San Andres Civic & Sports Center, District of Malate, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
This coming Friday in the Philippines we get a small but interesting card, featuring a few unbeaten hopefuls taking their next step towards bigger and better things. The main event of the card is set to be a 10 rounder as Albert Francisco (11-0, 7) takes on once beaten puncher Dennis Endar (6-1-1, 5) in a Flyweight bout. The 24 year old Francisco stepped up in February, when he beat Mark Antonio over 10 rounds, and it seems like he could be one to watch for the future, with good boxing and good power, though it is still very early in his career and there is a long way for him to go. Endar on the other hand is a 23 year old who has bounced back well from an 8 round decision loss to Angilou Dalogdog, and stopped his last 2 foes, including the then unbeaten Antonio Uy who was dropped repeatedly in November. For Francisco this should be a real chin check, and it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that he’ll win here. Another unbeaten fighter on this show taking on a nasty puncher is Helario Genanda (5-0, 3) who faces off with James Pacamalan (6-1, 5), in a battle between two 21 year old hopefuls. Genanda made his debut last year, and after 2 quick qins has stepped up his quality of opposition, and was forced to work really hard to overcome Carlo Diaz VII back in November. Pacamalan on the other hand is touted for his power, earning him the nickname "Thunder". He was beaten last May, by Lorenz Dumam-ag, but has gone 3-0 (3) since then, taking 2 unbeaten records along the way. As with the other bout, we expect to see a very hotly contested bout, with the unbeaten man being given a genuine chin check along the way.
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Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get a really interesting card from Korakuen Hall, with two Japanese title fights on it, as well as an excellent supporting bout between two promising Japanese fighters, each looking to take a huge step forward in their careers. The main event of the card will see Japanese Light Welterweight champion Homura Fujita (12-1, 10) defending his title against Kuntae Lee (6-0-1, 2). The hard hitting Fujita will be looking for his third defense here, and will be looking to make his power and aggression count. Early in his career Fujita was crude and sloppy, but over time he has really tightened up his boxing, improved immeasurably and is now a really solid boxer-puncher, who has stopped his last 4 foes, including Kaiki Yuba and Shoma Sekine. Lee on the other hand was an exceptional amateur, who is a great mover, very technical and accurate, with wonderful crispness to his shots, but he lacks power. This will be a real puncher Vs skillster bout, and the match up of styles will be really intriguing here. The other title fight will see Japanese Lightweight champion Shuma Nakazato (14-2-3, 8) look for his second defense, as he takes on former OPBF Super Featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro (14-1-1, 4) in what could end up being a very, very good fight. The 27 year old champion has rebuilt really well since a 2021 loss to Shuichiro Yoshino, winning his last 4, including a brilliant KO win over Shu Utsuki to win the title a year ago. In the ring Nakazato has changed his style, matured and is now a very dangerous fighter, who possesses spiteful power, a real will to win, and good boxing skills. Although never going to be an elite level world class fighter, he is a very good domestic-come-regional level fighter who could mix at this level to the end of his career. As for Mishiro, he’s a really talented boxer-mover, with great footwork, lovely hand speed and a really good boxing brain, but he lacks power, and struggled to get respect at 130lbs, never mind 135lbs. He has reeled off two wins since his sole defeat, a technical decision in South Korea to Min Ho Jung, and is a very, very credible challenger in what should be a great technical match up. On the under-card we’ll see the unbeaten Jinya Yamaguchi (4-0, 2) take on the heavy handed Ryuku Nagamine (8-2, 6), in what is a clash between two Japanese domestic ranked fighters. Aged 24 Yamaguchi has been impressive since beginning his career, winning the Japanese Youth title in his third bout, taking a narrow win over former amateur standout Ryutaro Nakagaki, He's skilled, has solid power, a lot of potential, but does still need some seasoning and rounds before moving into fights for a the traditional Japanese title. Nagamine is a 26 year old who has bounced back well from losses to Keisuke Iwasaki and Ayumu Hanada, by scoring wins over Mammoth Kazunori and Ryuto Oho, but he will be the under-dog here, in what is his first bout in Tokyo. We suspect this will serve as a chin check for Yamaguchi, but if he gets past this expect him to begin actively moving through the rankings, to secure a Japanese or regional title fight in 2025 or 2026. If Nagamine wins, he’s likely to end up fighting back on the smaller local scene in Japan, and sadly for him, we don’t think he has the backing needed to move towards a title fight of his own any time soon. Bukidnon, Philippines
This coming Monday we get a small but notable show in Bukidnon. The card is certainly not going to get much attention, but there is a nice mix of youth and veterans on the show. In regards to veterans we’ll see 32 year old Mark Anthony Geraldo (38-13-3, 19) take on 34 year old Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-23-3, 12). Of the two men Geraldo is the much more well known fighter, having faced a genuine who’s who in and around the Bantamweight scene, the likes of Jerwin Ancajas, McJoe Arroyo, Takuma Inoue and Nordine Oubaali, but he’s also a man who is looking like his 54 fight career is catching up with him losing his last 4 and leaving him without a win since 2019! Ponteras on the other hand hasn’t fought at the same level as Geraldo, and comes into this on the back of 9 straight losses, but does have the edge in power and toughness, and despite having 23 losses to his name has only been stopped 3 times. It’s fair to say this is a bout between two veterans on the way out, but both will see this as a chance to take a late career victory. In regards to younger fighters Hong Kong fighter Raymond Poon KaiChing (9-2, 6) is set to take on local Filipino Jerry Francisco (9-2, 2), in a really well matched bout for the WBC Asian Continental Light Flyweight title. KaiChing is 28 years old, and has bounced back well since losing to Xiang Li in 2019, winning his last two bouts, both by stoppage. Francisco on the other hand lost last time out, when he was stopped by Arvin Magramo, and hasn't fought in well over 2 years. On paper this is a really good bout, but we do wonder about the ring rust that Francisco will have from such a lengthy lay off. Another fighter on this card worthy of some attention is the unbeaten Wenie Cline Verano (11-0, 8), a 30 year old female fighter who has looked destructive so far. She’ll be expecting to continue her unbeaten record here as she takes on Indian teenager Kamaljeet Kaur (2-1, 1). This should be little more than a stay busy fight for Verano who should be facing tougher opponents sooner rather than later. This coming Sunday is a busy day in Japan, with 4 shows in the country, along with a minor show in South Korea.
Art Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan On paper the best of the shows takes place in Kobe, where we see a mouth watering domestic match up, and a highly ranked domestic contender, keeping busy with a title fight potentially waiting for him. The highly ranked fighter is JBC #3 ranked Flyweight Tetsuya Mimura (11-4, 2), who looks to tick over as he takes over the very limited Takefumi Higashi (6-14, 1) in an 8 rounder. The talented, but light punching Mimura has suffered losses, but a lot of them have been really close, including defeats to Riku Kano and Yuga Inoue, and he comes into this on the back of successive wins. As for Higashi, he has lost his last 4, and 8 of his last 9. Mimura really shouldn’t struggle here, but should get some worthwhile rounds against a limited but game foe. On paper a much better bout on this card will see the light punching Yoshiaki Sakamoto (7-2-1) take on the unbeaten Kaisei Matsumoto (7-0, 5). Coming into this Matsumoto is ranked #6 by the JBC at Bantamweight, and despite only being 22 he is showing a lot of potential, and maturing into his body and building his punching power, as was seen in December when he stopped Azusa Takeda. Sakamoto suffered his first stoppage loss a year ago, when Tulio Dekanarudo stopped him in 5 rounds, but he has bounced back from that loss and recently gave Kirei Yasumura his first loss. Sakamoto is the naturally bigger man, and should serve as a tough, durable foe for Matsumoto, who has the potential to really be a major name on the Japanese scene in the future. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan Another small, yet potentially very exciting card, takes place in Aichi and will be streamed live on Youtube thanks to Sakana and their Youtube channel. On paper the most well matched bout will see Kenta Sugawara (5-2-2, 3) take on Yuto Oki (5-2, 2) in what we suspect will be a very, very hotly contested bout between two men trying to move their careers on. The 32 year old Sugawara comes into this on the back of a 4 fight unbeaten run, whilst Oki will be fighting for the first time since November 2022. Despite the lengthy lay off, Oki does have time on his side, and is only 25 now. This should, really, be a very fun bout. Another potentially fun fight will see Kenta Kamimura (5-2-1, 3) take on Chinese puncher Abulimiti Tuersunniyazi (9-3-1, 7). On paper this one looks good, and could be good, if Kamimura can take a shot from his foe, however he has been stopped in both of his losses, and Tuersunniyazi’s record suggests that he can certainly punch, having stopped his last 4 opponents. Whilst Tuersunniyazi has the edge in power, on paper, it should be noted that his wins have come at a very, very low level, and this is something of a step up for him. The main event of this show will see the 35 year old veteran Beverly Tsukada (4-5-2, 2) take on Keigo Nakayama (4-2-1, 3), in what will be Tsukada's second bout since the start of 2021. Tsukada is a talented southpaw, and is better than his record suggests, but at 35 years old and with just 4 rounds since 2021 it's hard to know how much ambition he still has left. As for Nakayama he's unbeaten in his last 4, and will be looking to build on the momentum he's started to generate since a 2017 loss to Toma Kondo. L-Theatre, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Over in Oaka we get a show promoted by Nobuhiro Ishida, the card isn’t a big one, but does feature a notable hopeful as Japan’s Takafumi Shibata (6-2, 4) takes on Thai visitor Nattawut Maneewong (6-1, 4). Shibata turned professional following a strong amateur career, and was expected to be a notable player on the domestic scene. He's not yet managed to reach the heights expected of him, but his two losses so far have certainly not been terrible ones, losing to the sensational Mikyo Watarai and to former OPBF champion Riku Nagahama. He’s still viewed as a potential domestic and regional contender and will be looking to show that potential here. On paper Maneewong has a good record, but when you look at what's beneath the numbers it's thinner than paper, with all of his wins come against fighters without a win, and his loss coming the one time he's fought outside of the Singmanassak Muaythai School he was stopped, in 4 rounds by Japan's Ryuji Ikeda. This should be a good confidence builder for Shibata. L-Theatre, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Before the Ishida promoted show at the L-Theatre we’ll get West Japan Rookie of the Year show at the same venue, the card This card is set to feature 6 bouts in total, with many of them being Rookie of the Year bouts, all of which are 4 rounders, and none of which feature anyone of any fighters of any real note. Of course winners of Rookie of the Year do become well known, but until the competition is over it's hard to say much about any of the novices that compete in the annual tournament. Buffalo Boxiing Gym Taejeon, Gwangju, South Korea For a second day running we get a low level Korean card, with this one being promoted by former world champion Myung Woo Yuh. The most notable bout on the show isn’t a good one, but it does show the low level of action on the card, as Do Il Yoo (3-4) takes on Yong Hee Lee (2-5, 1). Coming in to this the two men seem to be heading in different directions with their careers, with Lee losing 5 of his last 6, whilst Yoo has won his last two, after going 1-4 in his previous 5, and with such momentum coming into this bout, it would be a surprise to see change that, especially give Lee is now 37, and on the back end of his career anyway. There is action across Asia this coming Saturday, though the two most noteworthy shows for the day both take place in Japan, and both feature title bouts.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The more notable of the two shows comes from Tokyo, where we get two title bouts, and the next bout in the career of an exciting and hard hitting young Japanese prospect. The main event will see Japanese Flyweight champion Jukiya Iimura (5-1, 1) make his second defense, as he takes on mandatory challenger Yuga Inoue (15-3-1, 3), in what is almost certainly going to be a high speed technical chess match. Iimura is a brilliant technical boxer, but he has shown some durability issues, as seen in his 2022 loss to Esneth Domingo, and if he gets tagged he could be in trouble. Matched against a fellow light puncher, such as Inoue, he won't need to worry much about his chin. Saying that however Inoue is known to drag fights into wars, and although he lacks power he doesn't mind fights being up close, as he loves to set a high tempo up close. If Inoue can cut the ring off he could be a really tough test for Iimura, however that’s a big if. The chief support bout here will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight champion Kenta Nakagawa (24-4-1, 12) defending his title against Tetsuro Ohashi (11-3-1, 2), who has stated that he is dedicating the bout to the recently deceased Kazuki Anaguchi who he described as his best friend. The 38 year old Nakagawa will be looking for his second defense of the title, and whilst no world beater he is a solid, and experienced all rounder, who has good skills, decent pop and good speed. He is however a man who has, in recent fights, started to look his age a little and father time will catch up with him shortly. As for Ohashi he is a skilled fighter, but he lacks pop and will struggle to get Nakagawa's respect here. Despite that he has a good work rate and good speed, and could be looking to rely on his youth against the much, much, older champion. The other bout of note on this card will see hard hitting youngster Kakeru Mashimo (7-0, 6), regarded by some as a future long term fixture of the Dynamic Glove series, taking on Indian visitor Dharmender (10-3, 6). Mashimo is aggressive, heavy handed, really exciting and one to keep an eye on with his aggressive mentality and style. Sadly Dharmender isn’t likely to ask any real questions of Mashimo, especially when you consider the only previous time he has fought outside of India, Dharmender was stopped in 6 rounds by Sathaporn Saart. Dhamender has fought at Featherweight, and might show some resistance, but it would be a huge surprise to see him last the 8 round distance here. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The other Japanese card is in Osaka and sees veterans colliding in the main event, a potentially explosive support bout, and a notable prospect in action. The main event of the card will see 46 year old Japanese veteran Yuki Nonaka (37-12-3, 11) take on 50 year old Australian Sam Soliman (49-18-1-2, 19) in a bout for the vacant OPBF Super Middleweight title. Soliman is a late replacement, after Rohan Murdock had to pull out, and on paper added a bit of extra star power for the bout, though Soliman is much faded from the man who once held the IBF Middleweight title. Nonaka has rebuilt well following back to back losses to Hiroya Nojima and Tyson Koki, and has won his last 2 bouts whilst settling at Super Middleweight, but given his lack of power, and his age, he will find it very, very hard to progress beyond the regional scene. As for Soliman, the wild and unorthodox Aussie has always kept himself in great shape, and will see this as a great chance to end his career with another title around his waist. At a combined age of 96 it’s hard to know what either man will do after this bout, but from a stylistic view, this should be really interesting, with Nonaka being a crisp, clean puncher, who sets himself and throws lovely technical shots, and Soliman really having a wild, crazy style, that lacks in terms of technical foundations and makes for some messy and wild fights. In a major supporting bout we’ll see Kyonosuke Kameda (11-3-2, 8) take on Ryukyu Oho (9-6-1, 5) in what should be a very fun, and potentially explosive clash. Kameda is always fun to watch, and win or lose he does make for good fights with his technical limitations masked by his size and power. Oho is better than his record suggests sadly for him however he has gone 2-2-1 in his last 5, and only has a single TKO win since 2021. If Oho can't make Kameda respect him, he could be in for a painful night here. A third bout worthy of attention here will see 19 year old Japanese prospect Shuri Oka (2-0, 1) look for his third win, as he takes on 17 year old Thai visitor Chanathip Khotchai (3-2, 2) in a scheduled 8 rounder. Despite only being 19 Suri is certainly one to keep an eye on, though we do hope he isn’t rushed too much as there is still a lot of work to do with him and given his age, and the fact he’s still maturing, there really is no need to race him into domestic or regional title fights. As for the visitor he has lost his last two, and actually had his unbeaten record ended last time he fought in Japan, when he was stopped in 2 rounds by Tomonori Nagao. Batangas City Coliseum, Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines Over in the Philippines we’re set for some low profile cards, one of which is in Batangas. The show really is a low profile one, and the best looking matchup set for the show will see the once beaten Leboy Atencio (3-1) take on Reynald Condes (3-3-1, 1). On paper this doesn’t look like a great bout, and with neither man having much power, it’s fair to suggest this may not end up being particularly exciting, or dramatic. Toledo City, Cebu, Philippines A second low level Filipino card is set for Toledo City. The only bout on the boxrec schedule at the time of writing is a matchup between the once beaten Jusue Bastillada (6-1, 3) and glass cannon Jayar Aliasot (6-6, 5). On paper this doesn’t look great, but it looks even worse when you realise that Aliasot has lost his last 5, with 4 of those losses being by TKO. Interestingly Bastillada’s sole loss was by stoppage, and given that Aliasot has power he could spring the upset here, but he will clearly be the under-dog. Hannam Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea Staying with low level cards, we’re also expecting one in Seoul, in what is very much a novice show. Almost all the bouts feature a debutant, with the only exception to that being a clash between Sang Myung Lee (1-0) and Dae Yub Jang (2-0, 2), who face off a Super Featherweight. Lee is 23 and debuted in January, with a 4 round win, whilst Jang is 24 and made his debut just over a year ago, with both of his wins so far being TKO3. against win-less fighters. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday we get an interesting card at Korakuen Hall promoted by Hideki Todaka, who has regularly put together really good bouts at a low level. The main event here will be a really interesting Flyweight bout, as Josuke Nagata (5-2) takes on Ryuto Oho (16-6-2, 7) in an excellent looking 8 rounder. Nagata is a former Japanese Flyweight champion, having won the title in april 2023, but his reign was short, lasting just 3 months, and he has lost his last 2. Although talented, Nagata lacks power and struggles to get respect from opponents who will feel comfortable taking his shots. Oho on the other hand has never reached the highs of Nagata, but is coming into this with some form, having won 4 of his last 5 bouts. Oho has mixed at a good level, fighting Masamichi Yabuki in 2019, but he does lack a signature win, and will see this as a chance to change that. A really interesting match up, and good domestic level main event on a card like this. The chief support bout for this card will be a 6 rounder, and will see the aggressive Shido Arai (5-4-1, 3) take on talented teenager Shiryu Kamata (1-1), who’s a counter puncher. Stylewise this could be the best bout of the show, with styles that should gel well and make for some really interesting back and forth action. Arai Arai has failed to win his last 3 bouts, having won the previous 5, and unfortunately for him lacks the power to go with his aggressive output, output that could struggle over 6 rounds. As for Kamata he lost on debut, last August, but bounced back with a wide decision win in December, and that win should give him the confidence needed to pick up another victory here. In one of the supporting bouts we’ll see Norris Yano (6-4-1) clash with Ryota Shibuya (7-2-2, 1) in a scheduled 8 rounder, that seems almost certain to go the distance given that neither man has much power. Another scheduled 8 rounder will see veterans collide as Isao Aoyama (13-12-1, 4) takes on Taisei Higashi (10-12-1, 6). Both of these bouts are perhaps not the best looking on paper but, as mentioned, Hideki Todaka shows tend to put on great low level bouts, with styles that gel and fights that give really good value, and we suspect that will be the case in both of these bouts, which provide a lot more excitement than fans suspect when the see the match ups.This is part of what Hideki Todaka promoted shows so great to watch, and so much fun. Opal Paint Stadium, Bang Pakong, Thailand
The main bout of the day takes place in Thailand and will see the once beaten Pakistani fighter Moin Khan (6-1-1-1, 4) take on limited Thai fighter Pornchai Srithong (11-10, 5) in a bout for the WBC Asian Silver Featherweight title. Coming in to this Khan has gone unbeaten in his last 5 bouts, and whilst they have come at a lower level they have seen him fighting in Azerbaijan, Thailand and Pakistan, and although he’s clearly no world beater he will have plenty of confidence thanks to his current run of results. As for Srithong he has had some mixed results, but has won his last 5 fights, and like Khan has some confidence coming into this bout. Notably the Thai local has actually gone 11-3 in his last 14 bouts, and whilst it would be easy to say this is a mismatch he is in good form, and this could genuinely end up being a very hotly contested, albeit low level, match up Maharaja Ranjit Singh Public Senior Secondary School, Tarn Taran Sahib, India We also have a small show in India, as the Indian boxing scene continues to slowly grow into something, as the country looks to reveal some genuine boxing talent. One of the main bouts on this card is an 8 rounder as the once beaten Harpreet Singh (8-1, 4) faces off with Karanveer Sharma (6-3, 2). On paper this looks like it could be competitive, but it’s really hard to see anything but a win for Singh, who has competed at a higher level and showed some ability and toughness in his sole loss, a TKO5 defeat to unbeaten Russian Varazdat Mkrtchyan. Sharma on the other hand has lost his last 3, and been stopped in 2 of those bouts. In fact Sharma has never beaten anyone with more than a single win to their name, and a win here would easily be the biggest win of his career. Another 8 rounder is set to feature the hard hitting Sehran Sandhu (8-0, 8), though his opponent has yet to be confirmed and given he was also penciled in to fight on March 31st he may end up being removed from this show, set to take place just a few days later. Sandhu isn't likely to be a world beater, but it's good that he's staying active, and if the Indian scene is going to become something, it will take fighters like Sandhu, running up unbeaten records and knocking out domestic foes, to get behind One other bout of note on this card is a clash between Naveen Verma (4-6, 4) and Jaskaran Singh (4-1-1). On paper this is a weird one, and one that’s hard to call, despite the very different records of the two men. Verma is the more well known man, having fought Mitsuro Brandon Tajima in Japan, and is the naturally bigger fighter, and we mean a lot bigger naturally than Singh. Despite that he has lost his last 5, and been stopped in 4 of those 5 losses, with all the stoppages coming in the first round. Singh is in much better form, but he fought at Lightweight just 3 fights ago, and will now be competing at Cruiserweight, in what is a crazy increase in weight. The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, USA Over in the US 39 year old US based Uzbekistani fighter Ravshan Hudaynazarov (19-5, 14) will be looking to return to the ring with a win, after more than 2 years out of action, as he takes on the unbeaten Jordan Panthen (7-0, 6). Hudaynazarov has shown some promise in the past but he has gone 2-5 in his last 7, dating back to 2018, and prior to that bad form he has been out of the ring for 4 years, making him 2-5 in the last 10 years! His career promised a fair bit but really has been wasted potential. As for Panthen he has looked dangerous, promising, heavy handed and even at this early stage of his career is one to keep an eye on. Aged 27 he will need to begin stepping up soon, but a win over Cameron Krael in just his 6th bout showed there was something there, and his team have got a promising fighter on their hands. 36ers Arena, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
This coming Wednesday attention will turn to Australia for an interesting card featuring former world champion Jamel Herring and the debut of Alex Leapai Jr, the son of former world Heavyweight title challenger Alex Leapai. Whilst the card is certainly an interesting one, the interest for us is one of the supporting bouts, which will see Korean fighter In Duck Seo (15-3-2, 8) take on fun to watch Aussie fighter Jack Brubaker (17-5-2, 8) in a scheduled 8 rounder. A few years ago Seo looked like one of the top prospects in South Korea, and he was 12-1-2 in the summer of 2019. Sadly for him he has since gone 2-3 and has only fought once since the start of 2022, losing any momentum his career once had. Despite that he'll know a win here could give his career a big boost, and we expected to see that last time he was in Australia as he scored a major upset of Tysinn Best, but sadly suffered back to back losses straight after that loss. As for Brubaker, he is a former OPBF champion at 147lbs who defended the belt 3 times, but in recent years his career has really hit the brakes, losing 3 of his last 4, including stoppage losses to both Tim and Nikita Tszyu. Given his recent results it’s hard to know what the 32 year old Brubaker has left in the tank, but at his prime he’d have been strongly favoured against Seo. This version of Brubaker however is a real toss up, and given the styles of the men involved, this could be a genuine show stealer. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main event of the card will see Fumiya Fuse (13-3, 2) and Taichi Sugimoto (10-1-3, 1) battle for the vacant Japanese Bantamweight title. Both men are talented, but light punching, with just 3 stoppages between their 23 wins, and should make for a really intriguing match up, with both being very overlooked. Fuse is the more well known of the two, Since turning professional in 2017 he has won Rookie of the Year and the Japanese Youth Bantamweight title, and is known internationally for his 2022 clash with Sam Goodman, officially scoring a knockdown against Goodman in round 3 of their clash. Sugimoto also turned professional in 2017, but hasn't really made the impact of Fuse, with his most notable bouts being a draw with Tom Mizokoshi and a draw against Daichi Hirai. This should be very much a high speed chess match early on, but we expect this will break down into something of a grueling war later on. For those curious, the Japanese Bantamweight title became vacant when Seiya Tsutsumi vacated the belt, following his tragic December win over Kazuki Anaguchi. In the chief support bout we’ll see former amateut standout Madoka Wada (0-0) begin her professional career, and do so in an A Class bout, reportedly becoming the first Japanese female fighter to do so. Wadsa, one of the best Japanese amateur female fighters ever, will be up against Thai visitor Pimchanok Thepjanda (8-4, 5), in what looks like a decent debut match up. The 20 year old Thepjanda has been a professional since August 2022, and has been busy, but also suffered losses in her most notable bouts, including a TKO loss to Sumire Yamanaka in 2023 and a loss last time out to Gabriela Timar in Switzerland. Wada should win this without any issues, but it will be interesting to see if she can take out Thepjanda quicker than Yamanaka did, and whether her team will be happy to fast track her, which given her pedigree they really should do. Wada isn't the only notable novice on this card facing a Thai visitor, as Kosei Nogami (1-0, 1) takes on Sakda Langkabam (8-2, 6). The talented Nogami went 49-18 in the unpaid ranks and looked destructive in his debut, last July. In just his second bout he is already fighting in 8 rounders and we suspect he'll be in the domestic title picture within 2 years. As for the visitor he has been stopped in both of his losses, and we wouldn't be surprised at all if he fails to see the final bell here. In another 8 round bout, this time at Flyweight, Kanta Yamauchi (9-3-1, 6) will face off with Kenshi Noda (3-3, 2). Yamauchi comes into this on the back of 6 straight wins, and has rebuilt brilliantly since a 2021 loss to Kanamu Sakama, though many of those wins have come against lesser fighters and this is a credible step up in class. Noda, although his record suggests a limited fighter, is a genuine talent and might well be the best 3-3 fighter in the sport, with losses to Toshiki Kawamitsu and Yuga Ozaki marking his record. We expect this one to be a hotly contested fight, though do suspect Yamauachi being the naturally bigger man, will be favoured here in what could be something of a gem on this card. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday isn’t a hugely busy day in boxing, but there is some action to look forward to coming from Korakuen Hall, with a 6 fight show from Kawasaki Nitta gym. The real bout of note to look out for on this card is an 8n round Bantamweight bout, which will pit the touted unbeaten Japanese fighter Reo Nishioka (2-0, 1) against unbeaten Thai visitor Weerawat Noolae (3-0, 2). As an amateur Nishioka went 53-15 and is regarded as the best prospect at the Nitta Kawasaki Gym, and he's expected to be moved very rapidly through the ranks, after having a few bouts to adjust to the professional ranks. A win here would likely be his last against novice imports, with his team likely to be matching him against much more solid imported fighters, or even domestic foes. As for Noolae the 21 year old Thai debuted in December, and has yet to face a fighter with a professional win. He has got an 8 rounder under his belt, having gone 8 with As an amateur Nishioka went 53-15 and is regarded as the best prospect at the Nitta Kawasaki Gym, and he's expected to be moved in January, but this is a massive step up for him and his first bout outside of Thailand. We get the only title fight of the show in the main support bout, as veteran Kimika Miyoshi (17-14-2, 6) defends the Japanese female Featherweight title against Akane Fujiwara (5-3-1, 2) in the second bout between the women. Back in June 2022 these two fought to a draw, with Miyohsi retaining her title. Since then she has gone 1-1, and at 40 years old is certainly winding down her career. As for Fujiwara, who herself is 36, she has lost both of her fights since the draw with Miyoshi, with both of those coming in regional title fights at 122lbs, but will know this is likely to be her last chance to pick up some silverware, with time ticking down on her professional career. A rather notable under-card bout will see Yui Oikawa (7-6, 4) and a lengthy break from the sport, as he takes on Atsuyuki Sato (7-5-2, 4). Oikawa was once seen as something of a potential domestic contender in Japan, but in 2019 he essentially hung them up, following 3 straight losses in, and it seemed like his career was over. It now appears he is going to give it one last shot, and has been matched in a 6 rounder here, his first 6 rounder in more than 6 years.As for Sato he has lost his last 2 inside the distance, and is almost 2 years removed from his last win, which came against the very limited Tomohiro Tsunoda. A fourth bout of some interest on this show will see veteran Ken Achiwa (12-16-6, 4), as he takes on Yoshikoi Shiina (5-4), in what will be Achichiwa's first bout since June 2021, when he lost a decision to Tsubasa Murachi, and he will be looking for his first win since June 2019. In fact that 2019 win for Achiwa is the only win in the last8 bouts for Achiwa who is 1-5-2 dating back to November 2016. As for Shiina he has had very mixed results recently, going 2-2 in his last 4, and has been fighting at a very, very low level. We do wonder if this bout has been set up to allow Achiwa an easy win, and to end his career with a victory, before bowing out of the sport at the the age of 37. For those wanting to watch this card, it will be available on tape at the following link: https://easy-ticket.live/watch.php?id=1698830911 |
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