 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.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday we get a really notable show from Korakuen Hall as the Ohashi Gym put on a show that not only has 3 title bouts, but also 2 tournaments on what is one of the more notable domestic cards of the year. The main event is one of the 3 title fights, and is sadly the “least” interesting. That’s because it sees the hard hitting, unbeaten, Japanese Super Flyweight champion Suzumi Takayama (8-0, 7) defending his belt against the experienced but limited Isao Aoyama (14-12-1, 4). The 27 year old Takayama, who is world ranked by all 4 world title bodies, won the title last year and will be seeking his third defense of the belt, though there is a feeling he and his team should be pressing on with landing world ranked opponents and moving towards a world title fight, rather than treading water at the domestic level. Sadly Aoyama, despite being experienced, isn’t even close to being at the top of the domestic picture. The JBC rank the 35 year old Aoyama towards the bottom of their top 15 and he has just 2 wins in his last 7 bouts, dating back to late 2020. He is not expected to provide any real test for Takayama, though is rugged and should last a few rounds with Takayama. In some ways this is viewed as a shot for Aoyama less from achievement, and more for his services to the sport, as he has fought a who’s who of the domestic scene, but sadly that won’t be much help against someone as talented as Takayama. A much more interesting looking Japanese title bout will see Japanese Bantamweight champion Fumiya Fuse (14-3, 3) make his first defense, as he takes on the extremely dangerous Riku Masuda (4-1, 4), who is getting his second shot at the title, in what is a rematch between two men who fought last year. Fuse has been a professional since 2017 and first made a name for himself that year, as he won the All Japan Rookie of the Year. He would win his first 8 before losing a technical decision to highly regarded prospect Toshiya Ishii. Since that loss he has gone 6-2 with the other losses coming to Sam Goodman and Riku Masuda, the same Masuda he is facing here. Despite those losses he has actually scored two of his best wins in recent bouts, beating Ryosuke Nasu and Taichi Sugimoto, with the win over Sugimoto in April being his title winning performance. As for Masuda he debuted in 2022 and blew out his first two opponents, before stepping up and stopping Fuse last year, before losing a close and hotly contested 10 round decision to Seiya Tsutusmi in a Japanese title bout in August 2023. Following that bout we've only seen Masuda once, though it was a career best win as he blasted out former world title challenger Jonas Sultan in just 141 seconds, giving Sultan his first stoppage loss. Fuse will be hoping to have learned from his loss to Masuda, who will himself be looking for a repeat performance in an attempt to claim his first title, and move onwards and upwards towards regional and world title fights. The other title bout on this card is a Japanese Youth Bantamweight title bout, as 23 year olds Daichi Hirai (8-4, 1) and Shunpei Kaneshiro (2-0, 1) clash in a really solid looking match up. Hirai, from Osaka, will be fighting in Tokyo for just the second time in his career, with the other being a loss in an All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Since that loss Hirai has gone 3-2, which looks under-whelming, but includes a very close loss and a win on foreign soil, against Korean Seong Yeong Yang, which will serve him well coming into this bout. As for Kaneshiro, he was a former amateur standout who has been moved quickly into this opportunity and will see this as a great chance to win his first title and move onwards and upwards. As well as the three title bouts, we’re also set to get the semi-finals of the Asia Strongest Lightweight Tournament, as two Japanese fighters take on two visitors with the 4 fighters all looking to move onwards to winning the tournament, and landing a big international fight in 2025. One of the two bouts will see the flawed but heavy handed Yoji Saito (7-3-2, 7) battle against the once beaten Chinese fighter Hanyun Wu (4-1-0-1, 1). Saito is not the best boxer out there, but he is a rugged, heavy handed fighter, who has proven to be incredibly dangerous throughout his career and is riding a 4 fight winning streak since a 2022 loss to Yamato Hata. If a fighter can take his power, and that’s a big if, Saito can be in trouble, but given his power there’s not many tough enough, at this level, to win a shootout with him. Wu on the other hand is a 21 year old Chinese fighter who lost on debut and hasn't faced anyone of any note coming into this. On paper this looks interesting, but in reality it’s hard to see anything but a blow out for the powerful Saito. The other semi-final should be much more interesting, as the unbeaten Taiga Imanaga (5-0, 4) takes on experienced Filipino Marvin Esquierdo (17-3-1-1, 11). The talented Imanaga, who some have viewed as the favourite for the tournament, has shown impressive power, good boxing skills and was a former amateur standout before making his debut in 2022. He is a work in progress, and does need some rounds after having just 21 in his first 5 bouts, but there is no doubting his potential and his ability. As for Esquierdo, the Filipino is a highly experienced fighter who debuted in 2015, suffering a loss on debut. He has picked up international experience, fighting in Russia and Japan, and his only losses, outside his loss on debut, have come to Mark Urvanov and Kenichi Ogawa, and he actually went 10 rounds with Ogawa. This should be a genuine test for Imanaga against a sturdy, solid, opponent.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main event of the card will see Fumiya Fuse (13-3, 2) and Taichi Sugimoto (10-1-3, 1) battle for the vacant Japanese Bantamweight title. Both men are talented, but light punching, with just 3 stoppages between their 23 wins, and should make for a really intriguing match up, with both being very overlooked. Fuse is the more well known of the two, Since turning professional in 2017 he has won Rookie of the Year and the Japanese Youth Bantamweight title, and is known internationally for his 2022 clash with Sam Goodman, officially scoring a knockdown against Goodman in round 3 of their clash. Sugimoto also turned professional in 2017, but hasn't really made the impact of Fuse, with his most notable bouts being a draw with Tom Mizokoshi and a draw against Daichi Hirai. This should be very much a high speed chess match early on, but we expect this will break down into something of a grueling war later on. For those curious, the Japanese Bantamweight title became vacant when Seiya Tsutsumi vacated the belt, following his tragic December win over Kazuki Anaguchi. In the chief support bout we’ll see former amateut standout Madoka Wada (0-0) begin her professional career, and do so in an A Class bout, reportedly becoming the first Japanese female fighter to do so. Wadsa, one of the best Japanese amateur female fighters ever, will be up against Thai visitor Pimchanok Thepjanda (8-4, 5), in what looks like a decent debut match up. The 20 year old Thepjanda has been a professional since August 2022, and has been busy, but also suffered losses in her most notable bouts, including a TKO loss to Sumire Yamanaka in 2023 and a loss last time out to Gabriela Timar in Switzerland. Wada should win this without any issues, but it will be interesting to see if she can take out Thepjanda quicker than Yamanaka did, and whether her team will be happy to fast track her, which given her pedigree they really should do. Wada isn't the only notable novice on this card facing a Thai visitor, as Kosei Nogami (1-0, 1) takes on Sakda Langkabam (8-2, 6). The talented Nogami went 49-18 in the unpaid ranks and looked destructive in his debut, last July. In just his second bout he is already fighting in 8 rounders and we suspect he'll be in the domestic title picture within 2 years. As for the visitor he has been stopped in both of his losses, and we wouldn't be surprised at all if he fails to see the final bell here. In another 8 round bout, this time at Flyweight, Kanta Yamauchi (9-3-1, 6) will face off with Kenshi Noda (3-3, 2). Yamauchi comes into this on the back of 6 straight wins, and has rebuilt brilliantly since a 2021 loss to Kanamu Sakama, though many of those wins have come against lesser fighters and this is a credible step up in class. Noda, although his record suggests a limited fighter, is a genuine talent and might well be the best 3-3 fighter in the sport, with losses to Toshiki Kawamitsu and Yuga Ozaki marking his record. We expect this one to be a hotly contested fight, though do suspect Yamauachi being the naturally bigger man, will be favoured here in what could be something of a gem on this card. Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
This coming Wednesday attention turns to Australia, for a show featuring two notable Japanese fighters up against Australian locals, in two really good looking bouts. The main bout will see unbeaten 23 year old Australian hopeful Sam Goodman (10-0, 6) taking on one beaten Japanese 23 year old Fumiya Fuse (11-1, 1). The bout will see Goodman defending the WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title, whilst the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title will also be up for grabs. In recent years Goodman has looking impressive, and stopped Richi Mepranum last time out, whilst having also beaten Nort Beauchamp and Noldi Manakane recently. He's certainly the naturally bigger man and the puncher here, with 5 stoppages in his last 6, though Fuse will be coming in to this with a lot of confidence. The Japanese visitor has won his last 3, beating Fuya Tomita and Takahiro Tai in his last two, with the win over Tai seeing him win the Japanese Youth Bantamweight title. The other bout of note will see Francis Chua (8-2-1, 3) take on unbeaten Japanese visitor Hironori Mishiro (11-0-1, 4), in what will be Mishiro's first bout away from home. Coming into this Chua has lost 2 of his last 3, and there is a feeling that he's going to be the under-dog here, though he will be determined to get his career back on track and bounce back from a 2021 loss to Liam Wilson. As for Mishiro he's looking to expand his profile outside of Japan, where he has won the OPBF Super Featherweight title, and scored notable wins over the likes of Carlo Magali, Takuya Watanabe, Yoshimitsu Kimura, Masayuki Ito and Kazuhiro Nishitani. Whilst he's the away fighter, Mishiro will be the main with momentum and confidence coming in to this.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get more action from Korakuen all as the Kaneko Gym put on a small show, but a fairly notable one, headlined by a Japanese Youth title fight and featuring some very promising Japanese prospects. The main event will see the flawed but hugely entertaining Takahiro Tai (3-0, 3) take on the talented, but light punching, Fumiya Fuse (10-1, 1) in a bout for the Japanese Youth Bantamweight title. The men fight very, very differently to each other, with Fuse relying on speed, combinations and accurate shots whilst Tai likes to entertain, with switch hitting, showboating and throwing very little other than bombs looking to leave an impression, but their style should gel really well here and deliver something resembling an action war. Our preview of this bout can be read here Fuse and Tai battle for Youth title In the chief support bout the promising Yuya Oku (1-0, 1) will look to build on his impressive debut, which lasted just 50 seconds, as he takes on Yuya Azuma (5-6-1, 1). Azuma tends to be a durable and tough foe, but a technically limited one, and we suspect Oku will go for an early finish, realise Azuma is not going to fold and end up cruising to a wide decision win. Oku is certainly a talent and we should see what he's all about here. Another notable novice on this card is Yuri Kanaya (0-0), who makes his debut against JBC ranked foe Sora Takeda (6-2, 1). The 25 year old Kanaya went 35-17 (10) in the unpaid ranks and will be looking to impress now he's turned professional, and a win over a JBC ranked opponent on debut would be an impressive way to kick things off. Takeda on the other hand is looking to bounce back from a January loss to Katsuki Mori, in what was a genuinely fantastic 8 rounder. Although Kanaya was a good amateur this is a very tough debut and Takeda has the tools to be a banana skin here in what could be a bit of a hidden gem of a bout.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday is a solid day for Japanese fight fans in Tokyo, thanks to a Dangan and Watanabe promoted show headlined by a WBO Asia Pacific title bout, and featuring several solid match ups on the under-card. The main event is a truly brilliant match up as the much touted Ginjiro Shigeoka (5-0, 4) defends the WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title against fellow unbeaten Toshiki Kawamitsu (6-0, 3). The explosive Shigeoka hasn't fought since stopping Rey Loreto at the end of 2019, and has had a really frustrating 18 months or so, needing to recover from an injury having several dates slip away. Given his long break from the ring and the issues that covid has had on his career it's hard to really know where Shigeoka is at mentally coming in to this. Kawamitsu on the other hand has really made his name in the "covid-era" of boxing with a brilliant win in 2020 over Kenshi Noda, in a truly fantastic fight, and a swift win over Kosuke Ando this past January. Those wins have helped put Kawamitsu on the map and a win here would boost him to the verges of a world title fight. This is a bout that should be explosive, high tempo, and a must watch for fans of the lower weights. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Shigeoka returns as he takes on unbeaten Kawamitsu! The chief support bout is a genuinely brilliant one as the heavy handed Shu Utsuki (8-0, 7) takes on the skilled Ryo Nakai (2-0-1, 1) in a great 8 round Lightweight clash. The hard hitting Utsuki, who is banging on the door of a title fight, has stopped his last 6 opponents in a combined 21 rounds and looks like he's ready for a serious test after wins over the likes of Jerry Castroverde and Masashi Wakita. Although not too well known Nakai is no push over, and is instead a very talented boxer, who has rebuilt well since a draw on his debut. Although talented we do feel this is maybe a little bit too soon for Nakai, who perhaps could have done with 2 or 3 more fights before facing someone as dangerous as Utsuki. In another interesting supporting bout we'll see the once beaten Fumiya Fuse (9-1, 1) battle against Fuya Tomita (6-2, 2). The talented Fuse, who won Rookie of the Year in 2017, will be fighting for the first time since he beat Melmark Dignos in last 2019, and with more than 18 months out it's going to be interesting to see how he looks here. Tomita on the other hand has been surprisingly busy in recent years, and has fought 3 times since since November 2020, including his win in the All Japan Rookie of the Year in February. Not only is Tomita active and in good form, but he's also a physical freak standing at close to 6 foot, despite fighting as a Bantamweight! This is going to be a very, very tough bout for Fuse. Also on this card is the debut of 24 year old Watanabe hopeful Kyotaro Yoshida (0-0), who went 32-13 in the amateurs, who takes on the once beaten Hiroki Kinjo (5-1, 4). The talented debutant is expected to be a bright hope for the Watanabe gym and someone the gym could move quickly in the coming years. Kinjo on the other hand is 21 and debuted back in 2018, winning his first 5 before losing to the aforementioned Fuya Tomita last November. Prior to that loss Kinjo had been matched softly and this is certainly one of his toughest bouts so far.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we see a really interesting card from Tokyo, as we get an OPBF title fight and a brilliant match up with a fast rising youngster against an rugged veteran. The main event will see OPBF Super Featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro (8-0-1, 3) defending his belt against once beaten Yoshimitsu Kimura (12-1, 7). The unbeaten champion won the title in summer 2018 and has notched up 3 defenses already, including very good wins over Takuya Watanabe and Ryo Takenaka. Despite his run Mishiro still has area's to improve on and this a good bout against a talented and hungry fighter. For Kimura the bout is a second shot at a title, following a competitive loss in 2018 to Richard Pumicpic for a belt at Featherweight. Both of these men like a fight, and we're expecting a bit of a tear up here in what could end up being a bit of a hidden gem of sorts. Our full preview of this bout is available here Mishiro clashes with Kimura in next OPBF title defense The chief support bout on this show is a mouth watering test for one of the most talented young fighters in Japan, who takes a huge step up and faces an OPBF champion, in just his second bout. The bout in question will see former Japanese amateur standout Yudai Shigeoka (1-0, 1) take on OPBF Minimumweight champion Lito Dante (16-10-4, 8), in a 6 round none title bout. On paper this looks like an easy win, but the reality is that Dante is a real dangerman, tough as old boots and is not an easy out for anyone, never mind a 1-0 novice. Shigeoka will likely be favoured, helped in part by the bout only being a 6 rounder, but this is a very real test for the youngster against a very rugged and determined Filipino foe. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Yudai Shigeoka takes on OPBF king Lito Dante in huge step up! Another talented Japanese youngster on this show is the light punching Fumiya Fuse (8-1, 1), who faces off with fellow feather fisted fighter Melmark Dignos (9-3, 1). On paper this is not likely to end early, but it should be genuinely compelling. We've often been impressed by Fuse's skills, and he is a real joy to watch, but here's up against a similarly skilled fighter here and Dignos has shown no fear on his travels, picking up a win last time he was in Japan. We expect this one to be very interesting, even if it will lack in terms of dramatic action. Kemerovo, Russia Several fighters from Asia are pencilled in to fight on a card from Russia. Among those fighters is once beaten Filipino Garen Diagan (7-1, 3), who will be fighting outside of the Philippines for the first time. The 23 year old Diagan has won 4 in a row following a 2017 loss to Marco John Rementizo, and has taken the unbeaten records of Arvin Magramo and Jerry Francisco in recent bouts. The Filipino will be up against debuting Russian Bator Sagaluev (0-0) in an interesting 6 rounder. Another Asian on this card will be Kazakh novice Nurzhan Makashbayev (0-0-1), who goes up against limited Russian Mikhail Lesnikov (4-4, 1). We saw Lesnikov score a brutal KO in January, against the over-matched Afrizal Tamboresi, but since the he has gone 1-2. As for the Kazakh this is a good chance to get his first professional win. Kharkiv, Ukraine In Kiev fans will be able to see Iranian fighter Puneh Akhundtabarmazandarani (5-1, 2) in a 6 rounder. Since losing on her debut, to up coming world title challenger Li Ping Shui, Akhundtabarmazandarani has gone unbeaten, though she has only faced novices so far. Sadly at the time of writing her opponent for this card wasn't named, leading us to suspect it'll be another novice.  Tokyo, Japan
One of the great things about Japanese boxing is the fact that talented youngsters get in the ring against each other, rather than get protected in the hope of a bout marinating down the line. This type of match making is particularly in both the Japanese Youth title bouts, which regularly match top youngsters against each other, and the B class tournaments which usually match touted novice professionals against each other. This coming Monday the Korakuen Hall place host to both, B Class tournament and Japanese Youth title tournament bouts, essentially Japanese Youth title eliminators, in what is set to be an excellent, but perhaps over-looked, show. One of the Japanese Youth title eliminators will see Haruki Ishikawa (7-1, 5) and Atsushi Takada (6-1-3, 3) battle in a really interesting match up. The 19 year old Ishikawa lost in a very close bout against Yusei Fujikawa, in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, but has bounced back with a good win over Alvin Medura back in April and certainly has a lot of promise. Takada on the other hand was beaten in a Japanese youth title fight in April and will be looking to secure a second shot at the title in the near future. On paper this is finely balanced and should be a very compelling contest. The other Japanese title eliminator on this card will actually find themselves up against the winner of the Ishikawa Vs Takada fight, in a bout for the vacant title. This match up., on paper, looks like a mismatch with former Rookie of the Year winner Fumiya Fuse (8-0, 1) taking on 18 year old novice Toshiya Ishii (1-0, 1). This doesn't look great until you realise that Ishii was a very capable amateur, coming runner up in the 2018 Inter-High school tournament and being earmarked for professional success straight away. Fuse is a very talented boxer but this is, in many ways, his toughest test so far, whilst Ishii is will be hoping to have not bitten off more than he chew. A brilliant match up, and one where the winner will really earn something from victory. In a B class tournament bout, at Light Flyweight, we see novice professionals clash in what could be a really interesting contest. The match up in question is a 6 round bout between Yuki Nakajima (2-0, 2) and Ryu Horikawa (1-0, 1). On paper this might not look anything special to those who don't follow the Japanese scene but for those with a hardcore interest this is something special between two talented former amateur standouts. Nakajima went 52-21 in the unpaid ranks, and has looked fantastic in his first 2 bouts, as a professional whilst Horikawa went 37-8 was matched hard on debut and had to show his mettle. Despite only 3 pro bouts between them this should be a very, very good fight  Tokyo, Japan
Attention turns to Tokyo this coming Tuesday for the next notable Watanabe card, headlined by a world title fight and supported by a number of really interesting prospects. The main event of the show will see WBO Minimumweight champion Vic Saludar (18-3, 10) making his first defense and taking on Japanese challenger Masataka Taniguchi (11-2, 7). Saludar, who won the title last year when he beat Ryuya Yamanaka, has proven to be a difficult assign for top fighters, with Kosei Tanaka needing to pull himself off the canvas to stop him and his win over Yamanaka. Taniguchi on the other hand is taking a huge step up in class, but is a top class fighter who's only losses have been razor thin ones to Tsubasa Koura and Reiya Konishi. We're really expecting this to be something really special. Our preview of this bout can be read here Saludar returns to Japan to defend against Taniguchi! The main under-card bout will see former amateur standout Shu Utsuki (3-0, 2) take on Japanese based Filipino Jerry Castroverde (10-5, 5), who is promoted by Nobuhiro Ishida. Utsuki has shown great promise already in his career, but this is a very clear step up in class and will be the first time he has taken on someone with real ring experience. Castroverde on the other hand has lost 3 of his last 6, but has mixed with good competition, including Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov and Tae Il Atsumi. This is a huge step up for the unbeaten man. Another big supporting bout will see the 2017 Rookie of the year Fumiya Fuse (7-0, 1) take on Naoto Mizutani (5-5-1, 2) in a really good looking 8 round bout. We've been impressed by Fuse, who really shined last year on his international debut in Korea, and we're expecting to see huge things from him in 2019. This should be a straight forward win for the youngster, but Mizutani has mixed with so very notable foes, including Kenshin Oshima and Ryo Akaho, so may have a few tricks up his sleeve to teach Fuse. Teenage sensation Ginjiro Shigeoka (1-0, 1) will be fighting his second professional bout on his card, as he takes on once beaten 20 year old Thai Gerttipong Kumsahwat (3-1, 3), in what should be another bout to allow Shigeoka to shine ahead of a planned 8 round bout in April. Talking about low key Thai's it's worth noting that Suzumi Takayama (0-0) will be making his debut against a low key Thai, taking on Nirun Baonok (5-14, 4), who has stacked up losses in Japan. Typically Baonok has given rounds to good fighters and been matched really hard, but given the fact Takayama was a stand out amateur we don't see this being a competitive match up.  This coming Sunday isn't a big day in Asian boxing but there are a number of bouts of note, with two Japanese eliminators in Fukuoka and a pretty interesting card in South Korea with Koreans, and Korean based fighters, taking on Japanese visitors.
Fukuoka, Japan The card in Fukuoka really is lacking in terms of depth, with just 6 total bouts on the card, but the top two bouts are mouth watering Japanese title eliminators, featuring local fighters taking on opponents from Tokyo for the right to compete at the 2019 Champion Carnival. One of those two eliminators takes place down at 105lbs and will see the once touted Takumi Sakae (19-2-1, 13) take on recent OPBF title challenger Norihito Tanaka (16-7, 9). The 25 year old Tanaka debuted in 2011 and looked on the route to success when he claimed the Rookie of the Year crown in 2013. Sadly since that early success he has faltered, losing in a Japanese title fight in 2016 to Tatsuya Fukuhara, drawing with Lito Dante and losing to Ryoki Hirai. Sakae has won his last 5, but those wins have come against some very limited foes. The 33 year old Tanaka ran up a 14-5 (7) record before walking away from the sport in 2011. He returned to the ring in 2017 and has had mixed success, with a loss last time out to OPBF champion Tsubasa Koura. Given the need for both men to win, and look good, this could be very entertaining. A preview of this bout is available here Sakae and Tanaka face off in Japanese eliminator! The other title eliminator bout bout will see heavy handed Yuki Beppu (18-0-1, 18) clash with Teiken hopeful Yuki Nagano (14-2, 11) in a Welterweight eliminator. Beppu, like Sakae, is a Rookie of the Year winner but at 27 years old it certainly feels like time for his to step up his competition, following 4 wins over terrible foes. The one time he really stepped, since his Rookie triumph, saw him fight to a draw with Charles Bellamy, and he seemed to bide his time whilst waiting for an opportunity like this. At 29 years old Nagano is slight older but also more tested. He comes into this bout on a 12 fight winning run, including a Rookie of the Year triumph in 2015 and a recent win over Riku Nagahama. Notably this will be Nagano's first bout outside of the Korakuen Hall, and that may be a problem with the crowd behind Beppu, but he'll be confident of continuing his good form. This has the potential to be very explosive. Our preview of this bout can be read here - Heavy handed Beppu and Nagano clash in eliminator! Kochi, Japan There will be a second Japanese card, albeit a significantly less significant one. The main event here will see Ryosei Hamaguchi (6-3, 2) taking on Chiharu Takasuka (5-4-1, 3), in what is a pretty low key bout if we're being honest, especially given the action in Fukuoka. Daejeon, South Korea In South Korea fans get a very interesting card, featuring several good looking international bouts and two BoxingM title bouts. One of those Korean title bouts will see Doo Hyup Kim (10-6-1, 5) take on Gun Woo Gang (4-2-2, 1) for the Korean Light Middleweight title. This will be Kim's first defense of the title, and despite having been stopped in 2 of his previous 3 he will be the man with the champions mentality. On the other hand the 21 year old Gang will be having his third title fight, having come up short in two previous Korean title bouts. The second title fight will be at 140lbs and will see Jin Soo Kim (3-1, 1) face off with Min Ho Jung (7-1-1, 1) for the vacant title. At 22 years old Kim is the younger, less experienced man but is a promising southpaw, who made an impact on his 2015 debut by scoring a brilliant KO of Andrew Silva. Jung will enter the bout as the older man, but will be the naturally smaller fighter. This could be an entertaining match up, but this will be the first title bout for either man. On paper the most evenly matched of the international bouts will see unbeaten fighters collide as local Min Jang (6-0-2, 2) takes on Japan's Fumiya Fuse (6-0, 1). The 18 year old Jang debuted last year and has already racked up 8 fights, but this is a big step up for him. At 20 years old Fuse is tipped as one to watch on the Japanese scene, and was the 2017 Rookie of the Year, but this will be his first bout outside of Japan. With neither man being a puncher we are expecting a distance bout, but a very interesting one. A potentially more explosive match up will see 26 year old Korean Dong Kwan Lee (8-2-2, 4) take on heavy handed Japanese fighter Arashi Iimi (6-1, 6). Coming into this Lee's record doesn't look too interesting, but his short term for has seen him going 4-1 (4) and he hasn't seen the final bell in any of his last 5 bouts. Iimi, the runner up for the 2017 Japanese Rookie of the Year has never seen the final bell, and has scored two wins already this year. Given their recent shows we're expecting to see both men go for the KO and to go for it early! One other bout of interest will see Korean based Mongolian Batzorig Batjargal (3-0, 2) take on Japan's Hironori Shigeta (5-1, 3). We've been impressed by Batjargal since his debut and he's looked really exciting so far, but this is a notable step up in class for him. Shigeta hasn't fought since December, but was crowned the Japanese Rookie of the Year last year at Welterweight, and he has a very good win over Rikuto Adachi. We can't help but think this could be the best bout on the card. |
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