 Ramon Magsaysay Covered Court, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
The main show this coming Sunday is in the Philippines as we get a number of really interesting match ups on a card in Quezon City. One of the many promising fighters on this card is the unbeaten Roderick Bautista (6-0, 5) who takes on the once beaten Arvin John Sampaga (8-1-1, 3). The 20 year old Bautista has needed just 23 rounds to score his first 6 wins with only Reymark Ibones surviving the schedule with "The Bone Crusher". He's incredibly exciting, heavy handed and one of the most exciting prospects in the Philippines right now, though he is still very much a work in progress. Sampaga is no push over himself, the 26 year old has only been beaten by Lorenz Dumam-ag, nothing to be ashamed of, and he has gone 2-0-1 since that loss. Although Sampaga is a fighter with ambition of his own, it should be noted he is the naturally smaller man, and this could be an issue against someone as dangerous as Bautista. Another dangerous fighter on this card is “El Cazador” Fernando Tagpuno Jr. (9-3, 9), with the 22 year old Featherweight being a wrecking ball, who takes a huge step up to take on Jason Canoy Manigos (29-12-2, 19). Tagpuno started his career with two losses but has gone 9-1 (9) since then and scored very decent domestic wins over Bryan Tamayo, Franco Serafica, Ken Jordan and Jing Aguan. The only loss he has had since his second bout came in March against Dana Coolwell in Australia. As for Canoy he was once world ranked, and whilst he has clearly slipped a lot from those days he isn't shot to pieces, and recently upset Kakero Mashimo, and is very much a live fighter at this level. We know he is tough and he has only been stopped once in his 12 losses, losing by stoppage to the world class Luis Nery in 2018. This really should be seen as a chance to see how destructive Tagpuno really is against someone we know is tough. On paper the most interesting bout on the show will see former world title challenger ArAr Andales (15-2-3, 6) take on former world champion Rene Mark Cuarto (22-6-2, 12), in a real crossroads fight. Andales was unlucky back in 2019, when he lost a technical decision to Knockout CP Freshmart, and has gone 5-1-3 since then, with two bouts ending in technical draws and marred by head clashes leaving him in need of a big win to really kick start a career that seemed to promise so much after the Freshmart bout. As for Cuarto he former IBF Minimumweight champion has lost 4 of his 6 fights since defeating Pedro Taduran for the IBF belt, and been stopped twice. Whilst there's no shame coming up short against Daniel Valladares, Ginjiro Shigeoka and Shokichi Iwata, it does feel that one more loss and it will be pretty much the end of his dreams to get back to the world level. Cuarto is still a top level fighter, but another loss and he could well join the “Who needs him?” club or become a fighter that only gets fights on the road against emerging stars, rather than bouts that he and his team believe he can win. One other bout of some interest will see the once beaten Christian Legane (4-1-3, 3) take on the unbeaten Christian Dave Puing (5-0, 4). Legane has been competitive in every bout he’s had, and could well be sporting an 8-0 record had he had some luck. He’s been matched relatively hard, and although he has been facing novices, he’s been facing novices in a similar position to himself, with those novices coming into the ring looking to pick up a win, rather than folding under the slightest bit of pressure. As for Puing, he’s already steam rolled through 3 unbeaten fighters in just 5 bouts and looks to be a man moving towards bigger and better things, but this is certainly a solid step up for him and we expect to see him being given an actual test here. Tsushima Civic Cultural Hall, Tsushima, Aichi, Japan As well as the strong card in the Philippines, we also have a small card in Aichi, which really doesn’t have bouts that look amazing on paper, but should provide some fun for the fans in Tsushima City. The main event on this show is a 6 rounder as 22 year old Aichi native Juta Kashitani (5-2-1, 1) faces 25 year old Daiki Hashiba (4-4-1, 1), from Tokyo. Kashitani is a relatively basic fighter, who builds things off his jab and managed to go deep in the Rookie of the Year last year, losing to eventual All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Yamato Moriguchi.He knows a win here moves him to A class and could see him securing a Japanese ranking in the not to distant future. As for Hashiba he’s a fun fighter to watch, but limited and has lost his last 2, and 4 of his last 6, 3 of his 4 defeats coming inside the distance. Hashiba makes for fun fights, but it feels he has really nothing going for him here, being the away fighter, the man out of form and lacking fight changing power. The co-feature is an 8 rounder between Mizuki Akima (8-5-2, 4), who is looking for his third win of the year, and Tamaki Miwa (8-10-2, 1) who scored his last win in 2022. Akima has had a career best year beating Ren Kobayashi in April and Takahiro Murai in September, and a win here would see him notching a third successive win for only the second time in his career and will know that if he can continue this form he could crash into the JBC rankings next year. As for Miwa he has lost 3 of his last 4, drawing against Daiju Hamaguchi in the other, but has proven to be a tough man to stop, with only Bulldozer Takumi Oshima and Hikaru Fukunaga managing to get him out inside the distance. Miwa’s toughness should make for a good fight, but it’s hard to see past an Akima win, given the form he’s in.
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 This coming Friday we have several shows of interest, with a notable card in the Philippines, a notably name in action in Thailand
Polomolok Gym, Polomolok, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines The biggest of the Asian cards takes place in Cotabato del Sur and is stacked with notable names. The main event will see Joey Canoy (21-5-2-1, 13), one of the most under-rated fighters in the sport, take on Jonathan Refugio (22-10-5, 8) in a bout for the WBA Asia Minimumweight title. Canoy has faced a real who’s who during his career and comes into this on the back of 4 early wins and a 6 fight unbeaten run. Although no world beater he is very much a test for anyone below the world level and has the tools needed to make a real mark on the regional scene. As for Refugio, his limitations have been known about, but he has served the regional scene well over the years, and will come to fight, though sadly he has been stopped in his last 2 and has just 1 win in his last 5. In another notable bout Reymart Gaballo (27-2, 22) looks to bounce back from a recent upset loss to Kenbun Torres as he takes on the hard hitting Jeny Boy Boca (14-15, 12). On paper this is set up as a very winnable bout for Gaballo, but also one that he needs to shine in given the way he was stopped by Torres, and how his confidence is understandably low after that defeat. Other on this card include the unbeaten Lienard Sarcon (12-0, 4), who looks to take his next step towards a world title fight, former world title challenger Froilan Saludar (34-8-1, 24), who is looking to get his career back on track after a KO loss to Keita Kurihara, and ArAr Andales (14-2-3, 6), who is currently riding a 7 fight unbeaten run. At the time of writing opponents for these 3 have not been announced. Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand The bout of note in Thailand will see the talented and promising Phongsaphon Panyakum (24-2, 11) take on Laldingliana (5-1-0-1, 4) with the Thai local looking to defend his WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title. The promising Panyakum is riding a 12 fight winning run since being upset in 2022 by Adrian Lerasan, sadly most of those 12 wins have come against very limited opponents, with the best being Rommel Oliveros, but this is a step in the right direct for someone who once seemed like one of the brightest hopes in Thailand. As for Laldingliana he is returning for his second bout in Thailand, where he lost a very competitive bout to Thachtana Luangphon in November and showed that despite his under-whelming opponent he does have plenty about him, enough in fact to be regarded as a very live under-dog here. Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
This coming Friday attention turns to the Philippines for a really interesting card, mixing notable names and prospects. Amazingly the title has two former world title challengers on it, a long with a former Lineal Flyweight world champion making for one of the more notable Fiilpino shows of recent years. The main event of the card will see former world title challenger Edward Heno (14-1-5, 5) take on Renoel Pael (23-11-1, 12), in what looks to be a genuinely interesting test for the talented Heno. The talented Heno was last seen in action back in October 2019, when he suffered a hotly contested loss to the then WBO Light Flyweight champion Elwin Soto, giving Soto a really close run. Sadly though that was almost 3 years ago, and the inactivity saw him fail to build on an excellent performance. Not only has he been inactive but he's also stepping up in weight for this bout, which is listed as a Bantamweight bout, as he takes on the capable Pael. The 31 year old Pael was 19-1-1 back in 2015, and whilst he has fallen off the radar since then, going 4-10, he is a naturally bigger fighter and does put up a fair effort in the ring, having pushed the likes of Suguru Muranaka, Giovanni Escander and Tatsuya Takahashi close. Sadly though he's also been out of the ring since 2019, however he will know a win here will do a lot to kick start his dwindling career. One of the hottest young fighters on this card is the heavy handed Weljon Mindoro (7-0, 7), who's a 22 year and a rare Filipino Middleweight. The hard hitting Mindoro will be seeking an 8th straight stoppage as he takes on veteran southpaw Jason Egera (24-24-3, 11). To date Mindoro's 7 wins have come in just 13 combined rounds, and he has never been beyond the third 3rd round, leading to question marks about his stamina and his chin. Sadly we don't expect to see any questions about him being answered here given that the 37 year old Egera has been stopped 12 times in his 24 losses, including 3 stoppage losses in his last 4 bouts. If he can make it into round 4 however Egera might have the tools to ask something new of Mindoro. The most accomplished fighter on this card is Sonny Boy Jaro (45-15-5, 32), though sadly the former WBC and Lineal Flyweight champion is no spring chicken, and aged 40 he seems to be getting rolled out to allow prospects to get a big name on their records. And that certainly seems to be the case here as he takes on 22 year old RV Deniega (6-0, 3). At his best Jaro was a tough, rugged, heavy handed fighter, who famously stopped Pongsaklek Wonjongkam for the WBC title in 2012. Since that win he has gone 11-5, which isn't terrible, but he is 2-2 in his last 4, and has been out of the ring for more than 3 years. As for Deniega this is a big step up from his last 6 fights, but it seems a calculated risk and a chance to get a win over a very faded former world champion. Former world title challenger ArAr Andales (13-2-1, 5) will be hoping to get back to winning ways as he takes on the experienced, but limited, Bonjun Loperez (12-16-1, 6). The talented Andales was helped to a draw last time out, against Joey Canoy, and is 3-2-1 in his last 6, so him getting an easy win isn't a bad idea here, but it does feel like this bout should be a bit too easy for him. Loperez has lost his last 5, 4 by stoppage, and it's really hard to know what ambition he has here given that recent form. He did go the 8 round distance with Orlie Silvestre last year, but since then has been blown out and we wouldn't be surprised at all by Andales stopping his man here. Another hopeful on this card is the unbeaten Jenel Lausa (10-0-1, 6), who will be fighting for the first time since September 2019, when he stopped Carlos Lopez. Given the lengthy lay off it's hard to complain about Lausa taking on a less than testing opponent, but we would have hoped he'd be facing someone with a bit more ambition than Michael Escobia (12-21-1, 3), who who has lost his last 5 bouts, and is a long way removed from his win, which came at Super Bantamweight in 2017. Notably Escobia has been stopped in his last 2, and we suspect he'll be stopped again here.  Super Arena, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
This coming Saturday is set to be one of the biggest days in Asian boxing this year, as we get a hugely anticipated card from Saitama, headlined by a long over-due Middleweight unification bout between two fan friendly and aggressive fighters. Not only is the main event a great one, but the card in general is also a mouth watering one., with a second world title bout and a regional title bout. The main bout on the card is the rescheduled bout between hard hitting Kazakh Middleweight star Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36) and Japanese star Ryota Murata (16-2, 13), who were meant to clash on December 29th before the Japanese government made the bout impossible to stage due to covid regulations. The bout will see Golovkin enter as the IBF champion, seeking his second defense of this current reign. Although he will be the big favourite coming in to this bout, he is now 40 years old, with well over 400 bouts in total, as an amateur and professional, and he's been out of the ring since the end of 2020. It may well be the right time to face him, given his battle with father time. As for Murata, this is the bout he's been chasing for years, and at the age of 36 it really is now or never for him to show what he's capable of. Like Golovkin we've also not seen Murata fight recently, with his last bout coming at the end of 2019, and we expect him to be rusty, but he is so much younger than Golovkin. In regards to this one, it could be a very brutal, explosive, hard, tough and rough bout, which will likely see bombs thrown by both, with both likely needing to prove their toughness in what could be a very can friendly bout. Our in depth preview of this super clash can be read here The Middleweight Division gets a super fight as Golovkin and Murata face off! In another world title fight we'll see WBO Flyweight champion Junto Nakatani (22-0, 17) make his second defense, as he takes on the heavy handed Ryota Yamauchi (8-1, 7) in an all Japanese title fight. The talented Nakatani, arguably the best fighter at 112lbs, won the title in 2020, with a brilliant win over Giemel Magramo, but he has a frustrating reign with his single defense coming last year against Angel Acosta in the US, in a bout marred by a brutal cut to Acosta. It's clear Nakatani is a special fighter, but the 24 year old needs to have a big year now and begin to really establish his reign, which has had a faltering start due to the pandemic. As for Yamauchi, the aggressive, heavy handed 27 year old is a really fun fighter to watch, but also a defensively flawed one, who was dropped in his 2019 loss to Wulan Tuolehazi, and although he's had some good wins so far this is a major step up in class for him. This should be a very entertaining bout, but one where Nakatani will enter as the clear favourite, though for those wanting a more in depth look at this bout our preview can be read here Nakatani seeks second defense as he takes on aggressive Yamauchi! In another major supporting bout we'll see regional Lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino (14-0, 11) defending his WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles against former WBO Super Featherweight world champion Masayuki Ito (27-3-1, 15). As with the Golovkin Vs Murata bout this was scheduled to take place last year, before being postponed when the December 29th card was cancelled, and much like that bout this is one that has got a lot of expectations on it, with over a year of back story. Whilst we won't go into all the backstory of the bout, it is worth getting very excited about with Yoshino looking to throw his hat into the ring for a major Lightweight bout, with the likes of George Kambosos, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia or Vasyl Lomachenko. For Ito the bout is about rebuilding his career after recent losses to Jamel Herring and Hironori Mishiro. Like the main event this should be a very, very compelling 12 rounder, and one that will see skills and power punching on show. Our preview of this bout can be read here Double champion Yoshino faces former WBO king Ito In an interesting under-card bout we'll see former amateur standout Kazuki Anaguchi (1-0,1) take on the hard hitting Ryuji Yamamoto (6-1, 6). Anaguchi made his debut last year, and did so with a good win over Atsushi Takada, and it's clear from that performance, and his amateur pedigree, that he has the potential to be moved quickly and moved towards title fighters sooner rather than late. As for Yamamoto the 23 year old is a heavy handed youngster, who stopped his first 5 opponents before suffering a close decision loss in 2017. Notably he was out of the ring for close to 4 years after that loss before returning last year and stopping Takahiro Murai, in a very good win. It'll be interesting to see how Yamamoto deals with the skills of Anaguchi, and whether Anaguchi can handle the power of Yamamoto in a very good under-card fighter. Abeno Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Staying in Japan there is also set to be a show in Osaka, with this show being a West Japan Rookie of the Year event. This show has 8 bouts set for it, between Light Flyweight and Welterweight. We won't go into too much details for this show, though one bout that did catch out attention was the all debutant bout between Yuichi Ikeda (0-0) and Jop Mustafa Jom (0-0), who will be facing off at Welterweight. We expect this one will be a wild, and open brawl, with both men being youngsters each looking to kick off their career with an eye catching win. Maybe not an amazing bout, but it should be a very fan friendly one. Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, USA We're not just getting unification bouts in Japan, as we also get a female world title bout in the US as Japanese female boxing legend Naoko Fujioka (19-2-1, 7) takes on Marlen Esparza (11-1, 1) in a bout to unify the WBA and WBC female Flyweight titles. For Fujioka this bout comes following her US debut win over Sulem Urbina last year and given her age it really is now or never for her to to make a name internationally and a win over Esparza would see her improve her already very impressive resume and reputation. As for Esparza the bout will serve as her second defense of the title, and will see her looking to build on an excellent 2021, which saw her beating Ibeth Zamora Silva and Anabel Ortiz. Given the styles of the two women this could end up being a genuinely thrilling action bout. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Fujioka and Esparza clash in Flyweight unification! Also on this card will be a bout between the unbeaten pairing of Katsuma Akitsugi (8-0, 1) and Gregory Morales (13-0, 8). Akitsugi is a US based Japanese fighter who debuted back in 2018 and has already ended a number of unbeaten streaks, beating Arnold Dinong (then 7-0), Eros Correa (then 10-0) and Rasheem Brown (then 11-0) in his last 4 bouts. Morales on the other hand is a Mexican born American fighter who beat former world champion Rodrigo Guerrero last year, but has been feasting on limited or smaller men and will be stepping up in class here. Rizal, Laguna, Philippines As well as the action in Japan there's also a notable show in the Philippines, with a regional title bout in the headline bout, and several other notable contests. The show is certainly not a monster card, but it's a solid domestic level show for Pinoy fight fans. The main event will see ArAr Andales (13-2, 5) take on Joey Canoy (17-5-1-1, 9) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Minimumweight title, with Andales seeking his first defense of the title. Of the two men Andales is more well known, having challenged Knockout CP Freshmart in 2019, and he has bounced back from back to back losses, to win his last 3, including his title win in 2021 against Minh Phat Sam. Andales is still just 22 years old and seems destined for another world title fight down the line. As for Canoy, he is one of the many Filipino fighters who's record is misleading with numerous close and controversial losses and notable wins against the likes of Melvin Jerusalem and Toto Landero. Given what we know of the two men this should be a very good fight, with two men each looking to move towards a major bout later in the year. In a main supporting bout we'll see the hard hitting Weljon Mindoro (6-0, 6) take on the limited Jerwin Mejes (4-6-6, 3), in a scheduled 8 rounder. Mindoro debuted in 2019 and has never been beyond round 3 in his short career, though in fairness he has only faced very low level competition and this is a notable step up in class for him. As for Mejes, who has one of the oddest looking records in the sport, he has gone 0-4-4 in his last 8 though has been stopped in 4 of his 6 losses and will need to be wary of Mindoro's power early on. One other notable bout on this card will see the once touted Al Sabaupan (26-3-1, 21) face off with the very limited Jason Egera (24-23-3, 11), with Sabaupan looking to get his career back on track with just his second fight since 2017. He was once regarded as a genuinely bright hopeful for Filipino boxing, but losses to Marvin Quintero, in 2012, and Ricardo Dominguez, in 2013, ended much of the hype around him. Although he's been inactive in recent years, he should have too much for the very poor Egera. Others on this card include unbeaten 25 year old Ryan James Racaza (11-0, 7), who takes on Monico Laurente (30-17, 7), and 26 year old Denmark Quibido (11-0-1, 6), who takes on Jovel Romasasa (10-19, 4), with the unbeaten men in these bouts expected to extend their unbeaten runs.  Wadong Gymnasium, Ansan, South Korea
The main card this coming Saturday comes from South Korea where we get an excellent card featuring a female world title fight, two minor regional title fights and several promising prospects. The main event of the show will see WBO female Minimumweight champion Etsuko Tada (20-3-3, 7) defending her title, for the first time, against mandatory challenger Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen (4-0, 1) of Vietnam. This champion won the title in spectacular fashion, knocking out Ayaka Miyao, but has at 40 years old and with just 3 fights since the start of 2019 it's hard to know what she has left, especially given how hard her career has been and how many wars she has been involved in. At her best Tada was one of the elite female fighters in the lower weights, but those years are well past her by now. Nguyen made her debut in 2015, but only really started taking the sport seriously as a professional in 2019, scoring 3 wins before the pandemic pretty much paused her career in early 2020. She has been lined up for a world title fight for well over a year, but due to the pandemic was unable to face Ayaka Miyao or Tada for the belt, and has had to wait until now for this opportunity. That has left her out of the ring for over 18 months. A full preview of this bout can be read here Tada travels to defend against Nguyen The more notable of two WBO Oriental title bouts will see the world ranked Olimjon Nazarov (25-5, 14) defending his regional title against once beaten Filipino challenger Michael Mendoza (11-1-2, 4). The 35 year old champion is knocking on the door of a WBO world title fight, however he is ancient for a Flyweight, at 35, and he lacks the profile which would help him get a shot at the top. Notably he has aged well and is currently riding a 12 fight winning run coming into this bout. Mendoza is a relative unknown outside of Asia, but he has shown plenty to like and looked very impressive in his 2019 win over Kento Yabusaki, which is the only other time he's fought outside of the Philippines. He will go in to this as the under-dog, but is the much younger man, and knows that he has nothing to lose and everything to win. Expect to see Mendoza using his speed and movement, and Nazarov looking to use power and experience. A second WBO Oriental title fight will be held at Minimumweight and see Vietnam's Minh Phat Sam (7-3, 5) take on former world title challenger ArAr Andales (12-2, 4), from the Philippines. Of the two men Andales is the more well known, having given Knockout CP Freshmart a tough test in 2019, but he has struggled since than win and is only 2-1 since losing to Knockout more than 3 years ago. He's certainly a talent but his career has lost all momentum in recent years. Phat on the other hand is is a man who struggled early on in his career, but is 7-1 in his last 8, albeit against very low level competition. This bout is a chance for Phat to make a name for himself, but he will be a a very clear under-dog. In other bouts on this card we'll see once beaten Uzbekistani prospect Abdurasul Ismoilov (8-1, 5) clash with Korean fighter Moo Hyun Kim (8-1, 4), in what looks like a fantastic 50-50 style bout whilst unbeaten Uzbekistani puncher Abdulazizbek Najmiddinov (7-0, 6) takes on Sung Hun Kim (1-4), in what should be an easy win for Najmiddinov The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines As well as the show in South Korea we also have an interesting card in the Philippines, headlined by an excellent regional title bout, and also featuring a strong of notable names on the under-cards. The main event will see former world title challenger Giemel Magramo (24-2, 20) look to bounce back from his 2020 loss to Junto Nakatani as he takes on Jayr Raquinel (12-1-1, 9), in a bout for the vacant OPBF Flyweight title. The talented and heavy handed Magramo was made to look third rate against Nakatani and will be looking to avoid another loss here, though with a lot of inactivity and his confidence likely to be at a low point following that loss it's hard to know just what he'll be like here. Raquinel, a former OPBF Flyweight champion, is a man who has been easy to over-look, but is a very live fighter with solid power and no fear of fighting as the under-dog. Sadly Raquinel has fought just twice since the start of 2019, and is horribly inactive, but the 24 year old southpaw will know a win gets his career back on track. This could be a very, very exciting bout and is one of the best all-Filipino match ups of 2021. Our in depth preview of this one can be read here Magramo and Raquinel battle for OPBF honours! The chief support bout will be another bout as another member of the Magramo clan, this time Arvin Magramo (12-1-1, 8), takes on the once beaten Jerry Francisco (9-1, 2) for the lightly regarded WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title. The talented Magramo has bounced back well since suffering a split decision loss to Garen Diagan back in 2018, winning 4 bouts in a row to get his career back in track. Incidentally Francisco's only loss has also come to Diagan, losing a technical decision to Diagan in 2019. Since that loss Francisco has bounced back with two wins, but they have come at a very low level and he should, really enter this bout as the under-dog Another man who came up short in a world title bout is Juan Miguel Elorde (28-2, 15) , who is best known for losing to Emanuel Navarrete in 2019. The once touted Elorde, who is Flash Elorde's grandson, will be fighting for the first time since losing to Navarrete and should be picking up a very, very easy win as he takes on Aroel Romasasa (11-9, 5). Although not world class, or even close to it, Elorde is a solid and decent fighter whilst Romasasa is man who has lost his last 8, hasn't win since 2010 and hasn't fought since 2016, and that's not likely to change here. Another former world title challenger on this card is Jonathan Taconing (28-4-1, 22), who fights for the first time since being stopped in 2019 by Kenshiro Teraji. The hard hitting 34 year old south paw is now likely past his best, but should still have far, far too much for 38 year old journeyman Albert Alcoy (15-28-8, 5), who is 1-14-3 in his last 18 bouts! Taconing is unlikely to get another world title fight, but he should get a win here. Ghani Sports Football Club, Karachi, Pakistan We're set to get a show from Pakistan, albeit at a much, much lower level, as Pakistani boxing continues its slow and gradual domestic development. The proof of how lacking the Pakistani domestic scene currently is can be seen in the fact the card is set to feature a bout between Shahir Afridi (2-0-1) and Haroon Khan (1-3, 1), who clash for the national Middleweight title. Afridi, struggled to a win last time out and has never beaten anyone with a win to their name, whilst Khan's last fight was a loss at Welterweight. Fingers crossed the domestic scene improves as this sort of a "title fight" does little to help the Pakistani scene. Also on the card will be the unbeaten Taimoor Khan (3-0, 2), a very rare Pakistani Heavyweight hopeful who is looking to step up into an 8 rounder for the first time and battle for the Pakistan national Heavyweight title. Sadly however no opponent has been named at the time of writing, suggesting that his opponent will not be a notable one, or a testing one. Again not a great way to crown a national champion.  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. Cebu, Philippines
This coming Monday in the Philippines we get a small WBF related title double header. The main event is a fantastic match up, which the sporting card isn't great, but does have a couple of fighters of note on it. The main event will be a WBF Minimumweight title fight as the unbeaten Rey Caitom (9-0-1, 4) takes on former world title challenger ArAr Andales (10-2, 2). The unbeaten, but untested, Caitom is fighting in the Philippines for the first time in well over a decade, after having had a number of fighters in Singapore in recent years. Although unbeaten his competition has been lacking and this is very much a step up for him. As for Andales he's looking to end a 2 fight slide, which has included a loss to Knockout CP Freshmart in a WBA world title fight. Given Andales' recent losses this is a must win for him. In a WBF Intercontinental Minimumweight title fight we'll see Filipino Clyde Azarcon (16-3-1, 6) take on Mike Kinaadman (7-13-2, 5). For Azarcon this is his second bout since being stopped in a round by Ginjiro Shigeoka last July and a chance to pick up a minor title as he looks to rebuild from the Shigeoka gut buster that put him down for the count. Kinaadman's record might not show it, but he is a decent level domestic journeyman and could ask questions of Azarcon, despite some very disappointing recent form. We expect Azarcon to win, but he'll have to work for it. One other name of interest on this card is Carlo Demecillo (14-5-1, 7), who has gone 8-1-1 since being stopped by Satoshi Shimizu at the end of 2016. Demecillo has scored a draw with Arthur Villanueva a few fights back and seems to be finding something of a groove as he goes into his bout with Anthony Galigao (9-14, 4). The 29 year old Galigao on the other hand has won just 1 of his last 4.  Tokyo, Japan
The big show this coming Friday comes from Japan, where the Korakuen Hall plays host to an interest, but low key, card which will be put online through the A Sign boxing youtube channel. The main event is a a really interesting match up between hard hitting Japanese fighter Keita Kurihara (14-5, 12) and world ranked Thai foe Sukkasem Kietyongyuth (24-10, 16). Kurihara is 11-1 since his unremarkable 3-4 start to the pros, and claimed the OPBF Bantamweight title last year, a belt that he has defended once. Although this isn't a title defense for Kurihgara it is a significant bout. Sukkasem is no world beater but can be a handful and is world ranked by the IBF, so have a real reason to bit down on his gum shield and go for this, knowing that a win will take him one step closer to a world title shot. We expect this one to be a very, very interesting match up. After back to back losses Akihiro Kondo (31-9-1, 18) will be hoping to rebuild his confidence as he goes up against Tatsuya Yanagi (16-5-2, 6). This year has been a bad one for Kondo, who was stopped by Downua Ruawaiking in February before being out pointed by Andy Hiraoka in July. Yanagi on the other hand is on a 6 fight unbeaten run, going 5-0-1 (2), including an excellent recent win over Koichi Aso. This is really a must win for the 34 year old Kondo, and another loss here is likely to send him into retirement. The potential hidden gem on this card will see recent Japanese Light Welterweight title challenger Ryuji Ikeda (14-6-3, 9) going up against aggressive youngster Aso Ishiwaki (7-2-1, 5). Although Ikeda has fought at a higher level than Ishiwaki he hasn't shined in recent contests, going 3-4-2 in his last 9 bouts. On the other hand Ishiwaki looks like a really promising youngster, who appears to be the crown in Nobuhiro Ishida's stable of fighters. Ishiwaki is tough, heavy handed, aggressive and we see him as being a force for the future, and a win here would be huge for his career. Mindoro Occidental, Philippines As well as the card in Tokyo, there is also a show in the Philippines. The details for this are lacking at the time of writing, but the main event is a genuinely mouth watering match up between a former world title challenger and another notable Filipino fighter. That main event will see recent WBA Minimumweight title challenger ArAr Andales (10-1, 2) look to rebuild from his recent loss to Knockout CP Freshmart as he takes on the tough, but out of form, Joel Lino (10-3-1, 3) in a bout for the GAB Minimumweight title. The now 20 year old Andales began his career 10-0 before losing a technical decision to Knokcout CP Freshmart this past August, in a bout that was very hotly contest. We suspect he'll be the big favourite here. On the other hand the 24 year old Lino has lost his last 3, with losses to Masataka Taniguchi in 2019 and defeats to Ginjiro Shigeoka and Toto Landero this year. Those 3 losses have seen Lino fall from 10-0-1 but he will feel like this is his chance to get back to winning ways. This is certainly a very interesting all-Filipino bout.  Bangkok, Thailand
This coming Friday is a busy day for Asian boxing, and there's a nice mix of fights across the globe. The most notable, for us, is in Thailand however as WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (19-0, 7) looks to make his next, facing off with unbeaten Filipino ArAr Andales (10-0, 2). The talented Knockout, who has now scored 4 straight decision wins, will be fighting for the first time since November 2018, and will be hoping not to carry much ring rust into this bout. Andales on the other hand is a 19 year old who has already had a huge 2019, thanks to a massive win last time out against Cris Ganoza. This is a really interesting match up and one where the visitor can't be written, though will be the clear under-dog. We've previewed this bout here Unbeaten Andales looks to upset WBA champion Knockout Florida, USA The second most compelling match up for the day comes from the US and will see us re-run the match up between Koki Eto (24-4-1-1, 19) and Jeyvier Cintron (10-0-0-1, 5), who had an opening round No Contest earlier in the year. Their first bout promised a lot, with Cintron using his speed and movement and Eto trying to use his power and, but ended in weird fashion following an accident headclash that left the touted Cintron stumbling around the ring. Whilst Cintron certainly looked the better boxer it's going to be very interesting to see how this rematch plays out. Our preview of this bout can be read here Eto and Cintron battle in rematch following No Contest Nevada, USA It's not just the bout in Florida that will see an Asian looking to pick up a win in the US but also Uzbek fighter Ravshan Hudaynazarov (17-1, 13), who will be looking to bounce back from a stoppage loss Ronald Cruz. The 35 year old Hudaynazarov isn't in easy here easy, and will be taking on fellow once beaten fighter John Vera (18-1, 11), Vera, like Hudaynazarov, is coming in to this on the back of a loss but the American "Phenom" lost at fringe wold level to the excellent Michel Soro. On paper a very, very interesting match up, but one where we feel the younger Vera will come out on top. Tokyo, Japan Back in Asia we get a small, but pretty interesting card in Japan. The main event of the card will see Japanese ranked fighters clashing with Lightweight hopeful Kei Iwahara (10-6, 5) taking on former Light Welterweight title challenger Vladimir Baez (24-5-2, 22). On paper this looks like a straight forward win for Baez, other wise known as Destino Japan, given his better record and natural size but Baez has has lost his last two and is without a win in well over a year. At 35 Baez may well be a shot fighter. The 28 year old Iwahara is a long way from a world beater, and is 4-3 in his last 7, but has piclked up good domestic wins over Daiki Ichikawa and Mao Kawanishi. In another really interesting match up we see young southpaws collide as Japan's Kento Yabusaki (7-2-1, 5) takes on Filipino Michael Mendoza (9-1-2, 3). Both of these men are 21 year olds and although neither is a bit name both have shown some solid promise at this stage. Yabusaki reached the Rookie of the Yearfinal in 2017, losing to Joe Shiraishi in the final, and has bounced back with 3 straight wins against progressive better competition. That progress looks to continue here against Mendoza. Mendoza on the other hand has won 4 in a row, and took the PBF Flyweight last time out. It's worth noting that Mendoza has been picking up his wins at a lower level than Yabusaki but does have the small edge in experience. Another noteworthy fight on this card is the talented, but light punching Joe Tanooka (15-6-5, 1), who faces against Naoto Mizutani (5-6-2, 2) in a rematch of a technical draw they had in May. On paper this is a huge mismatch but we expect it to be pretty competitive. The 25 year old Tanooka has picked up just a since victory in his last 5, going 1-3-1 and he's had a really tough career so far. Mizutani on the other hand can score upsets, as he did against Mirai Imagawa, and can be a good test against light punchers, as we saw in February against Fumiya Fuse. This could be far better than the records suggest. Victoria, Australia In Australia we'll see Indonesian veteran Noldi Manakane (33-20-3, 18) continue his incredibly long career. The 35 year old Indonesian, who has lost his last 4 and 8 of his last 10, will be expected to come up short again here as he takes on the unbeaten Mark Schleibs (11-0, 7). It's hard to know how good Schleibs is, given the level of his competition so far, but it's hard to imagine anything but an easy win here for the unbeaten man. Bucheon, South Korea
The main show this coming Saturday for Asian fight fans comes from South Korea, keeping up what has been an interestingly busy Korean scheduled this year. This time around it will be the KBA who are leading the way, and not the more well established KBM or KBF. The main event of the card will see female veteran Ji Hyun Park (23-3, 7) take on Chinese novice YuFei Wu (1-0). This will be Park's first defense of the WBF International Minimumweight title, which she won last July, and it's hard to see her losing here as she is genuinely a world class fighter. Wu is such an unknown that it's hard to get a read on her, though Korean sources have suggested that she was a standout Chinese amateur at high school level. On the under-card there isn't too much to be excited by, with the biggest supporting bout being between KBA ranked Light Welterweight's Hwan Young Jo (5-7, 1) and Jong Hoon Lim (2-4-1). These are both top 3 ranked by the KBA, though that really sums up the lack of depth under the KBA ranks. Another supporting bout will see Bum Young Lee (10-9-2, 3) take on Hyeon Oh Lee (3-3), with both of these men being ranked in the top 10 by the KBA at Super Bantamweight. Cavite, Philippines As well as the show in Korea there is also a show of note in the Philippines, featuring a number of interesting local hopefuls. One of the interesting bouts on this card will see unbeaten 19 year old ArAr Andales (9-0, 2) take on Cris Ganoza (17-2, 8) in a bout for the WBA Asia Minimumweight title. The bout is pencilled in as Andales' first defense of the belt, and he has really been impressive so far through his career, but this is a clear step up in class, and is obviously his toughest bout to date. Another interesting match up on this card will see Alphoe Dagayloan (12-2-5, 5) make his first defense of the WBA Asia Flyweight title, as he takes on unbeaten 20 year old Esneth Domingo (11-0, 6). Without trying to sound too easily impressed, we think this is a bloody brilliant match up. We've been impressed by Dagayloan, despite his less than perfect record, and Domingo is no patsy. This could be one of the weekends most interesting bouts. |
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