local events.
Capio, Tsukuba, Ibaragi, Japan In Japan we have a very low key card from Ibaragi, being promoted by Misako Promotions. To call this card small is really to undersell how low key it is, with 7 bouts in total, for a combined 32 rounds. From the 14 fighters in action 6 are making their debuts, a further 3 have never scored a win, and the combined record of the 14 is 18-44-4. On paper the most interesting of the bouts on this card is the even looking 6 rounder at Light Flyweight between Masaki Shinotsuka (4-5-1 3) and Andy Atsushi (4-6-1, 3), the bout which serves as the main event of the show. Shinotsuka is a local to Ibaragi, but this is actually only his second fight there, the first coming 13 months ago, and he's very much a win some lose some fighter. He's never been stopped, with all bit 1 of his losses being highly competitive. Whilst he has never been stopped he has scored 3 stoppages in 4 wins, showing he does have a bit of pop of his own. As for Atsushi this is only the second time he's fought outside of Tokyo, and he's winless in over 2 years. His last 3 fights have seen him going 0-2-1, including a TKO loss to the very talented Takeshi Ishii. Sadly for Atsushi he has been stopped in 3 of his 6 defeats, so it’ll be interesting to see how he hands with the power of Shinotsuka. Sureul Art Hall, Yeoncheon, South Korea Sadly a Korean card, from Yeoncheon, backed by the KBA is just as unremarkable as the Japanese card in Ibaragi. This card is down as a 6 bout show, with 26 rounds in total, mostly between Korean and Japanese novices, over 4 rounds. The one exception is a 6 rounder, again between novices, as Dong Yub Lee (1-2) takes on Yushi Yamaguchi (1-0). Lee is a 20 year old Korean who won his debut, back in 2020, but after 2 losses in 2021 he vanished from boxing and it's hard to know what he has to offer. Notably this will be his second 6 rounder and both of hus losses were really close, but he's also been out of the ring for more than 3 years and didn't look that promising even before the break. The 22 year old Yamaguchi, who’s brother is unbeaten prospect Jinya Yamaguchi, was a solid amateur, running up a 29-12 record in the unpaid ranks, and he should have much more in the locker than needed to deal with Lee. It’s good to see him getting international experience this early in his career and comes just 4 months after his debut against Wesley Caga. |
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