 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get a really notable Japanese domestic show at Korakuen Hall, with 3 Japanese title bouts, all as part of this year’s Champion Carnival. The main event is one of the gems in the crown of this year’s Champion Carnival as Japanese Light Flyweight champion Toshiki Kawamitsu (11-1, 7) takes on the fast rising Kyosuke Takami (8-0, 6), in one of the best Champion Carnival matchups this year. Kawamitsu won the title back in December 2023, and has made two defenses since then. He is unbeaten in his last 5, winning 4 by stoppage, following a 2021 loss to Ginjiro Shigeoka and will feel he’s in a great place to prove himself the best in Japan with this bout, and potentially move on to a world title fight. As for Takami, he looks to be the future star at 108lbs and in just 8 bouts he has already beaten Lito Dante, Kenihci Horikawa, Wulan Tuolehazi and Jomar Caindog, with stoppages over Horikawa and Caindog. He’s a fighting puncher at 108lbs and aged just 22 he’s still only getting better, bigger and stronger. This is a real test of Takami’s potential, but if he gets past Kawamitsu, as many expect, it’s hard to imagine him not getting a world title fight by the end of the year. The chief support bout will be a rematch for the Japanese Flyweight title, as Josuke Nagata (7-0) takes on Ryota Yamauchi (13-3,12) for the vacant title. These two clashed back in 2023, in an almost identical situation, with Nagata beating Yamauchi for the then vacant Japanese Flyweight title. Sadly for Nagata his reign was a short one, losing the belt in his first defense against Jukiya Iimura, but he picked up two wins in 2024 to earn a shot at the title. Nagata is a high tempo battler who lacks power but swarms opponents with work rate and output. As for Yamauchi he has gone 4-0 (4) and has looked as destructive, but has been fighting at a relatively low level, with his biggest win in that stretch coming against Yasuhiro Kanzaki. The other title bout will see veteran Yuichi Ideta (19-16-1, 10) look to continue his remarkable late career run as he takes on his mandatory challenger Ryota Toyoshima (20-3-1, 11), with Ideta seeking his 4th defense of the Japanese 154lb title. Ideta was 15-16-1 just a few years ago, aged 38, and it seemed his career was on the verge of coming to an end. Since then however he has won 4 in a row stopping Makoto Kawasaki for the Japanese title in November 2022 and then overcoming Rei Nakajima, Masaki Kobayashi and Hisashi Kato. Now aged 40 he has managed to have the best run of his career and left his mark on the Japanese scene. As for Toyoshima, he has had great success at Welterweight, winning the OPBF, WBO AP and JBC titles at 147lbs, but is now looking to make his mark at a new weight. He earned this shot following a win in November against Yasuomi Soda, and that bout showed that Toyoshima looking very comfortable at 154lbs and will feel that he has the speed, skills, activity and youth to claim the win here
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 This coming Sunday is an incredibly busy day in Japan, with 4 shows across the country. Whilst they aren’t all great shows, with two of them being very weak, it is still a very notable day and should be a great one for fight fans, especially those in Osaka City.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The biggest show, though maybe not the most important, is in Osaka as Green Tsuda and Shinsei work together to create a solid card at the EDION Arena Osaka. In the main event we’ll see 2-time Japanese Featherweight title challenger Jinki Maeda (14-2, 9) take on the hard hitting Ren Yamabe (8-3, 7). On paper this shouldn’t be a tough test for the talented Maeda, who’s only losses have come to Reiya Abe and Keisuke Matsumoto, but in fairness to him he’s had a tough few years with those title losses and will be looking to work his way to a third title fight in the in 2025, with this likely to be more of a tune up against a dangerous opponent, than a true test. As for Yamabe, this is a good opportunity for him to show what he can do, especially on the back of a win over Hikaru Matsuoka in this same venue in September, but it is also a very clear step up in class for him against one of the best Featherweights in Japan. Yamabe has the power to make this interesting, if he lands, but is the very clear under-dog. In the chief support bout we’ll see Filipino fighter Romel Oliveros (11-8-2, 5) up against recent WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight champion Tetsuro Ohashi (12-4-1, 3). Ohashi, looking to rebuild following an August loss to Ryusei Kawaura, seemed to be on a good run prior to that loss, with wins against Ayato Hiromoto and a career best win over Kenta Nakagawa, but the loss to Kawaura has set him back, and it’s clear he’s being matched softly as he rebuilds and begins a new chapter of his career, at Bantamweight. Oliveros is a capable fighter, on his day, but in recent years he has been the sort of fighter who has struggled to get results, winning just 2 of his last 7, going back to 2019. He’s essentially there for Ohashi to have some rounds again and build some confidence, then get an actual test. In potentially the best bout of the card, we’ll see Welterweights collide as the in form, and JBC ranked Takafumi Shibata (8-2, 6) takes on 37 year old Taiki Henzan (7-5, 5). Shibata has been in great form winning 4 in a row, all in the first 3 rounds, since losing a close decision to Riku Nagahama back in 2023. He is aggressive, has a fun style, and seems to be getting more confident in his power, aggression and body shots. Henzan is known for his power, though showed a lot of improvement last time out a very close decision to Takeru Kobata. Notably Henzan has lost 4 of his last 5, but is tough, has power, and is willing to fight fire with fire, which could make this a real tear up, and a tear up may well favour Henzan. Another featuring a Filipino visitor will see the limited Arnold Garde (12-15-6, 5) taking on JBC ranked Flyweight Yuga Inoue (16-4-1, 3). Garde, much like Oliveros, can be a solid fighter on his day, as seen with his win against Robert Paradero last year and other notable results against Aries Buenavidez and Yeroge Gura. Sadly though he is also a fighter seen as being fragile, with 12 early losses including 8 in the first 2 rounds. The talented Inoue is a highly ranked domestic contender, who is looking to score his second win since losing, by brutal KO, to Japanese champion Jukiya Iimura in April. On paper this is an easy bout for him, but it’s clear that his team are looking to keep him busy, have him rebuild his confidence then move on to bigger and better things in the new year. L-Theatre, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Staying in Osaka City, we get a second show in the city, though this is a much smaller event promoted by Taiho Promotions. The only real bout worth noting here is the main event, which will see Daichi Hirai (8-5, 1) take on Tatsuya Terada (7-8-2, 1), in what should be a fun 8 round fight at the lower end of the domestic scene. The 23 year old Hirai has shown what he can do, scoring noteworthy wins against Takuto Mino, Riku Yamashita and Seong Yeong Yang but has lost his last 2, including a loss in a JBC Youth Bantamweight title bout. He’s understandably seeking a confidence booster after those setbacks. As for Terada, the 35 year old veteran has scored just 1 win since the start of 2018, going 1-6-1 in his last 8. Whilst he has lost to some capable fighters in that run, and has never been stopped, it's fair to say with his age and those losses the ambition might be dwindling and that’s why he’s been selected to face the much younger Hirai. Art Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan The second most important show for the day is in Hyogo, where we see 3 bouts of genuine note, two of which feature a regionally and domestically ranked fighter looking to move their career forward, and one Strongest Challenger match. The main event will see 26 year old Seira Kishida (10-2-2, 3) look to build on back to back wins as he takes on the once beaten Kirei Yasumura (8-1, 3), who looks to rebuild with his second win since losing last December to Yoshiaki Sakamoto. Coming into this Kishida, who is huge for a Featherweight, is ranked in the top 10 by the JBC, and will look to make the most of his long and accurate jab to move a step closer to a title fight. As for Yasumura, he will be desperate to claim Kishida’s rankings, and will be hungry for what is a big opportunity for the 25 year old, who hasn’t been able to build on his All Japan Rookie of the Year win, from back in 2022. The chief support bout, and technically the most important bout on the show, is a Strongest Challenger bout as the 29 year old Shun Kosaka (20-9, 4) takes on former Japanese Flyweight champion Josuke Nagata (6-2), himself only 26 years old, to decide who gets a shot at the Japanese belt during the champion Carnival. Kosaka has been something of a perennial contender over the years and is currently ranked #1 by the JBC. Despite that he has only landed a single shot at the Japanese title, coming against Seigo Yuri Akui in 2019 who stopped him inside a round. He has hovered around the top of the domestic scene, but lost against every notable name he’s faced losing not just to Akui but also the likes of Junto Nakatani, Takuya Kogawa Tetsuya Hisada and Yuga Inoue and the feeling seems to be one more loss and that’s probably him done in and around the title picture. As for Nagata he won the belt in his 5th professional bout, but lose a razor thin decision to Jukiya Iimura in his first defense last year. He will know a win over Kosaka opens the door to a rematch with Iimura, and will be determined to get that chance, and reclaim the title. He will, however, know that he's on the road here fighting in Kosaka’s home city, and will need to make sure the judges can’t deny him. The third bout of note will see JBC #1 ranked Bantamweight contender Kaisei Matsumoto (8-0, 5) take on Filipino visitor Wilbert Berondo (17-7-2, 6), in what is essentially a tune up bout before he fights for the Japanese title at the Champion Carnival next year. The 23 year old Matsumoto has rapidly climbed through the rankings since making his debut in 2022 and winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year that same year. he's had a quiet 2024, with his only other bout of the year being a win over Yoshiaki Sakamoto, but knows that Berondo will come to ask questions. As for Berondo the 29 year old Filipino is becoming a regular in Japan, with this being his 5th but in the country. He is 0-4 on his visits, but has faced stiff competition, including Hinata Maruta and Kenshin Oshima. He's tough, and although more a Super Flyweight than a Bantamweight he should have the tools to take Matsumoto deep into the fight, and maybe even last all 8 rounds with him. Cocoland, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan Over in Ube we get the least notable Japanese card of the day, as Orio Boxing gym brings boxing back to the Cocoland in Ube, for the first boxing event in the venue in over 5 years. Unfortunately it’s not a particularly big card. The card really is much smaller than the EDION Osaka and Hyogo card, and is essentially built around local fighter Taisei Sakai (5-6-3, 2), who faces off against Teru Nobita (8-5-2, 3). The 28 year old Sakai, lives in Ube and will be fighting in his hometown for the first time. Coming into this he has had very mixed results, but is unbeaten in his last 3 and has turned things around well after starting his career 0-3-1. A win here for him, could help bring boxing back to Ube on a more regular basis. Sadly though Sakai will be the under-dog with Nobita being the favourite coming into the bout. Nobita is more tested, his best wins are better than anyone Sakai has beaten, and he was mixing at a good level only a few fights ago. Saying that however, his career does seem to be falling apart, and he's now more than 2 years removed from a win, going 0-2-1 in his last 3. This is very much a small local card, but one that should see the fans turning out for Sakai. Ramindra Lumpini stadium , Bangkok, Thailand Interestingly we get minor regional title action in Thailand, as Japan’s Katsuya Murakami (15-3-1, 4) faces Cambodian fighter Vichith Oat (6-3-1, 4) for the lightly regarded WBC Asian Continental Super Flyweight title. Murakami will be making his international debut here, at the age of 30, and will be hoping to capture his first title, after previously coming up short in a bout for the Japanese Flyweight title in 2023, losing a wide decision to Jukiya Iimura. As for Oat this will be his 10th bout in Thailand, where he has essentially based his career, and will be the second title bout of his career, losing in a WBC Asia Light Flyweight title bout to Danai Ngiabphukhiaw back in 2022. On paper it’s hard to see past a Murakami win, though Japanese fighters don’t tend to fare well on Thai soil.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday we get an interesting card at Korakuen Hall promoted by Hideki Todaka, who has regularly put together really good bouts at a low level. The main event here will be a really interesting Flyweight bout, as Josuke Nagata (5-2) takes on Ryuto Oho (16-6-2, 7) in an excellent looking 8 rounder. Nagata is a former Japanese Flyweight champion, having won the title in april 2023, but his reign was short, lasting just 3 months, and he has lost his last 2. Although talented, Nagata lacks power and struggles to get respect from opponents who will feel comfortable taking his shots. Oho on the other hand has never reached the highs of Nagata, but is coming into this with some form, having won 4 of his last 5 bouts. Oho has mixed at a good level, fighting Masamichi Yabuki in 2019, but he does lack a signature win, and will see this as a chance to change that. A really interesting match up, and good domestic level main event on a card like this. The chief support bout for this card will be a 6 rounder, and will see the aggressive Shido Arai (5-4-1, 3) take on talented teenager Shiryu Kamata (1-1), who’s a counter puncher. Stylewise this could be the best bout of the show, with styles that should gel well and make for some really interesting back and forth action. Arai Arai has failed to win his last 3 bouts, having won the previous 5, and unfortunately for him lacks the power to go with his aggressive output, output that could struggle over 6 rounds. As for Kamata he lost on debut, last August, but bounced back with a wide decision win in December, and that win should give him the confidence needed to pick up another victory here. In one of the supporting bouts we’ll see Norris Yano (6-4-1) clash with Ryota Shibuya (7-2-2, 1) in a scheduled 8 rounder, that seems almost certain to go the distance given that neither man has much power. Another scheduled 8 rounder will see veterans collide as Isao Aoyama (13-12-1, 4) takes on Taisei Higashi (10-12-1, 6). Both of these bouts are perhaps not the best looking on paper but, as mentioned, Hideki Todaka shows tend to put on great low level bouts, with styles that gel and fights that give really good value, and we suspect that will be the case in both of these bouts, which provide a lot more excitement than fans suspect when the see the match ups.This is part of what Hideki Todaka promoted shows so great to watch, and so much fun.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Attention turns toi Korakuen Hall this coming Tuesday for a notable card under the Diamond Glove banner. The main event of the show will see us left with a single Japanese Welterweight champion, as regular champion Keita Obara (25-4-1, 22) returns from injury to take on interim champion Takeru Kobata (12-5-1, 5). On paper this looks to be little more than a mismatch in favour of the well known and heavy handed Obara, however with time ticking down on his career and injuries racking up it's hard to know how close to 100% Obara is. At his best he was dominant at this level, but we're not sure if he's even close to 100% and this bout really should be a chance to see how much he has slipped. As for Kobata he's improving, a lot, and has strung together good domestic wins including recent victories over Rikuto Adachi and Yuki Nagano, however this is a huge step up in class for him. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Obara and Kobata battle for unified Japanese crown The chief support bout is a Japanese title eliminator at Lightweight, as the hard hitting Shuma Nakazato (11-2-3, 7) takes on the destructive Ken Koibuchi (8-5-1, 7). The 26 year old Nakazato is regularly proving himself as one to watch, with his bouts being exciting, fun and action packed, as we saw notably in his draw against Yoshimitsu Kimura, but he also proved he had plenty of skills last time out when he out pointed Kasuya Yasuda. As for Koibuchi, his record looks bad on paper, however he has lost just 1 of his last 6, and holds a very notable domestic win over Taison Mukaiyama, which has helped him secure this eliminator. We expect this one to turn into something of an explosive shoot out as both men look to secure a shot at the Japanese title in the new year. Although the Japanese title and Japanese title eliminator bouts should both be good they do look like mismatches. On bout that doesn't look like an uncompetitive contest is the all-prospect show down between the highly skilled Josuke Nagata (3-0) and the explosive Yuki Nakajima (5-1-2, 5). Since making his debut June 2021 Nagata has looked like a real talent. He has incredible potential and brilliant skills, though does look something of a feather fisted fighter and does lack the pop needed, at the moment, to make a mark at world level, however the 24 year old South is still maybe a year or two from fully maturing. As for Nakajima the 27 year old has always looked a brutish puncher, but does struggle when his power can't turn a bout his way, and he may find Nagata's skills to be a real nightmare. We expect this one to be a case of Nakajima looking for a bomb and Nagata looking to use his skills in a bout full of tension. Another touted prospect on this card is 23 year old Mikyo Watarai (1-0, 1), who made his debut in in April when he stopped Takafumi Shibata in 4 rounds. He will be taking on 22 year old Filipino visitor Romer Pinili (5-1-1, 4). Watarai is very, very highly regarded and many of those in Japan are tipping him as a top prospect who could rise to the top very quickly, and it'll be very interesting to see how he develops over the coming years. Pinili on the other hand debuted in 2019, and went unbeaten in his first 6 fights before a razor thin loss last time out Chan Ho Song in Vietnam. It's going to be really interesting to see how he bounced back from that loss, and whether the experience fo fighting away from home will prepare him for this bout. Another professional novice on this card tipped form big things is Jinya Yamaguchi (1-0, 1), who takes on 21 year old Filipino Argelo Samson (4-1, 4). The talented Yamaguchi looked fantastic on debut, stopping Shunpei Kubo in 5 rounds back in June, and there are big plans for him going forward. As for Samson this is the first time he will face a non-Filipino fighter, and it's also a big step up. Samson has been destructive in recent bouts, stopping his last 4, but he was stopped inside a round on debut, and it will eb interesting to see if he can hand the power of Yamaguchi.  Sumiyoshi Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
The big show for us this coming Sunday takes place in Osaka, where we get a Japanese title fight, along with two bouts featuring prospects who are expected to mix in title bouts down the line. The title bout will see the once beaten Riku Kunimoto (5-1, 2) take on the unbeaten Mikio Sakai (4-0) in a bout for the Japanese Middleweight title, which was vacated by Kazuto Takesako. The 24 year old Kunimoto has been tipped for success since turning professional, and won his first 4 bouts, without really even being pushed. That 4 fight run saw him make his international debut, fighting in China, and score a notable domestic win over Shoma Fukumoto. Sadly though his rise was derailed by the pandemic, and he was then stopped inside a round in an over-due title fight against Takesako last year. Since then he has bounced back with a win, but question marks do linger with him. As for Sakai the talented 28 year old has shown a real lack of power, failing to stop any of his first 4 opponents, but has shown good skills, determination, stamina and will to win, and comes into this on the back of a career best win last time out over veteran Koshinmaru Saito. This should be a very interesting and technical match up and our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Kunimoto and Sakai battle for Japanese title! In a really interesting supporting bout we'll see unbeaten men face off as the highly touted Yusuke Mine (5-0, 2) takes on fellow unbeaten fighter Josuke Nagata (2-0). The 25 year old Mine has been tipped for stardom since making his 2019 debut, and has notched notable wins over Ardin Diale and Dynamic Kenji. The expectation seems to be that Mine, a former amateur stand out, will land a title fight of some kind in the next 12-18 months, however he will need to get past Nagata here. As for Nagata he was himself an experienced amateur, with almost 60 bouts in the unpaid ranks, and he has an aggressive, exciting action style that could over-come the slicker, more polished skills of Mine. If he wins Nagata will find himself in the rankings, and begin moving towards major bouts of his own. Another notable supporting bout will see Japanese ranked fighters collide as Tulio Dekanarudo (4-1-1, 2) takes on Tomoya Kishine (8-4-1, 2). Dekanarudo was tipped very highly when he turned professional, but back-to-back set backs did see his hype bubble pop. Since those set backs he has scored a career best win over Noboru Osato and will know a win here will help him move towards his first title bout. Although his record might look limited Koshino shouldn't be over-looked here, especially given recent wins over the likes of Masato Moriaki and Ryo Suwa, and whilst he will be moving up in weight for the bout, he is very much a capable fighter, looking to advance his own career. This should be competitive, and a genuine test for both men. Sun Rise Park Gym, Saga, Saga, Japan As well as the show in Osaka, we'll also get a Western Japan Rookie of the Year show in Saga. The card is a really small one, even by regional Rookie of the Year standards, with just 5 bouts scheduled for the show. From those 5 bouts 4 of them contain debutants, including an all debutant Lightweight bout between Kazuki Takesue (0-0) and Yuta Higuchi (0-0). The most interesting bout on this card, at least on paper, isn't that all debutant bout but is instead the one bout that doesn't contain a debutant. That is a Super Bantamweight bout between the chinny Shinya Saito (1-3, 1) and the unbeaten Zapp Morimoto (1-0, 1). In his 4 career bouts Saito has either been stopped in the opening round, or scored a win in round 2. He is not there to go rounds and does make for short and interesting bights. As for Zapp Morimoto, how can we not love a guy called Zapp? Morimoto made his debut last November, scoring a 4th round TKO, and will be looking to score his second win here. One thing we will say for those watching this one is don't blink!  Art Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
The most notable of three Japanese shows this coming Sunday is in Hyogo, where we get a card from Senrima Kobe Promotions. The main event of the card will see two Japanese ranked Super Flyweights battling against each other as Hiroki Tokuyama (10-3-1, 2) clashes with Ryosuke Nasu (12-7-3, 2), and going in the two men will know that a win will push them to within a fight or two of a Japanese title fight. It will also be an interesting bout with a bit of history given these two men fought in August 2020, with Nasu winning a clear decision. Of the two men Nasu is the more more proven, and he holds a win over Tokuyama, but he has lost his 2 bouts and was surprisingly stopped by Sonin Nihei in April. Tokuyama on the other hand has bounce back from his loss to Nasu with a win over Shunji Nagata and will be looking to build on that win. We don't expect this bee the best bout of the weekend, but it should be a compelling bout between two men each looking to move their career forward. In another interesting match up the 30 year old Hiroyuki Takahara (9-3, 6) will be looking to over-come Ryuya Nihei (5-2-1, 1) in what could be a very hard to call 6 rounder. Takahara has the experience and has got real momentum coming in to this, having won his last 5 bouts, dating back almost 4 years, including a notable win over Tom Mizokoshi last year. Nihei on the other hand is the younger man, at 23, but also the one struggling for form, with just a single win in his last 4 bouts and losses in his last 2. A third bout of interest here will see professional novices Josuke Nagata (1-0) and Tomoki Kawasaki (1-1) clash in a 6 rounder. Nagata made his debut in June, beating Koji Tsurumi in an impressive performance and it was clear that he's certainly one to watch going forward, and someone with a decent amateur background. Though of course he's a novice who will need time to develop. Kawasaki on the other hand was a good amateur himself who lost to Jukiya Iimura on debut, in June, before bouncing back with a win in September. Whilst neither of these men have much professional experience, but are young, hungry fighters, who were good amateurs, are clearly skilled fighters and aren't scared of facing good competition from the off as they look to develop and progress quickly at the start of their careers. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan A second Japanese show will be in Aichi, where we see a couple of interesting looking 6 rounders. The main event on this show will see Japanese ranked Welterweight Hiroya Nojima (7-1, 3) take on Kojiro Nishikawa (5-3-1, 2). The once beaten Nojima has reeled off 4 straight wins since a 2019 loss to Hoare Yasui, and won the the All Japan Rookie of the Year this past February. On paper this is a step up for him, but he comes into it with momentum and on the back of a blow out win over Shoma Okada in July. As for Nishikawa he is 1-3-1 in his last 5, and really needs a win now. Nishikawa has no momentum coming in to this, but will fight like a man who needs a victory, and could be a banana skin for the promising Nojima. The second bout of note on this card, and the planned chief support bout, will see 30 year old veteran Takahiro Murai (15-9-2, 5) take on unbeaten 22 year old Atsuki Nakamura (5-0-1, 3). On paper this is a hard one to call, especially given that that neither man has been all that active in recent years. Murai did fight this past July, but that was his only bout since in over 3 years, and it's hard to know what he has left to offer, especially given he's 1-3 in his last 4 dating back more than 5 years. Nakamura on the other hand hasn't fought since December 2019, and we do wonder whether ring rust will be a problem for him here. Chres Gym, Kochi, Kochi, Japan A third Japanese show will take place in Kochi, and will be headlined by an 8 rounder between Sora Fukunaga (9-0, 4) and Shinnosuke Kimoto (6-5, 2). The unbeaten Fukunaga won the All Japan Rookie of the Year at Super Bantamweight back in February, but has sadly not fought since beating Yuki Yazan in that final. Notably this will be his first 8 rounder and in fact his first bout scheduled for more than 5 rounds. As for Kimoto he's yet to achieve anything of note, though his record is very, very misleading and all 5 of his losses have been razor thin, including a notable one against Tom Mizokoshi in 2019. We suspect Fukunaga will take home his 10th win here, but he will have to work for it. Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, India As well as the action in Japan there will also be a card in India. This show isn't a big one, but the main event is certainly worth being aware of. That main event will see unbeaten Indian hopeful Karthik Sathish Kumar (7-0, 3) look to win the WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Lightweight title as he takes on Indonesian veteran Hero Tito (29-15-2, 11), who will be having his 47th bout. Kumar will be favoured, after all he's at home, he's unbeaten and he's the younger man, though this is a massive leap up in class for him, and his competition so far has been novices and very limited fighters. Tito on the other hand is no world beater, but he can notch the odd upset, as we saw in April when he beat countryman Hebi Marapu. If Tito is hungry he could well pick up his 30th professional win here, and score 3 wins in a row for the first time since 2013!  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Action returns to Korakuen Hall this coming Monday for the next show from Dangan. This isn't a particularly big show but it is one worthy of some interest with a title fight headlining the event and several interesting bouts featuring debutants. The main event will see triple crown champion Ryoji Fukunaga (13-4, 13) defending his WBO Asia Pacific and Japanese Super Flyweight titles against the unheralded Takahiro Fujii (12-6-1, 3), who is stepping up massively here. The heavy handed Fukunaga had a brilliant 2020, with wins over Froilan Saludar and Kenta Nakagawa, but both of those bouts were punishing wars and it's probably a good thing that he's being matched a little bit more lightly here than we've seen for his last two bouts. Fujii really is a very limited, domestic level fighter and shouldn't pose too much if a threat to the champion, but it's a huge opportunity for him, and likely to be his only fight at this level. We expect Fujii to be hungry, fight to win, but then be broken down by the heavy hands of the champion. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Fukunaga defends two titles as he takes on Fujii! In a brilliant chief support bout we'll see Jukiya Iimura (1-0, 1) take on Tomoki Kawasaki (0-0), in what we believe is the third of fourth date set for this fight. Iimura really impressed in his debut, back in January and we've been desperate to see him back in action. He looked really explosive, exciting and heavy handed in that bout and oozed charisma. Kawasaki on the other hand was a very decent amateur and will come into this bout with hunger to make a statement and shine in his first pro bout. These are the type of bouts that Japan gives us regularly, and others don't. Two young, talented, good amateurs facing off early in their careers, taking a risk and knowing that they can prove how good they are without waiting years. Something w would love to see in the UK and US. Another debutant going in rather hard here is former amateur fighter Josuke Nagata (0-0), who went 38-20 in the unpaid ranks. Whilst not a stellar record he looked the part in the unpaid ranks and we're excited to see what he's going to do in the pros. He'll be up against the relatively decent Koji Tsurumi (5-3-1, 2), who comes into this bout on the back of an excellent win over the then debut Yugo Kon in January. Although his record looks poor Tsurumi is unbeaten in his last 3 and has shown some genuine ability, with wins against Kon, Kazusa Arai and Shion Yokoyama. This might look like a gimme for Nagata, but it's not and we expect him to be given a genuine test here. |
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