Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get live action from Boxing Raise who have their streaming service show cases the latest event from the criminally under-rated Kaoebi Promotions, who have consistently been turning out great events under their "Slugfest" banner in recent years. This show features a triple title main event, a mouth watering support bout, a potentially compelling Super Bantamweight and several notable prospects. The main event of the card is an excellent match up, which should end up being a very explosive encounter as Ryoji Fukunaga (12-4, 12) and Kenta Nakagawa (19-3-1, 12) clash at Super Flyweight. Coming into this Nakagawa is the JBC champion and Fukunaga is the WBO Asia Pacific champion, not only are their belts on the line, but so is the vacant OPBF title, meaning the winner is essentially the champion of Asia. Of the two Fukunaga is the certainly bigger puncher, and showed that last time out, when he beat Froilan Saludar, though it's fair to say that Nakagawa is the more proven fighter, has been in with tougher competition and is a 2-time Japanese champion. For us this is a true 50-50 type bout and the only thing we're confident about is the fact it won't go 12. We're anticipating a hard hitting, technical shoot out here. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Fukunaga and Nakagawa battle for the triple at Super Flyweight! In an amazing support bout former Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific Light Welterweight champion Hiroki Okada (19-2, 13) will be up against the very talented Izuki Tomioka (7-3-1, 2), who has given Masayoshi Nakatani and Shuichiro Yoshino two of their toughest bouts. On paper Okada is the naturally bigger, stronger and more powerful fighter but with back to back stoppages losses against his name we do wonder what he has left in the tank, he has, arguably, been left with a lot of questions to answer. Tomioka isn't a puncher, but he is a quick, rangy, talented fighter and we wouldn't be surprised at all if he frustrates Okada with his jab and ends up simply out working the older man. The first of two notable prospects on the under-card is the unbeaten Mikio Sakai (2-0), who takes on Toshihiro Kai (6-11-3, 2). The 27 year old Sakai is likely to be moved towards a Japanese title fight in the next year or two, but having been out of the ring since last December we can't begrudge him an easy one here. The 35 year old Kai is a veteran, but not a particularly sturdy one and he has been stopped in 4 of his last 6, and really never kicked off at reaching the 2014 All Japan Rookie of the Year. The focus here is on Sakai, and seeing him shake some ring rust and get the cogs whirring again before a bigger year in 2021. On paper a really even match up in the show is a contest between Matcha Nakagawa (13-2-1, 5) and Ryo Suwa (11-3, 2), with Nakagawa looking to defend his JBC and OPBF rankings against the skilled, but light punching, Suwa. The 26 year old Nakagawa has been a professional since 2013 and did promise a good deal early in his career, winning Rookie of the Year in 2015, but losses to Ryohei Takahashi and Kai Chiba in his last 6 has seen him need a solid win. Suwa is also a man in need for a big win after losing 3 of his last 7 and his last 2. We suspect Nakagawa will be the favourite here, but Suwa certainly has the ability to cause him fits with his style and boxing brain. The other notable prospect on this card is the OPBF and JBC ranked Masahiro Suzuki (4-0, 2), who takes on former OPBF title challenger Takahiro Oda (10-5, 8), who previously fought as Jumbo Oda Nobunaga Shoten Petagine. The talented Suzuki really impressed us on his debut, against Antonio Siemundo, though in fairness we've become less convinced by him since and this is a genuine step up in class for him following a 13 month break from the ring. Whilst Suzuki has been out of the ring for a while his inactivity pales in comparison to the inactivity of Oda, who was last seen in the ring in July 2017, when he lost to Ratchasi Sithsaithong in an OPBF title bout. Coming into this Oda has won just 2 bouts in 6 years and it's hard to imagine him winning here, but he certainly has the power to test Suzuki's chin.
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December 13th becomes the latest date for a promoter to hold two events at the same venue in Japan, and although neither of the shows are amazing, both look relatively interesting with title action and a couple of decent bouts. Interestingly it appears the first will be made available on YouTube, as part of the Boxing Real channel whilst the second will be available, on demand, on Boxing Raise.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The first of the cards features a solid, if somewhat easy to over-look, main event, a Japanese female title bout and an anticipated debut. The main event on the first show will see Yuki Yonaha (7-3-1, 5) take on the JBC ranked Motoki Osanai (4-2, 1) in an interesting 8 rounder. The 29 year old Yonaha is without a win in well over 4 years, but did show plenty of desire and hunger in his most recent bout, a draw with Naota Iwai, and it's clear he is a talent, though we do question his hunger and desire in the sport. Osanai on the other hand turned professional to fanfare, taking part in his pro-test bout on the same day as Hiroto Kyoguchi and Masataka Taniguchi, but was sadly left in their shadows and lost 2 of his first 3. Coming into this he has scored 3 wins and appears to be building some career momentum, and a win here would continue the ball rolling. One of those ones where the abilities of both men are a lot better than their records suggest. The title bout on this card will see Japanese female Minimumweight champion Yumi Narita (4-4-3, 1) defending her title against Mont Blanc Miki (4-3-1, 1), in what will be Narita's first defense of the title. On paper this is another where the records of the two fighters suggests a poor bout, but the styles and mentalities of the two women should actually make for a war. Neither of the two are technically fantastic but both are warriors who let their hands go and we expect this to be a genuine tear up. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Narita takes on Miki in first Japanese title defense As for the debutant that is switch hitter Takahiro Tai (0-0), who fights out of the gym by his father. Tai was a solid amateur on the Japanese amateur scene and is looking to make an impact on his professional debut as he takes on Ryosei Hamaguchi (6-6, 2) in a 6 rounder. We don't think Tai will be fast tracked, but there was a lot to like from his amateur performances and he's very much a fan friendly, stylish fighter with a lot of flare. We see that winning over fans quickly here. Hamaguchi isn't a bum, but he has lost 4 of his last 5, and has scored just 1 win in the last 3 years, so would need something a bit special to test the talented Tai here. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The second part of the card will again feature a title bout, an intriguing 8 rounder and a debut...well a debut of sorts. The title bout here, which is also the main event, will see WBO female Super Flyweight champion Miyo Yoshida (14-1) making her second defense of her title as she takes on Tomoko Okuda (6-2-2, 1). The talented Yoshida will be strongly favoured here, though it is worth noting that this will be her first bout since transferring over to the Misako Gym and the change in her team and set up could end up leaving some questions for her to answer. Okuda has been fortunate at times with some results, but at 37 we really do wonder if she has the tools to hang with a top class fighter like Yoshida. Our full preview of this world title bout can be read here Yoshida takes on Okuda in second WBO world title defense In an excellent 8 round match up we'll see the once beaten Yuga Inoue (10-1-1, 1) take on Daiki Tomita (14-2, 5), in a bout between two top 10 JBC ranked Light Flyweights. The light punching Inoue has scored 3 wins since his 2018 loss to Kai Ishizawa for the Japanese Youth title, and has rebuilt in a hard way, going up against solid fighters and testing the water at Flyweight. He's had a loss, and gone straight back in with tough competition rather than rebuilding his confidence with easy wins. In fairness that's actually what Tomita is looking to do here in his first bout since a 10th round TKO loss to Kenichi Horikawa in July. Although both men are in their early 20's this is strangely a cross roads bout and the winner will find themselves on the verge of a Japanese title fight, whilst the loser will begin a long climb back up the rankings. A genuinely excellent match up. Also on this card is the debut of Ayumu Hanada (4-0, 3), or rather the Japanese debut of Hanada. Or more precisely the JBC debut of Hanada, who began his career in Mexico and fought in an unrecognised bout in Japan in 2019. Despite the weird start to his career Hanada is expected to be a star and he has impressed, bot just in his Mexican bout but also his "unofficial", for lack of a better word, bout in Japan. In the opposite corner to Hanada is the heavy handed Ryuku Nagamine (5-1, 5), who began his career with 5 early wins before losing to Keisuke Iwasaki in the Rookie of the Year last year. Given his power he's a real dangerman for Hanada and, if we're being honest, this could end up being the bout of the day. Both men are explosive punchers and both will be looking to make a statement. If you're going to watch this one, don't blink! Quzhou, China As well as the action in Japan we also get a small Chinese card from Quzhou. Sadly this is a very low level card. The most interestingly match up on the show will see 20 year old hopeful Yeerjialahasi Laayibieke (4-2, 3) take on the once beaten Jiaming Li (4-1, 2). Whilst this isn't expected to be a great fight we do love the fact it looks like a pretty 50-50 match up. Notably Laayibieke has won his last 4, with his last 3 coming by T/KO, but he's not the only one with momentum, and Li has also won his last 4. A genuinely interestingly match up. The only other 8 rounder on this card will see Jiajia Li (6-2, 2) battle Ayati Sailike (10-8-3-1, 4) in a decent looking match up. We don't think this will be as good as the other one, but it is a lot more even than it looks on paper. The 32 year old Li was beaten last year, and since then has picked up two very low key wins. Sailike on the other hand is unbeaten in more than 2 years and looks like he's coming into his prime. This could end up being a lot better than it appears on paper. Note - Hanada's Japanese debut was a WBF title bout in Osaka in June 2019. The bout isn't recognised by the JBC, his "actual" record is 5-0 (3) The Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Around 7 weeks ago we saw two Japanese fighters pick up wins in Top Rank's "Bubble" at the MGM Grand, with Andy Hiraoka and Naoya Inoue both picking up stoppages on a major Top Rank card. This coming Saturday, exactly 7 weeks after those wins, we see another Japanese fighter in the bubble in what looks like a very, very good match up. This time it's the turn of 31 year old Lightweight Masayoshi Nakatani (18-1, 12) as he takes on touted Puerto Rican Felix Verdejo (27-1, 17). For Nakatani this will be his second bout in the US, following his competitive and close loss in 2019 to Teofimo Lopez, and he'll know that Verdejo is looking at him as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. If Nakatani can replicate the success of Hiraoka and Inoue by picking up a win however, he'll find himself on the verge of a potential rematch with Lopez and world title fight. As for Verdejo it's hard to know which version of "Diamante" will turn up. At his best Verdejo looks sensational, with great speed, power, movement and skills, but at other times he looks unmotivated and scared of being hit. If he's in one of those negative moods this could be a very frustrating fight for viewers. KO Addiction Boxing & Fitness Center, Plant City, Florida, USA
Sadly this coming Friday there isn't much action planned featuring Asian fighters and the only bout we've come across is the planned debut of former Kazakh amateur fighter Darkhan Zhumsakbayev (0-0). Sadly however at the time of writing his opponent hasn't been named. The 28 year old Kazakh was a decent amateur, though was in a tough Kazakh domestic scene and his opportunities were limited, though he did score a very good win in Thailand over Sailom Ardee in 2015 and was certainly a credible amateur, even if he wasn't a standout. His debut is expected to be a 6 rounder, though with no opponent named a week out we're not expecting anyone too testing for Zhumsakbayev. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday fight fans in Tokyo will get the next Diamond Glove show and it's an interesting one, with a Japanese title fight in the main event and two solid prospects in supporting bouts. It's not a massive card, and features just 4 bouts in total, but it is one worthy of attention. The main event of the show will see Japanese Light Welterweight champion Daishi Nagata (15-2-1, 6) make his first defense, as he takes on veteran Akihiro Kondo (32-9-1, 18). The talented Nagata won the title in July when he scored a major upset victory over Koki Inoue, stopping Inoue who then retire from boxing. That was the highlight of a career that had promise a lot but had seen Nagata suffer from some misfortune, including a draw with Takeshi Inoue and a razor thin loss to Rikki Naito. At 30 years old we are hoping to see Nagata kick on, and have a solid reign with this title, and potentially a rematch Naito. Kondo on the other hand is a 35 year old who has shown his age recently. Losses to Downua Ruawaiking and Andy Hiraoka in 2019 have left his career hanging by a thread, and another loss here likely sends him into retirement in 2021. Although we do strongly favour a Nagata here it needs to be said that Kondo is tough, a veteran, knows how to handle himself in the ring and can make for exciting match ups due to his style and toughness. Our in depth preview of this one can be read here Nagata seeks first defense as he goes up against tough guy Kondo In the chief support bout we'll see fast rising prospect Rentaro Kimura (2-0, 2) return for his third bout of the year as he takes on Thunder Teruya (7-7-1, 4) at Korakuen Hall. Kimura, who debuted in an empty Korakuen Hall a few months ago, has looked really impressive, and looks like a man capable of being fast tracked to titles next year. In many ways we had hoped he was going up against a better fighter than Teruya here, but in reality this should be regarded as a showcase for fans who haven't yet seen him. He's a real natural with amazing balance, footwork, timing and every punch in the book. Despite being the very, very, clear under-dog Teruya comes into this bout on the back of 3 straight wins and 5 wins in his last 6. He has got some momentum going for him and is the naturally bigger fighter, but he is going to be in with a sensational fighter. Another prospect on this card is the once beaten Tsubasa Murachi (5-1, 3), who is in a very good looking bout here against Isao Aoyama (12-7-1, 3), in a bout which sees both men entering as Japanese ranked fighters. Of the two men the 23 year old Murachi is the one regarded as the bigger hope and the brighter talent, despite a brutal 2019 TKO loss to Froilan Saludar in a regional title fight. Since his sole loss he has bounced back with a single win, over Ryotaro Kawabata, and looked very good in that bout. The 31 year old Aoyama has had mixed success, going 4-4 in his last 8, but has shown enough to suggest that he should be able to ask questions of Murachi. He'll be a clear under-dog, but will certainly be there to win and will feel he has the experience to deal with Murachi. The other bout on this card will be a female bout between Nanako Suzuki (4-2, 1) and Megumi Hosoda (3-1), in what should be an entertaining 6 round female war between two JBC ranked fighters. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get the next show from Ichiriki Promotions, who put on a show under the A-Sign Bee banner, meaning that we expect A-Sign boxing will make the show available, though we suspect this may be on delay. The main event of the show will see the hard hitting boxing magician Zirolian Riku (11-3, 10) take on Takuya Ota (8-3-1, 6) in an 8 round bout at a contracted 60Kg's, or around 132.3lbs. The heavy handed Riku is build a reputation for himself as a fun, entertaining fighter, in and out of the ring, and he will be favoured here, but Ota is certainly no push over and will be in the ring with an upset in mind. Ota was stopped last time out, over in China, but will come in to this one with the belief of moving towards a Japanese ranking with a win. We expect Riku to be too big and too strong, and we also expect this to be a bit of a shoot out. In a good looking 6 round supporting bout we'll see 23 year old Daiki Imanari (5-2, 3) Super Featherweight hopeful take on Ryukyu Oho (6-4, 3), in a fairly even looking bout. Coming in to this Imanari has lost his last 2, including a TKO loss to Kyonosuke Kameda in the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year, and will be desperate to get back to winning ways. Sadly for Imanari he won't be the only one desperate to get back to winnings ways, with Oho going 1-3 in his last 5, and knowing he needs a good performance here. A real 50/50 match up, and one that will leave the loser looking down the barrel. One other 6 rounder which could be worthy of attention will see 35 year old Hideaki Takagi (3-7-2) battle against 32 year old Kazumasa Morohashi (4-1-1, 2). Coming in to this Takagi will be desperate for a win following losses in his last 6 bouts, and we dare say if he losses again that could be it for his career. Notably however 3 of hose 6 losses have been by split decision and he is better than his record indicates. On paper Morohashi will be strongly favoured, however his record is paper thin and he's not really proven himself to be all though, and struggled against the then 3-5 Kenji Nakamura in 2019. Although this looks a mismatch we wouldn't be surprised by this one being very competitive. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday is set to be a relatively quiet one in Asia but there is still a single card in Tokyo, promoted by former world champion Hideki Todaka. The card isn't a big one, at all, but features a former world title challenger and a couple of competitive looking under-card bouts. The former world title challenger on this card is Japanese veteran Shin Ono (24-10-3, 6), who has twice challenged for world titles. The 37 year old Ono, who turns 38 in a few weeks time, will be up against the much, much younger Kento Yabusaki (7-4-1, 5), who's only 23. Entering the bout Ono will be regarded as the favourite, and he has experienced at the highest level, but has began to look his age didn't look good in either of his 2019 bouts. A win for Yabusaki would put him on the map, and see him bounce back from successive defeats, but it would take a career best performance for him to take home the victory here. Win or lose we don't imagine Ono will stick around much longer in the sport, though his career is certainly one worthy of more attention than it typically gets. In a fairly interesting looking Lightweight bout we'll see Yuji Awata (12-7-1, 5) take on Toru Kiyota (9-4, 7). Neither of these men are world beaters but together they should make for an interesting match up. Awata is the more experienced man, and the more proven fighter, though we dare say Kiyota should be the favourite here. Kiyota is the bigger puncher of the two men, and despite losing his last 2 he has been unlucky in his biggest bouts. For fans at Korakuen Hall this could be a very competitive and interesting match up. Talking about competitive and interesting we're really intrigued in a bout between Keisuke Ota (10-12, 3) and Shota Suito (11-11-1, 1). On paper neither of these men have much to rave about. Both have double digit losses, neither has much power and both are the wrong side of 30. Despite that, both will be in the ring looking to pick up a rare victory, and both have plenty of experience to rely on. With bouts like there, where both men feel they can pick up a win, we tend to get really fun and exciting bouts, and we expect that to be seen here. Yes this is a low key, easy to over look 6 rounder, but it could, very easily, be the show stealer with both men putting it all on the line to take home a victory. Rizal Laguna, Laguna, Philippines
This coming Sunday we see action back in the Philippines as Quibors Boxing stable put on a show in Rizal Laguna. This isn't a particularly big card but does feature a number of noteworthy fighters, including a former world title challenger and a promising young prospects. The former world title challenger is 21 year old ArAr Andales (11-2, 3), who gave WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart fits in 2019, before losing a technical decision. Sadly his bout after that saw him being stopped by Joel Lino and he's now looking for his second successive win as he takes on Zandy Padiran (3-2-1, 1). If we're being honest this is very much an easy looking bout for Andales, who will be looking to shake some ring rust and tick over before bigger bouts in the new. As for Padiran he's 1-2 in his last 3 and will be expected to come up short again here against his most notable opponent to date. Another 21 year old on this card is unbeaten prospect Jerome Baloro (5-0, 3) who looks to continue his perfect as he goes up against Mark Jequinto (4-5-1). Baloro is certainly not a big name, but the young Light Flyweight scored a very good win last time out, stopping Vincent Bautista in a round, and will be looking to build on that. On paper Baloro will be strongly favoured, however Jequinto has taken the "0" of 3 fighters already in his career, and although he's the under-dog he is very much an upset minded fighter. It's fair to say that this coming Saturday is set to be an busy day, despite not being one lined up with super-fights. Instead we get some evenly matched bouts and some prospects in action.
Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand For us the most interesting show this coming Saturday is the latest in the WP Boxing series thanks to NKL and Workpoint, who will be streaming the bout on their Facebook and Youtube channels. The card is a rare double header on Thai TV and in fairness both of the main bouts are very solid ones. One of those main bouts will see the unbeaten Apichet Petchmanee (7-0, 2) defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Lightweight title against Musheg Adoian (7-2, 7) in the second bout between the two men. These two fought back in October with Apichet taking a controversial 8 round decision over Adoian, who scored 2 knockdowns and seemed to do enough to take at least a draw. The controversial nature of their first bout lead to calls for a rematch and now, just 2 months later, we see them go again. We can't help but think that Thai based Russian Adoian will be looking to make a point here following the controversial first bout, and Apichet will need to be at his very best to avoid defeat this time around. The other main bout will see highly touted prospect Thai prospect Phongsaphon Panyakum (10-1, 5) take on former WBC Light Flyweight champion Kompayak Porpramook (60-10, 41), with Phongsaphon looking to defend the WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Flyweight title. The 20 year old Panyakum has been really impressive since losing on debut to Kai Ishizawa, and has gone from a scrawny, under-developed teenage, into a promising, tough and aggressive 20 year old with real raw potential, though potential that certainly needs ironing out. Kompayak on the other hand is a 38 year old who is very much one the back end of his career, but is still a hungry and aggressive fighter who has been testing prospects regularly in recent years, and he could have the style, toughness and energy to be a real handful for the youngster here. Interestingly Kompayak did only get this bout on a few weeks notice, replacing former world title challenger Sarawut Thawornkham, who had to pull out of the bout and then retire, due to health issues. Also on this card will be 23 year old hopeful Chainoi Worawut (12-0-1, 11), who is already in the WBC world rankings and is tipped for big things. Chainoi, also known as Thattana Luangphon, will be up against Anurak Madua (7-5, 5), in what should be little more than an early blow out win for the unbeaten youngster. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the action in Thailand we also have some televised action in Japan thanks to Yokohama Hikari and G+ with the latest in the Dynamic Glove series of shows. Compared to many Dynamic Glove cards this is a smaller show, but the two main bouts are certainly worthy of attention. The chief support bout will see former Japanese Welterweight champion Yuki Nagano (17-3, 13) take on the somewhat limited Masafumi Ando (6-10-2, 3) in an 8 rounder. For Nagano this will be his first bout since losing the Japanese title to Keita Obara back in February, so we do under-stand him having an easier bout, especially when his last 5 have included Riku Nagahama, Yuki Beppu, Ryota Yada and the aforementioned Obara. Whilst Ando is no world beater, and his record makes it fairly clear he's pretty limited, he is only a few fights removed from a big upset win over Toshio Arikawa and if he's in the mood he could be a potential banana skin here. Yes, Nagano is the clear favourite, but this isn't the gimme the records may suggest, especially not after Nagano took a beating to Obara. In the main event the very promising Mikito Nakano (4-0, 4) will be looking for win #5 as he takes on his first Japanese opponent, Ruito Saeki (7-3-1, 1). The very talented Nakano has looked like a potential star in the making since turning professional in October 2018, and he has been matched hard recently with two good wins against solid Filipino visitors. A win here and we suspect Teiken will begin looking at title fighters for the 25 year old Featherweight hopeful. Saeki on the other hand is a 22 year old in need of a big performance. Entering this bout Saeki has failed to win any of his last 3, but has been matched hard, facing the likes of Takenori Ohashi, Shingo Kawamura and Ken Osato. On paper this should be the best test so far for Nakano, but one we expect him to pass on route to bigger and better things. RCC Boxing Academy, Ekaterinburg, Russia After the two cards in Asia we get another card that will be streamed on the RCC YouTube channel for those interested and will feature several notable and interesting Asian fighters. The most notable of the Asian fighters on this card will be 29 year old Uzbek Welterweight Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (8-1, 5), who won an Olympic gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Sadly since turning professional Gaibnazarov has failed to light up the pros, and had struggled before losing to Mykal Fox in May 2019. This will be his second bout since then and he'll face off with Russian based Armenian Manuk Dilanyan (11-4-1, 4), who should have real size advantage over Gaibnazarov, but we suspect the skills and amateur pedigree of the Uzbek should be enough to see him to a victory here. Another notable Asian on this show will be unbeaten Kazakh Middleweight Meiirim Nursultanov (13-0, 8), who looks to be fighting in tune up bout after a year away from the ring. The talented Nursultanov will be up against Ilya Balandin (4-3-1, 2), and it's hard to see anything but an easy win for Nursultanov, who we suspect will be looking to shake some ring rust and move on to bigger things in 2021. Another Asian on this show will be Turat Osmonov (4-0, 3), from Kyrgyzstan, who will be seeking his third win of 2020 as he takes on Zafar Parpiev (8-2, 1). This is a very clear step up in class for Osmonov who has been treat with kid gloves so far, so it'll be interesting to see if he can develiver against someone coming to win. The 32 year old Parpiev tasted a loss last time out and will be looking to avoid successive defeats here. On paper not a great bout, but a fairly interesting one and one that could end up being pretty competitive, more than we can say for some bouts on this show. Also on this card will be Uzbek opponent Sardor Muzaffarov (4-3, 2), who clashes with former world title challenger Evgeny Chuprakov (22-3, 12). On paper this should be an easy win for Chuprakov, who has struggled mightily since losing to Masayuki Ito at the end of 2018, however this might not be the gimme it first appears. Muzaffarov has been unlucky in all 3 losses, that could easily have swung his way and is likely to be a nightmare for Chuprakov, if he's got any doubt at all in his mind. Yes the Russian former world title challenger should be the favourite, but this should be regarded as a genuine test given his inconsistent recent form Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day in a row we get action from Korakuen Hall as Ichiriki put on a small card under the A-Sign Boxing Banner. This really is a small card, but as we see all the time even small Japanese cards can deliver some real fun and there is the potentially for some intriguing action here. The main event here will see the "stop or be stopped" Kazuaki Miyamoto (6-5, 5) take on the under-rated Tasuku Suwa (6-4-1, 1) in what could be a brilliant, and easy to over-look, 8 rounder. In his 11 bouts to date Miyamoto has heard the final bell once, and that was in September 2017, since then he has had 6 bouts and none have gone the distance with only 2 lasting longer than 2 rounds. Thankfully for Miyamoto's chin Suwa isn't a puncher, but he is much better than his record suggests and he ran the inform Kanehiro Nakagawa razor close in 2018. Don't look at the records and ignore this one, is really could a very good bout. Talking about good bouts we also have a 6 round Middleweight clash between Kazuki Kyohara (4-0-2, 3) and Yuta Ashina (5-2) which could end up being something very tasty. Kyohara fought to a draw in the 2018 All Japan Rookie of the Year with Nath Nwachukwu, and showed he was tough, aggressive and energetic in that bout. He might not be a big name but he's certainly a capable fighter. Ashina on the other hand lost in the final of the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, but his route to the final was all action, and he's one of the most fan friendly, aggressive fighters out there. We genuinely expect this to be an all out war and one of the hidden gems of the month. InterContinental Miami, Miami, Florida, USA Unbeaten US based Azeri fighter Elvin Gambarov (9-0, 8) is looking to have a quick turn around as he looks to return to the ring just weeks after his most recent bout. Gambarov took a quick win in Colombia against Segundo Herrera on November 20th and will be looking to squeeze in his third bout within a month as he takes on Geronimo Nahuel Sacco (8-1-1, 1). Although talented it's hard to say much about Gambarov as his competition has been very poor so far. Sacco on the other hand is an Argentinian who began his career 8-0 but has come up short in his last 2 bouts, losing one and drawing the other. On paper this looks a good match up but we can't help think this is an easy 10th win for Gambarov who will need bigger and tougher tests soon. |
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