 L-Theatre, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Sunday is a busy one for Japanese fight fans with 3 shows in the country. Sadly none of the shows are major or have huge bouts, but there is some interesting action all the same. The most notable single bout takes place at the L-Theatre in Osaka, on a show being promoted by Taiho promotions. The bout in question will see JBC number 2 ranked Super Featherweight Ken Osato (17-4-1, 5) take on Yuna Hara (11-2-1, 6) in a very good 8 rounder match up. The talented comes into the bout 2-2 in his last 4, but they did include a razor thin loss in a Japanese title bout against Masaru Sueyoshi in 2019. As for Hara he comes into this with momentum, having won his last 5, with 4 stoppages. Osato should be the favourite, but Hara is very much a live under-dog here. Sadly that bout aside this is a weak card, with 4 supporting bouts, all of which are 4 rounders. L-Theatre, Osaka, Osaka, Japan After the Taiho card fans at the L-Theatre will also get the chance to see a West Japan Rookie of the Year show, with a scheduled 6 bouts set for it. The show will serve as the semi-finals for the West Japan Rookie of the Year tournament. One of the bouts on this card will see Taito Nakamura (1-0) take on Gakuto Yamaguchi (6-0, 4) in a Featherweight bout. On paper this is a bit of a mismatch, given the clear experience edge for Yamaguchi, though it is worth noting he's only 20 years old and has had a very stop start career since debuting in Thailand in 2017, aged 15 and only made his Japanese debut last July, going 3-0 (1) in his homeland. As for Nakamura, who's 19 himself, he made his debut this past April and will come into this with plenty of belief himself. The only debutant on this card is Super Flyweight hopeful Kohei Konishi (0-0), who takes on Ken Watanabe (2-0). The 23 year old Konishi is, like many debutants at this level, a total unknown whilst Watanabe debuted late last year and has struggled in both of his bouts so far, only narrowly defeating Genki Kakiuchi in April. At Super Bantamweight Kirei Yasumura (1-0, 1) takes on 19 year old southpaw Seia Oshiro (3-0, 1). Yasumura, who's 22, debuted in November with an opening round KO win over Shinya Saito but sadly with that bout lasting just over 2 minutes it's hard to read much into it. As for Oshiro he debuted in August and has looked better with every fight so far, making this one a great match up to see what both men may have in the locker. Arena Tachikawa Tachihi , Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan Outside of Osaka there is also a show in Tokyo which will feature a couple of good 8 rounders. One of those 8 rounders will see the hard hitting Hayato Ono (8-4-2, 8) take on under-rated 34 year old Fumisuke Kimura (9-9-1, 6), in a rematch of a clash the men had in early 2019. Ono is heavy handed, but looks to be a bit of a faded force, having gone 0-2-2 in his last 4, with the first result from that win-less run being an opening round loss to Kimura. As for Kimura the veteran isn't a future title contender, but he is an upset minded fighter, who beat Ono and Giraffe Kirin Kanda in back to back fights, but is now win-less in his last 6, going 0-5-1. This really is a bout where both men will feel they need a win to keep their relevant career's alive. The other 8 rounder is the main event of the show and will see JBC ranked Lightweight Shinnosuke Saito (9-4, 2) take on Ikemen Atsushi (7-8-2, 2). The talented Saito won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has gone 3-1 since then, with his most recent win coming in December against Mirai Naito. Although not yet ready for a title fight he is slowly edging his way there and we suspect the 26 year old is maybe 4 or 5 fights from a domestic title fight. At for Atsushi he's lost his last 4 and really hasn't been competitive. This focus here seems to be on getting Saito some ring time after a few months out, with bigger and better fights coming for him later in the year. Holywings Club, Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, Indonesia As well as all the action in Japan, we also get a small but very notable, card in Indonesia. The card features one of the brightest hopes in Indonesian boxing, a once touted Indonesian hopeful and a Croatian-Australian Heavyweight. The rising star of Indonesian boxing, Andika D'Golden Boy (18-0, 8), will be seeking his 19th win as he takes on professional novice Wandi Priman Hulu (1-0). Andika was once linked to a fight with Hiroto Kyoguchi, before the pandemic ended those hopes, and in many ways the 26 year old hopefully has probably been saved from a loss, and given time to match, develop and prepare better for a high level bout like that. Sadly though we're not sure what he'll get from beating a Hulu, who struggled in his only recorded bout, last October. In a more even looking bout we'll see the once touted Defry Palulu (24-2-1, 14) takes on Indian visitor Asad Asif Khan (11-2-1-1, 3). At one point Palulu was tipped as the big hope for Indonesia, but now aged 31 his career looks like it will never reach the heights once expected of him. Despite that he is still one of the countries best fighters and should be too good for the 28 year old Khan, who will be facing his most notable opponent to date. Khan has gone unbeaten since losing his first 2, but he has been matched very softly so far and this is a legitimate step up in class for him. The most bizarre bout on the show will see former David Haye opponent Mark De Mori (39-2-2, 35) face off with Indonesian fighter Satria Antasena (5-19, 3) in a real "WTF?" bout. The 40 year old De Mori is no world beater, as we saw when Haye stopped him in just over 2 minutes, but he is riding a 9 fight winning streak, all by KO, and will likely extend that here. Antasena is a well travelled Indonesian fighter, but also someone who tends to pick up very early losses and has been stopped 15 times in his 19 losses, with 6 losses in the opening round. We expect another early blow out for him here
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 Suntopia, Soja, Okayama, Japan
This coming Sunday the focus of boxing in Asia is on Okayama as we get a notable Japanese title fight, featuring someone who seems well on the way to getting a world title fight sooner rather than later. The title bout will see hard hitting Japanese Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (16-2-1, 11) look to record his third defense of the title as he takes on Japanese veteran Takuya Kogawa (32-6-1, 14). Kogawa, a multi-time Japanese champion and a former world title challenger, has long been an amazing servant to Japanese boxing, and has been one of the best Japanese warriors to watch for close to 20 years, but in recent years he has slowed down and his career has shown signs of catching up with him, as we saw in 2019 against Jayr Raquinel. Akui on the other hand has proven to be something of a destructive freak, with 9 opening round wins out of 11 stoppages. Although incredibly dangerous early on he did prove his power carries to the later rounds last year, when he stopped the touted Taku Kuwahara in 10 rounds. A prime Kogawa would have been a very good test for Akui, but the 36 year old version of Kogawa could be in for a very rough night here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Akui takes on veteran Kogawa in Japanese title defense Sadly the under-card here is very weak, with the most notable bout on the under-card bout being a contest between Yasuhiro Kanzaki (6-2-1, 2) and Yudai Yoneda (4-3, 2), two 21 year olds. Of the two men Kanzaki is the more proven, and impressed in reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year, he will know that Yoneda will be there to win, and will be looking to boost his career on a pretty notable card, at least by Okayama's standards. Holywings Club, Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, Indonesia The Japanese show isn't the only notable one this Sunday, as we also get a notable Indonesian card, thanks to Armin Tan and Probellum. The card won't get much international attention, but has several fighters of note on it. The main event will feature a very interesting match up, as WBC International Light Flyweight champion Tibo Monabesa (21-1-2, 8) takes on unbeaten Filipino Jayson Vayson (9-0-1, 5), with Monabesa looking to make his first defense of the title which he won last April. The talented Monabesa has only lost once, losing in 4 rounds to Hiroto Kyoguchi in 2018, and has scored wins over solid opponents since then, including Toto Landero and Samartlek Kokietgym. As for Vayson he's not yet scored a win of note, but does hold a very notable draw against current world champion Rene Mark Cuarto, and will be looking to build on that standout result here. Another notable bout on this card will see the once touted Defry Palulu (23-2-1, 14) take on Thai veteran Aekkawee Kaewmanee (24-14, 12). At one point in time Palulu was regarded as one of the emerging forces of Indonesian boxing, but a loss in 2014 to AJ Banal exposed him, and he's never really got close to reaching the heights expected of him since then. Now aged 31 it feels like father time has defeated Palulu. As for Kaewmanee, also known as Patomsith Pathompothong, he has been around, for a long time now, and aged 40 it's hard to imagine him having anything in the tank to even make this mildly interesting. Karapapag Sport Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan As well as the show in Japan and the one in Indonesia, there will also be a very, very low key show in Azerbaijan. Malang, Indonesia
The most notable Asian show this coming Friday is from Indonesia, and feature a couple of notable domestic fighter. One of the main bouts will see the once touted Defry Palulu (20-2-1, 13) take on Filipino visitor Ivor Lastrilla (11-5-1, 6). Palulu has won his last 5 bouts, since losing a split decision to compatriot Jason Butar Butar in 2016, and will be expected to continue that run here. Lastrilla was stopped last time out, by Yongchao Sheng in China, but is certainly no push over and should make for a decent foe for the Indonesian. Another once touted Indonesian fighter on this card is Tibo Monabesa (18-1-2, 8) , at the time of writing his opponent hasn't been named. This will be Monabesa's first bout since losing his unbeaten record to Hiroto Kyoguchi in 2018. Bangkok, Thailand In Thai fans will get a low key show from the Ram 100 Thai Boxing stadium, where there's not much to talk about, though Eric Pen (1-0, 1), a Thai based American, and Quang Duc Duy Vo (1-0, 1), from Vietnam, will risk their unbeaten records against local losers. Philadeplhia, USA In Virginia we'll be able to see 3-time Tajik Olympian Anvar Yunusov (6-0, 3) continue his promising career. Turning 32 in February it's clear that time is ticking out on Yunusov's career, though hopefully that will be see him look to make 2019 his break out year. He's incredibly talented, and scored 5 wins in 2018 with some decent names on his ledger, but he needs to keep that momentum here. His opponent here will be Puerto Rican Carlos Colon (5-1, 3), a 28 year old who was beaten in January and has fought just 10 rounds since the start of 2018. Jinan, China
For a second day running we get action in Jinan, and for a second day running that action is headlined by a Chinese fighter taking on an Indonesian foe. This time around it will be the big punching Ainiwaer Yilixiati (10-1, 8) defending the Chinese honour as he takes on Skax Max (8-15, 7). The once beaten local lost last time out, after putting in a solid performance against Jayde Mitchell in an OPBF title fight, a fight that was much more competitive than the scorecards suggested. As for the visitor he has gone 2-4 in his last 6, and was stopped last time out in China by the talented Pui Yu Lim, and we expect the same to happen here. Selatan, Indonesia In Indonesia we get a number of title fights on what looks like a pretty interesting card, at least given the typical stand of Indonesian cards. One of the title bouts will see the once touted Defry Palulu (18-2-1, 12) take on domestic foe Isack Junior (25-7-2, 8) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Featherweight title, with Palulu making his first defense of the title. The bout should be an interesting but should see Palulu come out on top, and continue to rebuild his career, following an upset loss last year to Jason Butar Butar. Another title bout on this card will see John Ruba (14-3-1, 7) take on Joffrey Garcia (5-6-4, 4) for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Light Welterweight title. Although the bout looks like a mismatch it will be good to see Ruba pick up a title and begin a run towards bigger and better fights. Although relatively unknown Ruba has impressed on the road, and ran Ryosuke Maruki mega close back in 2015, and has got the ability to go far. Also on this card will be the unbeaten Tibo Monabesa (15-0-2, 7) and the experienced Larry Siwu (25-9, 21), who will both be facing relatively poor opponents as they look to stay busy before potentially bigger fights in the near future. Banjarnegara, Indonesia In a second Indonesian show fight fans will see Budi Wilson (0-6) take on the debuting James Lipus (0-0) in a bout that is hard to get too excited about given the lack of information available on either fighter.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming weekend sees boxing take over in Tokyo with 5 world title fights spread over 2 days thanks to Fuji TV who are set to give us one of the most memorable weekends in recent memory. It kicks off on Saturday with a trio of world title fights on a show promoted by Teiken The most significant of the fights sees French based Middleweight Hassan N'Dam (35-2, 21) battle against Japanese gold medal winner Ryota Murata (12-0, 9) in a bout for the WBA “regular” Middleweight title. For N'dam, who is best known for losing to Peter Quillin and David Lemieux, the bout gives him a third shot to hold a “full” title, after several reigns as an interim champion, and he does seem very confident in build up to the fight. For Murata the bout is a chance to mark his name in history as the first Japanese fighter to claim and Olympic and World titles and become just the second Japanese fighter to claim a Middleweight world title. Of all the bouts this weekend this is probably the most significant and the most interesting. Talking about interesting it's worth nothing that the card features a mouth watering Flyweight title bout as WBC champion Juan Hernandez Navarrete (34-2, 25) takes on Japanese destroyer Daigo Higa (12-0, 12). The bout will be a mandatory for the Mexican champion whilst Higa looks to claim a world title at the age of 21, and keep alive his incredible stoppage run. The bout looks set to be something a little bit special with both being very talented and having a nice mix of styles, which should lead to a thrilling war. The other title fight on this show will see WBC Light Flyweight champion Ganigan Lopez (28-6, 17) defending his title against former WBC Youth, Japanese and OPBF champion Ken Shiro (9-0, 5). The champion is a true grizzled veteran and has looked great in recent wins over Yu Kimura and Jonathan Taconing, with the Kimura win coming in Japan, but at 35 he is ancient for a Light Flyweight and is significantly older than Ken Shiro who will have a real advantage in youth. The bout will be Lopez's second defense and will be Ken Shiro's first bout at world level. Aichi, Japan Whilst much of the attention for the day will be on Tokyo it won't be the only place with a world title fight, as Aichi also hosts a world title fight. Sadly whilst the Tokyo card will receive a lot of major press across Japan and looks set to be televised in a number of major markets it looks like this will only be shown on CBC. The headline bout of this show, and the world title bout, will see WBO Light Flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka (8-0, 5) making his first defense of the title as he takes on monstrous Puerto Rican puncher Angel Acosta (16-0, 16). The bout is a mandatory defense for Tanaka and looks like a great match up on paper as the talented and speedy champion takes on a massive puncher, with both men looking not only to walk away as champion but to also keep their unbeaten records. It's hard not to feel that Tanaka's experience at world level will be the difference here. But it's clear that Acosta has power and we have seen Tanaka down before, against heavy handed Filipino Vic Saludar, and Acosta could build a gameplan on Saludar's success. Another unbeaten man on this card is Kento Hatanaka (2-0, 2), the son of former world champion Kiyoshi Hatanaka. The youngster will be taking part in a 6 rounder against an unknown Thai as he looks to continue his perfect start to professional boxing. The 18 year old has needed just 3 rounds to take out two domestic foes so far and will be looking for something similarly impressive here. Also up against a Thai visitor will be 2-time Japanese Bantamweight challenger Yushi Tanaka (19-2-3, 13), who will be in an 8 rounder. Tanaka was last seen losing to Ryo Akaho in March, though put in a credible effort and will be hoping to run off a series of wins to earn a third shot at the Japanese title. This however won't be a notable win and will instead be confidence builder for the Hatanaka man. Jakarta, Indonesia There is also set to be action in Indonesia, where three of the hottest young Indonesian fighters will be in action. One of the bouts will see the unbeaten Tibo Monabesa (15-0-1, 7) taking on Arnold Garde (8-4-2, 3) in an interesting match up for a minor WBC title at Light Flyweight. The unbeaten man, now regarded as one of the 3 Indonesian fighters to keep an out on, is going to be strongly favoured here, but Garde won't have travelled to make up the numbers and this could be a good test for the unbeaten man. Another local fighter in action is Defry Palulu (17-2-1, 12), who will be battling the experienced Nathan Bolcio (14-12-3, 4) for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Featherweight title. This looks like a mismatch but Bolcio has mixed in good company and could prove to be a stiff test for the popular local. Another of the standout Indonesian hopefuls in action is 20 year old Iwan Zoda (13-2, 11), who will be up against domestic veteran Ical Tobida (13-23, 8). The bout will see Zoda return to action for the first time since a 7th round TKO loss to Robert Onggocan back in January and he'll clearly be fighting with intent to prove he is back to his best, following a rib injury. Wonju, Korea In Korea the KBF will host a low key Rookie event, with very few details not note. We have been informed that the card will feature an 8 rounder, but other than that the details really are scarce. Jakarta, Indonesia
The first Indonesian show of the year takes place on January 21st and is an interesting on from Jakarta. The main event from the card is a really intriguing match up that sees unbeaten local Tibo Monabesa (14-0-1, 7) battle against Filipino visitor Rene Patilano (15-2-3, 7) for the WBC International silver Light Flyweight title. For Monabesa the bout is a huge step up, though he has impressed on the domestic scene and has faced some international talent, with a notable win against Kaichon Sor Vorapin. For Patilano the bout will be his second since being stopped in 6 rounds by Kosei Tanaka and he will be hoping to get some career momentum going again after failing to win either of his last 2 bouts. On the under-card we'll see fights featuring John Ruba (11-3-1, 6) and Defry Palulu (15-1-1, 11), against yet to be named opponents.  Thailand
For a second day running Thai fans get a major, international rematch as WBA “interim” Flyweight champion Stamp Kiatniwat (14-0, 6) defends his title against Dominican slugger Gregorio Lebron (13-3, 11). Stamp beat Lebron last year to claim the title before being ordered to give Lebron a rematch due to the close nature of the contest. Coming in to the rematch both men have stated they will be hunting a KO and that could mean that we won't see the judges come in to play here. On the under-card will be unbeaten Thai hopeful Chalermpol Singwancha (16-0, 12), who was supposed to be in action at the end of January before his original opponent, IK Yang, suffered a training injury. Jakarta, Indonesia Often in boxing we complain about the quality of match ups, every so often however we get a match up that really does look like a treat, a genuinely special treat for us fans. One such bout is set to take place today in Jakarta where former world title challenger Daud Yordan (34-3-0-1, 24) battles Yoshitaka Kato (29-6-1, 9). The bout may not resonate with Western fans, who may have forgotten Yordan and may not know who Kato is, but it will be action packed with styles that should really gel in the ring and give us a lot of excitement. This really could be a genuine treat. For fans interested the bout will be aired on RCTI and will be for Yordan's WBO Africa and WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight titles, with Kato himself having questioned the African title, it will also have significance on the WBO Lightweight world rankings with the winner likely moving towards a title fight as a result of this one. As for the under-card the show will feature some interesting fights, including an exhibition featuring 55 year old Indonesian legend Ellyas Pical (20-5-1, 11) facing off against his former sparring partner in a 2 round exhibition. The bout, according to the promoter, is to raise interest in Indonesian boxing and allow Pical, the country's first world champion to be a key figure. The main under-card bout will see the exciting Defry Palulu (12-1, 11) face off against Filipino fighter Rey Juntilla (21-7-4, 14), in what looks like a genuinely good match up and a real test for the local favourite. The card will also feature a celebrity charity fight, albeit between two Indonesian celebrities, whilst there are a further 6 under card bouts featuring some of the more notable domestic level Indonesian fighters.  This Saturday is set to be a hectic day for boxing fans with a number of fights taking place around the globe. For Asian fans the attention really should be on Japan and Indonesia with both countries hosting some notable fights.
Tokyo, Japan The most notable card of the day is in Tokyo where fans will get a little bit of everything ranging from former world champions to hopeful contenders, from solid but uninspiring domestic fighters to novices beginning their careers. The main event of the show will see former Flyweight champion Toshiyuki Igarashi (20-2-1, 11 battle against once beaten Filipino visitor Renerio Arizala (12-1-1, 5). Arizala was a late replacement for Lionel Mark Duran (13-11-2, 5) and appears to have been a huge upgraded, however the fact he was given the bout at late notice may well come back to cost him in what a genuine intriguing match up. The co-feature of the show features another former world champion as former WBA Super Bantamweight champion Akifumi Shimoda (28-4-2, 12) takes on former Japanese title challenger Gosuke Seki (16-1-2, 3). Shimoda is best know for suffering two KO-of-the-Year style defeats, to Rico Ramos and Marvin Sonsona, and will be hoping to get back to winning ways after more than a year out of the ring. For Seki this is a great opportunity to score a career defining win however he's certainly not a star in the making. Another bout that caught our eye on this show is a Super Featherweight bout between hard hitting local Kenichi Ogawa (14-1, 12) and Filipino visitor Raymond Sermona (17-5-5, 8). For Ogawa this is a chance to score a 7th straight stoppage and to move towards a bigger and better fight. As for Sermona it's a potential chance to turn his career around after a run of 2-3-1 in the last 6 bouts. We suspect Ogawa will be far too good for the Filipino. Surabya, Indonesia In Indonesia fans will get the chance to see several interesting bouts involving some of the countries most notable and interesting fighters. The main event will see former world title challenger Daud Yordan (33-3-0-1, 24) take on Ghanaian southpaw Maxwell Awuku (40-2-1, 26) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Africa Lightweight titles. For Yordan this will be his first bout since December, when he stopped Ronald Pontillas, and it's fair to say he's going to be wanting another excellent performance to remind fans how good he is. In the chief support bout the heavy handed Defry Palulu (11-1, 10) will be up against Thai visitor Sukkasem Kietyongyuth (13-4, 8). This will be Palulu's second bout since being stopped, in 2 rounds, by AJ Banal and although he's less experienced than the Thai he will be favoured, especially considering the fact that Sukkasem has lost his last 2 bouts by stoppage. California, USA The most notable bout involving an Asian fighter in the US will be a contest between former world champion Marvin Sonsona (19-1-1, 15) and the tough but limited Jonathan Arrellano (15-5-2, 3). Sonsona, who last fought a year ago, will be hoping to make an impact here following a dull affair last time out against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. Incidentally Arrellano's last bout was also against Vazquez Jr, dropping a close decision, and he is now 1-3 in his last 4 bouts. New York, USA Chinese Heavyweight hopeful Zhang Zhilei (3-0, 2) continues his development as he takes on Glenn Thomas (1-3) in a scheduled 4 rounder. Zhilei, a former Olympic medalist is 32 and it seems like he's really needing a step up sooner rather than later and hopefully a 6 round bout will come before the end of the year. Virginia, USA In Virginia fans will see the second pro bout of Uzbek fighter Zarifbek Nishanbaev (1-0, 1). Nishanbaev made his debut earlier this year with a 27 second blow out of Mike Blocker and will be hoping for something similar here. Unfortunately the “opponent” wasn't named at the time of writing. Gauteng, South Africa In South Africa fans get the chance to see unbeaten Kazakh prospect Roman Zhailauov (14-0, 8) facing off against the relatively fragile Luyanda Jako (9-9-2, 4), who has been stopped in all 9 losses and has won just 1 of his last 6 bouts. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) |
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