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.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday action returns to Korakuen Hall for a pretty interesting card under the Dangan banner. The card isn’t one of the strongest Dangan cards, but is interesting featuring a recent national champion, a notable prospect, an intriguing international bout and the retirement ceremony of a popular fighter. The retirement ceremony is for former JBC and OPBF Super Bantamweight champion Shingo Wake (31-9-2, 22), who called time on his career earlier this year, following a loss to Kazuki Nakajima. The popular sharpshooter managed to have a successful career, scoring notable wins against the likes of Yukinori Oguni, Jhunriel Ramonal, Jae Sung Lee, Yusaku Kuga and Jose Velasquez, but in recent years his body has been falling apart, and in many ways he was never quite the same fighter after his 2016 loss to Yonatan Guzman Pena, in an IBF title fight that saw Wake being dropped numerous times before finally being stopped in the 11th round. Given his popularity with fans at Korakuen Hall it’s great to see him being given a send off like this, and we would like to wish him all the best in his post boxing career. As for the actual fights, the main event will see recent Japanese Bantamweight champion Fumiya Fuse (14-4, 3) look to bounce back from losing his title to Riku Masuda in July, as he takes on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (18-9-2, 10). At his best Fuse is a really talented boxer, but sadly a lack of power has held him back, Despite that he has achieved a lot, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2017, capturing the Japanese Youth title in 2021 when he beat Takahiro Tai, and the actual Japanese title back in April, when he stopped Taichi Sugimoto. Sadly he has been found short against Masuda, twice, Toshiya Ishii and Sam Goodman, though he did score a knockdown against Goodman. As for Demecillo, the Filipino he has has very mixed success overall, but is notable in Japan where this will be his fifth bout. So far he is winless in the Land of the Rising Sun, having come up short against Hisashi Amagasa, Satoshi Shimizu, Kaito Yamasaki and Sho Ishida . Despite those setbacks he is known for always putting in a fair effort, and we suspect he will give Fuse a good 8 round test, rather than just some easy rounds here. Former Demecillo foe Bryl Bayogos (7-2-1, 2) will interestingly feature on this card, though he’s up against it as he faces touted unbeaten hopeful Reo Nishioka (4-0, 1). Bayogos lost a technical decision to Demecillo, back in August, in what was his second straight loss, having been stopped by TJ Doheny on the under-card of Naoya Inoue's bout with Luis Nery in May. Prior to those losses Bayogos was unbeaten but also rather untested, with his only win of any note was a decision against veteran Ryan Rey Ponteras. As for Nishioka, he is regarded as one of the best prospects in Japan having already climbed into the Japanese rankings after just 4 bouts he was pushed hard last time out, by Kento Uchigamae, but the win there showed there was a lot to like about Nishioka who will be looking to end the year with his 3rd win of the year. Also on this card is a pretty interesting match up between Daisuke Sugita (8-5, 4) and Lite Dawuxi (7-1, 5). Sugita was a former highly experienced amateur, who also served as a police office, when he made his debut there was some hope he’d be a major player on the domestic scene. Whilst he has failed to live up to those expectations he has proven to be a fun, exciting fighter with heavy hands and a questionable chin. He's never shied away from a top domestic fighters, with losses to Reiya Abe, Ryo Akaho and Ryuto Owan, and has also travelled with 6 of his bouts taking place away from home, including a recent loss in Thailand to Wira Mikham. As for Dawuxi this will be his third straight fight in Japan, where he beat Eikichi Ueno in May before being beaten by the highly touted Yuichiro Taka. Dawuxi is certainly not in Japan to just make up the numbers, and will be looking to score a second notable win at Korakuen Hall, and given the style and mentality of Sugita this really could be a very fun fight. Sadly though we can’t help but think Sugita’s career is pretty much over, given he’s now 36, however at 23 Dawuxi could well be one to watch over the coming years.  Sunken Arena Covered Ground, Barangay Poblacion, Malungon, Saragani, Philippines
This coming Thursday Sanman promotions will be putting on a card in Malungon. That card isn’t a stacked one but does have several really interesting bouts on it. The main event of the card will see the once beaten Jayson Mama (19-1, 10) seek his 4th win since his 2021 loss to Sunny Edwards, in an IBF Flyweight title bout. The talented Mama was widely beaten by Edwards, who has enhanced his own reputation since that bout, but has shown that he’s no push over and picked up a very notable victory last time out Robert Paradero. In the opposite corner to Mama is domestic veteran Carlo Demecillo (17-8-2, 10), a naturally bigger fighter who has faced a regional who’s who, including Hisashi Amagasa, Satoshi Shimizu, Arthur Villanueva, Sho Ishida and Jun Ikegawa. Sadly Demecillo has struggled in recent bouts, with just 2 wins in his last 5. It’s hard to see anything but a Mama win here, but Demecillo is durable, and should take Mama the distance in this bout, for the lightly regarded WBF International Super Flyweight title. In a really interesting under-card bout we’ll see unbeaten youngster David Santisima (4-0, 3) risk his unbeaten record in a huge step up as he takes on veteran Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-24-3, 12). The 21 year old Santisima has never faced anyone with any real experience, and his first 4 bouts have come against opponents with a combined record of 7-17-3. On paper this is a great step up for Santisima, but in many ways this looks more like a leap up in class, rather than a step up. Ponteras is a 34 year old veteran who has legitimately faced a who’s who of the Filipino and regional scene during his 15 year career, and has scored a number of notable wins. During his 50 bouts Ponteras has proven himself as a rugged fighter, but sadly has started to show signs of his career winding down with 10 straight losses, and 11 losses in his last 12, including 4 stoppages. Sadly for him his career began to fall apart after being stopped in a round by Seiya Tsutsumi in 2019 and it appears Santisima’s team are hoping he’s no longer got the fight in him he once had. Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
The most notable bout to involve an Asian fighter this coming Saturday doesn't actually take place in Asia, but instead Canada as Chinese Heavyweight Junlong Zhang (19-0, 18) takes on German foe Erdogan Kadrija (18-5, 12) in Ontario. The Chinese fighter, dubbed the "Dragon King", was long regarded as something of a mystery man, but surfaced in Canada earlier this year, and took his first decision win. The hard hitting Chinese fighter, who won his first 18 official bouts inside the first 2 rounds, will be looking to prove his power here after losing his stoppage streak. As for Kadrija he has been stopped 4 times, with 3 of those stoppages coming in his last 6 bouts. Notably he is a blown up Super Middleweight, who was stopped by Juergen Braehmer way back in 2019 and really shouldn't pose any questions for Zhang. Consolacion, Cebu, Philippines Whilst the single most notable bout with an Asian will be in Canada, we do get a really notable card in Cebu where a number of prospects will be looking to move their careers on in step up bouts. One of those prospects is John Vincent Pangga (6-0, 4), who looks like he could in for a test as he takes on Vergilio Silvano (21-9-1, 12), however the bout really isn't the competitive match up some might expect. Silvano is best known for facing Katsunari Takayama, in an IBF world title fight, where he came up short. His form since that is hit and miss and he has little momentum coming in to this. More notably however is that and isn't a natural Super Flyweight-come-Bantamweight like Pangga, who should be too big and too strong. A much more competitive looking bout will see the once beaten Berland Robles (5-0, 2) face off with the once beaten Jerven Mama (12-1-1, 7), in what is an excellent match up. Robles is a 22 year old who has stepped up his level of fights in one way or another every time since his debut, and recently showed he could do 10 rounds. He might not be a world beater in the making, but there is no denying that his team are moving him well and putting trust in him to continue to develop. Mama on the other hand was once tipped for big things, but a KO loss last year to Mark Vicelles has killed the momentum he was building, and he'll be desperate to get things back on track here. Another prospect taking a genuine step up is the unbeaten 21 year old "Wild Fury" Bryan James Wild (9-0, 6), who battles the experienced and battled hardened Carlo Demecillo (15-6-1, 8). Wild is quickly capturing the attention with string of solid wins for someone at this point in his career, and whilst he is still very much a developing fighter this is a positive step up for him from his team. Demecillo is no world beater, or even a regional contender, but he has proven to be a tough guy and he doesn't roll over for anyone, so he should have the tools to ask Wild some real questions and force the youngster to prove what he can do, and whether he has the tools to move onto regional level bouts. Other prospects on this card include the once beaten April Jay Abne (10-1, 5), who takes on Ramel Antaran (5-18-2); Ian Abne (6-0-1, 4), who faces Charlie Malupangue (9-5-4, 6) in a rematch of their technical draw from August, and Ramil Macado (3-0, 2) who takes a huge step up to face off with Renoel Pael (23-12-1, 12). This really is a show of Pinoy prospects. Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines On a second Filipino card former world title challenger Michael Dasmarinas (31-3-2, 21) looks to get his career back on track as he faces Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-16-3, 12) for the GAB Super Bantamweight title. Dasmarinas, who is best known for losing in 3 rounds to Naoya Inoue in 2021, has failed to get going since that loss with a technical draw against Ernesto Saulong and a win over domestic journeyman Danny Tampipi. He knows another set back here really would be a nightmare for his career, and for any hope he might have of getting a second world title fight down the line. As for Ponteras, he has long been one of the best Filipino journeymen out there, with a really gritty toughness and the 32 year old might not have a great record, but he is a potential banana skin here who has been robbed of wins in numerous bouts during his career. This might look like a mismatch, but Ponteras really should be regarded as a very, very live underdog. New Delhi, India We also get a show in India, but sadly this feels like a rather underwhelming card. That main bout here will see Satnam Singh (10-2, 4) look to bounce back from a loss to Billel Dib as he takes on Varun Phartyal (1-2), in what is the second bout between the two men. These two fought in October 2021, with Singh taking a 4 round majority win over the then debuting Phartyal, and suspect that over 8 rounds this should be a clearer win for Singh than their first bout was.  This coming Sunday attention is focused on Japan where we are set to get 3 shows, across 2 venues.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The best of the shows is a Taisei promoted event at the EDION Arena Osaka in which we see a two notable fighters in action, though both are matched relatively easily in what should be straight forward wins. One of those fighters is former Super Flyweight title challenger Sho Ishida (29-3, 15) who looks to bounce back from a recent loss to Kosei Tanaka as he takes on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (15-5-1, 8), in what should be something of a mismatch. The talented Ishida has only lost to high level fighters, with losses to Tanaka, Kal Yafai and Israel Gonzalez, and given he has 2 of his last 3 it's hard to begrudge him a gimmie here. Sadly though Demecillo really is a gimmie, despite the fact he's riding a 6 fight unbeaten run coming into this. His competition has been poor, he's been out of the ring for more than 2 years and last time he was in Japan he was flattened within 3 rounds by Satoshi Shimizu. Ishida will likely go rounds here, but should take a very comfortable win. The other main bout will see fellow former world title challenger Riku Kano (18-4-1, 9) compete in what looks to be a tune up bout against Thai visitor Sanchai Yotboon (7-4, 6). Kano is knocking on the door of a WBO world title fight at Light Flyweight, and likely wants to keep ticking over rather than waste more time out of the ring, having not fought since July last year. The reality is that Sanchai is really terrible, and has been stopped in all 4 of his previous visits to Japan, including a loss to the then debuting Ginjiro Shigeoka. An obvious tune up before bigger and better things for Kano. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan At the same venue as the Taisei card will be an Hiroki Ioka promoted show. This card is very low key, with only 5 bouts in total and with 4 of those being over the 4 round distance. It does however have a very good looking 8 round main event as Katsuhiro Nakata (7-1, 4) takes on Rei Nakajima (4-1) at Middleweight. The talented, and diminutive, Nakajima is looking to bounce back from his first defeat, which came in a Japanese title fight against Hironobu Matsunaga last April, and he will be the favourite here given his excellent technical skills. As for Nakata he's big and strong, and his last two bouts against Ran Tomomatsu were really entertaining, and he does make for fun fights. We very much expect to see this to be a case of Nakajima's skills and speed taking on Nakata's size and strength in what should be a really good bout. Messe Mie, Tsu, Mie, Japan As well as the cards in Osaka, we also get one in Mie Prefecture. This card isn't a big one, or a particularly notable one, but there are two bouts of some interest on it. The main event, a scheduled 8 rounder, will see the talented Tom Hamaguchi (6-3-2) take on Teru Nobita (6-3-1, 3). The talented Hamaguchi has gone unbeaten in his last 6 bouts, but sadly has been inactive since a July 2017 win over Kazuki Fukuhara. Despite his long lay off Hamaguchi is still only 28 and will be expecting a great reaction for his return, especially given he is a local fight to Mie Prefecture. Nobita on the other hand is a 24 year old who was last seen in 2020, when he stopped John Yano, despite that win he is probably better known for his 2019 loss to Tantaro Kimura in the Rookie of the Year. Whilst not an amazing match up both of these guys can fight and both will see this as a way to kickstart their careers after lengthy lay offs. In a decent, and well matched supporting, match up we'll see Shuma Sugawara (7-2, 4) battle against Ryukyu Oho (7-5, 4). The under-rated Sugawara is looking to build on a good 2021 win over Arashi iimi, and although not a major name he is one of the brighter hopes plying his trade in Mie, with this being his 5th bout at the Messe Mie in what is clearly his boxing home. As for Oho, he will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Ryo Hino, though he is 1-3 in his last 4 bouts, and will certainly be low on confidence following his recent run. 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.  This coming Saturday is a really interesting day, without being a massive one. We get the kick off of a special Japanese tournament, a Japanese Youth title bout a regional title bout in Thailand and more in what is a busy, yet low key, day.
Tokyo, Japan The main show is the Knock Out Dynamite Tournament show which takes place at the Korakuen Hall thanks to Reason Promotions along with Floyd Mayweather's Japanese TMT arm, and former Japanese world champion Takashi Uchiyama. For those who haven't followed the news the Knock Out Dynamite tournament is actually 3 tournaments, each with 4 men involved, and will take place at 65KG's, 60KG's and 56KG's, as opposed to the more standard boxing weight classes. Their are cash prizes available for the winners with bonuses for any knockouts. One of the 65KG weight class will see semi-finals take place between Mongolian fighter Byambatsogt Tuguldur (0-0) and Japanese veteran Shusaku Fujinaka (16-11-2, 11), in what looks like a mismatch on paper. It's hard to say much about the Mongolian, though Tuguldur could be a a genuine dark horse, given the reputation Mongolian fighters have for being tough, hard hitting and very exciting. The winner of that semi-final will take on the winner of the other semi-final, which will pit Vladimir Baez (25-5-2, 23) against Tatsuya Miyazaki (9-12-1, 9). As with the other semi-final isn't doesn't look the most competitive of bouts, but Baez has struggled recently, with 2 losses in his last 3, and it's possible that Miyazaki could be getting him when his confidence is low. The reality, however, is that Baez will be too good and too powerful for Miyazaki here. The 60KG tournament will see another seemingly debuting Mongolian in action with Tsendsuren Bat-Ireedui (0-0) set to take on veteran Ribo Takahata (15-8-1, 6) in one of the semi-final bouts. Aged 40 Takahata is coming to the end of his career, but is only 2 years removed from a Japanese title fight with Masaru Sueyoshi and is certainly not a fighter who is still solid despite his age. From what we could find the Mongolian has fought in MMA, but we've struggled to find any sign of a previous boxing career. The winner in the Takahata Vs Bat-Ireedui fight will face the winner of a bout between Koichi Ito (11-7-3, 10) and Filipino Marvin Esquierdo (14-2-1-1, 8). This looks like one of the better semi final bouts on paper, and one where the visitor has a good chance of picking up the upset. Ito has scored just 1 win in his last 6, going 1-4-1, and that dates back over 4 years. He is however coming back after almost 18 months out, we expect to see him being reinvigorated by the break. The 24 year old Esquierdo is relatively unknown but has momentum, activity and youth on his side. The 56KG division is really the most interesting, at least if we get the final we're expecting. In one semi-final we'll see the very talented promising Yuki Yamauchi (3-0, 2) taking on the experienced Ryuta Wakamatsu (12-14-1, 9). The 24 year old Yamauchi is a real talent and whilst this is a genuine step up in class he has shown what he can do against Filipino fighters like Alvin Medura and Claudevan Sese. For he's the hidden gem of this tournament. Wakamtsu on the other hand is a 35 year old veteran who has been around the Japanese scene for a decade, with very mixed success. Wakamatsu is better than his record suggests, but we'd be shocked to see him over-come Yamauchi. This division has a second unbeaten man in it, with former Rookie of the Year winner Ren Sasaki (9-0, 6) taking on the more experienced Morihisa Iju (11-4, 9). When he won the Rookie of the Year back in 2017 Sasaki showed so much promise, and whilst that promise hasn't yet been realised it's clear he can go a long way, and we fancy him to get past Iju and set up a final with Yamauchi. Despite being the under-dog Iju is a very live fighter here and even with 3 losses in his last 4 he is a potential banana skin if Sasaki tries to look past him Hyogo, Japan A second Japanese show is set to take place in Hyogo, and whilst this is a less significant show than the other, it does have the bout of the day on it, with a mouth watering Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title bout. That title fight sees unbeaten men clash as former Rookie of the Year winner Tetsuro Ohashi (7-0-1, 2) takes on former amateur standout Suzumi Takayama (2-0, 2). The title is vacant, but this is a great bout to fill that vacancy and pits a skill fighter against an aggressive fighter. Ohashi has barely lost a round during his 8 fight career, and whilst he does lack power there is a lot of skill and IQ behind what he does. Takayama hasn't yet face a Japanese opponent, but looks like he could go through most of the Japanese scene quickly, so don't be surprised it Watanabe strap a jet to him if he comes through this with his unbeaten record intact. Our full preview of this bout is available to read here Ohashi and Takayama battle for Japanese Youth title! As well as the title bout we'll also see Shohei Kawashima (17-3-2, 4) fight in what looks like a stay busy bout against Masajiro Honda (6-11, 4). The talented Kawashima won the Rookie of the Year in 2014, and has shown real promise, though has twice lost close decisions on the road, losing narrowly to Cristian Mijares and Juan Miguel Elorde. We see this as being little more than a work out for Kawashima who really does deserve so much more in terms of competition than Honda, who has been stopped in each of his last 6 bouts. Bang Phun, Thailand As well as the action in Japan there is also some interesting action in Thailand, as the Work Point Studio plays host to another card. The headline bout here will see Chainoi Worawut (7-0-1, 7) take on Filipino foe Alvin Medura (9-4, 7), with the unbeaten local for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title. The local, also known as Thattana Luangphon, is a very promising 22 year old who is rising through the ranks and looks likely to be one of the nations big stars of the future. Medura isn't a terrible fight, but shouldn't be much of a test for the Thai, who appears to be getting matched progressively harder. This should be a test for the unbeaten puncher, but a test he passes without too many issues. In a supporting bout on this card teenage Super Flyweights clash, with Danai Ngiabphukhiaw (2-1, 1) and Yodtanong Chaepet (2-0, 1) facing off in a 6 rounder, we believe as part of a Work Point Super Flyweight tournament. Cebu, Philippines In Cebu we get a small Filipino card, featuring two men men who are each looking to take a step towards a bigger fight. One of those men is Clyde Azarcon (15-3-1, 5), who will be looking to bounce back from his first round loss to Ginjiro Shigeoka earlier this year. The loss to Shigeoka was from a brutal body shot and we fully understand why Azarcon has been matched softly here, as he takes on Garry Rojo (9-13-1, 5) in what should be a straight forward win. The other is the under-rated Carlo Demecillo (13-5-1, 6), who is riding a 4 fight unbeaten run since a loss to Ruben Manakane in Indonesia. Although he's yet to get a big win he did come close to get a career best victory last Novemeber, when he drew with Arthur Villanueva, and it's clear he can take the next step up. Here he's up against Jonathan Francisco (10-12-1, 4) and this should be little more than a simple win for the talented Demecillo. Hanoi, Vietnam Staying in Asia there will also be a card in Vietnam, thanks to Victory 8. The main event will be a WBA East Asia title bout between local novice professional Dinh Hoang Truong (1-0, 1) and South Korean visitor Gyu Hyun Lee (2-4-1). It's hard to get too excited about this bout, though we are looking forward to seeing Filipino hopeful Charly Suarez (3-0, 3), who goes up against a local opponent. Christchurch, New Zealand One other bout featuring a fighter from Asia takes place in New Zealand where once beaten local Bowyn Morgan (20-1, 10) takes on Filipino visitor Nelson Tinampay (14-7-1, 6) for the WBU Welterweight title. Whilst Morgan is no world beater, and his competition hasn't been amazing so far, he has notched some notable wins over the likes of Gunnar Jackson and Jack Asis. On the other hand Tinampay is very limited and was stopped 44 year old Yong Soo Choi in 2017, and has been stopped 3 times since then. This should be an early win for the local. Robinson's Galleria, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
Cebu City plays host to a small but notable card from Big Yellow Boxing Promotion, headlined by a minor regional title and featuring one or two fighters of some note. The main event will see 23 year old fighters clash as Carlo Demecillo (12-5-1, 6) takes on the once beaten Junrel Jimenez (8-1-1, 5) for the WBO Asia Pacific Youth Bantamweight title. Of the two it's Demecillo who is more well known, with bouts against the likes of Satoshi Shimizu and Hisashi Amagasa. Jimenez, although less well known, cannot be over-looked here and he he has stopped of his 4 opponents since suffering his sole loss almost 3 years ago. This should be a very good bout. Former Demecillo foe Virgel Vitor (13-2, 7) will feature in a confidence building bout, as he takes on Jeffrey Stella (4-7-3, 4). Vitor was stopped last time out, by Mark Anthony Geraldo and is clearly looking to get back in the win column here against an opponent who should be over-matched. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the Filipino card we also have a Japanese card, which will make up part of the 2019 East Japanese Rookie of the Year tournament. Originally there was 11 bouts scheduled for this show, but there's been 3 cancellations since leaving us a few bouts down. Of the bouts that remain the standout contest appears to be the Bantamweight clash between Azusa Takeda (3-0, 3) and Yu Kasahara (2-0, 2). Between them they have fought just 10 rounds and have a combined 3 opening round wins, so this certainly should be explosive and exciting! Another one to watch on this card is Featherweight hopeful Daiki Imanari (2-0, 2), who takes on Seiya Yamaguchi (3-4-1, 2). This will be Imanari's first bout against someone with a big or experience but he's still going to be expected to pick up the win and move a step towards the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in December  This Saturday is a huge one for Asian fight fans with notable bouts taking place on 3 different continents.
New Jersey, USA The biggest card for us is North America where we see a headlining bout between two established fighters and get a supporting card featuring major Central Asian prospects. The card is headlined by Dmitry Bivol (14-0, 11)defending his WBA Light Heavyweight title against veteran Jean Pascal (33-5-1-1, 20). The talented Bivol has been busy this year with wins against Sullivan Barrera and Isaac Chilemba and a win over Pascal would see him ending a good year with a big name on his record, albeit a faded force in Pascal. The 36 year old Pascal is well beyond his best, but was competitive with Eleider Alvarez last year and the hope will be for Bivol and Alvarez to face off in 2019. A prime Pascal would have given Bivol a real test, but he's now little more than a name. An in depth preview of this bout can be read here - Can Bivol over-come Pascal in one of the final HBO shows? One of the prospects on this card is Uzbek sensation Murodjon Akhmadaliev (4-0, 3), who will be looking to make his first defense of the WBA Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title. The unbeaten Akhmadaliev was a former amateur stand out will be up against American foe Isaac Zarate (16-3-3, 2) , who comes into this bout on the back of a 5 fight unbeaten run including wins over Carlos Carlson and Horacio Garcia. This is a good step up for the Uzbek, who's is set to have his fight televised on HBO, and hopefully bigger and better opportunities will come his way in 2019. One of the other major prospects on this card is the debuting Israil Madrimov (0-0), who looks to instantly announce himself as one to watch, as he takes on Vladimir Hernandez (10-2, 6) in a 10 rounder, on debut. The highly regarded Madrimov is tipped to be a major success, and it seems clear that his team have big expectations for him, putting him in such a tough bout to begin his career. Hernandez might not be a major name but he's a very solid opponent for a debut, and has only lost a couple of close decisions, to Humberto Velazco Torres and Adrian Luna Flores. Not only has Hernandez been competitive with good opponents, but he has scored decent wins over Elco Garcia and Danny Valdivia. This is a serious debut. Another prospect on this card is 2016 Olympic silver medal winner Shakhram Giyasov (5-0, 4), who will be up against the very experienced Miguel Zamudio (41-11-1, 25). The unbeaten Giyasov has been very impressive this year, beating good opponents like Gabor Gorbics, Albert Mensah and Julio Laguna, defeating Laguna at Wembley on a massive international card. Zamudio is a 27 year old Mexican veteran, who debuted back in 2009 and has been ultra-active. Despite being active Zamudio has lost to the notable opponents he's faced, such as Jose Zepeda, Sharif Bogere and Will Tomlinson. Kazakh Heavyweight Ivan Dychko (7-0, 7) was also scheduled to be on this card, though was pulled in the weeks leading up to the show, without a reason being given. Monte Carlo, Monaco Another international card with notable action comes from Monaco, where we get a couple bouts involving Asian fighters. A second unbeaten Chinese fighter on this card is Meng Fanlong (13-0, 8) who goes up against popular Englishman Frank Buglioni (22-3-1, 16). The bout will be Fanlong's first defense of the IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title, a title he won in October 2017 when he defeated Ammanuel Danso. The Chinese fighter has looked good at times, but has been shown to have a less than amazing chin and although Buglioni is not a world beater, he does have respectable power. If Buglioni lands clean this could be a night to forget for Fanlong, who will be making his Euroipean debut. Another Olympic medal winner on this card will be 2016 gold medal winner Daniyar Yeleussinov (4-0, 2) of Kazakhstan. The 2016 Olympic champion will be battling against Nicaraguan Marcos Mojica (16-2-2, 12) and this is another good platform for Yeleussinov to shine on, as he did last time out, when he stopped Matt Doherty. If Yeleussinov can continue to develop his style he could become a star, but there is still a long way for him to go. Mojica is the under-dog, but is a live under-dog here. We were also hoping to see unbeaten Chinese hopeful Zhang Zhilei (20-0, 16) take on veteran Alexander Ustinov (34-2, 25), but that bout was cancelled at late notice due to Zhilei having visa issues in the weeks running up to the fight. Cebu, Philippines Despite the notable action in the US and Monaco there is actually a stacked card in the Philippines, courtesy of ALA Promotions who are putting on a show with several WBO affiliated titles. One of those title bouts will feature the hard hitting Jeo Santisima (16-2, 14) making his first defense of the WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Mexican visitor Victor Uriel Lopez (13-6-1, 6). The champion won the title earlier this year, when he stopped Yodsingdaeng Jor Chaijinda and this should be a good defense against a fighter who has proven he can fight on the road. Lopez first came to our attention in 2016, when he upset Ryo Matsumoto, and despite a loss to Matsumoto in a rematch he has remained relevant, with a big win this past August against Antonio Tostado. We're expecting an interesting bout here. Another title bout on this card will see the once beaten Albert Pagara (30-1, 21) make his first defense of the WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Ghanaian puncher George Krampah (14-3, 12). On paper this looks dangerous for Pagara, but the visitor has been stopped in 2 of his last 3 bouts, and he lacks any win of note. This is a great chance for Pagara to make his first defense, and we suspect his aim will be on stopping Krampah in under 4 rounds, to try and beat the result Isaac Dogboe had against him. In one of the major supporting bouts we'll see former world title challengers face off with Jonas Sultan (14-4, 9) taking on Ardin Diale (34-12-4, 16). Sultan failed to shine in his recent world title fight with Jerwin Ancajas, but he is a talented fighter and will be wanting to bounce back from that setback. A win over would certainly help him go into 2019 with some momentum. As for Diale his record has been patchy recently, though he has mixed with top quality fighters such as Daigo Higa, Moruti Mthlane and Andrew Selby. We suspect Sultan's youth will get him over the line here, but this could be more competitive than the records suggest. Sultan isn't the only former world title challenger on this show as the once touted Arthur Villanueva (32-3, 18) looks to rebuild his career after his loss earlier this year to Luis Nery. Villanueva will be up against countryman Carlo Demecillo (11-5, 5) who is less than 2 years removed from a brutal KO loss to Satoshi Shimizu. He is 5-1 (4) since that loss, but this is a big step back up in class and is certainly his toughest bout since the Shimizu bout. Hard to see anything but a win for Villanueva, but he will have to work for it. Unbeaten prospect KJ Cataraja (8-0, 7) takes a step up as he faces Victor Hugo Reyes (9-1-1, 7) for the WBO Youth Super Flyweight title. Cataraja is widely regarded as one of the top Filipino prospects but hasn't yet had the opponents to really show what he's capable of. This is a good chance to Cataraja to prove what he can do and potentially convince his team to give him better match ups in the new year. Reyes is a live fighter, but his record doesn't have much quality on it, with his most notable bout being his loss to Ricardo Rafael Sandoval back in March. Reyes will travel to win, and should give Cataraja a good teat, but one that we expect Cataraja to pass. Japanese prospect Go Hosaka (1-0, 1), who is signed with ALA Promotions, will be having his second professional bout. The talented former amateur stand out will be up against the hard hitting but limited Jason Tinampay (8-11-1, 7). Hosaka is a real talent and ALA may well have a future world champion on their hands here, if they manage his career properly. At this stage putting him in with Tinampay seems a good choice. Tinampay was once a dangerous fighter, but has gone 1-10-1 since a 7-1 start to his career. Quebec, Canada We see yet more prospects in Canada, where two Kazakh hopefuls will be looking to extend their unbeaten records. One of those prospects is the very talented Sadriddin Akhmedov (4-0, 4), who goes up against the experienced Jose Francisco Zuniga (14-11-2, 5). On paper this is a slight step up in class for Akhmedov, who has stopped his first 4 opponents in a combined 8 rounds, but one he should manage without any issues. It's worth noting Zuniga has only been stopped once in his 11 losses, but we feel he will have to put in a real survival effort to hear the final bell here. The other is prospects is 24 year old Nurzat Sabirov (7-0, 6), who a huge step up in class to battle Rocky Montoya (32-2, 22). Sabirov is tipped to be a star, like many of the Kazakh's currently based in Canada , and has looked very promising since his debut in June 2017. This is however a step up and Montoya has only been stopped once, by the under-rated David Lopez. Whilst Montoya is a test on paper it's hard to know how good he is given that, for the most part, his competition has been dreadful. We suspect Montoya's record will be exposed here by the talented Kazakh. Victoria, Australia In less notable action we'll see Filipino Adam Diu Abdulhamid (13-6, 5) look to build on a recent big win in China, over Youli Dong. The under-rated Filipino will be facing off with Australian Joel Camilleri (15-5-1, 7) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Welterweight title, which is currently vacant. Although relatively unknown Abdulhamid is a very good fighter and seems happy fighting on the road, despite bein 1-3 outside of the Philippines. Camilleri has won just 1 of his last 3 fights, and really lacks a good wins, but was competitive with Dwight Richie last time out, and is better than his record suggests. This looks like it could be a very interesting match up. Cebu, Philippines
To end the month of January we get a low key card in Cebu featuring some notable fighters. One of the more well known fighters on this card is Carlo Demecillo (9-4, 3), who faces off with Margarito Moya (9-4, 3). In 2016 we saw Demecillo suffer two losses in Japan, being out pointed by Hisashi Amagasa and stopped in 3 rounds by Satoshi Shimizu. Since those losses he has bounced back well, with 3 wins on the domestic scene. Coming in to this bout Moya has no real momentum, and has been stopped in 3 of his last 4 bouts, with another loss expected here. A second fighter of note on this card is the once beaten Cris Ganoza (14-1, 8) taking on the hugely experienced Sherwin McDo Lungay (8-41-2). The 23 year old Ganoza was stopped last year by Edward Heno,who has since gone on to claim the OPBF Light Flyweight title but has since bounced back with two stoppage wins of his own. Given that Lungay has been stopped 23 times already, it's very hard to see him lasting with with Ganoza. Another bout on this card worth noting looks like a shoot out, as the unbeaten Allan Villanueva (7-0, 6) takes on the limited but hard hitting Jason Tinampay (8-7-1, 7). The unbeaten fighter has fought only 17 professional rounds but is a promising youngster with an exciting future ahead. As for Tinampay he's been hard matched, and has gone 0-5-1 in his last 6, but is dangerous, and will but looking to blast out his unbeaten foe here in what could be a very exciting contest. |
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