![]() This coming Friday is a crazy day in the world of Asian boxing with a trio of Chinese cards, as well as a notable Japanese show. The bouts aren't likely to have much global attention, but they range from a really high profile debut, to a potentially thrilling war on the verges of world class. Beijing, China For us the biggest show of the day is from Beijing, where we see a number of prospects in action, in bouts of varying quality. One of the really good looking bouts will see Filipino Ronnie Baldonado (9-0-1, 6) defending his WBO “interim” Oriental Flyweight title against touted Indonesian puncher Iwan Zoda (14-2-1, 13). For the champion the bout will be his first defense of the title he won back in April, when he stopped Yiming Ma inside a round whilst Zoda will be looking to rebuild after a year that has seen hi suffer a stoppage to Robert Onggocan and a surprising draw with Ical Tobida. It's fair to say Zoda can ill afford a set back but Baldonado is on a role with a trio of first round blow outs. Another really interesting contest will see Filipino prospect Mark Anthony Barriga (6-0, 1) take a huge step up to face former 2-time world title challenger Samartlek Kokietgym (33-6, 12) in a contest for the WBO International Minimumweight title. The 24 year old Barriga was a top Filipino prospect and it's clear his team view him as a special talent but this is a massive step up in class, and should tell us a lot about just how far Barriga could go. Samartlek, who is best known for losing in world title bouts to Naoya Inoue and Akira Yaegashi, does have a padded record, but is a very decent fight and will certainly not be afraid of Barriga's amateur background. Another title bout featuring an unbeaten fighter on this show will see Jin Xiang Pan (7-0, 4) take on James MacDonald (8-1-1, 4) for the WBO Youth Super Featherweight title. On paper this bout doesn't have the appeal of the ones above, but it's a step up for both fighters and it should be very interesting to see where both men are going in their career. Arguably the most notable title bout on the card, yet potentially the most one-sided, will see former Chinese amateur stand out Lu Bin (0-0) take on Thai foe Chatchai Or Benjamas (8-9, 6) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Light Flyweight Title. Making his professional debut in a 10 rounder is clearly Bin and his team looking to make a statement and given his background in amateur boxing and the APB there is real star potential here. It should be noted that Chatchai isn't great, and was an early opponent for the likes of Yohei Tobe and KJ Cataraja, but Bin's willingness to fight for a title early is still a statement from his team. One other bout of note from this show will see big punching Filipino Jayar Inson (13-1, 9) take on China's Yangcheng Jin (5-1-2, 1). This is likely to be a straight forward win for the visitor, but he is coming in to the bout on the back of a loss on the road in South Africa, and may be wearing the mental scars of that defeat. Xi An, China We get more title action in Xi An as novices Yiran Li (3-0, 3) and Super Top Singnamchai (2-0, 1) battle for the WBC Youth Featherweight title. Li made his professional debut back in April and has needed just 7 rounds to despatch his first 3 foes whilst the Thai visitor apparently debuted in 2012, and hasn't had a boxing contest in more than 5 years, making this a very perplexing contest on paper. Jinan, China Staying in China just a little longer fans will get card in Jinan where the headline bout will see Indonesian veteran Hero Tito (23-12-2, 8) battle with local Aizi Aili (5-2-1, 2), in what could be a pretty solid match up between well matched fighters at different stages of their career. Tokyo, Japan As well as all the action in China there will also be a notable card at the Korakuen Hall, which will be available on the A-sign service. The main event of the card is a potential war as former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (33-6-2, 21) takes on Richard Pumicpic (19-8-2, 6) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title, essentially securing the winner a top 15 WBO ranking. Of the two men Amagasa is the more well known, given his bouts with Guillermo Rigondeaux and Josh Warrington, and will be favoured, however Pumicpic is no pushover and he has has pushed fighters like Ryosuke Iwasa, Cesar Juarez and Yohei Tobe all really close in thrilling fights. We're expecting this fight to be the bout of the day. In another good looking contest we'll see veteran Takafumi Nakajima (28-9-1, 12) take on Jin Miura (9-2, 1). Coming in to this Nakajima has a little bit of momentum, with 3 straight wins to put back to back losses behind him, whilst Miura comes in on the back of a narrow loss in Russia. This could be a highly skilled battle with both men looking to really boost their hopes of a potential domestic title bout. One other fighter of note on this card is Naoki Mochizuki (11-2, 6), who will be facing off with a Thai visitor.
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![]() Tokyo, Japan This coming Monday fight fans in Tokyo will get the 4th Asign Bee show and it's littered with some really intriguing match ups, even if the card won't get much international interest. The one fighter of international not on this card is former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (32-6-2, 20), who headlines the card against a low key Thai foe. Amagasa will be looking to record his third win since last years loss to Josh Warrington, and although looking like a fighter on the slide he should pick up a win here, and move on to bigger and better bouts in the near future. In a potentially thrilling brawl we'll see recent Japanese Flyweight title challenger Yudai Arai (8-4-3,4) take on Yota Hori (12-5-2, 7). Both of these fighters are limited, and have lost 3 of their last 6, but have styles that should gel well for an exciting contest, and should see both men putting it on the line for a potential title fight later in the year. This really could be a bit of a hidden gem. Another supporting bout here will see the really exciting Hiroaki Teshigawara (13-2-2, 7) take on the heavy handed Keita Kurihara (9-4, 8), in what should be a very fan friendly bout. Teshigawara is a fringe Japanese title level fighter, as he showed a couple of fights back against Ryo Akaho, and it's hard to see him losing here, however Kurihawa has won his last 6 with 5 stoppages, and is showing signs of being a genuine puncher at domestic level. In a really nice looking bout on paper we'll see Takeshi Kaneko (5-0-1) risk his unbeaten record against the heavy handed Tatsuhiro Toguchi (6-2-1, 5). Although unbeaten Kaneko is feather fisted and at 29 it's unlikely he'll find his power any time soon. Toguchi on the other hand is a rare 20 year old puncher who began his career 1-2 before going 5-0-1 (4) and showing some potential, and something to be excited about. This will be skills against power, and should be a genuinely intriguing contest in the ring. ![]() Tokyo, Japan This Friday marks the first “Asign Bee” card, and what a card it looks like being with 3 really notable bouts, each featuring a man with world title experience. The main event will see 2-time former world title challenger Ryo Akaho (29-2-2, 19) take on the once beaten Yushi Tanaka (19-1-3, 13) in a bout for the vacant Japanese Bantamweight title. The title was vacated last year by Kentaro Masuda, who seems set to turn his attention on regional titles, and we've got this intriguing match up as a result. Akaho will be favoured, he has fought at a higher level, holds the more notable wins and has fought in and around title level for years, but the 25 year old Tanaka will be hungry and will know that he has avoided the career harming wars that Akaho has frequently had. In the chief support bout we'll see former WBO Bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda (32-2, 20) take on experienced Thai Mike Tawatchai (42-9-1, 25). Tomoki, fighting in Japan for the first time since December 2013, will be expected to over-come Tawatchai as he looks to begin a run towards Super Bantamweight gold, and will have eyes on the likes of IBF champion Yukinori Oguni. Talking about Oguni he actually stopped Tawatchai last year, in 5 rounds. Tawatchai has also suffered a relatively recent loss in Japan to Shingo Wake and will be looking to avenge a 2012 loss to Tomoki's older brother Daiki Kameda. Highly experience Tawatchai isn't a terrible fighter, but shouldn't be much of a test for Kameda. The third bout of note sees former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (31-6-2, 20), best known for twice dropping Guillermo Rigondeaux, taking on domestic foe Kinshiro Usui (27-4, 11) in a real must win for both men. Amagasa hasn't looked great in recent bouts, and it looks almost like his toughness is wearing down after damaging bouts with Rigondeaux, Patomsith Pathompothong, Josh Warrington and Carlo Demecillo. Usui is a former Japanese title challenger at Bantamweight and has mixed with good company himself, suffering losses to the likes of Kohei Oba, Ryosuke Iwasa and Takafumi Nakajima, but is riding a solid 6 fight winning streak and will be high on confidence coming into this bout. Western Australia, Australia We'll also see a number of Asian's fighting outside of Asia. One of those is Thai veteran Yodpichai Sithsaithong (12-16, 6), who takes on former world champion Vic Darchinyan (42-9-1, 31) in Australia. The Thai is a very limited fighter, who has lost his last 3, but will be going up against a very shot Darchinyan, who is more than a year removed from his last win, and has been stopped in 4 of his last 7, dating back more than 3 years. California, USA In the US we'll see once beaten Filipino hopeful Romero Duno (12-1, 11) take on the unbeaten Christian Gonzalez (16-0, 14) in a bout for the WBC Youth Intercontinental Lightweight title. This should be a genuinely exciting clash between two punchers, each looking to claim a title, and we'd be shocked if this one goes the distance. Between them the fighters have 25 stoppages from 29 fights and we'd be expecting both to go out swinging here. Philadelphia, USA Also in the USA we'll see American based Kyrgyzstan born Basyzbek Baratov (1-1-1) take on debut Tyrone Arzena (0-0). Baratov has had 3 very competitive bouts in his career so far, and could really be 0-0-3, but will be looking to add some consistency here and get some career momentum going in what will be his first bout in his adopted Pennsylvania. ![]() Tokyo, Japan Action returns to the Korakuen this coming Thursday with a show from Kyoei. In the main event fans will see former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (30-6-2, 20) take on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (6-2, 1) in a 10 rounder. Amagasa, best known for his 2014 bout with Guillermo Rigondeaux, will be returning to the ring for the first time since he lost a decision in England to Josh Warrington, in a bout that was much more competitive than the score-cards suggested. Although coming in on a loss Amagasa will be strongly favoured as he faces the PBF Bantamweight champion, who should look dwarfed by the freakishly big Amagasa. In a notable under-card bout former world title challenger Tomomi Takano (8-2, 5) will face off against Wondergirl Sithsaithong (0-2). This will be Takano's first “bout” since her loss to Daniela Romina Bermudez in a WBO female Super Flyweight title bout. This should be a straight forward win for Takano but she'll need to do more than just win here if she's to get her career back in track, especially given her public fall out with her promoter earlier this year. Although the rest of the card isn't particularly strong there are two interesting domestic clashes on the card. One of those will see Tomoya Yamada (13-7-1, 4) take on Takaki Sakurai (7-6-1, 3) in a Lightweight bout. Coming in to this Yamada is top 10 ranked by the JBC and will be risking his ranking. The other will see JBC ranked Light Welterweight Kazuki Matsuyama (13-7, 7) take on the heavy handed Kentaro Endo (6-7, 5). On paper this looks like a mismatch but Matsuyama has been stopped in 2 of his last 3 and Endo is better than his record suggests. ![]() This Saturday is a busy day for Asian fight fans with bouts across Asia and an international bout of note. Leeds, UK The most significant bout in many ways for Asian fight fans is in the UK as former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (30-5-2, 20) travels to Leeds to face off against the unbeaten Josh Warrington (22-0, 4) in a bout for the WBC International Featherweight title. For Amagasa the bout is a huge opportunity to prove himself as a world class contender, and a win could propel him to a much wanted shot at a Featherweight title. For Selby the bout could help him secure his own world title fight. A lot on the line for this one, and potentially it could be a fire cracker. Kyoto, Japan In Japan the action really doesn't stop this week and this time it's the turn of Woz who have a show in Kyoto. In the main event Japanese Lightweight champion Kota Tokunaga (17-2, 11) will be defending his title against the teak tough Nihito Arakawa (26-6-1, 16). This will be Tokunaga's third defense of the title and by far the toughest with Arakawa looking to become a 2-time champion. If Tokunaga wins it does really legitimise him as the Japanese champion, and although Arakawa is a faded force we suspect he'll be more than a handful for the champion. In the chief support bout fans will see former Japanese Bantamweight champion Shohei Omori (15-1, 10) attempt to bounce back from his first loss, a disappointing stoppage defeat by Marlon Tapales, and face off against Indonesia's Espinos Sabu (15-8-2, 8). On paper this looks like a very easy win for Omori however Sabu can be a handful on his day and could well give Omori the type of bout that he needs. South Korea In South Korea the KBF put on the next of their rookie shows, despite it being a rookie card the real interest is in the main event, which sees former world champion Yong Soo Choi (29-4-1, 19) return to the ring, at the age of 43. The former WBA Super Featherweight champion will face Japanese visitor Kazuya Nakano (9-5-1, 7), in what will be Choi's first bout in over 13 years. At his best Choi was a wonderfully exciting fighter, however that was back in the 1990's, and this is now and Choi is really unlikely to resemble the fighter he once was. Selangor, Malaysia The lowest profile Asian card of the day comes from Malaysia where A & A Promotions put on a small, but notable card. The main event of this show will see the unbeaten Qudratillo Abduqaxorov (5-0, 5), from Uzbekistan, face Mexican Juan Bedolla Orozco (9-2-2, 8) for the lightly regarded WPBF Youth Welterweight crown. This looks like a good test on paper but the reality is that the unbeaten 22 year old should be strongly favoured. Another bout of note from this card will see Jonathon Yeow Ming (1-0, 1) battle against Indonesian veteran Heri Andriyanto (21-21-2, 10). This is a massive test for the Malaysian based Ming and if he comes through it in impressive fashion he will deserve a lot of plaudits for taking on such a test at this early stage in his career. ![]() Tokyo, Japan Japanese fans get more title action on November 11th as they get a double female world title show. The most notable of those titles fights comes at 115lbs where model-boxer Tomomi Takano (8-1, 5) goes up against Argentina's Daniela Romina Bermudez (17-3-2, 5). The bout sees Takano stepping up massively against the WBO female Super Flyweight champion who has proven her ability on the tough South American scene, where she has faced the likes of Yesica Yolanda Bopp and Mayerlin Rivas. Although it's a step up for the challenger she has been preparing with the best and has been sparring with Naoko Fujioka who she will hope to replicate in becoming a world champion. The other title bout is an all Japanese affair as Kumiko Seeser Ikehara (7-1-2, 3) defends her WBO female Minimumweight title against Momoko Kanda (9-7-2, 3). On paper this looks like a massive mismatch with Kanda going in as the major under-dog however she is better than her record suggests and has rebuilt well after a 1-6-1 run in the middle of her career. For Ikehara this will be the third defence of the title she won in September 2014 and whilst she will be hoping to retain her title she will also be hoping to avoid headclashes, which have plagued her last two bouts. As well as the two world title bouts there is another notable name on the card with former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (29-5-2, 19) battling against Filipino fighter Nathan Bolcio (12-9-2, 5). Amagasa is expected to win here and will then continue his chase towards another world title fight, with the fighter himself said to be eyeing up a shot at Lee Selby. Whilst there will be two men in the ring, Bolcio has lost 5 of his last 6 and has only scored 2 wins in his last 10 bouts. Also on this card will be the promising Kenta Onjo (5-1, 3), who will be facing Tomoya Yamada (12-6, 3) whilst seeking his second win since being shocked by Jonathan Baat earlier this year, and Ryoichi Tamura (4-2-1, 1) who takes on Yuki Matsudo (10-2, 6) in a very good looking Super Bantamweight clash. ![]() Tokyo, Japan Action returns to the Korakuen Hall for the second time in the space of just 3 days for what is set to be another very interesting card. This one doesn't have as many good match ups as the June 8th show but it does have 3 bouts that are worthy of some real attention. The most significant of those bouts is an IBF Super Bantamweight world title eliminator between Japanese slickster Shingo Wake (18-4-2, 11) and experienced Thai visitor Mike Tawatchai (35-7-1, 21). Wake comes into this bout on an impressive run of 8 straight wins, with 6 by way of T/KO, and should rightfully be favoured however the Thai is himself unbeaten in 9 and is very highly ranked by the IBF following a reign as the IBF Asia champion. Notably Tawatchai is 1-7 in Japan and will be hoping to score his first win in the country in more than 5 years, a tough ask against someone as good as Wake. In the chief support bout we'll see the return to the ring of former world title challenger Hisashi Amagasa (28-5-2, 19), who fought Guillermo Rigondeaux at the end of 2014. Amagasa has been matched with visiting Thai Patomsith Pathompothong (12-3, 5). Patomsith is facing his most notable foe to date though it is possible that Amagasa will still be suffering the effects of his loss to Rigondeaux, which finished with the Japanese fighter looking like a swollen mess. The only title fight on this show is a bout for the OPBF female Super Bantamweight title and will see the once beaten Tomomi Takano (7-1, 5) take on Thailand's Nongbua Lookpraiaree (9-12-1, 1), who is a replacement for Filipino Carleans Rivas. We suspect that Takano will be the more skilled of the fighters in the ring here but she has shown questionable stamina and Nonbua has only been stopped once in her 12 losses. Interestingly we did manage to find footage of Nongbua fighting South Korea against Hee Jung Yuh and from the footage it does seem like she could test Takano. Khon Kaen, Thailand It's not just Japanese fans getting action but also Thai fans who will be getting a show from Khon Kaen which will be televised on Channel 7. The main event here will see the very good Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (40-6-1, 20) battle against the upset minded Filipino slugger Jomar Fajardo (14-7-2, 7). Whilst Fajardo did impress us in both of his fights against Francisco Rodriguez Jr this does seem much too much for the “Wallopman” who has no right fighting at Bantamweight. In a supporting bout the unbeaten Kongfah Nakornluang (21-0, 13) will take on Filipino visitor Wilber Andogan (10-19-4, 4). The weight difference between the two men here should again take any real drama from the bout and Andogan's key aim will be to make things fun to watch rather than try to win. Whilst Kongfah is flawed he should be far too good for the Filipino journeyman. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) ![]() After having seen the excellent "Super Boxeo" show on December 30th, including Naoya Inoue's historic win over Omar Andres Narvaez, we now get to look forward to New Year's Eve which features 2 massive shows with 5 world title fights between them! Osaka, Japan Of the two New Year's Eve shows in Japan the best is in Osaka in an Ioka-Kyoei joint promotion card. This show is notable pretty much from top to bottom with major almost every bout featuring either a title level fighters, a prospect or a notable name. One of the interesting under-card bouts will see unbeaten female hopeful Terumi Nuki (5-0, 2) battle battle against debuting Thai Petchluksor Sor Praithong (0-0). It's thought that if Nuki wins here her next bout will be an OPBF title bout as she moves towards a world title bout sometime in the next 2 years. Another notable Japanese female fighter on this show is Tomomi Takano (6-1, 5) who also finds herself up against a debuting Thai in the form of Rannada Sor Vorapin (0-0). The two female fights are both scheduled for 6 rounds as are two of the male bouts. One of those will see the busy Takeru Kamikubo (7-0, 4) fighting for the 8th time this year. Sadly the talented Kamikubo has been matched very softly here as he fights against the win-less Phetsaifar Lukmaelamperigym (0-5). For Phetsaifar this is likely to be his 6th straight stoppage loss and his 5th in Japan having previously lost to Kamikubo's stable mate Masayoshi Hashizume and the very interesting Kohei Kashino. The other will see Ryuto Maekawa (9-0, 5) fighting against Chanachai Sor Siamchai (0-1). In an 8 rounder the heavy handed Takahiro Yamamoto (14-3, 11) will find himself up against Thailand's Kamraiyok Or Wandavee (0-0). Yamamoto comes into this bout on the back of 8 successive victories and has shown real promise with all 3 of his losses being very close decision losses. Another 8 rounder on this show will see former world champion Ryo Miyazaki (21-1-3, 12) fighting against Kajonsak Nattapolgym (0-0). For Miyazaki this bout falls exactly a year after his sole loss to, another Thai Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr., and he'll be hoping to avoid the same fate here. The first title fight on this show will see the promising Sho Ishida (17-0, 9) making the first defence of the Japanese Super Flyweight title as he battles against Masato Morisaki (9-3-1, 5) in what looks to be a relatively straight forward defense for the talented Ishida. From what we understand if Ishida is successful here their will be moves to make a bout between Ishida and Teiru Kinoshita in 2015. The second title fight on this show will be a strange unification bout as the IBF and WBO vacant belts will be unified. The belt situation of the bout is an odd one but the fight it's self looks to be a great one as former multi-time world champion Katsunari Takayama (27-7-0-1, 10) battles against Japanese champion Go Odaira (11-3-3, 1). This bout is expected to be very high paced and all action though it's not expected to have the “drama” that some may expect in a FOTY contender. Splitting up world titles fights fans we will see former 2-division champion Kazuto Ioka (15-1, 9) battle against former "interim" world champion Jean Piero Perez (20-7-1, 14). This bout does look like a disappointing one considering the quality of Ioka and the fact Perez has been struggling in recent years, though it does seem like Ioka will be fighting in a WBA world title fight early next year against Juan Carlos Reveco, who recently defended his title with a stoppage victory against Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep. In the main event fans will see Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0, 9) defending his WBO and WBA "super" Super Bantamweight titles against OPBF Featherweight champion Hisashi Amagasa (28-4-2, 19). The talented Cuban is a clear betting favourite going into this bout but the contest does look like an interesting one given that Amagasa will have a massive size advantage and also an advantage in activity with Rigondeaux having only fought one round in the last 12 months. Tokyo, Japan In Tokyo we have the “other” show promoted by Watanabe. Although there are 3 world titles on this show the card it's self is actually the weaker of the two cards with 2 of the 3 world title fights looking like mismatches. The main event will be one of those mismatch world title fights as WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama (21-0-1, 17) looks to make the 9th defence of his belt. The heavy handed Japanese fighter, known as “KO Dynamite”, will be defending his belt against 35 year old Argentinian challenger Israel Hector Enrique Perez (27-2-1, 16), a man who really doesn't look fit to step in the ring against Uchiyama. In another world title fight fans will see the popular Kohei Kono (30-8, 13) defending his WBA Super Flyweight world title for the first time since he re-won it earlier this year with a KO of Denkaosan Kaovichit. The "Tough Boy" will be defending his title against Dominican challenger Norberto Jimenez (20-8-3, 10). Sadly like the other bout the challenger looks completely out of his depth and is unlikely to pose much of a threat. The most interesting of the title fights is at Light Flyweight where Ryoichi Taguchi (20-2-1, 8) attempts to become a world champion. Taguchi is involved in the most interesting of the world title bouts as he takes on Peru's WBA Light Flyweight world champion Alberto Rossel (32-8-0-1, 13). For Taguchi this is the most significant fight of his career and is clearly his toughest since he fought the then fat rising Naoya Inoue. As well as the 3 world title fights there are a further 6 other bouts on the same card though none of them feature anyone of note. For those wanting to watch the main bouts from his show they will be televised on TV Tokyo. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) ![]() Just 2 days we get a Japanese title fight at 130lbs we get an OPBF title bout down at 126lbs as the pace gets going towards an excellent last half of the month. Tokyo, Japan Often domestic shows are poor and fail to get the attention of fans at large. This coming Wednesday however we get a great show courtesy of Kyoei who are putting on a packed domestic card with several bouts of note ranging from an OPBF title fight at the top of the card to a female comeback bout as one fighter looks to get her career back on track after a major setback. The aforementioned OPBF title bout will see OPBF Featherweight champion Hisashi Amagasa (27-4-2, 18) returning to the ring for his 3rd defense of the title. Amagasa, a very fun to watch and rangy fighter, will be backed strongly to over-come challenger Ryo Takenaka (11-2-1, 6) who has yet to prove himself anywhere near this sort of level. We like Amagasa though it's clear he's a clear level below the true world class guys, despite that here is several levels above Takenaka. The chief support bout looks to be a stunning match up which looks incredibly equal on paper. This will see Kazuma Sanpei (11-0, 4) battle against Japanese based Filipino Johnreil Maligro (11-0, 8). On paper Maligro has the edge in terms of though in all honesty there is little to split these two who aren't just unbeaten fighters but are also both southpaws and both are very young and very promising. A fantastic fight on paper and a second successive good test for both men who similarly matched tough last time out as well. The female bout will see the once beaten Tomomi Takano (5-1, 4) fighting against a Thai foe as she attempts to put a stoppage loss to Kai Johnson behind her. Takano, who is better known for her looks and various attire weigh in attire than her boxing skills, knows that she needs a win here to remain relevant and we suspect her Thai opponent won't be up to much. Another bout on this card will see former Japanese interim Super Bantamweight champion Mikihito Seto (34-11-3, 18) battle against novice Kenta Toi (3-4). Seto has won just 1 of his last 4 bouts and really needs a win, he should get it against Toi though it's far from a sure thing given Seto's current form. One of the other bouts on the show will see former OPBF and Japanese title challenger Toyoto Shiraishi (24-8-1, 11) battle against the fun to watch but limited and light hitting Mako Matsuyama (7-8-1, 3), a man best known for all-action war with Rex Tso. Matsuyama is a warrior and is tougher than his record indicates however Shiraishi will have to be favoured here. The final bout of note here will see Kazuaki Moriya (11-5, 1) battle against Ryo Narizuka (6-4) in a really important bout for both men. Moriya has lost his last 2 bouts and desperately needs a win here whilst Narizuka is 3-3 in his last 6 and may see his career vanishing if he cannot score a win here. It's a low level bout but a significant one all the same. Bangkok, Thailand The most significant bout of the day comes from Thailand where former 2-weight world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha (80-2, 52) battles against Filipino slugger Dan Nazareno Jr (20-11, 16) in a genuinely interesting looking bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Light Middleweight title. Singwancha, who is unbeaten in 11 years and 37 fights, is now 37 and it's been almost 17 years since his only stoppage loss. If Nazareno has trainer properly there is every chance he could stop Singwancha, who was only stopped by Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in a thriller. Nazareno however does seem to have problems with consistency and if he's not on form he'll suffer another decision loss as he did to Chalermpol Singwancha back in April. Talking about Chalermpol Singwancha (10-0, 8) it's worth noting that he's also in action as he takes on a French visitor that we believe is called Kevin Solimani, though we can't find his record on boxrec so he may be a debutant or a fighter from another combat sport. third bout on this card is second a rematch between Pakorn Mor Poowana (3-1-1, 3) and Jen Yu Jia (1-8-2). The two men fought to a 6 round draw back in September following an opening round win for the Thai back in December 2012. It's assumed that if the Thai comes out unscathed he will be fighting Adones Cabaquinto in the Philippines in November. This Thai card will be aired on Channel 11. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) ![]() Tokyo, Japan For a second successive day Japanese fans at the Korakuen Hall get a great domestic card. On Monday it was Ohashi Gym's "49th Phoenix Battle" a day later the action is courtesy of Kyoei Promotions who put on a very solid 7 fight show. The show, the "369th Guts Fighting" card, is headlined by an OPBF Featherweight title fight between the very talented Hisashi Amagasa (26-4-2, 17), defending his belt for the second time, and the little known Thai Maxsaisai Sithsaithong (14-4, 3). For us this is a mismatch and Amagasa, who has world rankings with all 4 major organisations, should easily come out on top against a very limited Thai opponent, though of course upsets happen and Maxsaisai could surprise us all, though that would go down as one of the biggest upsets of the year so far. Although the main event is the only title fight on the show the card does have a strong supporting cast with the chief support bout being a contest between the Japanese ranked Super Bantamweight Mikihito Seto (24-11-2, 18) and unranked domestic rival Takenori Ohashi (11-3, 7). Seto is a former interim Japanese Super Bantamweight champion but has lost 3 of his last 6 bouts. Another support bout sees Japanese ranked Super Flyweight Toyoto Shiraishi (24-8-1, 11) battle against the limited but extremely hard working and brave Mako Matsuyama (7-8-1, 3). Matsuyama, who was last seen in the ring being stopped in an all-action fight with Rex Tso, is up against it again here but will put it all on the line in an attempt to to upset his more established and more experienced foe. Shiraishi has lost 3 of his last 6 but they have been at a very highly level and shouldn't be held against him too much. Another Japanese ranked fighter in action on this show is Kazuma Sanpei (10-0, 4) who puts his Japanese Super Featherweight ranking on the line against Jun Hamana (9-1, 3) in a genuinely compelling contest. Hamana is unranked and has got a solitary loss but is a very good promising 23 year old prospect whilst Sanpei is a very highly touted 19 year old prospect that some are describing as a future world champion at Super Featherweight. The winner of this will still be quite a distance from being competitive with Rikki Naito but the winner will be expected to become a domestic contender in the next year or two. One more ranked fighter on this show is Kai Johnson (4-5-3, 1) who will be hoping to end the unbeaten run of the much talked about Tomomi Takano (5-0, 4). Johnson will be risking her OPBF female ranking against Takano who will be hoping that a win helps move her into a title fight. Although the records of the two fighters are very different and Takano is the favourite this is a clear step up in class for the unbeaten fighter who will be expecting a stiffer test here than she has so far in her career. The shows second bout, will see yet another unbeaten fighter in action as the touted Ryuto Maekawa (8-0, 5) battles against Takushige Sato (5-4-1, 2) in a 6 rounder. Maekawa is just 18 and yet very highly touted with international experience, courtesy of fights in Thailand and the Philippines, and a fun to watch style. Sato will be expected to test the teenager but we don't think he'll be able to match him. Sadly we're unsure who will be opening the show but we've been informed that it will be a 4 rounder between two novice professionals (Image courtesy of http://www.kadoebi.com) |
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