 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get an interesting card from Korakuen Hall, which is certainly not on the same level as Sunday’s show from Tokyo, but is a very good domestic level show with several very interesting and competitive looking bouts, even if the show lacks in terms of name value. The main event will see former OPBF and Japanese champion Masahiro Suzuki (11-2-1, 8) take on Chinese fighter Yangyang Li (10-4-2) in a really matched and very interesting looking match up .Suzuki is a real talent, but has twice come up short against Shu Utsuki, and Utsuki’s brutal power which has stopped him in their two bouts. At his best, Suzuki is a talented boxer, with solid power and good skills, but his chin will be a question mark due to his losses, no matter how hard Utsuki can punch. Notably Suzuki is unbeaten at 140lbs, and that’s the weight for this bout, which seems to be the best weight for him and the more natural weight for him. As for Li he's not a puncher, so is not going to pose the same threat Utsuki did to Suzuki, however he is a talented fighter who has fought in Vietnam, Korea and Thailand, and has a notable win over Woo Min Lee. This should be a pretty good bout, with good skills on show from both, however the power edge in favour of Suzuki should be the difference maker here. The chief support bout will see veteran Cristiano Aoqui (17-12-2, 11) battle against Ryugo Yanagibori (10-4, 1), in what has the makings of a really thrilling contest. The 36 year old Aoqui, a popular Japanese-Brazilian fighter, has fought pretty much anyone, who is anyone, in Japan at 140lbs, and whilst he does now have 12 losses he has not ducked anyone, and instead gone into fights and given his all, every time. Win, or lose, he comes to fight, and does score the odd upset, including wins against Akihiro Kondo and Ryosuke Takami. As for Yanagibori the light punching 31 year old has proven to have a questionable chin, being stopped 3 times in his 4 losses, and has lost his last 2, including a loss to Shu Utsuki. Despite that he’s no push over at this level, and he will look to secure the biggest win of his career here. Of the two men, Aoqui is the more aggressive and exciting whilst Yanagibori is a technical fighter, using his jab to get things going, and despite the vastly different styles we expect this one will break out into a war. One other bout of note will see Yuki Hamashima (11-7-1, 4) make his Korakuen Hall debut, as he takes on former kickboxer turned boxer Tsukuru Midorikawa (2-0, 1), in a potential war at 154lbs. Hamashima is flawed but aggressive, and a fun fighter who has been around for years, but sadly has seen his career fall apart after a good start. He began his career 8-0-1, but has gone 3-7 since then, with losses to the likes of Kudura Kaneko, Rikuto Adachi and Ruku Sasaki. He is, generally, tough with only 2 losses coming inside the distance but he’s also someone who has struggled to pick up wins in recent years and it’s hard to know what his desire is like. As for Midorikawa he was a top level kickboxer who made his pro boxing debut last October, and is stepping up a level here. He has proven himself a good technical fighter, but is now 38 and knows he can’t afford a loss if he wants to land a Japanese title fight, and will also be wanting to make a major impression sooner rather than later. This bout, at 154lbs, has the potential to be the most fun bout on the card, with both men knowing this is a real opportunity to take a huge step towards a major domestic bout later in the year.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday we get a treat from the Ohashi Gym as they put on their next show under the Phoenix Battle banner, and it’s a really stacked card with a regional title unification, a tournament final, 2 Japanese title eliminators and a very compelling bout for a former Japanese champion. The main event of the card will see WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight champion Katsuya Yasuda (14-1, 9) battle against OPBF champion Shu Utsuki (14-1, 12) in what should be a really great bout, and is on paper an excellent match up. Yasuda, 32, is a very talented southpaw who showed a lot of defense skills early in his career, and has now shown more offensive ones, really showing his power since a 2022 loss to Shuma Nakazato. Since his sole loss he has gone 6-0 (4) with good wins against Apichet Petchmanee, Ruito Saeki and Presco Carcosia. He’s technically very good, but this bout promises to be a real chin check for him. As for Utsuki, the slightly younger man at 30, the bout will see him look to land his dynamite shots which have led him to being a former Japan champion as well as the current OPBF king. He can be hurt, with his sole loss also coming to Shuma Nakazato, but he is extremely dangerous with some of the heaviest hands in Japan. The main support bout will be the final of the Asia's Strongest Lightweight Tournament and see pre-tournament favourites Taiga Imanaga (6-0, 5) and Yoji Saito (8-3-2, 8) clash in a mouth watering shoot out. Imanaga has reached the final on quick wins over Qiang Ma (TKO1) and Marvin Esquierdo (KO2) and barely broken a sweat so far, with some thinking the tournament was set up to help put a rocket to his back and shoot him through the rankings to a regional or domestic title fight. Saito, who has long been known as a danger man with devastating power, has had to work a bit harder to reach the final stopping Shinnosuke Saito (KO2) and Hanyun Wu (KO4), though has made it clear he's been expecting to face Imanaga in the final. Both of these guys can punch, both have belief in their power, and both will know the other is just as damaging in what could be a very explosive bout. One of two Japanese Eliminators on this show will be at 154lbs as the unbeaten Yasuomi Soda (7-0-1, 4) faces former JBC, OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight champion Ryota Toyoshima (19-3-1, 11), who now looks to make his mark in a second weight class. The 36 year old Yoba began his career in 2022, at an advanced age of 34, and has moved forward with every fight to get himself on the verge of a title fight. He's not the most proven, or the biggest hitter, but he controls the tempo well and has a solid combat sport background from his days as a kick boxer. As for Toyoshima he was one of the major domestic faces at Welterweight for the past 5 years or so, and will feel he’s outgrown the division and done everything he can there, and is now seeking new challenges. This really could be an excellent bout to set the winner up with a shot against veteran Yuichi Ideta in the new year during the Champion Carnival. The other eliminator is in Toyoshima’s former domain, as Kaiki Yuba (11-3-2, 7) and Seeser Minagawa (4-3, 1) battle for a shot at the Japanese Welterweight champion. Of the two men Yuba is the more well known, and is a flawed and thrilling power puncher, who is 4-3 in his last 7 with all of those losses coming inside the distance, but can't be written off thanks to his power, speed and heart. As for Minagawa the 32 year old southpaw is a skilled fighter, who has lost 3 of his last 4, but showed what he could do when he ran Shoki Sakai close in a Japanese title fight in 2023.. The winner off this will be lined up for a show at the champion though it’s unclear who they will face as defending champion David Ssemujju is scheduled to defend the title against Takeru Kobata in December. Having already mentioned his name several times, it’s worth noting that Shuma Nakazato (14-3-3, 8), who gave Yasuda and Utsuki their only losses, is also on this show as he looks to bounce back from losing the Japanese Lightweight title earlier this year to Hironori Mishiro. He will be up against the limited, but aggressive and always fun to watch Cristiano Aoqui (17-11-2, 11). Nakazato should have the tools to deal with Aoqui, who has the power and aggression to make life difficult if he lands. Sadly at the age of 35 Aoqui is winding down his career, he is 1-3 in hs last 4 and 3-4 in his last 7, dating back to late 2019. As for Nakazato, he’s a top domestic/regional level fighter and will almost certainly be back in the title mix in the new year, potentially against the winner of the main event.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
To end February attention turns to Korakuen Hall for an excellent looking Phoenix Battle show, from the Ohashi Gym. The card is a double title, double header which not only has two excellent looking title bouts, but also two bouts featuring very promising prospects who look to continue their rise towards title fights of their own. The main event sees double champion Andy Hiraoka (18-0, 13) looking to defend his WBO Asia Pacific and Japanese Light Welterweight titles against the exciting and fun to watch Cristiano Aoqui (16-8-2, 11). For Hiraoka this will be his first defense, following an excellent win over Jin Sasaki late last year to win his title, and he'll know that if he wins here he takes a huge step towards a potential world title fight in a few years time. Given how we all expect the 140lb division to look when Josh Taylor inevitably moves up in weight he'll know that his wait for a world title fight might not be too long. For Aoqui on the other hand this will be his second title fight, and at 33 years old it really is now or never for him. Our preview of this bout can be read here Double champion Hiraoka takes on Aoqui in first defense The other title fight will see the unbeaten Masayoshi Hashizume (18-0-2, 11) take on the under-rated and over-looked Akio Furutani (9-4, 3) in a bout for the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight titles. For Hashizume this will be his second title fight, after previously fighting to a draw in a Japanese title fight, whilst Furutani will be having his first bout for a title, though has beaten former title holders in his last two bouts. This is a really well matched bout, despite what the records suggest, and it will be an interesting chess match, pitching Hashizume's smoothness and speed against the awkwardness and accurate counters of Furutani. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Hashizume and Furutani face off for unified regional titles! Whilst the two title bouts are great the under-card also promises a lot, especially with the bout between the unbeaten Katsuya Yasuda (8-0, 5), who will be looking to secure himself a title fight later this year, and Shuma Nakazato (10-2-3, 7), who is looking to bounce back from a loss in a Japanese title fight last August. Of the two men Nakazato is the more proven, but Yasuda has long been hailed as a real talent, and this bout should see him finally being forced to sink or swim. We don't expect this to be the most exciting bout of the show, but it is arguably just as compelling as the two title bouts.  This coming Friday is a small but notable day in Asia, with a potentially very exciting, but easy to over-look show in Tokyo and an Uzbek hopeful getting a chance to show what they can do.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The card in Tokyo is small one but a pretty notable one. The main event here will see former world title challenger Akihiro Kondo (32-9-2, 18) take on Japanese Brazilian Cristiano Aoqui (15-8-2, 11) in what should be a really exciting and action packed bout. The tough and aggressive Kondo is certainly a rough around the edges fighter but is rugged, comes to fight, and can be a nightmare for much better fighters, as we saw against Sergey Lipinets. As for Aoqui he's not the best fighter out there, but he's explosive, exciting and hard hitting. Aoqui is, like Kondo, quite rough around the edges, but his style should gel with Kondo's to give us something brilliant to watch. This will be Kondo's pressure and toughness against Aoqui's explosive aggression. In the chief support bout the once beaten Takuya Uehara (16-1,10) will be looking to bounce back from a 2018 loss to Satoshi Shimizu. Uehara has sadly been out of the ring for well over 2 years but will be looking to prove a point here and get his career back on track. In the opposite corner to Uehars will be Ryusei Ishii (8-6-1, 5), who has been very out of sortes in recent bouts and is 2-4-1 in his last 7. Reed Arena, College Station, Texas, USA As well as the action in Japan we're also expecting to see some action in the US of interest as once beaten Uzbek fighter Jamshidbek Najmitdinov (16-1, 13) makes his US debut. Although not a well known fighter Najmitdinov is a very dangerous fighter, and is well over-due a chance to show what he can do on a big stage. The now 31 year old is not among the top amateurs from Uzbekistan, but he is someone who should be more well known and was legitimately robbed in 2017 when he faced Viktor Postol in Ukraine. Sadly at the time of writing his opponent for this bout hasn't been confirmed, though hopefully it will be someone capable of asking him questions, as he can ill afford to waste more time with mismatches.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday Kadoebi put on their next show under the "Slugfest" banner at Korakuen Hall and although it's not a huge card, it is an interesting one with 3 bouts worthy of note on a 5 fight card. The event these include a real 50-50 match up at Lightweight, an excellent domestic clash at 140lbs and a regional title bout at Flyweight. The bout we're most looking forward to is the Lightweight bout, which will put former Rookie of the Year winner Yuichiro Kasuya (13-2-2, 4) against the very talented Masanori Rikiishi (7-1, 4), in a bout that will be pitting two JBC and OPBF ranked fighters against each other. Of the two Kasuya is probably the more technically well schooled, but his lack of power has held him back and he can be a very frustrating fighter to watch at times. Rikiishi is a more entertaining fighter and a heavier handed fighter, but this is a tough ask against a man with an excellent jab. The winner of this could well end up finding themselves in a title fight next year so this is a very notable and significant contest. In a Light Welterweight bout the fun to watch Cristiano Aoqui (14-8-2, 10) will be up against Fumisuke Kimura (9-5-1, 6) in what could turn out to be a real humdinger. The 31 year old Aoqui, a Japanese Brazilian, is a really exciting fighter who has his limitations but is very exciting when he lets his hands go and is not an easy man to beat. Kimura on the other hand has got under-rated power, and is an upset minded fighter, as we saw with his wins over Yusuke Yamanouchi, Hayto Ono and Giraffe Kirin Kanda. Both of these guys can bang, and both will know that a good win could move them onto a Japanese title fight next year. The main event will see world ranked Flyweight hopeful Ryota Yamauchi (6-1, 5) take on Satoru Todaka (10-3-4, 4) for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title. The talented Yamauchi is back on the fast track up the rankings following a 2019 loss to Wulan Tuolehazi and a win here would see him win his first title. Notably Yamauchi missed out on a Japanese title eliminator last year when he suffered a cut that hadn't healed in time for his eliminator and he'll be looking to make up for lost time here. As for Todaka the bout will be his second title fight, following a loss last year in a Japanese title fight against Kenichi Horikawa. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Yamauchi goes for gold as he takes on Todaka  Tokyo, Japan
Kadoebi return to Korakuen Hall this coming Monday for a card that has a few good domestic fights, and an almost farcical Heavyweight rematch. The main event is rematch between Yusuke Sakashita (18-8-3, 19) and Naoki Mochizuki (16-4, 8), with Sakashita looking to make his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title. The champion was actually the clear loser when these two men fought a few years ago, however since that first bout the career trajectory of both fights has gone in opposite directions with Sakashita's career trending upwards and Mochizuki's trending downwards. This will be a chance for Sakashita to avenge his loss, whilst a win for Mochizuki would be a huge boost to his career just when he needs it. Our preview of this bout can be read here Sakashita looks to defend title and gain revenge in Mochizuki rematch! In a Japanese title eliminator at 140lbs we'll see Japanese-Brazilian puncher Cristiano Aoqui (14-7-2, 10) take on the solid, if relatively unspectacular, Daishi Nagata (13-2-1, 5). On paper this might not look hugely competitive, but in reality we wouldn't be surprised if this was an instant classic. Aoqui is an exciting fighter, who lets his hands go, and Nagata applies a lot of intelligent pressure, so we could see some frighteningly fun exchanges when these two go to work. The winner of this will be expected to challenger for the Japanese title at Champion Carnival next year. In theory the winner would get a showdown with Koki Inoue next year, though it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Inoue vacate if he picks up a win in December for the WBO Asia Pacific title. A full preview of this bout can be read here Thriller expected when Aoqui and Nagata clash! Another interesting fight here will see Riku Nagahama (10-2-1, 4) look to score his third successive win, following a 2018 loss to Yuki Nagano, as takes on Fumisuke Kimura (9-4-1, 6). On paper this doesn't look interesting, but looking below the numbers we do have a good fight here. Nagahama has been stopped in both of his losses, and whilst he's a pretty talented fighter he is 3-2 in his last 5, and has question marks over his durability and his confidence. Kimura is unbeaten in his last 3, and has scored notable upsets against Hayato Ono and Giraffe Kirin Kanda this year, he'll be the under dog but he can punch, and this could be another upset win for him this year. And after those 3 bouts we come to what is really a bout that we don't like. At all. This bout will see Japanese Heavyweight Kyotaro Fujimoto (20-1, 12) take on Thai foe Suthat Kalalek (13-10, 12), in their second meeting. Whilst we understand there aren't many Oriental Heavyweights worth putting Kyotaro in with this is a second bout with Suthat, Kajornsak Saikaew Boxing Camp, and the two men fought just over a year ago with Kyotaro taking a 6th round TKO win. Given potential bouts with foes from China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this seems like a waste for Kyotaro, who is world ranked. His career is losing all momentum and it's a real shame that he's not being tested in bouts.  Tokyo, Japan
Attention turns to Tokyo this coming Saturday as we get a really interesting Kadoebi card at the Korakuen Hall, headlined by a Japanese title fight but also featuring numerous other notable fighters. The main event of the card will see Japanese Light Welterweight champion Valentine Hosokawa (24-6-3, 11) defending his title against unbeaten mandatory challenger Koki Inoue (12-0, 10), the third member of the Inoue clan. For the 37 year old Hosokawa this will be his third defense of the belt, which he won in 2017 against Koichi Aso. As for Inoue this will be his first title fight, and comes after a relatively disappointing performance against Marcus Smith, though a performance that did see Inoue battling with injuries. A full preview of this bout can be read here Another Inoue goes for gold, as Koki takes on Valentine Hosokawa. In the chief support bout we'll see former OPBF Middleweight champion Koki Tyson (13-3-2, 11) take on durable Thai Chaiwat Mueanphong (4-3, 2). For Tyson this will be his first bout since signing with the Kadoebi Gym and his first bout since losing the OPBF title to Yasuyuki Akiyama in December 2017. Chaiwat on the other hand comes into this bout on the back of 3 straight losses, but has proven to be tough and almost went 7 complete rounds with Kazuto Takesako last year. Tyson should win, but will have to work for it. An excellent supporting bout will see Japanese-Brazilian Cristiano Aoqui (13-7-2, 9) battle against Anthony Marcial (24-3-1, 22) of the Philippines.The talented Aoqui isn't a world beater, but is an exciting and fun yo watch fighter who has a notable fan base. Marcial on the other hand has an impressive looking record, but has mostly been a can crusher on the Filipino domestic scene. This could be a much, much better bout than it looks on paper, though we're expecting Aoqui to be too good for the visitor. Another supporting bout will see Tsuyoshi Sato (8-1-1, 4) take on Tetsuya Tomioka (5-3, 5) in a Japanese Youth Light Flyweight title tournament semi final bout. The exciting Sato is aggressive, all action and very fan friendly, whilst Tomioka is a big puncher, with questionable durability. This might end up being the bout of the show, and both are very fun to watch. It's worth noting that this bout will be a semi-final bout of a 4 man tournament to crown a new Japanese Light Flyweight youth champion, with the other semi-final taking place on April 11th. Other supporting bouts will see Hironori Shigeta (5-1-1, 3) take on Mitsumasa Takahashi (9-5-1, 3) and Aso Ishiwaki (5-2, 3) battle Yoji Saito (1-1, 1). On paper neither of these bouts look amazing, but both promise a lot. Shigeta is a Japanese ranked Welterweight, and the 2017 Rookie of the year, whilst Takahashi is a very solid domestic level guy. Ishiwaki is the 2018 Lightweight Rookie of the Year whilst Saito is a former amateur standout, and despite having a loss on his record is very much a prospect to make a note of. Rizal, Philippines As well as the great show in Japan there is also a low key card in the Philippines. The headline bout here will see Eduardo Mancito (16-10-2, 9) battling against Nathan Bolcio (14-15-3, 4). On paper this is a pretty good domestic bout, it's nothing amazing, but should be pretty competitive and that's always a good thing!  Tokyo, Japan
Action is back at the Korakuen Hall this coming Monday for a notable Kadoebi show featuring a number of notable fighters. The main event of the card will see the retiring Daisuke Sakamoto (14-9-3, 8) take on the once touted Koki Koshikawa (6-1, 4). The 36 year old Sakamoto is a former Japanese “interim” Welterweight champion, who came up short when taking on the then regular champion Toshio Arikawa last November. Since the loss to Arikawa we've not seen Sakamoto in action and he has publicly that this will be his final bout. Koshikawa was once tipped for big things, and after some early promise his career has stagnated, and he has never really bounced back from a loss to Koshinmaru Saito in 2015. This is a big opportunity for Koshikawa, but an emotional moment for Sakamoto. Heavy handed Japanese Middleweight contender Shoma Fukumoto (12-2, 10) will be looking to continue rebuilding his confidence as he takes on unbeaten Australian Mark Lucas (9-0, 3). The hard punching Fukumoto was stopped inside a round last December by Kazuto Takesako in a Japanese title eliminator and since then has only fought once, beating a very over-matched Indonesian foe. This should be a step up in class for Fukumoto, a tough one on paper given that Lucas is unbeaten, will be hungry and actually holds a win over Arnel Tinampay, who stopped Fukumoto back in 2013. Saying that however Lucas has been inactive for a year, and that may show in his performance here. Popular Japanese-Brazilian Cristiano Aoqui (12-7-2, 8) will be looking to build on his quick blow out win over Duang Hongin as he takes on Filipino visitor Joffrey Garcia (6-8-4, 5). The talented and exciting to watch Aoqui had a nightmare 13 months, from July 2016 to August 2017, suffering 3 defeats but has since bounced back with a win and will be looking for a second one here. As for Garcia he has been stopped in both of his bouts outside of the Philippines, and we suspect that form will continue against Aoqui. Another man of note on this card is the very promising Kazuki Saito (5-0, 5), who is tipped to be a star following a very strong amateur career. The unbeaten 25 year old will be facing off with Thai foe Pharanpetch Tor Buamas (22-3, 18), a recent OPBF Super Featherweight title challenger. The touted Saito hasn't had things all his own way, having been dropped earlier in his career, but does look like a real talent and will be looking to shine against the experienced Thai. As for Pharanpetch he has lost in all 3 of his fights outside of Thailand, and it would take a career best performnce to avoid another loss on the road.  Tokyo, Japan
Kadoebi will be putting on a pretty stacked card at the Korakuen Hall, headlined by a Japanese title fight and littered with notable names from the Kadoebi stable. The main event of the card will see Japanese Featherweight champion Takenori Ohashi (15-4-2, 10) make his first defense of the title, as he battles fellow puncher Taiki Minamoto (14-5, 11) in a Champion Carnival bout. Ohashi won the title last year in bizarre fashion as he stopped Kosuke Saka as Saka misheard the end of round clacker, and this will be his first defense since that win. Prior to the stoppage Ohashi had looked a monster against Saka, but with 3 stoppages against his name it's clear he's not the toughest. Minamoto is himself a bit of a glass cannon, with 2 stoppages against his name, but he did show good skills last October when he defeated Dai Iwai to earn this shot. This could well be a shoot out, and could be something very exciting. The chief support bout is a mouth watering ,match up between Akinori Watanabe (35-7, 30) and Ratchasi Sithsaithong (10-4, 7). Watanabe has lost 3 of his last 5, including an 8th round TKO loss last time out to Magomed Kurbanov, but is still a really dangerous puncher and will know that a win here will see him back in the OPBF title mix. For Ratchasi this will be his first bout in Japan since losing the OPBF Light Middleweight title to Takeshi Inoue last October, and prior to that he had been on a role with wins against Cobra Suwa, Yutaka Oishi and Jumbo Oda Nobunaga Shoten Petagine. We're expecting this to be two men each fighting to remain relevant, and could be very special. Fast rising Kadoebi prospect Kazuki Saito (4-0, 4) will be continuing his development as he faces off with Marbon Bodiongan (14-6-2, 11). Despite only having 4 bouts to his name Saito is already ranked by the JBC and OPBF and looks to be racing towards a title fight thanks to good wins over Jimmy Borbon and Alvin Lagumbay. This is, on paper, a slight step up in class for Saito as he takes on his most experienced opponent. Bodiongan is 0-3 on his travels, but has has mixed with the likes of Nihito Arakawa and Masaru Sueyoshi, and should give Saito a chance to compare himself to those two men. They both stopped Bodiongan though if Saito can stop him in 4 rounds he would have bettered both men's win over the Filipino visitor. Last November we saw Shoma Fukumoto (11-2, 9) being stopped in a 90 second war with Kazuto Takesako, who has since gone on to win the Japanese Middleweight title. Fukumoto makes his return on this show as he goes up against Indonesian foe Maxi Nahak (7-14-3, 3), who has been stopped in his 3 previous visits to Japan. Another man looking to get some momentum into his career is Cristiano Aoqui (11-7-2, 7), who has lost his last 3 bouts, and 4 of his last 5. The Japanese-Brazilian will be expected to pick up an easy win here as he takes on a poor Thai visitor. The under-card also has a really interesting match up on it as the 21 year old Tsuyoshi Sato (5-1-1, 2). who was the 2017 Light Flyweight Rookie of the Year, takes on the unbeaten Yuma Wada (4-0-1, 1), also 21. Sato had a big year in 2017 going 4-0-1 with an opening round win over Yusei Nagai in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, to put himself in the JBC rankings. He will be risking that rankings here against Wada, who looks a very capable young fighter himself. Cebu, Philippines As well as the action in Tokyo there will also be a pretty notable Asian show in Cebu. The main event of this card will see Joe Noynay (13-2-1, 4) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Youth Super Featherweight title against Mexican Hector Garcia (12-6-2-1, 7).We're really unsure how Garcia qualifies for this title, given that he's not from the Asia Pacific region, but he is battle tested and will be a very tough test for Noynay. The Mexican has never been stopped and gave decent tests to Devin Haney and Juan Carlos Burgos last year. Noynay is a genuine talent, and gave Reiya Abe real problems last year, so should be able to come out on top here, but he should get well tested by the Mexican visitor. One of the main bouts will see Cris Alfante (13-6-1, 5) hunt a third straight win as he takes on Renoel Pael (21-8-1, 11) in a 10 rounder. Coming in to this one Alfante has got a big of momentum with back to back wins, though he has suffered 2 losses in his last 5 bouts, including a 4th round KO defeat to Daigo Higa. Pael once looked like he could be a diamond in the rough, but with 4 straigth losses his career is floundering now and there is a risk that he has resigned himself to being little more than a regional gatekeeper, which would be a shame given his competitive bouts with Ardin Diale and Suguru Muranaka. Other undercard bouts on this card will see Cris Paulino (16-3, 6) take on Jason Tinampay (8-8-1, 7), in what could be much better than it looks, and Ronel Sumalpong (4-0, 4) risk his unbeaten record against fellow unbeaten Justin Darap (2-0, 2). Alberta, Canada In Canada fans will be able to see former world title challenger Michael Farenas (42-5-4, 34) take on Guadalupe Rosales (34-14, 18). Filipino banger Farenas has had a pretty stop-start career in recent times, with a couple of low key bouts in 2015, none in 2016 and one last year. Aged 33 there is still life in Farenas' career, but he will need a big and busy 2018, with this bout being a perfect chance to shake some ring rust. Rosales on the other hand is a relatively low risk opponent for someone like Farenas and despite being tough, shouldn't have the legs to avoid Farenas.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday in Japan fight fans have an interesting Ohashi card to look forward to. We'll be honest and not pretend that it's full of 50-50 bouts, but it keeps the gym's fighters busy, whilst a number them begin to move towards bigger and better bouts. The main event of the card is the best looking contest on paper and sees Takuma Inoue (8-0, 2) return to the ring following almost a year out, to take on 4-time world title challenger Hiroyuki Kudaka (25-16-1, 11) in a solid test for the youngster. Inoue was supposed to fight for a world title at the end of 2016, but an injury forced that bout to be cancelled and now he's in need of a warm up bout before looking at bigger and better things. For Kudaka, previously known as Hiroyuki Hisataka, the bout is a chance to score a career defining win after some recent struggles in the ring, including losing 7 of his last 11. Kudaka's record isn't great but he's a tough out for most and should ask questions of rInoue. Another relatively attractive bout will see Koki Inoue (8-0, 7), Takuma's cousin, step up to take on former Japanese title challenger Cristiano Aoqui (11-6-2, 7) in what is essentially a Japanese title eliminator. Inoue enters the bout ranked #3 and Aoqui is #8, with the winner almost certainly looking to get a crack before the end of the year. For Inoue the bout is a slight step up, but it's a logical step as he continues to impress and leave a wake of battered and beaten fighters in his wake. For Aoqui the bout serves as a chance to get back in to the mix after 3 losses in his last 4. When it comes to fighters who are looking at bigger and better things, it's fair to say that Ryo Matsumoto (20-1, 18) is on the verge of a world title fight. As a result he's having a stay busy contest on this show against Indonesian foe Jason Butar Butar (25-22-1, 16), in what should be another straight forward win for the likeable Matsumoto, who is looking to put health issues well and truly behind him. Another fighter looking for bigger things is Go Onaga (27-3-3, 18),who also faces an Indonesian journeyman as he takes on John Bajawa (13-14, 7). Onaga is looking to get himself a Japanese title fight in the near future, and the veteran cannot afford another set back. This should be a straight forward win for the Ohashi man, but he is now 37 and 18 months removed from his last victory. Rounding out the notable fights on this show are two Ohashi novices tipped for big things. One of those is Kazuki Nakajima (1-0, 1), who looks for his second professional win as he takes on Resnu Sundava (2-1, 2) whilst the other is debutant Katsuya Yasuda (0-0), who faces Reno Arizona (1-2). Neither Ohashi man should worry here about winning, but both will want to impress Mr Ohashi, who we suspect wants to fast track both men following their impressive amateur careers. |
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