 This coming Saturday we get plenty of interesting action, with solid shows in Tokyo, Metro Manila and Bangkok.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The Japanese show is the latest in the successful "WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT" series and has a nice solid mix of bouts on the show. The main event will see Japanese Lightweight champion Hironori Mishiro (16-1-1, 5) seek his second defense, and score his third win of 2024 , as he takes on former Japanese Featherweight champion Hinata Maruta (14-2-1, 10), who continues to try and fulfil his incredible potential. Mishiro won the title in in April, when he beat Shuma Nakazato, to claim his second major professional belt, having previously held the OPBF Super Featherweight title, and he looks to be settling in very well at 135lbs after a technical decision loss to Min Jo Jun in South Korea in 2023. As for Maruta, he was once tipped as a future star and looked sensational at times early in his career, but has struggled to put things together despite winning the Japanese Featherweight title with a very impressive win over Ryo Sagawa in 2021. He has had his frame fill out, after debuting as a skinny Bantamweight, but this is his first real test since moving to Lightweight last year. Aged just 27 Maruta is still young enough for things to click and for him to have the sensational performances many were expecting but another set back here could well end those hopes. In a major supporting bout former Japanese Light Welterweight champion Homura Fujita (12-2, 10) takes on Yangcheng Jin (13-9-2, 7) in one of a number of Japan Vs China bouts on this card. The hard hitting Fujita will be fighting for the first time since losing the Japanese title to Kuntae Lee in April, a loss that ended a 7 fight winning streak. He’s aggressive and heavy handed, and was very crude early in his career but he has developed really well since his first loss, Kodai Honda in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, and is now a very solid domestic level boxer-puncher. As for Jin the Chinese 36 year old is a rugged visitor, who has only been stopped once, way back in 2018 by Alexander Kotov, but has lost 3 of his last 5. He has got mixed success on the road, which includes a win in his only previously bout in Japan, nack in 2019 against Ukyo Yoshigai. Another of the Japan Vs China bouts will see the very highly regarded Hiroki Horiike (3-0, 2) take on Qi Yin Gao (7-4, 5), in what is Horiike's third bout against a Chinese fighter. Horiike looks t be one of the brightest young prospects in Japan, with the 23 year old 140lb'der looking like he has all the tools to go a long way. Last time out he was given a good 8 round work out by LeQuan Wang, the sort of test all prospects need, and whilst this is a step backwards from that fight, it will serve as a chance for him to show what he has learned since September. As for Gao the 29 year old is no world beater, he has lost his last 2, and 3 of is last 6, and been stopped twice in his 4 losses, but has been selected as the opponent to try and take Horiike rounds, rather than treat to beat the young local. Another unbeaten Japanese fighter on this card taking on a Chinese visitor is Reito Takahashi (2-0, 2), who takes on Guoqi Chu (8-4, 4). Takahashi, also 23, is a Lightweight prospect who has already looked sensational despite only making his debut in April. This will be his third bout in 8 months, and so far both of his bouts have finished in round 3, including a good win over Al Toyogon back in August. Sadly Chu is more of a lateral step than a step up from Toyogon, but can't be overlooked, given he has some momentum on the back of 3 straight wins, 2 of which have come on the road and the other coming against an unbeaten hopeful. We expect Chu to come with some ambition, but not have the tools needed to really test Takahashi. Elorde Sports Center, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines Over in the Philippines we have a really long looking show, with a lot of bouts on it, but overall a lack of quality in the match ups. Thankfully we do have 2 bouts worthy of some real attention The most notable of the fighters on the card is former amateur standout Criztian Pitt Laurente (12-0, 7), who was tipped for big things when he turned professional though has failed to live up to those expectations so far. Laurente will be seeking win #13 when he takes on Alven Vergara (8-2-1, 6). Aged just 24 Laurente has time on his side, despite only fighting once since the start of 2023, he has good domestic wins against Ernesto Saulong, Ernie Sanchez, Richard Bulacan and JR Magboo, but really will be hoping to kick on next year, and make the most of his potential. As for Vegara, the 27 year old is something of a glass cannon, with only 3 of his bouts going the distance. Sadly for him, he has had his chin exposed twice as a low level, and it'd be a real surprise to see him giving Laurente a tough test here. Another noteworthy fighter on this card is the once beaten Jahzeel Trinidad (11-1, 6), who is looking to bounce back from a loss, in July, to current world champion Shokichi Iwata as he takes on Christian Gagarin (4-2-1, 3). Trinidad wasn’t good enough for Iwata, though Iwata is one of the best at 108lbs right now, but had scored solid wins domestically and is a real nasty puncher, who has really had to fight domestic Flyweights to get good rounds under his belt. Although on paper Gagarin might not look a worthy test for Trinidad, his performances so far do suggest he could be a potential banana skin, having never been stopped, with both of his losses being super close decisions, and he has a win over former Japanese amateur standout Ryusei Baba. This is not the easy bout for Trinidad that it looks at first glance. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand Over in Thailand TL Promotions put on a card headlined by Arnon Yupang (15-5, 6), who defends his minor regional title against Indian challenger Baljeet Singh (8-3, 7). The 27 year old Yupang, looking to make his first defense of the ABF Super Featherweight title, won his first 5 and 8 of his first 9, but has since gone 7-4, losing to decent fighters, like Jeo Santisima, Tsubasa Narai and Virgel Vitor. We know his level is under genuine regional level, but he’s not actually a bad fighter. As for Singh, the Indian looks like a heavy handed fighter on paper, with 7 KO’s in 8 wins, notably however his opposition has been terrible, Jackson Griffiths aside though Griffiths did stop him in 2 rounds, with almost all of his wins coming against novices with losing records, many of which are winless.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
At the legendary Korakuen Hall we get a brilliant show pitting prospects from Japan and China against each other, in what could be one of the most under-rated shows of the year. In a battle of unbeaten 23 year olds we’ll see the touted Yuichiro Taka (2-0) take on the hard hitting Lite Dawuxi (7-0, 5). Despite being without a stoppage so far Taka is highly touted and very clearly skilled, and is expected to go a very long way over the coming years. Interestingly Taka’s first two opponents were, like Dawuxi, Chinese fighters, though this is a clear step up in class for him in terms of quality of opponent and his first 8 rounder. As for Dawuxi he returns to the scene of his biggest win so far, a 2nd round TKO win over Eikichi Ueno in May. That win aside, his competition has been relatively limited, but that win did show there was something to him, and it's clear he'll be looking to build on that win over Ueno. Another very highly touted unbeaten Japanese fighter on this card is Hiroki Horiike (2-0, 2) who faces the once beaten LeQuan Wang (8-1, 5), in what may turn out to be the best bout of the show. Horiike turned pro after a stellar amateur career, and some in Japan are tipping him as a fighter who will be fast tracked to domestic and regional honours, and perhaps even a world title down the line. His first two bouts have been blow outs, and he’s barely had 3 minutes of professional experience, but has already looked like a star in the making. Wang on the other hand won his first 7 bouts at home in China before traveling to Thailand and beating Reymond Yanong, inside a round. He was beaten last time out, suffering his only loss, to Thai wonderkid Phoobadin Yoohanngoh in Dubai. Despite losing to Phoobadin, Wang showed toughness and willing, and will be putting up a much better test than anyone Horiike has faced so far. A really intriguing bout in the China vs Japan series of shows will see former Japanese amateur stand out Sento Ito (1-0, 1) take on Guangheng Luan (3-7-2). On paper this is a total mismatch, with Ito tipped to be a star and Luan sporting a record of a journeyman. In reality however we should see Ito being forced to answer a number of questions, questions that he wasn’t asked in his debut. In his debut the 19 year old Ito took out Yotin Thongkhan in just 55 seconds. Here he’s up against a Chinese tough guy who has gone 0-7-1 in his last 8, but never been stopped and has gone the distance with the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Phongsaphon Panyakum and Danai Ngiabphukhiaw. Ito is expected to win, but we suspect he'll have to go rounds here, however if he can stop Luan it would be a huge statement. Another of the bouts in the China Vs Japan series of bouts will see struggling Japanese hopeful Kenshin Kidoguchi (1-1-2) take on the unbeaten Xinqiang Zhao (4-0, 2). The 25 year old Kidoguchi failed to win any of his first 3 bouts, all against unbeaten fighters, but did secure a win back in June against Sho Oba to get mark in the win column. Despite his poor looking record he is certainly not a poor fighter, and whilst he'll have some more rebuilding to do, a win here will do him the world of good. As for Zhao he made his debut in China in 2023 before reeling off 3 wins in Thailand, and won't feel too bothered by being in enemy territory here, though he will be facing his most technically complete and accomplished opponent to date in a bout that promises to be better than it looks on paper. In a notable domestic clash on this card will see Yuki Yonaha (13-6-1, 8) take on Towa Tsuji (8-1, 6), in another 8 rounder, much like the China Vs Japan bouts, in what is likely to be outshone by the other bouts but also deliver a lot of fun. Yonaha is no world beater, but is a game fighter who always tries to win, even though he has been over-matched against the likes of Jin Minamide, Tenshin Nasukawa and Juiki Tatsuyoshi in recent years. He’s technically limited, but tough and comes to fight. Tsuji on the other hand is a hard hitting 24 year old hopeful who won the Japanese Youth Featherweight title last year, and has won his last 5, with 4 of those wins coming in the first 3 rounds. This should be a very entertaining war. A second domestic clash on this card will be a rematch between Yuya Hirose (9-3-2, 4) and Kyosuke Okamoto (7-1-1, 4), in a bout that will see both men desperate to get a win and build some career momentum after recent setbacks. Hirose is a 26 year old who is 2-1-1 in his last 4, with the loss coming in 2022 to Okamoto, and whilst he is clearly more talented than his record suggests he is also inconsistent and his lack of power has made bouts closer than they needed to be. As for Okamoto he will be looking to repeat his win over Hirose and secure his second win since a 2023 loss to Towa Tsuji, in a Japanese Youth title fight. Given their history and the fact neither can afford another set back, this really could be very intriguing. Almaty, Kazakhstan We also have some interesting prospects and hopefuls in action in Kazakhstan. One of the most notable names on this show is former fringe contender Ruslan Madiyev (15-2, 6), who continues his current rebuilding process as he takes on Thai visitor Kittisak Klinson (8-1, 5). Back in 2018 Madiyev was 12-0 and a promising 25 year old. He then lost a technical decision to veteran Pablo Cesar Cano and suffered another technical decision loss to Danielito Zorrilla in March 2021. Since that loss to Zorrilla he has fought just twice, scoring a good win over Luis Hernandez Ramos and then a low key win over Juan Jimenez. He has gone from being a fringe contender to a forgotten man since the loss to Cano, losing all his career momentum. Klinson has a nice looking record, but sadly his competition has been awful so far, and, like many Thai's, he has a lack of quality to his wins. He did score a career best win last time out, beating Min Nuo in China, but this is a huge leap up in class from that bout. Another man who seemed to have early promise but has yet to fulfil it is 30 year old Chinese bor Kazakh Yelshat Nikhemttolla (19-0-1, 6), who looks to continue his unbeaten run as he takes on Muhsin Kizota (20-5, 12), from Tanzania. Nikhemttolla once seemed like he was going to make a market has tread water for much of the last 5 years wasting his prime and letting time pass him by, much like Madiyev. As for Kizota he has served a good role over the years, and has only been truly dominated a few times in his career, with only Sivenathi Nontshinga and Hasanboy Dusmatov stopping him. He lacks notable wins, but is one of the Tanzanian fighters who travels with ambition and will be hungry here, though we suspect he will also be under-sized. In an interesting looking bout we’ll see professional novice Sanatali Toltayev (1-0, 1) will take on Sardar Atakishiev (11-1, 8). Toltayev will look to impress his local fans, much like he did on his debut in June against Dmitrii Khasiev, and another win here will hopefully see his team look to fast track him. Atakishiev, from Kyrgyzstan, has been inactive for 2 years, and whilst his record does look good on paper he lacks any sort of notable win and was beaten by the limited Evgeny Smelov back in 2021. On paper this looks really good, but digging down below Atakishiev’s numbers, we get the feeling that he has been record padding and is here for a paycheck, rather than a chance to kickstart his faltering career. In another bout that looks great on paper, and should deliver, we’ll see unbeaten 23 year old punchers Nurdos Tolebay (12-0, 10) and Ulugbek Qayumboev (6-0, 5) clash in a 6 rounder at Welterweight. Tolebay is the more experienced man, with 12 bouts and 41 rounds, and he’s also going to be the man with the support in the venue, given he’s a Kazakh, but generally speaking his competition has been poor, and he's regularly been fighting at 140lbs. Qayumboev is from Uzbekistan and his 6 career bouts have lasted a total of 19 rounds notably his will be his first pro bout in over 2 years, and only his second in almost 3 and a half since beating Alexander Fedorov in a career best win. Notably whilst Tolebay has often been fighting at 140lbs Qayumboev is himself a natural Lightweight and could look under-sizedhere. Carcar Sports Complex, Carcar, Cebu, Philippines Over in the Philippines we get a relatively small card. One of the more notable bouts on this card will see the unbeaten Junibert Bantay (4-0, 1) take on Reycar Auxilio (6-3-1, 5) at Super Bantamweight. Bantay is unbeaten but has escaped with two very close wins in his first 4 bouts and it’s fair to say that he’s not yet shown himself to be clearly above his competition. As for Auxilio he has mixed results, but has fought at a higher level, has more power and will be looking to keep this out of the hands of the judges. This could be a very entertaining battle, though one that is certainly not going to get major international attention. Another notable hopeful on this show is the once beaten Jemuel Aranas (4-1, 2), who takes on the experienced, but limited, Charlie Malupangue (9-12-4, 6). Aranas is a 19 year old who debuted a year ago won his first 4, before being stopped in June this year by Roderick Bautista, in an OPBF Youth title fight, where he was genuinely destroyed, being dropped in rounds 4, 5 and 6. Given that set back it’s little wonder he’s being matched a bit softer here, and Malupangue hasn’t won a fight since 2019 and has been stopped in 5 of his last 9 bouts. This very much looks like a confidence builder for Aranas.  Liloan Sports Complex, Liloan, Philippines
We get a really interesting card in the Philippines, with several notable bouts on it, both featuring unbeaten prospects in very notable steps up in class. One of the bouts will see Albert Francisco (12-0, 8) risk his unbeaten record against the once beaten Mark Vicelles (18-1-1, 11), in a mouth watering clash at Flyweight. Francisco is a 24 year old southpaw who has looked impressive since starting his career, but lacks a stand out win to put himself on to the fringes of the world scene. He'll know a win here will do just that and put him in the mix for big international fights. Vicelles on the other hand who has looked impressive since starting his career, but lacks a stand out win to put himself on to the fringes of the world scene. He'll know a win here will do just that and put him in the mix for big international fights. Given this is southpaw Vs southpaw this could be messy at times, but is clearly a really meaningful match up. Another unbeaten hopeful on this show is Arvin Jhon Paciones (8-0, 5), who is risking his unbeaten record against former world champion Rene Mark Cuarto (22-5-2, 12). For the 19 year old Paciones, a Vietnamese based Filipino, this is a huge leap up in class, and whilst he has been impressive, and scoring notable wins on the road in Vietnam and Thailand, but one that his team will probably feel he's ready for. Part of why Paciones team will feel their man is ready for Cuarto, is Cuarto’s own form, which has seen him losing 3 of his 5 bouts since winning the world title in 2022, and being stopped in 2 of his last 3. He's not old, at just 27, but does appear to have a lot of ring miles on the clock from the last few years. Cuarto can’t afford another loss, and a Pacioned will know a win rapidly sees his standing in the sport improve, and put him in, or around, the world rankings. The card also features two Japanese fighters making their international debuts. One of those is hard hitting Kakeru Mashimo (8-0, 6) who takes on former world ranked fighter Jason Canoy Manigos (28-12-2, 19). This is a huge step up for Mashimo, but one his team will feel comfortable with, with Canoy losing 5 of his last 6 and only having a single win since 2018, though regularly being competitive in his losses. This should be a good test for Mashimo, but a test he passes, despite maybe a rocky moment or two. The other is former amateur stand out Hiroki Horiike (1-0, 1), who made his debut in April. He will be expected to pick up an easy win here as he takes on 35 year old veteran Ryan Maano (6-19-2, 2). On paper this looks pointless, but Maano has proven himself as a stalwart on the Filipino scene, and has been in with a who's who, since his 2011 debut. In recent years he's been fighting outside of his best weight class, but will be expected to show Horiike a few veteran moves as the youngster looks to gain some valuable experience away from Japan. Hiokayama Gymnasium, Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan We get another interesting show in Japan, as JM Kakogawa Promotions put on a card with two really good match ups on it, even if one might not look amazing on paper. The best looking bout on the card will see Filipino fighter Vencent Lacar (6-0, 3) take on Shunpei Odagiri (4-0, 2) in a battle of unbeaten hopefuls, both of whom will likely go into this knowing a win will boost them towards a regional title fight. Lacar made his debut in late 2022 and had an excellent 2023, picking up 4 wins including taking the unbeaten record of Jemar Layom and winning the MinProBA Flyweight title. Odagiri, an experienced former Japanese amateur fighter, who has impressed since turning professional, and looks like someone being fast tracked. On paper Lacar is a step up for the Japanese fighter, but the 24 year old from Hyogo will feel confident of coming out on top here, and racing towards a title fight in the next 12-18 months. The second bout of note on this card will see experienced former amateur Ryusei Baba (3-2, 1), who hasn’t had the success many tipped him to have in the pros, take on 2018 All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Yoshiki Minato (11-6, 6), in what has the potential to be a very good technical fight. Baba was a very good amateur who lost 2 of his first three, one being a highly controversial decision in the Philippines and the other being a TKO loss to the hard hitting Sugo Namura. Since then however he has scored 2 solid domestic wins, and will feel that another win here will see him begin to prove himself as a professional, something we genuinely expect to see him do over the coming years. As for Minato he was once 8-1, but has gone 3-5 in his last 8 whilst facing the likes of Seigo Yuri Akui, Joe Shirashi, Taku Kuwahara and Masayoshi Hashizume. He's a solid boxer, but it does feel like his career is already starting to fall apart, and he's never come close to building on his 2020 upset win over Kohei Oba, who looked a shadow of the fighter he had once been. Wat Pak Bo School, Suan Luang, Bangkok, Thailand We also have a show in Thailand, with two minor regional title bouts on it. One of the title bouts will see Chinese fighter ShaoKang Huang (5-3, 3) take on Vietnamese fighter Phu Thuy Nguyen (2-4, 2), in a bout for the Asian Boxing Federation title at 140lbs. Nguyen, who is 32, debuted way back in 2016, fell to 0-2 before taking more than 5 years away from the ring. He returned in 2023 and has gone 2-2 (2) since then, beating two opponents without a win, and losing to men who had previously scored wins. Huang, who also had a stop start career, debuting in 2018, spending a year out then having an almost 4 year break, has been particularly active since July 2023, going 4-2 in less than a year. Sadly he was beaten last time out, with Chan Sala stopping him in 4 rounds, though that was at Welterweight, which isn't his natural weight. The other title bout is a really odd one and will see 34 year old Chinese fighter Yifeng Zhang (5-6, 3), take on 42 year old former world title challenger Wicha Phulaikhao (64-28-2, 18), with the men battling for the Asian Boxing Federation title at Super Featherweight. Zhang made his debut in 2012, and has had a career with several multi-year breaks in activity, though is on something of a busy run with this being his 4th fight in just over 8 months. However they have all been at a very, very low level in Gym fights in Thailand. The 42 year old Phulaikhao, who debuted in 1999, is almost 14 years removed from his most notable career bout, a loss in a fight for the WBA Minimumweight title. After that world title bout he sported a 42-6-2 records, but since then he has gone 22-22, moved way up the weights from Minimumweight and been stopped a frankly ridiculous 18 times, including his last 5 bouts, and 6 times in the last 12 months. Phulaikhao doesn’t really fight to win any more, and we wouldn’t be surprised at all by another stoppage loss for him here. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea Staying in Asia, we also get a small Gym show in South Korea, with most of the bouts on the card being 4 rounders. Whilst much of the card is 4 rounders, there is an 8 rounder on the show, as Uzbekistani Sirochbek Ismoilov (4-0, 1) takes on limited Indian Sunil Kumar (3-5, 3). The 21 year old Kumar was 3-1 (3) after 4 bouts, but has now lost his last 4 and has been stopped in his last two bouts. He's young, and could improve, but we're certainly not expecting him to go far, and feel those 4 recent losses show not just where he is now, but also his longer term potential. Ismoilov on the other hand is a 23 year old who debuted last year, and despite going the distance in his first 3 bouts, appeared to find some belief in his power last time out, as he blew away Bhinder Singh inside a round. It wouldn’t be a shock at all to se another early win for Ismoilov here. Olympia, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom We also have a bout with Asian interest in the UK as unbeaten English fighter Jack Rafferty (22-0, 13) takes on Indian fighter Sabari Jaishankar (11-2, 5) in a bout for the IBO Inter Continental Welterweight title. The 28 year old Rafferty has a very good looking record, having run out to 22-0 since his October 2017 debut, but scratching below the numbers, it does appar Rafferty has been matched very softly so far whilst fighting between 140lbs and 154lbs. He certainly has plenty of promise, but it does feel like he needs a step up sooner rather than later and his competition has been very poor. Jaishankar, who is surprisingly well traveled with bouts in Australia, Tanzania, Turkey and Thailand as well as his native India, lacks wins of any note, but has done well since a loss on debut, and his only other loss came last year in Turkey at 154lbs against Fatih Keles. Rafferty should win, but this should be seen as a small step up for him.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The most notable of the action this coming Friday comes from Korakuen Hall as we get “Who’s Next”, which features two highly regarded debutants, as well as a good looking 8 rounder at the domestic level and a bout with a JBC ranked Middleweight. The main event sees one of the debutants, Hiroki Horiike (0-0) make his debut, as he takes on Chinese fighter Junyi Xie (2-0, 1). As an amateur Horiike fought about 28 times, winning the majority of those bouts, and despite his lack of deep amateur pedigree, he did show a lot in that short amateur career, enough for some in Japan to be very excited about the 22 year old hopeful who made a mark at the 2023 All Japan Championships. He is fighting in and around the 140lb weight class, and has been open about wanting to be raced towards titles. Xie on the other hand has won both of his bouts, including a bout in Thailand last time out, and will be looking to play the roll over spoiler against a touted prospect. The other debutant is Reito Takahashi (0-0), who was much more proven in the amateurs than Horiike, with round 70 amateur bouts. Takahashi is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships, and whilst Horiike has an exciting style Takahashi has a more polished technical style, which looks like it could carry him to major success in the pros, even if his bouts aren’t always likely to be the most fun to watch. His opponent will also be a Chinese visitor, as he takes on Yumeng Yang (2-1, 1), who has faced very limited opponents and really not impressed against them. This should be a bit of a showcase for Takahashi who we think will be one to keep a very, very close eye on going forward. The most noteworthy of the non-debutant bouts will see former Rookie of the Year winner Shunpei Kubo (7-3-1, 5) look to get his career back on the right track following back to back TKO losses. Kubo, who showed a lot of promise before those losses will take on veteran Yoshihiro Utsumi (17-11-5, 10), who is now 40. Kubo is a talented fighter, though we dare say he started to believe in his power too much, and needs to farce some tough opponents, who can take his power, extend him later into bouts and give him a gut check, which we expect him to get here. Utsumi is no world beater but he is rugged and has only been stopped twice in his 11 losses. The JBC ranked fight on the show is the unbeaten Tatsuki Tokiyoshi (4-0-2, 3) who debuted in 2022, and is ranked more due to a lack of divisional depth than accomplishment and achievement, in fact his last win was back in 2022, and his last bout was a technical draw against Mongontsooj Nandinerdene around a year ago. He is expected to pick up an easy win here as he takes on limited 38 year old Mao Tameda (3-16-2), who has been stopped in his last 2 bouts and will likely suffer another early loss here. La Perle, Dubai, United Arab Emirates As well as the action in Japan, we also get some Asian fighters in Action in Dubai, as the gulf nations continue to put on a mix of huge shows, and some smaller ones. With this being a smaller one. One of the bouts with Asian significance will see Indian fighter Digari Mahesh (9-3-1, 5) take on unbeaten Canadian Helmand Meran Alekozai (12-0, 5) in an 8 rounder at 140lbs. On paper this looks like a mismatch but Mahesh has pulled out a couple of surprise wins already, beating Kuldeep Dhanda, when Mahesh was 3-1-1 and Dhanda was 9-2, and beating Murodjon Yokubov last June. As for Alekozai he’s very well traveled having had bouts in Czechia, Canada, the UK, China, Mexico and Dubai. Not only is he well traveled but he has also been able to prove himself as a solid puncher, and against decent competition. Alekozai will be the clear favourite, but Mahesh is an upset minded fighter and will look to spring a surprise here. In an all Asian-bout one beaten Pakistani Khalid Nasir (15-1, 11) will face Thai veteran Aekkawee Kaewmanee (30-22 17) in a bout for the WBC Asian Light Welterweight title. Nasri, who was born and raised in Dubai, has got a good looking record but was shocked in 2023 by the limited Zabeh Shamiyev, though has won 3 straight since then all inside the distance. The Thai, who is also known as Patomsith Pathompothong, has had massively mixed results through his career. At least on paper. In reality he's padded his record with easy wins against novices, debutants and career losers, but struggled when facing any adversity. We can't see that changing here, and would be surprised if he saw the final bell against Nasir. |
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