 New York, USA
In the biggest show of the night, and one of the biggest shows of the year so far, we get the chance to see two Asian fighters take part in potentially explosive world title bouts. The main course from the show sees Kazakh Middleweight sensation Gennady Golovkin (36-0, 33) defending his WBC, IBF and WBA “super” titles against WBA “regular” champion Daniel Jacobs (32-1, 29), in what is one of the most anticipated bouts of the year. Golovkin, who has made a reputation as an unbeatable puncher, will be looking to score the biggest win of his career and potentially prove himself as being head and shoulders above the rest of the division. Jacobs, who is seen as the big under-dog here, will know this is a huge step up from his recent competition, but he will feel he has the speed, power and athleticism to trouble Kazakh destroyer. Although the Middleweight title bout is the main course it's hard not to be incredibly excited about the “starter” as we see WBC Super Flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez (46-0, 38) battle against former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (41-4-1, 38). Although fans who have seen Gonalez may feel this is a mismatch, especially given the way HBO rave about Gonzalez, the bout is an incredibly exciting one with Srisaket being the naturally bigger and stronger man than Gonzalez, and being a destructive fighter himself. Although the Thai has suffered 4 losses during his career he has, amazingly, gone 40-1 (37) since a troubled 1-3-1 (1) start and is a genuine monster in the ring. This will be no walk over for Chocolatito. Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines The most notable of the other cards featuring Asian fighters comes from Cebu City where we get two regional title fights and several other interesting contests. The most notable of the title fights sees the highly regarded Jack Tepora (19-0, 14) defending his WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title against Indonesian challenger Yon Armed (14-7, 6). The 23 year old Tepora has long been regarded as one of the most promising Filipino's rising through the ranks and he should be far too good for Armer, who's most notable bouts have seen him being stopped in a round by Hiroshige Osawa, 2 rounds by Kenichi Ogawa and 3 rounds by Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo. The other title fight on this card will see the heavy handed Christian Araneta (13-0, 11) take on Indonesian Demsi Manufoe (11-6, 8) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title. Although not the most skilled fighter Araneta has an exciting style, solid power and at 22 years old he has a lot of potential, potential which should be showcased here against the the chinny Manufoe. In a 10 rounder we'll see the heavy handed Salatiel Amit (9-2-2, 7) take on the out of former Renerio Arizala (13-5-1, 5), with Arizala looking to avoid a 4th straight loss and Amit looking to bounce back from a 10th round loss to Jonathan Taconing. Fans also get the chance to see some notable unbeaten hopefuls on this show. These include Jessie Cris Rosales (20-0-1, 8), who battles the out of form Jerry Nardo (21-10, 11), and teenage puncher Tomjune Mangubat (6-0, 6), who takes on veteran Marvin Tampus (27-24-3, 18). It's hard to imagine either Rosales or Mangubat losing here, but both will have better tests ahead. La Union, Philippines On a second show in the Philippines fight fans will see a Philippines Boxing Federation Super Bantamweight title fight as Brian Lobetania (11-2-3, 9) takes on Arnel Baconaje (7-2, 6). Both guys have got limitations, and both are 2-2 in their last 4, but both can punch and they should put on a fun contest against each other, with both men looking to claim their first professional title. Victoria, Australia In Australia fans will see Filipino tough guy Vergil Puton (16-7, 8) battle against the once beaten Ibrahim Balla (10-1, 7). Balla, who was stopped last year by Neil John Tabanao, will be favoured over Puton, but the Filipino can be a nightmare at this level and could be a potential banana skin, as he almost showed in 2015 against Ye Joon Kim.
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Cebu, Philippines
There isn't much action this coming Friday, with only a single notable show from the Philippines. The main event of the card is the only title bout but also features real intrigue as the unbeaten, and highly touted, Jack Tepora (18-0, 13) takes on Indonesian foe Galih Susanto (12-6-1, 2) for the vacant WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title. On paper this looks like an easy one for Tepora but Susanto has proven to be a tough guy and has been the distance with the likes of Marlon Tapales, Mike Tawatchai and Denkaosan Kaovichit. An intriguing match up will see Kenny Demecillo (11-3-2, 7) face the upset minded Jestoni Autida (9-5, 4). Demecillo will be the favourite, and has mixed with good company facing the likes of Jetro Pabustan, Edward Mansito, Edrin Dapudong and Daryl Basadre, though did suffer a surprising stoppage loss in 2 rounds to Dondon Narvaez. Although the under-dog Autida has been a surprise package in fights in the past and holds wins over Jeffrey Francisco and Ratchasak Kokietgym, and almost Petch Sor Chitpattana back in 2015. Although this looks like mismatch it should vbe very competitive. In an interesting under-card bout we'll see unbeaten puncher Christian Araneta (12-0, 10) face off with the upset minded Philip Luis Cuerdo (9-2-1, 4). Cuerdo is beatable, but has only been beaten by the pairing of Vic Saludar and Toto Landero. Whilst Araneta will be the favourite we suspect Cuerdo will ask some new questions of him here. Also on the under-card is former amateur stand out Mark Anthony Barriga (2-0), who looks to extend his unbeaten run as he takes on domestic foe Rodel Kirk Pelenio (3-1-1, 2) in an 8 rounder. Barriga is tipped as a future star of Filipino boxing, but he will have to show more than he has so far, especially in terms of power, if he's going to reach the heights some have suggested he can reach. Pelenio will be the under-dog but will come in to this one on the back of a 4 fight unbeaten run. New York, USA
The biggest card of the day comes from New York and on that card we will get the chance to Korea's biggest hope, Min Wook Kim (15-1-1, 11) return to the ring for his most significant bout in years. The “Sniper” will be up against once beaten American Louis Cruz (11-1, 5), and the hop is that a win here will help Kim move towards some bigger, more notable bouts in the near future, with the eventual hope being a world title fight in 2017. Kim's career has lacked momentum in recent times but it's clear that an impressive outing here could help him rebuild some of the momentum he had before relocating from Korea. Cebu, Philippines The best of the Asian shows comes from Cebu where we see several fights of note. One of those notable bouts will see Kenny Demecillo (10-3-2, 7) battle against Rambo Lagos (8-1-2, 5) for the WBF Asia Pacific Bantamweight title. This is a well matched bout and should prove to be one of the more even contests from the card, though we suspect Demecillo will be the favourite. In another title fight, this time for the WBO Asia Pacific Youth Super Bantamweight title, fans will see the unbeaten and touted Jack Tepora (17-0, 12) taking on Bryan Capangpangan (10-2-1, 7). Tepora was tipped major things when he debuted but this, in many ways, is one of his first real step ups in class after having generally faced fighters who haven't come to win. For Capangpangan this is a great chance to make a name for himself. Also on this card is 2012 Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga (0-0) who makes his professional debut, at last, as he takes on Melvin Manangquil (1-1-2, 1) in a 4 round bout at Light Flyweight. Xinjiang, China We also have a notable Top Rank card from China which is a long card to say the least. The card has two really good looking bouts. One of those comes at Lightweight as the unbeaten, and heavy handed, Alimu Wushouer (7-0, 6) takes on Xiao Long Yang (5-1-1, 4) in a bout that we expect to go the 8 round schedule. These two men met in April 2015, when both were debuting, and Yang was stopped in 88 seconds, his only loss to date and Yang will be looking to avenge that defeat here. A win for Wushouer is likely to see him progress into some notable international bouts in the next 12 months. In the Light Middleweight division we have unbeaten fighters faxing off as the hard hitting Qiang Luo (6-0, 4) faces the light hitting Alimu Tuersun (6-0-1) in an intriguing match up between two men who look well matched on paper. It's easy to go with the puncher in a bout like this but Tuersun has the youth advantage, is taller, rangier and has more experience, with 10 more rounds, than his rival. Kulon Progo, Indonesia In Indonesia the experienced Eddy Comaro (32-27-5, 13) will be up against novice Benny Tamaela (3-3, 1). On paper it's easy to favour Comaro, he has fought at a higher level, has more experience and has more KO's than Tamaela has total bouts. Saying that however bot men are very flawed and this should prove to be a competitive match up. Sao Paulo, Brazil In Brazil fans will see Indian fighter Neeraj Goyat (7-2-2, 2) battle against local fighter Guilherme Castagnazzi Ribeiro (3-1, 3) in an 8 rounder. Despite starting his career 0-2-2 Goyat has rebuilt well and won 8 straight, with wins in China, Korea and India, he's now looking to add a win in Brazil. This is however a relative step up in class. On the same card in Brazil fans will see Indian fighter Vicky (0-0) make their debut. New South Wales, Australia In new Australia Chinese Middleweight Yong Zhang (5-4-1, 1) will take on the highly experienced Joe Rea (10-29-5, 4) ion a 4 rounder September 12th-Taconing defends belt against Fajardo as Filipino prospects also take to the ring!9/9/2015  Metro Manila, Philippines
There is huge action in the US and the UK this coming Saturday but there will also be notable action in the Asia with two shows in the Philippines, including a really exciting one in Metro Manila. In the main event fans will get the chance to see heavy handed OPBF Light Flyweight champion Jonathan Taconing (21-2-1, 18) defending his belt against Jomar Fajardo (14-8-2, 7). Taconing, who is one of the most criminally under-rated fighters on the planet, should be getting a world title fight in the near future, if he sees off Fajardo here. As for Fajardo he could find himself playing the spoiler again, as he did last year when he held Francisco Rodriguez Jr to a draw. Despite the result against Rodriguez we'd be amazed if he survives against Taconing here. As one of the support bouts we'll see the talented Juan Martin Elorde (17-1-1, 7) take on Yakobus Heluka (8-12, 1) in a really awful mismatch. Heluka has gone 1-7 coming into this fight, with 5 of those losses coming by stoppage and it's hard to see how he avoids the same fate here, despite the fact Elorde isn't a noted puncher. Another of the support bouts will see Juan Martin Elorde's younger brother, Juan Miguel Elorde (18-1, 9) battle against Rasmanudin (19-11-3, 10). On paper this is another gross mismatch with Rasmanudin going 1-7-1 in his last 9, with hist last loss coming earlier this month to Kongthara KKP. Amazingly Rasmanudin has been stopped 3 times already this year, and we really need to ask what his handlers are doing throwing him into another bout so soon after his last one. One other support bout of note will see 20 year old Flyweight prospect Giemel Magramo (13-0, 10) in action. At the time of writing however his opponent hasn't been announced. Cebu, Philippines There is a second in the Philippines, though one without the big title fight main event. On paper the most interesting bout on this card will see the unbeaten and heavy handed Christian Araneta (9-0, 8) battle against the once beaten Jessie Espinas (11-1, 7). This one promises fireworks and really is a very well matched bout with both men having solid power, and lot to gain with a win. This really could be a bout that turns out to be fantastic for the fans in attendance. On the same card will be another notable prospect, Jack Tepora (14-0, 10). Tepora, dubbed “The Golden Boy”, will be up against experienced foe Jason Egera (21-14, 10). On paper it looks like the typical opponent you'd expect of someone with Tepora's experience but the reality is that Egera hasn't won in over 2 years, and is coming into this one on a 0-6 run. Nevada, USA In an all-Asian bout in the US, on the under-card of Floyd Mayweather's clash with Andre Berto, fans will see Uzbekistan's Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (1-0, 1) battle against Kyrgyzstan's Farkhad Sharipov (4-4, 1).  This coming Sunday will be an emotional but busy day in Japan with 3 shows in the land of the rising sun as well as a single show in the Philippines.
Hyogo, Japan Possibly the most notable, and easily the most emotional, of the Japanese cards comes from Hyogo where we see several fighters of note in action on a Taisei promoted card that is being held in memory of Kaito Hattori, who sadly passed away earlier this year. The main event of the show will be the Japanese debut of youngster Riku Kano (5-1-1, 3), who battles against late replacement Marihot Hutajulu (1-2). Kano, who has fought in Thailand and the Philippines so far, is tipped to go a long way however he will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders coming in to this bout. The talented youngster has been matched easily here but knows that this is just the beginning of a journey expected to take him a very long way. In the chief support bout we'll see Rikito Hattori (2-0, 1), the older brother of Kaito, take on an Indonesian foe. This won't be a major bout but it will be a hugely emotional one for Hattori. In an interestingly matched 8 round bout fans will see Hikaru Matsuoka (8-2-3, 1) battle against Seizo Kono (14-7-1, 9). This will be Matsuoka's first bout since he was stopped by Yuki Strong Kobayashi in April and he'll know that back-to-back losses will push him a long way from a major bout. As for Kono he's can't afford a loss after back-to-back defeats. A very peculiar looking bout will see Japanese based Filipino Mark John Yap (20-12, 10) take on former WBA interim Minimumweight champion Juan Jose Landaeta (26-7-1, 20). The 36 year old Landaeta is well known on Japan for his bouts with Yutaka Niida and Koki Kameda though he is likely to be giving away a lot of natural size here against Yap. Kanagawa, Japan We have a lesser show in Kanagawa that has an interesting main event but, over-all, looks to be a much less interesting card that some of the others. The main event will see Middleweight hopeful Shoma Fukumoto (6-1, 5) attempt to claim his 5th straight win as he faces the more experienced Kazuaki Irisawa (8-6, 5). On paper this is a big step up for Fukumoto though one that he should come out on top of given that Irisawa has already been stopped 5 times, including last time out. In a support bout Keita Nakano (13-9-3, 4) will be taking on Yuta Saito (7-6-2, 6). Coming in to this bout Nakano is ranked by the JBC and would likely lose that ranking if he was to be beaten here. Notably however Saito has gone 0-3-1 in his last 4 bouts and is win-less since the end of 2012. A second support bout will see Emika Himuro (4-1-1, 1) battle against Kai Johnson (5-7-3, 2). These two fought in November 2013, fighting to a 6 round majority draw, and will be hoping to settle the score here. Yamaguchi, Japan Another Japanese card is being promoted by Kanmon Japan. The main event here will see recent OPBF title challenger Accel Sumiyoshi (4-4-1, 1) take on Leonardo Doronio (14-9-3, 9) in a 10 round bout. This is a rematch from a contest the two men had last year, which resulted in a split decision draw. Since their first bout Sumiyoshi has challenged for the OPBF Lightweight title, losing a wide decision to Masayoshi Nakatani, whilst Doronio has been inactive, perhaps giving the Japanese fighter the slight edge. Sadly the rest of this show is relatively weak. Cotabato del Sur, Philippines In the Philippines fans get an interesting show with a number unbeaten fighters or notable fringe contenders. The main event will see the once beaten Daryl Basadre (14-1-1, 10) take on the once touted Kenny Demecillo (8-3-1, 5) in a bout for the WBA Oceania Bantamweight title. This s a great opportunity for both with the winner possibly able to claim a fringe WBA ranking. On paper Basadre is the favourite though Demecillo will not be coming in to this bout to roll over. Of the many prospects in action on this show we tend to think the best is Jack Tepora (13-0, 9), who has been dubbed “The Golden Boy”. Tepora will be up against tough veteran Eric Barcelona (53-23-5, 19). This should be a good test for Tepora but a test that he should pass comfortably whilst getting some good rounds under his belt. On paper the bout of the show looks to be a contest between Rimar Metuda (6-0, 3) and Jerry Castroverde (5-0, 3). We believe this bout was expected earlier in the year though has been rescheduled. This could be a very good test for both men, or could see one man “exposed”. The biggest name in action is former IBF Light Flyweight world title challenger Jether Oliva (22-3-2, 10). Oliva, who was stopped last time out by Luis Nery, will be up against Jonathan Ricablanca (7-47-2, 1) in what looks to be an easy comeback fight for Oliva. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  This coming Wednesday is a busy day in Asia with a number of interesting bouts ranging from a female world title bout to bouts involving Filipino prospects.
Osaka, Japan The Japanese action kicks off in Osaka where fans get a 6 bout card. The card is set to feature two bouts of note and be the first part of a two-card event at at the Sangyo Shinko center. The first of those bouts will see the once world ranked Filipino Ronelle Ferreras (14-7-3, 6) battle against Japanese teenager Ryuya Yamanaka (8-2, 2). Ferreras will be best known by Japanese fans for being the second opponent of fast rising star Kosei Tanaka, with two two meeting last year when Tanaka took a wide decision win over Ferreras who entered the bout world ranked by the WBA. Since that bout the Filipino is unbeaten with a 1-0-1 record. Interestingly Yamanaka's last loss came to a Filipino visitor, Roque Lauro, in a split decision last year. We suspect this will be a really competitive match up between two flawed but capable fighters. In the main event of this show will be former world title challenger Atsushi Kakutani (15-4-1, 8) who will be fighting in a Flyweight bout against Indonesian journeyman Hengky Baransano (11-5, 4). Although we are several years removed from Kakutani's memorable loss to Adrian Hernandez he does seem to be chasing titles and it's hoped that a quick win here will be followed by some type of title bout later in the year. Osaka, Japan Following on from the other Osaka show is the second part of the event, held in the same venue by the same promoter. The main event here really is something special as former female amateur stand out Nana Yoshikawa (4-0, 2) battles against current WBA female Minimumweight champion Anabel Ortiz (16-3, 3) in what will be Yoshikawa's first world title bout. The unbeaten Japanese fighter has been fast tracked due to her advanced age, currently 36, though she was a very experienced amateur and will be hoping to use that experience to over-come Ortiz. As for the Mexican she's a brilliant little fighter who is 2-1 in Japan so far and has only been beaten by exceptionally talented fighters like Naoko Fujioka. This is a very tough match up for Yoshikawa but she really has nothing to lose going into the bout, and a lot to win. In the chief support bout we'll see another really notable match up as Shota Kawaguchi (18-5-1, 8) takes on former Flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro (39-13-5, 28). Jaro, ranked #5 by the WBC at Super Flyweight, will be risking his ranking in a country where he sports a 0-3 record, including the loss of his world title to Toshiyuki Igarashi. Saying that however Kawaguchi has never shown the type of ability needed to score a “big” win and this is his most notable foe to date in what is a genuinely intriguing chief support bout. A second support bout on this show will see Takeshi Sone (5-3-2, 1) battle against Il Che (7-8-4, 1) in what looks like an interesting but unspectacular 6 round bout. Kagoshima, Japan In Kagoshima fans will get the chance to see a low level 8 bout card. All but one of the bouts here have been scheduled for 4 rounds with the one exception being the main event which will see Naoya Haraguchi (6-5, 2) battle against Takayuki Teraji (5-7-1, 3) in an evenly matched 6 rounder which will appeal to local fans but very few others. Cebu, Philippines As well as the action in Japan there is also a notable show in the Philippines which is packed with prospects, many of which are involved in well matched bouts. One of the stand out contests sees Featherweight prospect Neil John Tabanao (10-0, 7) fighting Rey Perez (19-6, 4) in what looks to be a notable step up in class for the unbeaten 21 year old, who has been tipped to go very far. Tabanao should best tested here however Perez's confidence is expected to be low given he has lost his last 2 bouts and gone 2-4 in his last 6, with a stoppage loss last time out. It is however worth noting several of those losses have come at a very high level, including a razor thin decision loss to Hugo Fidel Cazares. In an all unbeaten match up Jerry Castroverde (5-0, 3) will be facing off against Rimar Metuda (6-0, 3). This is the second successive bout against an unbeaten foe for the 18 year old Castroverde, who defeated the then 9-0 Jun Jessie Ibgos last time out, whilst the 21 year old Metuda will be facing just his second opponent with a winning record. On paper this is the stand out bout of the card and one that should leave fans really intrigued. Arguably the most hotly tipped prospect on the card is “Golden Boy” Jack Tepora (13-0, 9), who faces Roman Canto (10-5-2, 5). The 22 year old Tepora was a very highly regarded amateur before turning professional in 2012 and has so far been impressive. On paper this looks like an interesting match up until you see that Tepora has gone 2-5-2 in his last 9 after an 8-0 start. Another highly tipped prospect on here is Super Featherweight puncher Ardie Boyose (14-0-1, 10) who puts his unbeaten record on the line against former world title challenger Balweg Bangoyan (19-9, 8). Bangoyan, best known for his WBC Super Bantamweight title fight with Toshiaki Nishioka back in 2010, has gone 4-8 since losing to Nishioka and it seems unlikely that he'll notch a win here. One final prospect to note is Allan Alberca (4-0, 3) who puts his unbeaten record on the line against Pablito Canada (4-5-2, 1). On paper this looks like an easy win for Alberca but he's yet to face an opponent with more than a single win and so this is actually a huge step up for the unbeaten man. That's not to say he shouldn't favoured, but his record is certainly less convincing that the raw numbers suggest. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  This coming Saturday is one of the weakest for boxing in months. Despite that Filipino fans do have something to look forward to with two separate shows.
Metro Manila, Philippines The lesser of the two shows is the Elorde promoted show in Metro Manilla which features a number of "name" fighters but little in terms of solid match ups. The main event here will experienced Filipino Dennis Laurente (47-5-5, 28) battling against Indonesian Elly Pangaribuan (3-3, 1). Laurente will be defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Light Middleweight title and should retain his belt relatively easily against Pangaribuan. Although we believe the Indonesian's record is incomplete he didn't look particularly good last year when he fought Nobuhiro Ishida and was stopped in 2 rounds by the Japanese fighter. The two chief support bouts on this show will be the Elorde brothers and sadly they are in equally as one-sided bouts against Indonesian visitors. At Featherweight Juan Miguel Elorde (15-1, 7) will be battling the "win-less" Paulus Baransano (0-3) whilst Juan Martin Elorde (15-1-1, 7) will be battling against Juniston Simbolon (7-11-1, 3). Again we don't believe the Indonesian's have "complete" records on boxrec but we also don't suspect that either Elorde will struggle. The most interesting of the bouts on this show will see unbeaten teenager Giemel Magramo (10-0, 7) battling against Filipino journeyman Jovel Romasasa (10-14, 4). Magramo, aged 19, looks like one of the most exciting prospects in the Philippines and has shown some great body shots so far, hopefully he can advance his skill to become more than just a prospect. Davao del Sur, Philippines The other Filipino card looks to be much more exciting on paper. One of the main bouts here will see the very promising Jerwin Ancajas (20-1-1, 12) fighting against the limited Yokthong KKP (15-4, 11). Ancajas is great fun to watch with his speed and combinations and should make very light work of Yokthong, who is of course the only man to be stopped by Zou Shiming so far in Shiming's career. It's a shame that Ancajas isn't fighting at a higher level but it's still great to see him being active and this is his 5th fight in less than 12 months. Another fighter who should be in harder than he is is Filipino GAB Light Welterweight champion Adones Cabalquinto (16-0, 9) who will be fighting in a non-title fight against the limited Elmer Legaria (13-7, 4). Where not sure what Cabalquinto is really doing with his career but it's time he stepped up rather than continued fighting this domestic level of opposition. Perhaps, if Cabalquinto wins, he looks again at an OPBF title fight with Keita Obara or even a clash with someone like Min Wook Kim or Ja Ik Goo. Though of course those bouts might be too dangerous for the once promising Filipino. Another promising Filipino on the same card will be the unbeaten "Golden Boy" Jack Tepora (10-0, 6) who will be fighting against Michael Escobia (10-7-1, 2). Aged 24 Tepora is thought to be one of the best prospects in the Philippines and will hopefully come good in coming fights however, like Cabalquinto, he will need to step up notably over the next year or two if he's to ever reach the heady heights expected of him. One more prospect, on what looks to be a very deep undercard, will be Joneil Dapidran Pacquiao (4-0, 2) who will be hoping to extend his winning run as he takes on the light punching Gabby Siempo (5-4-1, 1). It's hard to see Siempo winning here but it's also hard to tell just how good Pacquiao is and how much of his attention is due to his surname. (Image courtesy of Powcast.net)  In boxing some days are bigger than others, some fights more significant and some shows more attention grabbing than others. This Saturday, the Saturday closest to Cinco de Mayo, is one such day and is a day that has almost become synonymous with undefeated American Floyd "Money" Mayweather.
Mayweather is such a big draw that all boxing pales in insignificance to him and we're well aware of that, however that doesn't mean that there are no fights in Asia on the same day. In fact the day it littered with Asian fighters fighting in bouts of widely differing significance. Of course none are close to what Mayweather has in store against Argentina's Marcos Maidana but all have their own significance. Cebu, Philippines The most important card in Asia is, easily, the on in Cebu which features not only the most important fight of the day but also two very highly tipped prospects. It's the sort of card that, were it happening else where on the planet, it would be given some notable attention. The fact it's in the Philippines and on "Mayday" however has seen it relegated to being little more than a regional card. The show's lesser experienced prospect will be Jack "The Golden Boy" Tepora (9-0, 5). Tepora is a former amateur stand out, his nickname coming from his amateur successes. He now looks to turn amateur success into professional success as he battles Jo-as Apericio (11-11, 8) for the lightly regarded WBF International Super Bantamweight title. The belt might be as insignificant as the belt you wear to work though it'll be Tepora's first professional title fight and that experience seems to be the key. Tepora isn't the only unbeaten prospect looking for his first taste of gold as compatriot Harmonito Dela Torre (12-0, 7) attempts to pick up the WBF international Super Featherweight title. Dela Torre, known as "El Huracan de Gensan" looked sensational in stopping Indonesia's Yakobus Heluka in February in Macau and will be hoping for a similar showing when he takes on Gadwin Tubigon (10-8-2, 5). If Dela Torre performs as well as we know he can he shouldn't struggle, in the slightest, with Tubigon. The main event of this show, and easily the most significant yet least exciting, is the IBF Light Flyweight title fight between defending champion Johnriel Casimero (19-2, 11) and the very undeserving Mauricio Fuentes (16-2, 10). We've no idea why, or how, Fuentes has gotten a world title bout but we can't help but think he's on to a hiding to nothing here. It's awful from the IBF to allow this fight and we hope that standards will rise, significantly, in Casimero's next defence. Davao del Sur, Philippines The Cebu show isn't the only one in the Philippines and we also have one in Davao del Sur. Interestingly this show is headlined by a man show shared the last Macau card with Harmonito Dela Torre and impressed just as much as Dela Torre. That man was the once beaten Jerwin Ancajas (19-1-1, 11) who stopped a mismatched Thai in very eye catching fashion on that show. Ancajas will be looking for win #20 when he takes on another Thai opponent in the form of Petchwanchai Sor Visetkit (14-6, 6) and in all honesty we cannot see any way in which Ancajas loses this one. Ancajas impresses us and we really see this as a formality. Tokyo, Japan It's not just the Philippines that are hosting cards on "Mayday" but also Japan which has two separate cards. The most significant of those is in Tokyo where we get "Dangan 100". The show doesn't have a "stand bout" but instead it has 4 very interesting match ups that are a little bit more interesting than you'd get on a typical domestic card. One of those 4 bouts will see unbeaten fighters colliding as Japanese based Filipino Johnreil Maligro (10-0, 8), otherwise known as Jun Sakura, battles against Tatsuya Yanagi (10-0, 4) in a very interesting bout. Neither man is ranked, such is the the strength in the Super Featherweight division in Japan, but both know that a win could help them in to the top 15. The least interesting of the 4 notable match ups is a contest between former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Masaaki Serie (24-6, 10) and the visiting Filipino Michael Escobia (10-6-1, 2). Both are ranked by their relevant domestic organisation but we can't help but think that this should be a walk over for Serie if he's still even half the fighter he once way. Interestingly another of those 4 contests features Rikiya Fukuhara (28-7-1, 20), who beat Serie last time out. Fukuhara also a former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion and like Serie he'll be expected to pick up a win as he battles visiting Filipino Jaderes Padua (9-3-1, 6). This does, like the Serie fight, look a mismatch. At 35 years old however Fukuhara is windin gdown his career and has lost 4 of his last 8. The remaining bout of note looks like one of the most even of the day as Ryuta Otsuka (13-6-2, 3) faces Yosuke Fujihara (14-2, 4). This bout isn't the best on paper, nor does it contain a fighter of real significance but Otsuka holds a notable ranking with the JBC whilst Fujihara has run current Japanese current Japanese Bantamweight champion Kentaro Masuda very close. This should very competitive. Osaka, Japan The second Japanese bout is in Osaka as former OPBF Featherweight champion Hiroshige Osawa (24-3-4, 13) battles against the seemingly over-matched Kosuke Saka (8-2, 5). Saka himself is a good fighter but we do think he's in a bit deep here against a very good fighter. Maybe isSaka had another 5 bouts under his belt he'd be ready for one like this but for now we feel it's a bit too soon for him. (Image, the poster from "Dangan 100", courtesy of Danganboxing and boxmob.jp)  Courtesy of boxrec.com It's hard to explain this weekend as a boxing fan without using the word "disappointing". Unfortunately it is, genuinely an awful couple of days over Saturday and Sunday. Thankfully we do have some meat to pick off the bones and one or two fights that could be interesting, if we're lucky.
Philippines, Davao City Two of the fights that have caught our eye are in Davao City in the Philippines. One of these sees the world ranked Marlon Tapales (23-2, 9), pictured, defending his WBO Asia Pacific title for the first time. Originally Tapales was scheduled in a very interesting looking contest against Mexico's Noe Martinez Raygoza, unfortunately Raygoza pulled out and instead we get to see the talented Tapales defending against the limited Indonesian Galih Susanto (6-3, 1). Susanto is tough though shouldn't have anything to test the wonderfully named "Maranding Nightmare". The other bout in Davao city sees the return to the ring of Filipino "Golden Boy" Jack Tepora (9-0, 5). Tepora, widely regarded as one of the most promising young Filipino's, will be in his toughest test so far as he takes on fellow youngster Edward Mansito (8-1-2, 5). Whilst this bout is unlikely to get the attention of many outside of the Philippines we actually think this could be a snorter with both men looking to make a statement. Great match up. As well as these two contests we expect at least 4 others on the show. Russia, Rostov-na-Donu As well as the Filipino show there is also one in Russia. Sadly this, like much of the day's action, strikes us as disappointing. The key bout of note, for us, is the Light Heavyweight main event which will see the hard hitting Gasan Gasanov (6-2, 5) fighting Apti Ustarkhanov (4-1-1, 1) in what looks like a competitive match up. Unfortunately when you consider that's the main event you sort of under-stand just how poor this card is. A real shame. |
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