April 5th-Alimkhanuly looks to defend, Yamanaka looks to unify against Rupprecht and a lot more!4/1/2025  This coming Saturday is a really hectic day of action across Asia, with numerous shows, and some very big fights featuring Asian fighters.
Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan The biggest show, by some margin, is in Kazakhstan where we get a unified world champion defending his titles, and several strong supporting bouts as Kazakhstan put on their biggest show of the year, The main event will see IBF and WBO Middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11) defending his title against unbeaten challenger Anauel Ngamissengue (14-0, 9), a French based Congolese born fighter who has really got this shot by virtue of the division being hilariously weak. Coming into this the Middleweight division is a legitimate mess, with no one really standing out, and despite holding two world titles Alimkhanuly really hasn’t had a statement win, and in fairness there really isn’t many fighters at 160lbs who would allow him to change that. Sadly for the champion a win over Ngamissengue won’t change that, despite the unbeaten record. Ngamissengue has fought just 3 bouts scheduled for more than 6 rounds, his most notable win is an 8 round win over Fiodor Czerkaszyn in Poland, and he has done nothing to merit a world title fight. Despite the bout really being a mismatch, it does give Kazakh fans a world title bout, something they don’t get many of, and it allows Alimkhnauly his first bout at home in almost 8 years. In a much better bout, at least on paper, the unbeaten Sultan Zaurbek (19-0, 13) is set for a genuine test as he takes on former world title challenger Azinga Fuzile (18-2, 12) in a really good bout. Zaurbek, who is now 28, has long promised to be a star, but has had frustrating performance and lacks a clear standout win, beating lots of solid fighters but no one that pushed him towards a world title. A win here, however, would set him up for a world level bout, and legitimately be a breakout win for him. As for Fuzile, the talented, slippery and accurate South African is a real handful who has only been beaten by Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov and Kenichi Ogawa, in a world title eliminator and world title bout respectively. He is no push over, and has a lot of tricks in the locker, tricks that Zaurbek will need to answer if he’s to come out on top. Other bouts of note on this card include Batyrzhan Jukembayev (23-1-0-2, 17) facing off with Kane Gardner (17-4, 7) and Otabek Kholmatov (12-1, 11) taking on Jason Canoy Manigos (30-12-2, 20). Both Jukembayev and Kholmatov have only been beaten at world level, and both of them will be hoping to secure another world title bout in the near future. For Jukembayev he was broken down by Subriel Matias in 2021 and has reeled off 5 wins since then, and knows if he keeps that winning streak going he will land another title bout, and he will be expected to pick up an easy win here. As for Kholamtov, he’s in with a durable Filipino fighter, who will take him rounds, but should be looking to shake some ring rust before moving towards a second world title fight following his late TKO loss to Raymond Ford in early 2024. Canoy is the perfect foe for him here, and we’d expect Kholmatov to be right back in the title mix by the end of the year. MBS Arena, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany On the subject of world level bouts, it’s not just Alimkhanuly fighting at the highest level, but also Germany’s triple champion Tina Rupprecht (14-1-1, 3) and Japan’s Sumire Yamanaka (8-0, 3), who fight to crown and undisputed Atomweight champion. Coming into the the once beaten Rupprecht is the WBA, WBC and WBO champion having unified the 3 titles with a win last year over Eri Matsuda, whilst Yamanaka holds the IBF title, which she won over a year ago and has yet to defend. This is expected to be a high level, high tempo bout between two of the best in the division, in what will almost certainly be over-looked by those who don’t make an effort to follow female boxing, but really should. Sadly for Yamanaka this will be her first bout outside of Japan, her first bout in over a year, and a notable step up in class, which doesn’t bode well for her chances, especially not in Germany against someone as good as Rupprecht. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan We get more title action in Tokyo, as we get a brilliant OPBF title fight and several other bouts of note. The main event will see the heavy handed Yamato Hata (16-2, 15) defending his OPBF Super Featherweight title against rugged veteran Takuya Watanabe (41-13-2, 22), in a really good looking bout. Hata, who is looking for his first defense, enters this bout on the back of 4 straight wins, all inside the distance, and has stopped 5 of his last 6. He’s heavy handed, but naturally heavy handed, and his power works well behind his decent boxing, as opposed to him fighting like a crude slugger. Watanabe, despite 13 losses, is a true veteran, who belongs at this level, and has long been something of a regional level gatekeeper, with high toughness, desire and work rate always making him a fun fighter to watch, just as we saw last year when he lost to Mickey Roman in a real burner. This is Hata’s power against Watanabe’s toughness in what should make for a great fight. Other bouts on this card include a bout between former IBF Super Featherweight world champion Kenichi Ogawa (29-2-1-1, 20) take on Melchor Roda (9-4, 6), in what looks like little more than a stay busy fight for Ogawa, who should be facing better opponents than Roda, even in a stay busy or tune up contest. Ogawa, despite being stopped in his first world title defense, is a very solid boxer-puncher, and should be facing good regional level fighters, not someone as limited as Roda. Other bouts on this card include Kento Uchigamae (4-2, 1) taking on Korean Dong Hoon Jang (7-0, 3) and the unbeaten Junya Shimada (7-0-1, 2) clashing with Taison Mukaiyama (9-5, 5) in what should be very solid match ups, unlike the Ogawa bout. Showa Sports Center, Nagoya, Japan Over in Nagoya we get a card with a second generation fighter looking to get his career back on track after a recent loss, and that is Kento Hatanaka (15-1, 10) who looks to bounce back from his August 2024 loss to Thananchai Charunphak, who showed how good he was in a very close WBA world title bout against Seigo Yuri Akui. Hatanaka, the son of former world champion Kiyoshi Hatanaka, will be up against experienced Filipino traveller Wilbert Berondo (17-8-2, 6) in what should be a good bout for Hatanaka’s development. “Prince” Hatanaka has long been a notable prospect, but has shown lots of flaws that haven’t yet been ironed out. Berondo, although no world beater, has the tools to give a guy like Hatanaka tough rounds, ask questions and take the best he has to offer. This should be, a good 10 rounder with Hatanaka forced to dig to win. He should win, but we expect he’ll have to work hard for the win. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan Another Japanese card with some solid looking action comes from Sakai City, where we get 4 bouts of some note, featuring some very promising young fighters. The main event of this show will see the hard hitting Ryuya Tsugawa (13-2, 9) take on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (18-10-2, 10). This will be Tsugawa's first bout since losing in a very competitive Japanese title bout against Toshiki Shimomachi in September, and it’s hard to imagine anything other than a one sided bout here, given the way Tsugawa lost to Shimomachi and his power, aggression and skills. Demecillo is rugged, tough, and knows how to survive, but has typically been fighting at Super Flyweight and Bantamweight and is now up against a very dangerous Super Bantamweight. Demecillo will be required to show his toughness here, but it’s hard to see how he can make the bout competitive. The chief support bout on this card is another Japan Vs Philippines bout, as the unbeaten Kaishu Harada (6-0, 2) faces Alfred Deano (13-1-1, 10). The 24 year old Harada is ranked by both the JBC and OPBF and looks to be someone going places, despite a relative lack of power. He is skilled, accurate, has a very accurate straight left and throws some lovely combinations. Deano on the other hand is a power puncher, with real danger in his hands. Dubbed the "Destroyer" Deano has stopped 10 opponents in 13 fights, with 7 wins in the first 2 rounds. He did lose last time out, but it was a very close split decision in China to ZhiGang Zhang, and many felt he was unlucky to lose that. Thai really could be something very special, between two men with very different styles Another noteworthy bout on this card will see former WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight champion Daiki Tomita (18-2-1, 6) climbs all the way up to Bantamweight to take on Daichi Hirai (9-5, 1). Tomita, who won the WBO AP title title way back in 2019 before losing it in his first defense against Kenichi Horikawa, is unbeaten since 2020, though has been out of the ring since a draw in 2022 with Rikito Shiba, and it'll be interesting to see what he's like after a long break, and with the move up in weight. As for Hirai he has had really mixed results going 4-4 in his last 8, dating back to 2022, and whilst he can score upsets, as he did against Riku Yamashita and Seong Yeong Tang, he has also come up short against Ryosuke Nasu and Taichi Sugimoto, and for an opponent at Bantamweight he might well have the perfect style for Tomita to over-come in a high tempo, though technical, contest. One final bout of interest here will see the limited but very fun to watch Shunsuke Hamada (6-6-1, 3) face off with unbeaten South Korean Ro Jun Seo (7-0, 2). The 26 year old Hamada is aggressive, and comes to fight, though is limited, has defensive flaws, and has been stopped in 2 of his last 4 bouts. He's not a world beater, but he is fan friendly, and makes for good action bouts. Seo on the other hand is 27, and started hsi career more than 7 years ago, before taking a 6 year break. He returned to the ring last year, took a narrow win over Su Jin Bang, and is looking to build on that victory here. He’s lacking power, with his last stoppage coming way back in 2018 in his third bout, but that should lead to a very fun fight given Hamada’s aggressiveness. City Plaza Yayoinokaze Hall, Izumi, Osaka, Japan We also get another small show in Izumi, with Senboku Promotions putting on a show that has a few interesting lower level domestic bouts. The card doesn’t have a stand out bout, but does have some good domestic clashes. The most notable of those Super Featherweights bouts between Taketo Yamahara (4-2, 2) and Kenta Maki (6-4-1,4), and Shido Arai (8-5-1, 4) and Kazuki Iwasaki (2-2, 1). None of the 4 men are expected to go far, but both of these are well matched 8 rounders, likely to go the distance, and likely to be very well contested. Of the 4 Maki is probably the best, and the most dangerous, but his potential certainly seems to be a long, long away from a domestic title.
0 Comments
ProBox TV Events Center, Plant City, Florida, USA
The ProBox events have been of the best things in boxing over the last few years, regularly giving us great match ups, against B and C tier fighters who have been struggling to secure notable fights, either lacking the name to draw an offer or being high-risk/low reward fighters that promoters don’t want their want their fighters to face. It’s been a breath of fresh air and not only have they been well matched bouts, but also exciting clashes, with fighters who are not just evenly matched, but also stylistically interesting. This Wednesday we get another ProBox show and like the others it’s a card that should over deliver, and be much more than the sum of it’s parts. For us the most notable bout on the card is the 10 round clash pitting the once beaten Canadian based Kazakh fighter Batyrzhan Jukembayev (22-1-0-2, 16) takes on US based Ukrainian fighter Ivan Redkach (24-6-1-1, 19). Both of these men are on the back end of their career, with Redkach being 38 and with only 1 win since a 2019 win over Devon Alexander. At his best he was a fringe world challenger, though did often fall short against the notable opponents he faced. He’s never been a bad fighter, but was never a top tier fighter, and has slipped notably from his prime. As for Jukembayev, he’s 33 himself and is certainly not the fighter he once was, though he has bounced back really well since his 2021 loss to Subriel Matias, in what was a world title eliminator. We’re not expecting this to be one of the best ProBox bouts, but it will tell us whether or not Jukembayev has enough in the tank to remain a contender, or whether his best years are behind him.  Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The main focus for us this coming Friday is Uzbekistan, as Matchroom put on their second Uzbek card, and it's an interesting one with a great main event and several other bouts worthy of attention. The main event is a world title eliminator at 154lbs as unbeaten, and highly touted, Uzebekistani fighter Israil Madrimov (7-0, 5) takes a huge step up in class and takes on the skilled and experienced French fighter Michel Soro (35-2-1, 24). Madrimov has been put on the fact track since turning professional in 2018 and despite some wobbles recently, notably in a tough one against Eric Walker last year, he has looked like a very special fighter. Albeit one that looks bored at times and looks like he is trying to entertain himself against lesser opponents. Soro on the other hand is a perennial contender who has one of the best resumes of any active fighter to have never won a legitimate world title. Aged 34 Soro won't get many, if any, more chances if he loses here and we suspect to see him put it all on the line here in what could be a really sensational 12 rounder. Sadly we're not sure either man would have the tools to dethrone WBA champion Jermell Charlo, but as a stand alone bout, this one is a very, very interesting one and the winner would, rightfully, deserve a shot at the champion. In one of the main supporting bouts we'll see Olympic silver medal winner Shakhram Giyasov (11-0, 9) take on the tricky and awkward Cristian Rafael Coria (29-8-2, 13), in what should be a much tougher bout than it looks on paper. Giyasov, dubbed the "Wonder Boy", is a talented fighter but one who has shown some cracks during his professional career, and is certainly a work in progress. Saying that however he's talented, heavy handed, accurate and has the tools to go all the way to the top, in the future. We still feel he needs some seasoning, but he certainly has what's needed to be a champion. Coria on the other hand is a 39 year old journeyman who constantly looks for the upset, having given Hiroki Okada hell in 2018 and beaten Joel Diaz Jr in 2019. He was stopped last time out, by the awkward Alberto Puello, but he's tough and will be looking to make Giyasov pay for his numerous errors. Another very notably fight in this card will be the return of Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6), who looks to bounce back from his upset loss to Gabe Rosado. Interesting Melikuziev isn't being matched mega softly here, and instead of taking on a patsy after such a brutal KO loss he's up against the capable Sergei Ekimov (18-3, 9), who has never been stopped and pushed recent world title challenger Umar Salamov close in his most recent bout. This shouldn't be a problem for Melikuziev, but we suspect he will have to go rounds and this should serve him well given the loss to Rosado. There also a number of other touted hopefuls on this card, such as 2016 Olympic gold medal winner Hasanboy Dusmatov (3-0, 3), who takes on tough Mexican journeyman Jose Rivas (18-12-4, 10). On paper this is a mismatch, but Rivas has only been stopped twice with the most recent of those coming to Jose Argumedo more than 6 years ago. He should extend Dusmatov a few rounds. Likewise we expect to see Elnur Abduraimov (7-0, 6) have to work for a win over Filipino Jhon Gemino (22-12-1, 12), whilst former amateur standouts Ikboljon Kholdarov (1-0, 1) and Dilshodbek Ruzmetov (0-0) should both be taking home very easy wins as they they begin their professional journey's, and they are two men who have the potential to go very far, very fast. Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada In Canada we'll see the talented Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1-0-2, 14) look to bounce back from his thrilling loss to Subriel Matias, back in May. The exciting Canadian based Kazakh showed lots to like there against one of the true dangermen at 140lbs, and will be given a chance to get a confidence building win here as he takes on limited Mexican Juan Jose Martinez (28-10, 20). It's fair to say that Jukembayev isn't world class, but he's certainly someone who can mix with the top 10 type of fighters and hopefully after this bout we see him mixing at a good level again in the new year. Vysotsky Sports Palace, Samara, Russia Over in Russia we'll see a couple of low level bouts with Central Asian fighters in action, playing the B-sides. On such bout will see 25 year old Russian hopeful Rokhman Akhmetkhanov (2-0, 2) look to continue his impressive start to live as a professional boxer as he takes on Alexandr Zhuravskiy (13-8-1, 11), of Kazakhstan. Akhmetkhanov made his debut in March, has just 3 rounds to his name, but already looks like a genuine handful at Middleweight or Super Middleweight, and has two solid wins to his name. At his best Zhuravskiy was a tough, durable, reliable test for fighters, though he is now looking a bit shot and past his best. We expect Akhmetkhanov to win, but if he scores another quick win here it's going to be very, very hard to get him rounds over the next year or two. A similar match up to the one above will see Chingiz Natyrov (2-0, 2), another hard hitting Russian hopeful, take on veteran Rauf Aghayev (33-12, 15), from Afghanistan. The 29 year old Natyrov looked tremendous last year, when he picked up two wins in the space of a few weeks including a stoppage of Oleksandr Hryshchuk, but with more than a year out of the ring he'll be hoping to get some rounds in here and move on to bigger things in 2022. The 38 year old Aghayev has amazingly fought 8 times this year! Though has sadly been stopped in 3 of those, and would be shocked if he avoided another stoppage loss here against someone as good as Natyrov. A third bout of interest to us on this card will see Russian based Kazakh Ilya Ochkin (6-2, 2) look to bounce back from his 2020 blow out loss to Magomed Kurbanov, as he takes on Azeri fighter Elvin Akhundzada (4-8, 2). Coming in to this Akhundzada has been stopped very early in his last 3, and has lost 8 in a row. We do not expect him to put up much of an effort, but it'll be good to see Ochkin back in the ring after a length break from action, and after such a loss last time out.  This coming Saturday is set to be a solid, if somewhat overlooked, day with two world title fights, a notable unbeaten Kazakh in the biggest fight of his career and a show in Uzbekistan.
Nakhon Sawan, Thailand the earliest of the action comes from Thailand, where we'll see long reigning WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (21-0, 7) defending his "Super" title against fellow Thai Pongsaklek Sithdabnij (23-6-1, 13) in what looks likely to be little more than a stay busy defense for Knockout. The talented yet highly frustrating, world champion is a man who could, and probably should, do so much more in the ring. He's probably the best in the division, but his performances often leave us feeling under-whelmed. Here his challenger will be a naturally bigger man, but also a man who is cruder, slower and more open. We suspect Knockout will win this one based on his extra class, and nous, but don't expect to be impressed by a man who needs renaming "Unanimous Decision CP Freshmart" sooner rather than later. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Knockout returns after more than a year out to defend WBA Super title! Dignity Health Sports Park , Carson, California, USA Thankfully we're expecting a much, much better world title bout in the US later in the day on a card that features a couple of notable Asian names. Before we get to the world title fight on this show we'll talk about one of the supporting bouts, as it's a brilliant match up pitting unbeaten Kazakh Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-0-0-2, 14) against bit punching Puerto Rican Subriel Matias (16-1, 16), in what could be a bit of a show stealer. Jukembayev has been wanting a big fight for years, and the technically sound boxer-puncher, who has been based in Canada, very much seems like the type of fighter who needs a big chance to show what he can really do. Matias on the other hand is a very dangerous fighter, who has seriously heavy hands, but can be outboxed. We expect this one to start pretty technically but break down into an all put war of attrition in the later rounds. After the Jukembayev bout we'll then see WBC Bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali (17-0, 12) take on mandatory challenger Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26), with Donaire looking to add one more title to his amazing legacy. Originally this bout was supposed to take place late last year, but due to Covid19 the bout was cancelled, and as a result both men have now been out of the ring for well over a year. In fact the last time the men fought, they shared a card in Japan, which saw Oubaali beat Takuma Inoue and Donaire lose to Naoya Inoue. On paper this is one of the most interesting bouts the Bantamweight division will give us any time soon, and it's a chance for Oubaali to face a genuine legend of the ring, and a chance for Donaire to prove his performance against the "Monster" wasn't just a last hurrah. Whilst neither man has fought recently we are still expecting a brilliant match up here, and the winner could be in line for a major unification bout towards the end of the year with Naoya Inoue. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Oubaali faces Donaire in WBC mandatory title bout! Universal Sport Hall, Tashkent, Uzbekistan As well as the higher level action there is also a show set to take place in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. This is a small card, but a pretty interesting one all the same. The main event will see professional novice Islombek Pirmanov (2-0, 2) take a huge step up in class as he takes on experienced Afghan fighter Rauf Aghayev (31-7, 14), in a bout for the WBC CIS and Slovac Boxing Bureau (CISBB) Super Bantamweight title. Pirmanov only made his debut this past February and has fought just 7 professional rounds so this is a hugely dangerous step up for him. As for Aghayev the 37 year old "Lion" has been a professional since 2010, and has a good looking record, though is the naturally smaller man and a lot of padding to his record. On paper this is a big ask for Pirmanov but it's fair to say that he will be the favourite here. Also on this card are promising prospects Abdulkhamid Khakimov (6-0, 4), Shukrulla Vokhidov (6-0, 4) and Bekhruz Rakhmonov (0-0). All three were solid amateur fighters and this will be a chance for all three to take a step forward with their careers. None are set to be matched hard, but given how early in their careers all three men hard the key is for them to pick up wins and develop their skills. Something all 3 should be able to do here. Quebec, Canada
This coming Saturday our focus turns to Canada, for the first time this year, as unbeaten Kazakh hopeful Batyrzhan Jukembayev (17-0-0-1,13) kicks off his 2020. The unbeaten Kazakh hasn't yet had his opponent for the bout confirmed, though was originally scheduled to face Argentina's Maximiliano Ricardo Veron (12-3-1, 4). Sadly Veron failed to secure a visa and will be replaced, though at the time of writing the replacement hasn't been announced. Despite the late change we still expect to see Jukembayev defending his WBA Continental Americas and IBF Inter-Continental titles for the first time, as he looks to move one step closer to a world title fighter. This is another frustrating step in the career of the unbeaten Kazakh, and it's the second time one of his opponents has had to be replaced late due to visa issues. Quebec, Canada
Our attention turns to Canada this Thursday for a card featuring a trio of Canadian based Kazakh's all looking to maintain their unbeaten records and move their careers forward. The most notable of the Kazakh trio is the hard hitting Batyrzhan Jukembayev (16-0-0-2, 13) who isn't just the most notable of the Kazakh's on the card, but also the one in with the biggest test. The hard hitting Jukembayev will be up against former IBF Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (41-8, 15), who could ask really serious questions of Jukembayev. At his best Vazquez was an avoided fighter, even when he held a world title, but in recent years he has become a popular gate keeper and has found himself in with a list of prospects and contenders, and often given them a very good test. For Jukembayev this is a big step up, and a win could move him into the title mix however we would be massively surprised if he wasn't pushed hard here and really forced to dig deep to get past the experienced Mexican. Another interesting looking match up will see the power puncher Nurzat Sabirov (10-0, 9) take on the experienced Bruno Sandoval (20-3-1, 16) The 25 year old Sabirov has stopped his last 4, and on paper they have looked like good wins, but we still have a lot of questions left to answer about the unbeaten man.On paper Sandoval is another opponent who looks good on paper, but is 2-2-1 in his last 5, including a loss in 2016 to Ryota Murata, he's a natural Middleweight, he's been out of the ring for almost a year, and he's 0-2 outside of Mexico. A good bit of match making on paper, but we suspect we'll get no new answers in regards to how good Sabirov really is. The third Kazakh on this card is the least well know, and that's Aman Kazankapov (0-0-1), who fought to a draw on his debut earlier this year. The 21 year old Kazakh will be hoping for a much easier night as he takes on Mexican Jesus Arriaga (2-1, 1), but this is no gimme and Arriaga could well play the role of human banana skin. Arriaga came close to upsetting Abraham Juarez in May and is not a push over. A tough assignment for the Kazakh youngster. Tokyo, Japan As well as the Kazakh action in Canada we also get some Rookie of the Year action in Japan, as the East Japan Rookie of the Year tournament takes it's next step forward. On paper the pick of the bouts on this card will see Tetsuya Kondo (4-1, 3) clash with Jin Sasaki (6-0, 5) in a Lightweight bout. The 22 year old Kondo lost on debut, almost 2 years ago, but has turned his career around with 4 straight wins. The 18 year old Sasaki on the other hand turned pro just over a year ago and has been a little wrecking ball since. Sasaki has only heard the final bell once, and that was with his latest opponent Hikaru Sato. We are expecting fireworks here. Another decent looking bout will see Kosuke Ando (5-1, 3) and Yuki Kajitani (2-1, 2), clash in a Light Flyweight bout. Kajitani lost on his debut in February, but has stopped both of his opponents since, whilst Ando has been a professional for over 3 years, but has had a stop start career and a win here could help him get some momentum into his career, some thing he desperately needs. Belfast, Northern Ireland
The most notable bout with an Asian this coming Friday comes from Belfast and sees a Filipino battle former Bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett (19-1, 9). The last time we saw Burnett we saw him injuring himself in a WBSS bout with Nonito Donaire, ending his dreams of winning the WBSS. Here we see Burnett move up to Super Bantamweight where he will face Jelbirt Gomera (14-5, 7), a Filipino journeyman looking for his first win outside of the Philippines. Gomera has mixed in good company, losing to the likes of Mark Anthony Geraldo, Hidenori Otake and Can Xu, and we expect to see him suffer another loss here. For Gomera this is the perfect time to take on on Burnett, who has been injured and had time way from the ring, but Gomera is unlikely to ever be good enough to beat the very talented Belfast man. Quebec, Canada In Canada we'll see Kazakh born hopeful Batyrzhan Jukembayev (15-0-0-2, 12) battle against limited Mexican foe Luis Jesus Vidales (13-6,6). The talented, and hard hitting, Jukembayev has been reportedly unhappy with his match making and progress, and a bout like this is unlikely to please him. Jukembayev should be mixing with fringe world ranked fighters and gatekeepers, but Vidales is a limited fighter who has lost 2 of his last 3 and doesn't seem to be a step in the right direction for Jukembayev. Christchurch, New Zealand Another bout worthy of some note will take place in New Zealand and will see Australian based Filipino veteran Jack Asis (38-21-5, 19) take on the once beaten Bowyn Morgan (19-1-0-1, 9). The 35 year old Asis is a long way removed from the fighter who was once 21-18-4 (10) but he is showing signs of being on the slide. Morgan on the other hand is unbeaten in his last 12, but lacks notable wins with his best coming against Gunnar Jackson. Although Morgan has yet to really shine we suspect his natural size advantage will be a gut factor here and he should over-come the Filipino.  Gifu, Japan
The biggest show this coming Saturday comes from Gifu where we'll be getting a highly anticipated WBO Flyweight world title fight as well as bouts featuring a number of notable Japanese fighters, including 2 promising prospects and a former national title challenger. For fans outside of Japan wanting to watch this show it will be streamed live on our homepage! The main event of the card will see WBO Flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka (12-0, 7) make his first defense. The champion, who won the title in the 2018 Fight of the Year against Sho Kimura, will be up against former unified Light Flyweight champion Ryoichi Taguchi (27-3-2, 12). These two had sought to fight when both were campaigning at Light Flyweight, though injuries to Tanaka scuppered those plans. Since then both have moved up and we're now really looking forward to what could be a 2019 Fight of the Year contender. Our full preview of this bout can be read here "The Fate hangs in the balance Kosei Tanaka and Ryoichi Taguchi face off!" The chief support bout will see unbeaten youngster Kento Hatanaka (7-0, 7) making his first defense of the WBC Youth Flyweight title, as he takes on Thai visitor Songsaeng Phoyaem (6-1, 1). This will be Hatanaka's first defense of the title, and the expectation on "Prince" Hatanaka is huge given his performances so far and the success of his father, a former world champion. The Thai has won his last 5 bouts and is riding some momentum, but did lose in his only previous bout in Japan, being stopped in 4 rounds by Dynamic Kenji back in 2017. Another Japan Vs Thailand bout will see the once beaten Takuya Mizuno (15-1-1, 13) take on a Thai opponent. Mizuno will be looking to move through the rankings this year on to bigger and better fights and is currently riding an 8 fight winning run, including notable domestic wins over Noboru Osato and Yuki Iriguchi. He will be expecting to extend that winning run here. Former 2-time Japanese Bantamweight title challenger Yushi Tanaka (21-2-3, 14) will be taking on Chinese foe Yougu Yu (5-1-2, 2) in what looks like a straight forward bout for the Japanese fighter, despite the fact he has been out of the ring since September 2017. Tanaka, no relation to Kosei, is a talented fighter who's losses have come to Kentaro Masuda and Ryo Akaho, and this looks like a bout to ease him back into things before bigger bouts down the line. For Yu this will be his first bout since getting a gift draw in December against Yuya Nakamura, in an entertaining bout, but one he seemed to clearly lose. A second Japan Vs China bout will see the unbeaten Koshin Takeshima (2-0, 2) battle against Chinese visitor Jian Wang (7-1-1, 2), who was involved in a real thriller earlier this year with Korean Seong Yeong Yang. It's hard not to think this will be an all action fight, and it's a great step up in class for Takeshima, who will be taking on a foe expected to last a few rounds with him here. Jakarta, Indonesia As well as the action in Japan there will also be a card in Indonesia, with a couple of UBO minor title bouts on it. One of those title bouts will see veteran Roy Tua Manihuruk (19-19-2, 15) take on 42 year old Thai foe Vachayan Khamon (11-25-1, 4), aka Suor Carryboy, for the UBO Inter Continental Light Welterweight title. This isn't a mouth watering match up, but given the limitations of both fighters it should be somewhat interesting. A second title bout will see Moensaku Yor (5-5-1, 3) take on Artid Bamrungauea (22-25, 20) for the UBO International Super Bantamweight title. Yor has lost his last 3 by stoppage, including an opening round blow out loss to Ari Agustian. The Thai is a 34 year old who has lost every bout against a notable name, and would need one of his career best performances to pick up a win here. Quebec, Canada As well as the notable bouts in Asia there are also a couple of central Asian fighters in action in Canada. Unbeaten Kazakh Batyrzhan Jukembayev (14-0-0-2, 12) has seemingly repaired bridges with his promoter and manager, after a public falling out, and will battle against Mexican fighter Carlos Jimenez (14-9-1, 8). Jimenez, and his manager, are said to have agreed terms to fight different opponents, with Jimenez being announced as fighting Daniyar Yeleussinov on March 15th before actually being confirmed for this bout a day later. Jimenez is a great opponent at this point for Jukembayev and should be the best out of the Kazakh. The other Kazakh on this show is Nurzat Sabirov (8-0, 7), who takes on Argentinian journeyman Cesar Hernan Reynoso (15-11-4, 7). The 25 year old Sabirov impressed last year, scoring 4 wins including a notable one over Rocky Montoya in November. Big things are expected from Sabirov, though this is a step up, and Reynoso has been in with some notable names, including Callum Smith and Martin Fidel Rios. This should be a clear win for Sabirov, but we don't expect an early blow out. Texas, USA Staying in North America we'll get the US debut of Azeri fighter Rauf Aghayev (26-6, 11) who goes up against talented American teenager Jesse Rodriguez (8-0, 4). The American youngster is a real talent and we'd expect to see him becoming a star in the future. Sadly for Aghayev we don't see this ending well for him, despite the fact he is the more experienced and naturally bigger man. California, USA Yet more action in North America for Asian fighters will see Kazakh Sagadat Rakhmankul (3-1, 1) look to bounce back from a recent loss to Nicklaus Flaz as he takes on Brandon Adams (4-7-1, 2). Although he lost last time out Rakhmankul is touted as a very solid prospect and it will be very interesting to see how he bounces back here. Queensland, Australia There will also be a fight in Australia, as Filipino fighter Glenn Enterina (14-4-1, 9) takes on the unbeaten Jacob Ng (9-0, 7) in a bout for the IBF Youth Lightweight title. On paper Ng, an Australian fighter, should be favoured but Enterina has mixed with good company, with loses to the likes of Masayuki Ito and Mark Urvanov.  Pak Kret, Thailand
The main action this coming Saturday is from Thailand of all places, as ONE Championship put on a card that will feature a major boxing world title fight. That bout will see WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (46-4-1, 41) defending his belt against Mexican challenger Iran Diaz (14-2-3, 6). The champion, who is now a sporting hero in Thailand, will be making his third defense of the title that he won in March 2017 when he upset Roman Gonzalez. Since then he has beaten Gonzalez in a second bout, Juan Franisco Estarada and fought a stay busy bout against Young Gil Bae, this is however a serious chance to impress on a show that isn't aimed specifically at a boxing audience. Diaz is taking a huge step up in class, though has scored notable wins over Hernan Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Sadly the Mexican has suffered notable stoppage losses and given Srisaket's power the odds are he will suffer another stoppage defeat here. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Srisaket and Diaz clash at Kingdom of Heroes Tokyo, Japan As well as the big show in Thailand there is also a notable card at the Korakuen Hall, including a title unification bout, a Japanese title eliminator and the debut of a stand out amateur fighter. The title unification bout will see OPBF Super Featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro (6-0, 2) battle against Japanese champion Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1, 11) to unify those two titles. Of the two men it's Sueyoshi, the national champion, that has the more distinguished reign, having held his title since October 2017 and has already made a couple of defenses of the belt. Although a talented fighter Sueyoshi can be frustrating to watch and has a rather unique tempo in the ring. Mishiro on the other hand only won his regional title this past June, defeating Carlo Magali with a split decision. He knows he's up against a more experienced professional fighter, but did have a very accomplished amateur background. This could be the best bout of the day in terms of skills, even if the action probably won't be the most intense. A full preview this bout can be read here - Mishiro and Sueyoshi battle to unify crowns! The chief support bout will see the unbeaten Junto Nakatani (16-0, 12) face off with recent OPBF title challenger Shun Kosaka (15-4, 4) with the winner getting a Japanese Flyweight title fight next year. Of the two Nakatani is clearly the favourite. He's a Rookie of the Year winner, a Japanese Youth Champion and a fighter who has broken into the world rankings. Kosaka on the other hand has come up short in most of his biggest bouts, with stoppage losses to Tetsuya Hisada and Jayr Raquinel, with the loss to Raquinel coming in an OPBF title bout. Given Nakatani's power we suspect Kosaka suffer his third stoppage defeat. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Nakatani and Kosaka fight for the right to challenge for Flyweight title! This show will also feature the debut of of the very highly regarded Mikito Nakano (0-0), who ran up an excellent 75-9 in the amateurs and has been sparring with Hiroaki Teshigawara to prepare for his debut. The Japanese fighter will be taking on a relatively straight forward first assignment as he battles Thai foe Thanawat Yancharoen (1-3), in what should be a straight forward debut win for a genuine talent and a great addition to the Japanese professional ranks. Benguet, Philippines In the Philippines we get a card rescheduled from September 22nd, a pretty notable card taking place in Benguet. The main event will see former OPBF title challenger Cris Paulino (18-3, 7) facing off with the upset minded Jomar Fajardo (16-11-2, 7) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super. Flyweight title. Paulino has been stopped in all 3 of hos defeats, to Ardin Diale, Koki Eto and Vic Darchinyan, but is a very capable fighter who is riding a 4 fight winning run into this fight. “Wallopman” Fajardo is best known for his two fights with Francisco Rodriguez Jr, earning a draw in the first of those bouts. Despite being upset minded Fajardo is 1-7-1 in his last 9 and and a win here would be one of his very best. A bout that should be better than the records of those involved suggests will see Ryan Rey Ponteras (22-13-2, 11) take on Cris Alfante (14-7-1, 6). Neither of these men are world beaters, by any stretch of the imagination, but they should make for a very good contest between each other. Ponteras, on his day, can hold his own with fringe OPBF level opponents but is very inconsistent and can end up losing to opponents he should be. Alfante is the naturally smaller man, but also the younger man, and the fighter who will be looking to build on recent wins over Reymark Taday and Roilo Golez. This could be a pretty interesting match up, if we get the best from both guys. Also on this card is promising youngster Jayson Vayson (7-0, 4), who looks to continue his unbeaten start to professional boxing as he takes on Ronald Alapormina (3-2-1). We like the 20 year old Vayson, a lot, and are looking forward to seeing him let off the leash in the near future. On paper this isn't a step up in class, but it will be his first 10 round contest. As for Alapormina he has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3 and will be wanting to end that win-less run. We expect a win for Vayson, but do hope to see him getting tested in the near future. Gurgaon, India There's another small card taking place in India, which has also been rescheduled from September 15th and feature a youth title bout. The title bout will see unbeaten Indian Rajesh Kumar (9-0-1, 2) take on Bright Ayala (16-1, 11), with Kumar defending the WBC Youth Lightweight title for the first time. The unbeaten local won the title back in April, when he defeated Glenn Enterina, and will not be wanting to relinquish that title just 5 months after winning it. Ayala, from Ghana, hasn't fought anyone of real note though was beaten last time he faced an unbeaten opponent, losing a decision to Oluwaseun Joshua Wahab. This bout should let us know how good both men are, or aren't. The lead supporting bout is a female contest which will see 20 year old local Kirti (4-1, 2) take on Kiwi visitor Cherneka Johnson (10-0, 5). Coming into this Kirti is looking to build on a big win over Noemi Bosques but she will be regarded as the underdog against the in-form Johnson, who has stopped 3 of her last 4. Baja California, Mexico Out side of Asia we have a number of notable bouts, including a very interesting contest in Mexico between Jason Canoy (27-8-2, 19) and Luis Nery (26-0, 20), who battle for the WBC Silver Bantamweight title. The rugged Canoy is best known for losing in his biggest fights, including a loss to a then debuting Hinata Maruta and a thrilling loss to Hiroaki Teshigawa, and is expected to come up short again here. However the Filipino is tough, heavy handed and has never been stopped, he will also know this is a massive opportunity. Nery on the other hand is known for being a controversial figure, who has two tainted wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka. Nery is talented, heavy handed and highly capable, though there are serious doubts as to whether he can make Bantamweight and he will always have dark clouds hanging over his head for the wins over Yamanaka. Baja California, Mexico Staying in Mexico there will also be a contest featuring Mark Magsayo (18-0, 13), though his opponent has yet to be named. This will be Magsayo's first bout of 2018, and his first contest since seemingly leaving ALA Promotions earlier this year. He's a talented fighter but the long break, change in management and the lack of named opponent will not serve him well as he continues looking to build towards a potential world title fight. Quebec, Canada In Canada fans will be able to see Kazakh prospect Batyrzhan Jukembayev (13-0-0-2, 11) continue his rise as he faces off with Mexican southpaw Patricio Moreno (20-2, 14). This will be Jukembayev's third bout of the year and he is tipped to go on to big things, this however is a perfect step up in class with Moreno being a tough but limited opponent capable of genuinely testing Jukembayev. A really interesting and solid match up.  After a huge Friday for Japanese fight fans we get an interesting card on Saturday with interest for fans across Asia.
California, USA The most notable bout of the day is a huge one for Filipino fight fans, as IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (29-1-1, 20) defends his title against mandatory challenger Jonas Sultan (14-3, 0). This all-Filipino bout will the first all-Filipino world title bout in over 90 years and will see the winner really get a chance to become a big name back home, as well as solidifying themselves as one of the top Super Flyweights on the planet. Unfortunately it would seem likely that both are likely to miss out on the HBO “Superfly” series of shows, but if the winner can unify with WBA champion Kal Yafai that may not be too much of a problem in the short term. Mississippi, USA For Mongolian fans attention should be shifted to Mississippi as unbeaten prospect Tugstsogt Nyambayar (9-0, 8) takes a huge step up to face off with former interim world champion Oscar Escandon (25-3, 17). The Mongolian hopeful was taken the distance for the first time in his last bout, and was dropped in that bout by Harmonito Dela Torre, but has looked capable of going all the way and this upcoming bout should be the sort of bout he needs to get himself in to the title mix. Escandon is just 15 months removed from an excellent KO win over Robinson Castellanos, but has lost his only bout since then, being stopped by Gary Russel Jr, and should really be 1-3 in his last 4, dating back over 3 years. This is a decent step up, but one that Nyambayar should manage without too many issues. Quebec, Canada In Canada fans will be able to see hard hitting Kazakh hopeful Batyrzhan Jukembayev (12-0-0-2, 10) battle against Argentinian Jonathan Jose Eniz (20-9-1-1, 7) for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Light Welterweight title. The talented Kazakh does look like a very promising fighter but does need a genuine test after having had his way in many of his bouts so far. Given that Enil has been stopped only once, way back in 2015 by German Argentino Benitez, we're expecting him to be a real test for the Kazakh who may well need to show his skills as well as his power. Osaka, Japan As for Japanese fans they can look a little bit closer to home thanks to a low key card in Osaka. The card is a pretty weak one but is headlined by former Japanese Light Flyweight champion Kenichi Horikawa (35-15-1, 9), who takes on a Thai we believe will be Mongkol Kamsommat (6-3, 5). This should be an easy win for Horikawa who fights in bis 52nd professional bout, which would see him become the outright number one for the most fights of any currently active Japanese fighter. |
Categories
All
Archives
May 2025
|
RSS Feed
