 Montreal Casino, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The most notable Asian fighting this coming Thursday is 2-time Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov (14-0, 14) who’s slow, very slow, rise to the top of the professional game takes it’s next minor step forward as he takes on David Spilmont (16-8-1, 11) Camille Estephan promoted show in Quebec. The talented Uzbekistani fighter is someone who seems to have it all, but yet has been matched so softly since his 2018 professional debut that it’s hard to know what his desire for the sport really is, which is a bizarre thing to be saying about a 2-time Olympic champion. Now aged 30 Jalolov is in the the stage of his career where he needs to kick on, and a bout with Spilmont, more than a year after his last professional bout, is not kicking on. Spilmont is a 33 year French fighter, who has been stopped 3 times, including once by Alen Babic, which makes it seem really unlikely that he’s there as anything more than fodder for Jalolov, who will hopefully step up his competition quickly this year. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as Jalolov, we also have a show at Korakuen Hall, albeit at a much lower level as Dangan put on one of their frequent 4 rounder shows, where all the bouts on the card are scheduled 4 round bouts, featuring novices. Despite the low profile of these cards, the action tends to be a lot of fun, and they are always worth checking out, even if none of the names are recognisable, or typically move into title contention down the line. One thing we often find with these cards is that they are a lot of fun, often because fighters don't have the best composure. This is particularly notable when one, if not both, are debutants. Even more so if one, or both, are teenagers. As a result we wouldn't be surprised if the clash between unbeaten 29 year old Ryosuke Uegaki (1-0-1) and debuting 19 year old Mirai Mitsuyoshi (0-0) ends up being a particularly fun fight. Uegaki has got 8 rounds of pro experience to his name, since debuting in September, and will be facing a third successive debutant. As for Mitsuyoshi, the 19 year old is 5’8” and is expected to tower over his foe. Despite an expected reach and height advantages we’re next expecting a polished performance behind the jab from him, especially given he went 3-3 in the amateurs. The only other debutant on this card is 26 year old Kaito Yokohama (0-0) who looks to kick his career off as he faces win-less 21-year old Ruka Miyazawa (0-1), who was stopped in 3 rounds back in his own debut last year. Given that Miyazawa will desperately want to secure his first professional win, and Yokohama will want to start his career with a victory, this could be another where composure and defense comes secondary to nervous energy and aggression.
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 Domo Alcalde, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
The main bout for us this coming Saturday comes from Mexico where we see the WBA Light Flyweight title being unified, as the "super" champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (15-0, 10) takes on "regular" champion Esteban Bermudez (14-3-2, 10), in what should be a wonderfully explosive war. The unbeaten Kyoguchi has, sadly, not fought since beaten Alex Aragon Vega back in March 2021 and with more than a year out of the ring he has lost much of the momentum he's hard, which was already slowed due to the Pandemic that kept him on the sidelines for 2020. Despite that he will be the favourite here and will be hungry to leave Mexico as the WBA king, and as a man in a great position to set up unifications. As for Bermudez he has been inactive for almost as long, haven't not fought since his huge upset win over Carlos Canizales in May 2021, for the WBA title. That win aside there is little on Bermudez's record, but that win was a destructive one against a top divisional talent. We expect this to be a really, really exciting battle. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Kyoguchi and Bermudez battle for WBA supremacy Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York, USA Staying in the West we'll also see Big Uzbek Heavyweight hopeful Bakhodir Jalolov (10-0, 10) headline take on Belgian based Congolese born fight Jack Mulowayi (11-2-1, 7). On paper this looks like a great chance to Jalolov to break out as a professional, making the most a great opportunity on a ShowBox card. The Unbeaten 27 year old has promised a lot, but lacks a major win as a professional, and a win here won't change that, but will help him connect with fans and help open doors in the future for him. As for Mulowayi he's best known for going the distance with Frank Sanchez in 2019, and since then has gone 4-0 (4) and done so on the road, with a very notable win in Russia against Apti Davtaev. This is, on paper, a step up for Jalolov, but a step up he should make en route to some much bigger fights later in the year. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan In Asia it's self we are also set to get a 4 round Dangan card, as Dangan Promotions and Watanabe Promotions work together. Sadly this card doesn't have any sort of notable fighter on the show, but as with all the 4 round bouts like this the action is quick, fun and typically exciting, with young fighters looking to kick their career off and make an immediate impact. On this particular card there are two bouts we want to briefly touch on. One bout will see 18 year old debutant Ryoma Yamamoto (0-0) take on the unbeaten Kensuke Suzuki (4-0, 1), up at Welterweight. Yamamoto is only 18 and is small for a Welterweight, even by Japanese standards, but will be go into this bout with the hope of picking up a debut win. As for Suzuki he's not a puncher but he is an unbeaten 22 year old looking to secure his 5th win in less than 2 years. The other bout worthy of attention, albeit for a very different reason, is an all debutant bout between 34 year old Yasuomi Soda (0-0) and the brilliantly named 33 year old Anju The Bull (0-0), a Japanese based Indian fighter. There really isn't much to add here, but Anju The Bull is a great name, and with this bout taking place at Middleweight we are expecting some really explosive action here.  The month of April is already under way and this Saturday we are getting a treat with a stacked day of action, featuring prospects, debutants, world title contenders and, best of all, a huge world title bout in Uzbekistan! In fact we are getting the greatest professional boxing event in Uzbekistan's history!
Humo Arena, Tashkent, Uzbekistan We'll start with the Uzbek card, which is really something special and something super stacked! In fact it's up there with the most notable cards of the year so far. The main event will see unified Super Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (8-0, 6) defending his WBA "super" and IBF Super Bantamweight titles against Japanese challenger Ryosuke Iwasa (27-3, 17), in a mandatory defense. Akhmadaliev won the titles last year, when he beat Danny Roman, and has had to wait over a year to return to the ring as a champion. He will be the strong favourite, and the clear fan favourite for what is a massive home coming fight. Iwasa on the other hand is looking to reach the pinnacle of the sport for a second time, having previously held the IBF title. The hard hitting Japanese fighter can blow very hot and cold, but looked fantastic last time out, dominating Marlon Tapales. Sadly that was in December 2019. Despite the lengthy lay offs for both men this is a mouth watering bout and it deserves a lot of attention. Potentially the best bout of the entire month! Our in depth preview of this match up can be read here Akhmadlaiev and Iwasa clash at last! In one of the main supporting bouts we'll see the highly regarded Israil Madrimov (6-0, 5) take on the hard hitting Emmany Kalombo (14-0, 14), in a mouth watering match up. Madrimov has looked like a future world champion in the making since his 2018 debut, though looked underwhelming last time out, against the tough and awkward Eric Walker. He'll be wanting to shine here and make a statement in his first bout since that one. Congolese born South African based Kalombo on the hand will be going in to this bout knowing that he has a huge chance to announce himself to the world. It's a huge opportunity for Kalomobo, but he will be the big under-dog. Given unbeaten records and the combined 95% KO ratio we don't expect this one to go the distance. Instead we expect a short but explosive contender. Don't blink. Another established Uzbek on this card is Shakhram Giyasov (10-0, 8), who takes on experienced Mexican fighter Patricio Lopez Moreno (28-4, 20). On paper this looks like it should be a straight forward win for Giyasov, a 2016 Olympic silver medal winner, but Moreno is a credible competitor and we suspect he'll give Giyasov a number of questions to answer here. Giyasov should have the tools to pick up a win, but we don't think he'll have an easy time. One man who will be looking to establish himself in the professional ranks on this show is 2016Olympic gold medal winner Hasanboy Dusmatov (2-0, 2), who has failed to set the world alight since turning professional, but clearly has the talent to do so. He'll be up against Tanzania's Muhsin Kizota (11-2, 5) in what should be a real showcase for the unbeaten Uzbek. Kizota is tough, durable and will be hungry, but Dusmatov is a special talent, and he should be far, far too good for the Tanzanian fighter. We won't go through the entire under-card, but it will feature touted Heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov (7-0, 7), the explosive Elnur Abduraimov (7-0, 6), the talented Sanjar Tursunov (2-0, 1) and debuting former amateur standouts Ikboljon Kholdarov (0-0) and Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov (0-0). We suspect at least 2 of these 5 will go on to win world titles one day in the future, though all 5 have that level of potential. Round 10 Boxing Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates A second show worthy of major attention comes from Dubai, where we get several bouts featuring Asian fighters. This card is headlined by WBO Super Featherweight champion Jamel Herring defending his title against Carl Frampton, but it's Asian action we're interested in. The most notable of the Asian fighters on the show is 4-weight world champion Donnie Nietes (42-1-5, 23), who returns to the ring for the first time since beating Kazuto Ioka for the WBO Super Flyweight title at the very end of 2018! The talented Filipino really has had a couple of years to forget, sitting on the sidelines and watch the Super Flyweight division set on dire whilst injuries and issues with ALA Promotions cost him a potential super fight. In the opposite corner to "Ahas" will be Colombian veteran Pablo Carrillo (25-7-1, 16), who shouldn't be a real test for Nietes, but could ask some questions of the 38 year old Pinoy. If Nietes is as good as he was, he should win with ease, but we do wonder the the long lay off done to him. In a really good looking match up the unbeaten Zhankosh Turarov (24-0, 17) will be up against Tyrone McKenna (21-2-1, 6). Sadly Turarov has wasted a lot of his potential, and despite still being unbeaten it seems that injuries, inactivity and a bit of an aimless career will never reach the heights that many predicted. Turarov is now 30 and he's at the point where he needs to be focused on the sport. McKenna is no world beater, but he's a very solid fighter all the same, and he the tenacity and hunger to be a a real threat to Turarov's unbeaten record. This could end up being a real gut check for "Da Kazakh Kid". Another Kazakh on this card in an interesting looking match up is Tursynbay Kulakhmet (2-0, 1), who defends his WBC International 154lb title against unbeaten Venezuelan Heber Rondon (20-0, 13). The talented Kulakhmet impressed in the amateurs, looked like a sensation in his professional debut, then looked like a power but limited fighter in his second professional bout. We're expecting a much better performance here from him than we got last time. As for Rondon his record is unbeaten but under-whelming and he lacks wins of any real value. In fact this will be his toughest bout so far. Worrying for a 34 year old with a 20-0 record. Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand Back over in Asian we get the latest show in the WP Boxing series of shows thanks to Workpoint and NKL. This card is certainly not a big one, but it's a notable one, with two bouts worthy of attention. One of the two bouts is a flat out mismatch, as WBC ranked Bantamweight Nawaphon Por Chokchai (50-1-1, 40) takes part in a stay busy bout against Sophon Klachun (5-5-1, 1). The bout really is match up designed to keep Nawaphon active after a frustrating start to the year, which included planned world title fight falling through. We don't like matches like this, especially given this is the fourth successive "stay busy" bout for Suriyan, but it's much better than his sitting twiddling his thumbs doing nothing. The other bout is a much better match up, as the unbeaten Apichet Petchmanee (8-0, 2) defends his WBC regional title against veteran Kaewfah Tor Buamas (29-7, 19). This bout "should" be an easy one for the talented Apichet, but it's hard to know with him. At times he has looked really, really good, but recently he has shown some real limitations and is lucky to still be unbeaten. Kaewfah was once a solid fighter but has now lost his last 3 and seems to be on the back end of his career. The veteran might have some tricks up his sleeve, but it would be a big surprise to see him pick up a victory here. Thailand On a second show in Thailand we'll see an interesting looking match up between former world title contender Petch CP Freshmart (59-1, 44), aka Tasana Salapat, and fellow Thai Kongfah Nakornluang (33-3, 21), aka Chaiwat Buatkrathok. The bout will see Petch defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Bantamweight title, and looking to begin his slow climb towards another major fight. On paper this looks like a good bout. Interestingly this bout was meant to take place way back in December, on Christmas day in fact, but was cancelled at short notice and pushed back more than 3 months. Balai Sarbini Convention Hall, Jakarta, Indonesia We're set to get low quality action in Indonesia, though it's a show that may unearth some gems, with 3 unbeaten prospects on the card in scheduled 10 rounders. Their opponents are very limited but it's still interesting to see novices in such long bouts this early in their careers. Before we look at those prospects we want to quickly tough on a match up between James Mokoginta (40-18-3, 26) and Isack Junior (26-15-3, 9) which is an interesting one. Mokoginta, a 51 fight veteran, is only 30 years old and seems to have been around for a life time, having debuted way back in 2004. Coming in to this he has all the momentum, riding a 10 fight unbeaten run. Junior on the other hand started his career 22-1-2 (8) and seemed to be on his way to some sort of success. Since then he has gone 4-14-1 and appears to pad records for fighters. We're expecting another defeat for Junior here. As for the prospects one of those is Christo Gara (2-0, 1), who seems to have debuted in 2019 and put in two solid performances. He'll be up against the very limited Jack Madison (2-19) in a bout that should easily move Gara to 3-0. Another man who should pick up a very easy win is Doni Syafyendro (1-0) who takes on 46 year old Harri Hutagalung (1-16), who scored his only win way back in 2010, in his debut, and has had 16 losses in a row since then, with 12 of those losses coming by stoppage. The third prospect, and the most interesting, is Indonesian Heavyweight hopeful Alam Syaputra (1-0, 1). Yes, you did read that, an Indonesian Heavyweight. In fact he's a natural Heavyweight and he's a genuine big lad, who looked impressive and imposing in his 2019 debut against Michael Wattimena. He'll be expecting his second professional win when he takes on David Koswara (12-16-2, 4), who, is a Heavyweight now, but began his career at Welterweight. This should be a bit of a farce, but it'll be interesting to see Syaputra back in action and he's someone who want to keep an eye on in the coming years. Pyramide, Kazan, Russia Over in Russia we're expecting to see Kazakh female fighter Firuza Sharipova (12-1, 6) take on Sofya Ochigava (4-0, 1), in the second bout between the two women. Sharipova, once one of the most noteworthy fighters in Kazakhstan, has seen the media cool down on her significantly over the last 24 months but a win here would see the press talking about her a lot, again. As for Ochigava a win here would see her repeat her 2016 win over Sharipova, in what was the professional debut for both women. Also pencilled in for this card is 21 year old Uzbek hopeful Ravshan Makhamadjonov (11-0, 7). The talented Makhamadjonov really needs a step up in class this year, having now been a professional for around 4 years, but unfortunately he's had no opponent confirmed at the time or writing, suggesting he'll be up against a short notice opponent, and probably a limited one at that. Eastern Cape, South Africa
The biggest bout for the day, at least for us, this coming Sunday will see Tajik born boxer-puncher Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (14-0, 11) take on unbeaten South African Azinga Fuzile (14-0, 8) in an IBF world title eliminator. The Tajik, fighting outside of Russia for the first time, is seen as the under-dog but is riding a run of good wins against the likes of Emanuel Lopez, Malcolm Klassen and Robinson Castellnos. Fuzile has looked the part but this appears to be a step up for him against a dangerous and hungry fighter, who will be in the ring looking to cut the ring off and break him down. This has the potential to be an excellent, if low-key, bout between talented fighters each looking to stamp themselves on the division and secure a world title fight. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Tajik born Rakhimov and unbeaten South African Fuzile face off in eliminator! Osaka, Japan In Osaka we have a small but notable Green Tsuda card featuring a female bout in the headliner and two notable supporting bouts. The main event will see the talented Shione Ogata (11-6, 3) fighting in a non-title bout against Filipino foe Gretel De Paz (5-5-1, 2). The talented Ogata, has unified the OPBF, WBO Asia Pacific and WBA Asia female Light Flyweight titles in her last 3 bouts and is quickly approaching a world title fight. Paz is here to make up the numbers and give Ogata a tune up before a bigger bout down the line. Paz has gone 1-4-1 in her last 6, but has proven to be tough and should take Ogata the scheduled 8 rounds here. The all action Aso Ishiwaki (6-2-1, 4) features in one of the support bouts worth talking about. Ishiwaki is no world beater, but is a very exciting, hard hitting fighter and is well worth making a mental note of, especially given he is only 20 years old. Ishiwaki's opponent is 26 year old glass cannon Takuya Matsusaka (8-8, 7), who has only heard the final bell twice in 16 fights. Through his career so far Matsusaka has seen 12 of his bouts end in the first 2 rounds, so expect this one to be very explosive very early. The other bout of note on this card will see the touted Rei Nakajima (1-0) fight in his second pro bout. Sadly Nakajima's opponent hasn't been announced at the time of writing, suggesting a late and limited foreign import, but Nakajima himself is regarded highly in Japan and is tipped to achieve notable success in the professional ranks, Nakajima debuted back in July and looked dominant, so we would certainly suggest fans make a mental note of him here, even if his opponents isn't likely to be much of a test. Tashkent, Uzbekistan In Tashkent we're expecting an Uzbek card stacked with notable names, though at the time of writing only half of the card is actually listed. With no opponents currently listed for the show it's unlikely the card isn't going to be full of competitive match ups, however the card does have a host of notable Uzbek prospects listed for it. These include Olympic 2016 gold medal winner Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (7-1, 4), big punching Middleweight hopeful Ulugbek Khakberdiev (6-0, 4), novice professional Sanjar Tursunov (1-0, 1) and recent World Amateur Championship winner Bakhodir Jalolov (6-0, 6). Samut Prakan, Thailand In Thailand there's set to be a show-case of novices, in low profile bouts from the Blue Arena in Samut Prakan. One of the bouts will be a battle between unbeaten fighters for a national title, as Boonrueang Phayom (2-0, 2) and Tongthep Taeyawong (3-0-1, 3) battle for the vacant Thai Bantamweight title. Little is known about these two fighters, but at 20 years old Boonrueang is the older man, whilst Thongthep is just 16. Notably both of these men have fought twice in recent months, and we do have to wonder, again, what the Thai commission's actually do to try and prevent youngsters from getting injured. Another fighter who is fighting for the second time without much of a break is Nattapong Jankaew (1-0, 1), who debuted back in September 8th. Nattpong will be up against Kittipong Jareonroy (3-3, 1) in a bout for the Interim Thai Super Flyweight title. It's hard to get too excited here, especially given that Kittipong was stopped inside a round by Ryoji Fukunaga back in May. A third title bout will see the unbeaten Pattawee Phansawat (3-0, 3) take on the wonderfully named Mega Daophommachan (0-0), from Laos, in a bout for the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (PAT) International Light Flyweight title. New York, USA
This coming Wednesday we'll see a pair of promising and unbeaten Uzbeks in action in New York. One of the Uzbek's is rising Heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov (5-0, 5), who takes a big step up in class to take on 35 year old American foe Donnie Palmer (10-2-1, 9). The 24 year old Jalolov has stopped his first 5 opponents in a combined 11 rounds but will be hoping to get some rounds under his belt here. It is worth noting however that Joe Joyce stopped Palmer inside a round just over a year ago and it wouldn't be a massive surprise if Jalolov took him out in a similar fashion. On paper Palmer looks like a step up for Jalolov, though it should be noted that Palmer has got a padded record. The other Uzbek on this card is 26 year old Light Middleweight Hurshidbek Normatov (7-0, 3), who takes on Calvin Metcalf (9-1-1, 2). The talented Normatov notched two wins last year, and although not as impressive as Jalolov has been he is still tipped for big things. This is a step up for the Uzbek, though Metcalf has only won 3 of his last 5, including a draw last time out to novice Ethan Cooper. There isn't much Asian action this coming Friday, though we do get the chance to see a couple of amateur standouts progress their professional careers.
Pennsylvania, USA The most notable of the former amateur standouts is Kazakh Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0, 3), who took home a gold medal from the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. He will be looking to continue his development. Originally he was scheduled to face Mexican foe Carlos Jimenez (14-9-1, 8), though Jimenez's team actually worked a deal to face Batyr Jukembayev in Canada on March 16th instead. As a result the Kazakh will take on Silverio Ortiz (37-23, 16) in a much less interesting looking bout. If we're being honest Yeleussinov struggled to shine in his first 3 professional bouts, but his last 2 have shown what he can do, and he now looks like a real rising force, and we're expecting him to really show what he can do again here. Given the short notice and limitations of Ortiz we're expecting a clear win for Yeleussinov, who is expected to lead to his first title bout this coming summer. California, USA Also in action in the US will be Uzbek Heavyweight hopeful Bakhodir Jalolov (4-0, 4), who takes a huge step up in class to take on former WBA Cruiserweight world title challenger Santander Silgado (28-6, 22). Silgado was once 23-0 (18) but has gone 5-6 in his last 11 and been stopped 5 times in his 6 defeats. This is a big step up in class for Jalolov, but should be a step up that he makes without too many issues. October 27th is set to be a busy day, especially in the Philippines where there will be 3 different shows!
Ifugao, Philippines The most notable card being held in Asia this coming Saturday will come from Ifugao and will see one of the top teenage prospects in world boxing look to continue his rise. That teenager is Filipino “Wonder Boy” Carl Jammes Martin (10-0, 9), who looks to make his first defense of the WBA Asia Bantamweight title as he faces off with Korean visitor Moon Chul Suh (5-6-3, 4). The heavy handed Martin won the title back in June, when he stopped George Lumoly in 3 rounds, and is currently riding a 6 fight T/KO run. The Korean has a much less impressive record, but has stopped his last 3 and looks to be a dangerous fighter, even if he's not the most impressive, and he will be looking for the chin of the Filipino youngster. Another prospect on this card will be 16 year old Roy Nagulman (5-0-1, 3), though his opponent hasn't been named at the time of writing. The teenage hopeful debuted at the age of 15, with a draw, but has won his last 6 and will be hoping to continue his winning run here. Cavite, Philippines A second Filipino card will be held in Cavite. The most attractive bout on this card will see the very talented Alphoe Dagayloan (10-2-5-1, 4) take on Rongguo Wu (6-1-2, 2) in a mouth watering clash. The 26 year old Dagayloan proved last time out that he was a fighter developing his man strength, as he stopped Kazakh fighter Madiyar Zhanuzak, and showed he hit hard than his record suggests. Chinese fighter Wu on the other hand is a has goen 8 fights unbeaten, following a KO defeat on debut almost 3 years ago. We see Wu putting up a strong effort but coming up short here In another notable bout fans will see the unbeaten Denmark Quibido (8-0, 5) seek his 4th win of the year. At the time of writing however his opponent has yet to be announced. The unbeaten 22 year old southpaw is a genuinely promising prospect and should be stepped up in the near future, sadly though late notice opponents won't help his development here. One other bout on this card, that looks like a very clear mismatch, will see Roberto Gonzales (27-4, 17) take on Edsil Jungco (3-11-6). Coming in to this Gonzales has lost his last two bouts, both by stoppage, but Jungco shouldn't provide any real threat here. It's worth noting that Edsil has avoided defeat in his last 3 bouts, but with 9 stoppage losses against his name it's clear he can't handle the heat, and we expect Gonzales to take an early win here. Cavite, Philippines Another show from Cavite will be headlined by a fantastic match up between Neil John Tabanao (16-4, 11) and Eduardo Mancito (16-9-2, 9). This 10 round main event should genuinely be a real thriller and both men are better than the records suggest, and both can genuinely hit solidly at domestic level. The tough Tabanao was the last fighter to last the distance with Isaac Dogboe. On the other hand Mancito has competed against the likes of Tomjas Rojas and Satoshi Shimizu, the only two men who have stopped him. The only other bout of note on this card will see Daniel Lim (6-0, 2) battle against Menard Abila (5-6-4, 1) in a 4 rounder. New York, USA Outside of Asia fans will be able to see Uzbek Heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov (2-0, 2) fight in a step up, as he takes on Tyrell Wright (9-2-2, 6). The unbeaten Jalolov is a former amateur standout, having won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Amateur Championships and a gold at the 2017 Asian Championships. He'll be strongly favoured here but Wright is much tougher than Jalolov's first 2 professional opponents. The 31 year old American has never been stopped and has taken unbeaten prospects Jermaine Franklin and George Arias the distance his two losses. Despite being tough it is worth noting that Wright is more than 2 years removed from his last win. Maryland, USA Also in the US will be Kazakh prospect Shyngyskhan Tazhibay (7-0, 2), who looks to record his third win of the year as he faces off with Juan Rodriguez (8-11-1, 6). The unbeaten Kazakh has shown some promise but isn't really being developed with much ambition and his match making, after 3 years in the professional ranks, is disappointing to say the least. Rodriguez has lost 9 of his last 11 and it would be a huge surprise to see him pick up a win here. Rodriguez is tough, but very limit and is likely to lose a clear decision here. Lyubertsy, Russia We'll also get an interesting bout in Russia as Pavel Malikov (13-1, 5) looks to bounce back from a recent loss to Daud Yordan, and battles Filipino Ernie Sanchez (19-12-1, 10) for the vacant Eurasian Boxing Parliament Lightweight title. The once beaten Russian has been in some brilliant fights during his 16 bout career, including his loss Yordan and his 2017 win over Daiki Kaneko, and will be favoured here. Sanchez however is no walk in the park and he gave Evgeny Chuprakov a real test earlier this year and holds a 2017 upset win over Hurricane Futa. Malikov is the bigger man, and should be favoured, but we suspect he will be given a stiffer test than he may expect.  This coming Saturday is an incredibly busy day for Asian fight fans.
Tokyo, Japan We get the show of the day in Tokyo, with the Korakuen Hall hosting a title double header and a really good under-card. The main event sees a trilogy come to a close as Yuko Kuroki (18-5-1, 8) and Saemi Hanagata (14-7-4, 7) fight for the IBF female Atomweight title. So far Hanagata is winning the series, 1-0 due to a draw in their second bout. Since their bouts together both fighters have proven to be world class, with Kuroki holding the the WBC female Minimumweight title for over 3.5 years, whilst Hanagata would hold her own in 3 world title fights but never manage to get the win. Given how competitive their first two bouts were and how both have developed since 2013 we're expecting a very exciting contest with a lot of leather being thrown between two fighters who know each other very well. - A full preview of this bout can be read here Kuroki looks to settle the score with third bout against Hanagata! The second title bout on this card promises fire works as heavy handed OPBF Minimumweight champion Tsubasa Koura (13-0, 9) takes on talented youngster Daiki Tomita (12-0, 4). The champion will be looking to record his third defenses of the title, following very good wins over Masataka Taniguchi and Norihito Tanaka, and this promises to be another very tough test. Tomita, the 2016 All Japan Rookie of the Year has had a frustrating time since his Rookie win, being matched against some very poor opponents and having one fight cancelled, but he is a talent and should give Tomita a lot of questions to answer. A full preview of this bout can be read here Unbeaten men Koura and Tomita collide for OPBF honours! The leading support bout will see hard hitting Japanese Flyweight prospect Masamichi Yabuki (7-2, 7) take on Panamanian based Cuban Daniel Matellon (7-0-2, 4). The Japanese puncher has only gone beyond 2 rounds once in his career, a 4 round decision loss to Junto Nakatani, and he is naturally very heavy handed. On the other hand Matellon is a world ranked fighter with real skills, but he will be the smaller man here. This will put power against speed, and should be a very compelling contest. Former OPBF Featherweight champion Ryo Takenaka (16-3-1, 9) will be returning to the ring following his title loss, in June 2017, as he takes on the always testing Vergil Puton (17-10-1, 8). The talented Takenaka was going through a solid run run when he was the OPBF champion, making 3 defenses of the title, before losing via KO to Sa Myung Noh last year. On his return he will be moving up in weight to face Puton. The Filipino visitor doesn't have a great looking record, and has failed to win in his last 3 bouts, but he's tough and has proven to be a very good opponent at this type of regional level. Takenaka should be able to win, but this is a tough return for the man from the Misako gym. Another really notable under-card bout on this card will see the all action Kenya Yamashita (12-4, 9) take a huge step up in class to face off with former world title challenger John Mark Apolinario (20-11-3, 5) in a Bantamweight bout. The exciting, but flawed, Yamashita has often been in some thrilling contests, but has shown issues with his chin and has lost 3 of his last 7 inside the distance. On the other hand Apolinario has won just twice in the last 30 months, with 5 losses in that same time period. Singapore, Singapore As well as the big show in Japan there is also a very notable card in Singapore, with two title bouts and several other bouts of note. The main event of the card will see unbeaten local Muhamad Ridhwan (11-0, 8) take on former world champion Paulus Ambunda (26-2, 11) in a contest for the IBO Super Bantamweight title. The unbeaten Ridhwan, regarded as Singapore's biggest hope, has already noted two wins this year and his team will be seeing this as a logical step up in class. As for Ambunda this is probably his last chance saloon, and at the age of 38 it's hard to see where he would go if he lost here. Saying that however Ambunda has only lost to world class fighters, Tomoki Kameda and Moises Flores, and he could well have one final performance left in him. Another major bout on this card will see Filipino Bantamweight contender Michael Dasmarinas (28-2, 19) face off against Ghanaian puncher Manyo Plange (17-0, 15). Coming in to this Dasmarinas has won his last 10, with 8 stoppages, including a big victory over Karim Guerfi last time out. Not much is known about Plange, however this will be his first bout outside of Ghana, and will be a massive step up in class for him. In another title bout Malaysian fighter Muhammad Meeraj (8-2-1, 4) will take on teenager Natthawut Masamin (7-3, 5). The 28 year old Meeraj has won his last 2 bouts, including a win that saw him become the WBC Asian Boxing Council Light Heavyweight champion. He will be defeating that title here against his Thai foe. Masamin, the Thai Middleweight champion, has a very misleading record and gave Yuki Nonaka real issues earlier this year. We think Meeraj should have the size to win, but this is no gimme and could be a very tough contest to call. In a potentially fan friendly contest fans will see Keng Fai Hui (4-0-1, 4) take on Abdelelah Karroum (3-0, 3). Both men have a reputation for being heavy handed and it seems likely that both will come out swinging here. Hui, a 23 year old from Malaysia, was held to a draw last time out, against Alexander David. Karroum on the other hand is a Singaporean based French born fighter who has stopped his first 3 opponents in a combined 4 rounds. Expected explosive action here! Taipei, Taiwan History is set to be made in Taiwan as the country hosts it's most notable show in history, with a couple of title fights in Taipei. The main event of the card will see teak tough Japanese Super Feather Takuya Watanabe (34-8-1, 19) take on Thai foe Paiboon Lorkham (19-10, 8), aka Maxsaisai Sithsaithong, fight for the OPBF Silver Super Featherweight. Although his record doesn't show it Watanabe is a very talented fighter who has mixed at a very good level, losing to the likes of Masayuki Ito, Satoshi Hosono, Jae Sung Lee and Hisashi Amagasa. Although a talented boxer Watanabe is best known for his insane toughness, which saw him fight through a crimson mask against Lee for almost the entire fight. The Thai is much less well established, despite being 39 years old. His most notable bout to date have been losses to the likes of Hisashi Amagasa, AJ Banal and Joel Brunker, and they were all several years ago. Lorkham at his best might have been an interesting test for Watanabe, but this version or Lorkham is little more than body for Watanabe to beat in the main event of the show. The other title fight will see Chinese fighter Wensi Huang (9-3-1, 3) take on Thai foe Jutamas Jitpong (4-2, 2) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental female Super Flyweight title. The 29 year old Huang lost 3 of her first 6 bouts, including a contest against Ji Hye Woo, though has since gone unbeaten, albeit against dreadful opposition. Aged 20 the Thai is the younger fighter by far, but she has also come up short, losing to Yuko Henzan and Olga Gurova. This is a very limited match up, but does give the fans in Taipei a chance to see a female title bout, as well as the male one. California, USA Over in the US we get the chance to see once beaten Filipino prospect Romero Duno (17-1, 14) look to build on his growing reputation. The 22 year old Filipino fighter will be up against Mexican foe Ezequiel Aviles (16-2-3, 6), who will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time. It's worth noting that Aviles has only been stopped once in 21 bouts, but that loss was last time out, when Oliver Quintana stopped him in 10 rounds. It's also worth noting that Aviles has also been out of the ring for over a year following that loss The card will also set to feature the debut of Uzbek prospect Elnur Abduraimov (0-0), though his opponent hasn't yet been announced. New York, USA Staying in the US fans in Brooklyn, New York, will be able to see Uzbek Heavyweight hopeful Bakhodir Jalolov (1-0, 1) continue his career. The highly touted Jalolov, a former amateur standout, will be up against Thomas Hawkins (4-3-0-1, 1) who has lost his last 3 and is without a win in over 4 years. Given how we have seen Uzbek fighters handled we're hoping this will be Jalolov's last bout at this level before he goes up against someone who can test him. He's too good to spend time against fighters like Hawkins. |
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