 Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we turn our attention to Tokyo, for the next stacked Amazon Prime show, which features two world title bouts, and an excellent supporting bout between a fast rising prospect and a former world champion. The main event will see WBC Bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22) look to continue his reign of terror at 118lbs, as he takes on unbeaten Mexican challenger David Cuellar Contreras (28-0, 18). The heavy handed Nakatani, who is being continually linked to a move to 122lbs and a super clash with Naoya Inoue, will be seeking his third defense of the WBC title exactly a year he won the belt, and not many are fighting as regularly as he is. Whilst his competition hasn’t been elite tier, it’s been very solid, and he’s not just beating good competition but blasting it out, with his last 3 bouts lasting a combined 9 rounds. As for Cuellar, the 23 year old Mexican is taking a leap up in class, with his most noteworthy wins coming against Jose Velasquez, Luis Concepcion, Gilberto Pedroza and his tragic 2021 win over Moises Fuentes. Despite the very similar looking records, on paper, the two are very different in terms of competition and accomplishment, and it’s fair to say Cuellar, fighting outside of Mexico for the first time, is up against it here. One notable thing is that Cuellar is one of the very few Bantamweights with a similar physical stature to Nakatani, with both being tall, long, rangy fighters, which might pose some questions for Nakatani. A second world title fight on this card will see WBA Bantamweight champion Seiya Tsutsumi (12-0-2, 8) look for his first defense, as he takes on former WBC Flyweight champion Daigo Higa (21-3-1, 19), in what will actually be a rematch of a 2020 bout which resulted in a draw. Since their first clash Tsutsumi has won 7 in a row claiming the Japanese title in 2022, scoring 4 defenses and then beating Takuma Inoue last year for the WBA title. In the ring he’s a ball of excitement with a hyper aggressive style, limitless energy and heavy hands, whilst also being someone with a point to prove. As for Higa, the challenger was a phenom at Flyweight, before being unable to make weight, losing the WBC title on the scales back in 2018. Since then he has been fighting at Bantamweight and gone 6-2-1, with the draw coming against Tsutsumi. Whilst he’s not bad at Bantamweight, he’s not the destructive force he was 6lbs lighter, he’s not looked as durable or as heavy handed, and has lost to both Ryosuke Nishida and Yoshiki Takei at Bantamweight. Higa likely knows this will be his last bout at the top, and could well be his final bout full stop, giving him impetus to put in a huge performance in a bout that could well be a FOTY content. In a major supporting bout unbeaten hopeful Tenshin Nasukawa (5-0, 2) looks to put himself well into the Bantamweight title mix as he takes on former WBO champion Jason Moloney (27-3, 19). Tenshin, a former kick boxing star-turn boxing sensation, has been moved quickly with his mix of skills, speed and power. Notably he was frustrated last time out, by defensively minded Filipino Gerwin Asilo, and will have learned a lot from that bout, but will also be looking to make sure not to have a similarly frustrating time here. As for Moloney he is very much a world class fighter, who has only been dominated in one of his 3 losses, to Naoya Inoue, with the other two being razor thin losses against Emmanuel Rodriguez and Yoshiki Takei. The loss to Takei, last year, saw Takei barely surviving the final round, and it’s fair to say Moloney will be hoping a win here helps secure a rematch for that loss. Notably however a win for Tenshin could see him set up a very much touted clash with Takei, with the two being former kick boxing stars turn boxing sensations, that is a bout many in Japan are clamoring for. Abeno Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the high profile action in Tokyo we also get a notable, but much smaller, show in Osaka, featuring some emerging young Japanese fighters. The nominal main event of the card is a 6 rounder as the unbeaten and JBC ranked Ryo Mandokoro (4-0, 2) takes on fellow unbeaten Saw Lin Aung (1-0). Mandokoro is 24 years old and showing a lot of promise, with wins against Kyotaro Yoshida and Alvin Camique in his last 2 bouts. He’s talented, being thrown in hard, and developing quickly after two quick blow out wins to begin his career. As for Aung, he’s a 19 year old from Myanmar who debuted last year, with a 4 round win against a fellow debutant, who appears to be getting thrown in way too deep here in a massive step up. Another Japan Vs Myanmar bout, will see Ryoma Morimoto (8-1, 6) take on Naw Hpung (2-0, 1). The hard hitting Morimoto, who is JBC ranked at Super Flyweight and appears to be one of the rising stars at the KWorld3 gym, lost on his debut but has reeled off 8 straight wins including a good domestic one over Keisuke Iwasaki back in November. As for the visitor, Hpung made his debut in August, scored his second win in October, but has only faced local debutants in 4 rounders, and is unlikely to be able to hold his own in a major step up, and his first 8 rounder. A third fighter from Myamnar on this card is the debuting Gin Sian Muang (0-0), who is unlikely to fare well against Japanese based Korean fighter Young Doo Choi (7-1, 5), who is looking for his third win since a 2023 loss to Seira Kishida. Choi doesn’t appear to be a future national champion, and at 30 is certainly a bit older than some of the other hopefuls on this card, but he is a fun fighter with an aggressive mentality. As for Muang, the 19 year old visitor was reportedly a National amateur champion, but appears to be getting tossed in very debut for his debut. In a domestic class Ran Ijuin (8-3-3, 3) will take on Shoki Yamauchi (7-5, 6), in what could be a fun, high tempo technical battle between jabs. Yamauchi is the more limited, but his straight right is damaging and he is better than his record suggests, going 5-1 in his last 6 after a 1-4 start. Ijuin on the other hand has been fighting at a lower level, and gone 5-0-1 in his last 6, with it being clear both men are looking to continue their recent surge in career momentum.
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 Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day running Amazon Prime and Teiken team up to give us a boxing fiesta, with this one coming to coincide with Sports Day, a national holiday in Japan. The card features 3 world title bouts and a regional title bout, with the fighters in those 4 bouts sporting a crazy combined record of 182-6-1-1 and 4 of them being unbeaten, 4 being current or former world champions, 2 being multi-weight world champions, and one being a former kick boxing star turned fast rising boxing sensation. So we mentioned the fighters on this card having 182 wins between them, 104 of those wins come from the two fighters in the main event. That bout will see 3-weight world champion Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21) [中谷 潤人] defending his WBC Bantamweight title, for the second time, as he takes on highly experienced Thai veteran Tasana Salapat (76-1, 53), aka Petch CP Freshmart or Petch Sor Chitpattana, in the Thai’s biggest bout so far. The talented Nakatani, regarded by many as Japan’s #2 fighter behind Naoya Inoue, has taken world titles at Flyweight, Super Flyweight and now Bantamweight, and appeared to be getting bigger and stronger with every move up in weight. With his frame clearly capable of adding more weight it’s hard to know just how high Nakatani can go, but on recent performances he’s looking better as a Bantamweight than he did at 112lbs or 115lbs. As for the challenger the Thai is a hard man to get much of a read on, despite having had a staggering 77 fights. Sadly much of his competition for those 77 fights has been below appalling with his only real bout of note coming in late 2018, when he lost a clear decision to Takuma Inoue in a bout for the WBC Interim Bantamweight title. In that bout he showed himself to have grit, determination, and hunger, but was technically lacking, predictable, slow and easy to hit. It’s going to be very interesting to see what his grit and determination is like whilst being tagged by the heavy, hurtful shots of Nakatani, who appears to be taking an “easy” fight to close out the year and score his third win of 2024. It appears going forward that Nakatani won’t be a solo-act with close friend, and fellow world champion, Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5) looking to become something of a double act with Nakatani. That was shown back in July, when Nakatani made his first defense and Olascuaga won the WBO Flyweight title, and appears to be the case again here as he makes his first defense, taking on Puerto Rican Jonathan Gonzalez (28-3-1-1, 14). Olascuaga has become a very popular fighter in Japan, not just due to his links to Nakatani, with the two having been friends since they were teenagers and both train together, but also due to his performances in Japan including a loss to Kenshiro Teraji in 2023 and wins over Giemel Magramo and Riku Kano, with the Kano win netting Olascuaga the WBO title. He’ll be looking to build on his moment as he takes on Gonzalez, who recently vacated the WBO Light Flyweight title to campaign at 112lbs. Notably Gonzalez is also pretty well known in Japan, having given Kosei Tanaka, who we’ll speak about in a moment, a great contest back in 2019, and taking a very controversial win over Shokichi Iwata back in 2022. He was also linked to a triple title unification fight with Kenshiro Teraji, which fell apart at short notice when he had to pull out, so may not get the warmest of welcomes here. Having just mentioned him it’s worth noting that Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11) will also be on this show, taking on unbeaten South African Phumelele Cafu (10-0-3, 8), in what will be Tanaka’s first defense of the WBO Super Flyweight title. The talented Tanaka, now a 4-weight world champion, was left without a dance partner earlier this year when Jonathan Rodriguez failed to make weight, and given that set back we’re expecting to see Tanaka fight like a man with a lot of anger and frustration and really try to take the fight to Cafu, using him to make a statement. Of course Cafu isn’t unbeaten for no reason, and the South African challenger has scored notable wins over Ben Mananquil, Jackson Chauke and Genisis Libranza. He's stepping up, massively, for this fight, and fighting outside of South Africa for the first time, but will be full of confidence and could well have the determination to give an Angry Tanaka hell. This bout is easy to overlook but has the potential to be a FOTY candidate, something Tanaka is known for having, especially against opponents that’s expected to easily deal with. The other bout of note on this card will see former kickboxing sensation turned boxer Tenshin Nasukawa (4-0, 2) look to win his first title, as he faces unbeaten Filipino Gerwin Asilo (9-0, 4) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight title. Nasukawa looks like one of the most impressive young prospects in the sport, and is rapidly improving as a boxing, and already has the natural charisma and aura that can turn a star into a megastar. He’s lightning quick, scary sharp, and although he’s not a KO puncher he is developing his power, and appears to be a lot more spiteful than he first looked. This is his chance to take a huge leap towards a world title fight and he’ll know a win here sets up some major fights in 2025. As for Asilo his record is a mixed back, though he does have a solid win over domestic foe Aljum Pelesio, who had gone 10 rounds in a bout for this very same title with Ryosuke Nishida just a bout before Asilo beat him. Asilo has plenty of hunger and will know a win here would be a massive boost to his career, though he will clearly be a massive under-dog against the sensational Nasukawa. Athletic Center, Nakatsu, Oita, Japan Being over-shadowed by the big Teiken/Amazon show is a Rookie of the Year event in Oita, which will see the best from Western Japan take on the best from Central Japan, to progress towards the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in December. As is always the case with Rookie of the Year the fighters aren’t well known, but are fighting to become known, and the tournament almost always unveils some stars of the future. For this particular show the most interesting bout on the show is a 5 rounds at Flyweight as Atom Sunagawa (5-1, 3) takes on Ryoya Ogawa (4-1-1, 1), in the only 5 rounder on the show. Sunagawa is 23 years old and at 5’7” is tall for the weight. He began his career in 2022 and despite a loss in 2023 has bounced back well with two good wins to reach this stage of the competition. As for Ogawa he’s 25 and lost his second bout, before finding the right weight for himself, and he’s now making a mark at 112lbs. His competition hasn’t been as good as Sunagawa’s, but he’s riding a 4 fight unbeaten streak here. Another bout that looks interesting is at Bantamweight, where we see unbeaten men collide as Ryunosuke Sakashita (1-0) takes on Retsu Nakamura (3-0-1, 2). Aged 25 Sakashita only made his debut in July, when he beat Hikaru Mukai, take the decision 40-35 from all 3 judges. As for Nakamura he’s 20 and debuted just over a year ago. He won his first 3 bouts before fighting a draw last time out, against the then 4-0 Koki Ogawa. Nakamura is certainly the more experienced but the question is how he can use that experience here. Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines Outside of Japan we also get a small show in the Philippines, the card doesn’t have any major bouts, but does have an interesting contest between two veterans and the next bout in the career of a young and emerging hopeful. The veterans, who are clashing at Super Bantamweight, are Mark Anthony Geraldo (39-13-3, 20) and Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-25-3, 12) who should be able to put on a pretty interesting fight between them. Geraldo was, for a time, one of the more under-rated fighters coming out of the Philippines, with good skills, respectable power, good timing and good toughness. Now aged 33 however he has started to drop off and is a very, very long way removed from who beat future world champion Jerwin Ancajas and earned himself an IBF world title eliminator, losing a decision to McJoe Arroyo and lost a competitive bout with Takuma Inoue. He has rapidly fallen from 31-5-3 to going 8-8 in his following 16 bouts and has lost 4 of his last 5 dating back to late 2021. His 1 win in that 5 fight run was a win over Ponteras, in what was a very entertaining war earlier this year. Ponteras, who’s record really doesn’t show how solid and good of a fighter he is, will be looking to avenge that loss, and end an 11 fight losing run. To be fair we’re not expecting Ponteras to pick up the upset here, but we are expecting a fun tear up, much like their first bout. They styles gelled well and for fans sometimes a fun fight is what we need, rather than just big names Also on this card will be the unbeaten Crisaldy Beltran (3-0, 2), who takes on domestic journeyman Jerry Pabila (7-13, 5). The 20 year old “El Dinamita” made his debut in April and has racked up 3 wins in a combined 6 rounds, but against very low level or inexperienced opponents. Whilst Pabila is no serious threat he does have some experience and should be able to ask Beltran some questions before ultimately being stopped, for the 13th time in his career.  Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
The main show this coming Saturday is the latest in Amazon Prime’s excellent run of shows in Japan, with this one being a world title triple header, which also features a notable step up for a highly touted prospect and the debut of a very talented former amateur stand out. The main event of the show will see 3-weight world champion Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20) defending his WBC Bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Vincent Astrolabio (19-4, 14), in a solid first defense for Nakatani, who is looking to unify titles in the near future. The talented champion looked arguably his best earlier this year, when he stopped Alexander Santiago. It did seem, in that fight against Santiago, that Nakatani had perhaps found the weight best suited to him, though in recent interviews it has sounded like he’s intending to move to Super Bantamweight next year and perhaps he is struggling to keep his weight on point. As for Astrolabio, the bout is a second shot at a title, after losing a hotly contested bout for the WBO title against Jason Moloney. Despite that loss to Moloney the Filipino fighter has had a few excellent years, with notable wins against Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nikolai Potapov and Navapon Khaikanha in 3 of his last 4. Nakatani will be the favourite, and understandably so, but Astrolabio is a very live under-dog. Surprisingly the chief support bout on the card isn’t one of the other title bouts, but instead a scheduled 10 rounder between Tenshin Nasukawa (3-0, 1) and Jonathan Rodriguez (17-2-1, 7). Nasukawa is a former kickboxer-turned boxer, who has raced through the regional rankings, and is expected to fight for his first title later this year. He’s quick and sharp, and although there are question marks about his power, there is little doubting that he has converted excellently to boxing, and will have his sights set on winning world titles in the coming years. As for Rodriguez, the American looks like a really good opponent, with a solid looking record, and a notable recent win over former world champion Kal Yafai. Those facts make him an opponent with some value, though he has been stopped twice, including a 7th round loss against Antonio Vargas in February, where he was dropped twice, and is the naturally smaller man. It’s not Nasukawa fighting a Jonathan Rodriguez, as WBO Super Flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11) will be defending his title against a different Jonathan Rodriguez (25-2-1, 17). Tanaka, now holding a world title in his 4th weight class, has long been one of the hardcore fans favourite fighters, with his flawed defense, aggressive style, and incredible speed. Notably his last bout was a rather dull one, as he out boxed Christian Bacasegua Rangel in a dramaless bout in February, and he has made it clear that he wants to excite fans here. Notably he isn’t expected to have an easy one as Rodriguez is a genuine top contender, who’s tough, rugged, comes to fight and has proven he belongs in and around the title mix at 115lbs. In his 28 bouts Rodriguez has only left Mexico once, but that was a close loss to Jerwin Ancajas, in a bout for the IBF title, which saw him push Ancajas all the way. This could be a genuine banana skin for Tanaka, who likely has his eye on a bout with WBA/IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez. The other title bout on this show will fill the vacancy of the WBO Flyweight title, as Anthony Olascuaga (6-1, 4) takes on Riku Kano (22-4-2, 11), in what will be the second world title fight for both men. The 26 year old Kano was tipped for success early in his career, after debuting at the age of 16, and landed his first world title fight way back in August 2016, losing to veteran Katsunari Takayama. Had he won he'd have been the youngest ever Japanese world champion. Since then he has had mixed success, going 12-2-1, but is now unbeaten in 10. As for Olascuaga, who's a training buddy and long term friend of Nakatani, he got his first world title fight back in April 2023, when he was a short notice challenger for Kenshiro Teraji. Although he lost to Kenshiro he impressed, and then stopped Giemel Magramo to help him secure this shot. This should be a really interesting bout pitting the power of Olascuaga against the aggression of Kano, which could end up giving us the fight of the show. One other bout on this card, is the debut of Issei Aramoto (0-0), as he takes on Mongontsooj Nandinerdene (2-1-1, 2). Aramoto is the latest in a line of top Japanese amateurs making their professional debuts recently, with Teiken expected to move him incredibly quickly, following a staggering 12 amateur title wins, whilst running up a stellar 85-7 (37) record in the unpaid ranks. Although he will be campaigning at a Middleweight, this bout will be fought at Super Middleweight. Is a Korean based Mongolian fighter Nandinerdene, who debuted in 2022 and was last seen losing a split decision in a bout for the South Korean Middleweight title. It’s clear Aramoto will be looking to make a mark here, and we don’t expect anything but an impressive win for a man those in Japan view as their next potential Middleweight star. SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines As well as the huge show in Japan there is also a small card in the Philippines, the card is much smaller than the Japanese one, but does have two noteworthy bouts. One of those will be a serious step up in class for Kit Ceron Garces (7-1, 5), who has won his last two, but has never really faced anyone with any real experience. His opponent here, as mentioned, is a big step up as he takes on former world title challenger Robert Paradero (19-7-2, 13). On paper this is a leap up in class for Garces, though it needs to be noted that Paradero is 1-7-2 in his last 10, and looks to be a man who has started to lose some of his hunger. If he turns up motivated Paradero has the tools to beat Garces, but if he’s going through the motions it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him lose again. On the same card is Carlo Bacaro (11-0, 7), who will be seeking his 12th straight win, as he takes on Jose Roda Jr (9-5-2, 2). The unbeaten “Brown Sugar” is taking baby steps up, as he slowly, but surely, takes on better opponents. He’s talented, promising, but his team are handling him with kid gloves to some extent, when a real step up is needed shortly. Roda Jr isn’t as bad as his record suggests, though is out of form, losing 4 of his last 5, and we do need to wonder what his ambition and motivation is like coming into this bout. A bit like Paradero, if Roda turns up with some hunger, he could give the younger man a real test. 225 Joo Chiat road , Singapore, Singapore Over in Singapore we’ll be getting minor title action, as 36 year old local fighter Mohammad Radeem (3-1, 1) battles against Indonesian fighter Reynold Kundimang (9-3-3, 2) in a bout for the UBO Continental title. Redeem really has very, very little on his record and at 36 there is no suggestion he’ll go far in the sport. As for Kundimang he’s a 23 year old who was once tipped for big things, though has stumbled since an exciting start, and was stopped in 2 of his last 3.  Super Arena, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
This coming Saturday is set to be one of the biggest days in Asian boxing this year, as we get a hugely anticipated card from Saitama, headlined by a long over-due Middleweight unification bout between two fan friendly and aggressive fighters. Not only is the main event a great one, but the card in general is also a mouth watering one., with a second world title bout and a regional title bout. The main bout on the card is the rescheduled bout between hard hitting Kazakh Middleweight star Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36) and Japanese star Ryota Murata (16-2, 13), who were meant to clash on December 29th before the Japanese government made the bout impossible to stage due to covid regulations. The bout will see Golovkin enter as the IBF champion, seeking his second defense of this current reign. Although he will be the big favourite coming in to this bout, he is now 40 years old, with well over 400 bouts in total, as an amateur and professional, and he's been out of the ring since the end of 2020. It may well be the right time to face him, given his battle with father time. As for Murata, this is the bout he's been chasing for years, and at the age of 36 it really is now or never for him to show what he's capable of. Like Golovkin we've also not seen Murata fight recently, with his last bout coming at the end of 2019, and we expect him to be rusty, but he is so much younger than Golovkin. In regards to this one, it could be a very brutal, explosive, hard, tough and rough bout, which will likely see bombs thrown by both, with both likely needing to prove their toughness in what could be a very can friendly bout. Our in depth preview of this super clash can be read here The Middleweight Division gets a super fight as Golovkin and Murata face off! In another world title fight we'll see WBO Flyweight champion Junto Nakatani (22-0, 17) make his second defense, as he takes on the heavy handed Ryota Yamauchi (8-1, 7) in an all Japanese title fight. The talented Nakatani, arguably the best fighter at 112lbs, won the title in 2020, with a brilliant win over Giemel Magramo, but he has a frustrating reign with his single defense coming last year against Angel Acosta in the US, in a bout marred by a brutal cut to Acosta. It's clear Nakatani is a special fighter, but the 24 year old needs to have a big year now and begin to really establish his reign, which has had a faltering start due to the pandemic. As for Yamauchi, the aggressive, heavy handed 27 year old is a really fun fighter to watch, but also a defensively flawed one, who was dropped in his 2019 loss to Wulan Tuolehazi, and although he's had some good wins so far this is a major step up in class for him. This should be a very entertaining bout, but one where Nakatani will enter as the clear favourite, though for those wanting a more in depth look at this bout our preview can be read here Nakatani seeks second defense as he takes on aggressive Yamauchi! In another major supporting bout we'll see regional Lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino (14-0, 11) defending his WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles against former WBO Super Featherweight world champion Masayuki Ito (27-3-1, 15). As with the Golovkin Vs Murata bout this was scheduled to take place last year, before being postponed when the December 29th card was cancelled, and much like that bout this is one that has got a lot of expectations on it, with over a year of back story. Whilst we won't go into all the backstory of the bout, it is worth getting very excited about with Yoshino looking to throw his hat into the ring for a major Lightweight bout, with the likes of George Kambosos, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia or Vasyl Lomachenko. For Ito the bout is about rebuilding his career after recent losses to Jamel Herring and Hironori Mishiro. Like the main event this should be a very, very compelling 12 rounder, and one that will see skills and power punching on show. Our preview of this bout can be read here Double champion Yoshino faces former WBO king Ito In an interesting under-card bout we'll see former amateur standout Kazuki Anaguchi (1-0,1) take on the hard hitting Ryuji Yamamoto (6-1, 6). Anaguchi made his debut last year, and did so with a good win over Atsushi Takada, and it's clear from that performance, and his amateur pedigree, that he has the potential to be moved quickly and moved towards title fighters sooner rather than late. As for Yamamoto the 23 year old is a heavy handed youngster, who stopped his first 5 opponents before suffering a close decision loss in 2017. Notably he was out of the ring for close to 4 years after that loss before returning last year and stopping Takahiro Murai, in a very good win. It'll be interesting to see how Yamamoto deals with the skills of Anaguchi, and whether Anaguchi can handle the power of Yamamoto in a very good under-card fighter. Abeno Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Staying in Japan there is also set to be a show in Osaka, with this show being a West Japan Rookie of the Year event. This show has 8 bouts set for it, between Light Flyweight and Welterweight. We won't go into too much details for this show, though one bout that did catch out attention was the all debutant bout between Yuichi Ikeda (0-0) and Jop Mustafa Jom (0-0), who will be facing off at Welterweight. We expect this one will be a wild, and open brawl, with both men being youngsters each looking to kick off their career with an eye catching win. Maybe not an amazing bout, but it should be a very fan friendly one. Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, USA We're not just getting unification bouts in Japan, as we also get a female world title bout in the US as Japanese female boxing legend Naoko Fujioka (19-2-1, 7) takes on Marlen Esparza (11-1, 1) in a bout to unify the WBA and WBC female Flyweight titles. For Fujioka this bout comes following her US debut win over Sulem Urbina last year and given her age it really is now or never for her to to make a name internationally and a win over Esparza would see her improve her already very impressive resume and reputation. As for Esparza the bout will serve as her second defense of the title, and will see her looking to build on an excellent 2021, which saw her beating Ibeth Zamora Silva and Anabel Ortiz. Given the styles of the two women this could end up being a genuinely thrilling action bout. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Fujioka and Esparza clash in Flyweight unification! Also on this card will be a bout between the unbeaten pairing of Katsuma Akitsugi (8-0, 1) and Gregory Morales (13-0, 8). Akitsugi is a US based Japanese fighter who debuted back in 2018 and has already ended a number of unbeaten streaks, beating Arnold Dinong (then 7-0), Eros Correa (then 10-0) and Rasheem Brown (then 11-0) in his last 4 bouts. Morales on the other hand is a Mexican born American fighter who beat former world champion Rodrigo Guerrero last year, but has been feasting on limited or smaller men and will be stepping up in class here. Rizal, Laguna, Philippines As well as the action in Japan there's also a notable show in the Philippines, with a regional title bout in the headline bout, and several other notable contests. The show is certainly not a monster card, but it's a solid domestic level show for Pinoy fight fans. The main event will see ArAr Andales (13-2, 5) take on Joey Canoy (17-5-1-1, 9) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Minimumweight title, with Andales seeking his first defense of the title. Of the two men Andales is more well known, having challenged Knockout CP Freshmart in 2019, and he has bounced back from back to back losses, to win his last 3, including his title win in 2021 against Minh Phat Sam. Andales is still just 22 years old and seems destined for another world title fight down the line. As for Canoy, he is one of the many Filipino fighters who's record is misleading with numerous close and controversial losses and notable wins against the likes of Melvin Jerusalem and Toto Landero. Given what we know of the two men this should be a very good fight, with two men each looking to move towards a major bout later in the year. In a main supporting bout we'll see the hard hitting Weljon Mindoro (6-0, 6) take on the limited Jerwin Mejes (4-6-6, 3), in a scheduled 8 rounder. Mindoro debuted in 2019 and has never been beyond round 3 in his short career, though in fairness he has only faced very low level competition and this is a notable step up in class for him. As for Mejes, who has one of the oddest looking records in the sport, he has gone 0-4-4 in his last 8 though has been stopped in 4 of his 6 losses and will need to be wary of Mindoro's power early on. One other notable bout on this card will see the once touted Al Sabaupan (26-3-1, 21) face off with the very limited Jason Egera (24-23-3, 11), with Sabaupan looking to get his career back on track with just his second fight since 2017. He was once regarded as a genuinely bright hopeful for Filipino boxing, but losses to Marvin Quintero, in 2012, and Ricardo Dominguez, in 2013, ended much of the hype around him. Although he's been inactive in recent years, he should have too much for the very poor Egera. Others on this card include unbeaten 25 year old Ryan James Racaza (11-0, 7), who takes on Monico Laurente (30-17, 7), and 26 year old Denmark Quibido (11-0-1, 6), who takes on Jovel Romasasa (10-19, 4), with the unbeaten men in these bouts expected to extend their unbeaten runs. Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, USA
We don't have much in terms of Asian action this coming Friday, but there is one bout of note that does deserve some major international interest, and that's a WBO Flyweight title bout as Japanese world champion Junto Nakatani (21-0, 16) defends against mandatory challenger Angel Acosta (22-2, 21). The talented Nakatani, who won the belt last year, is among the youngest active world champions on the sport, at 23, and is regarded as one of the Japanese fighters with the best potential to break out, and be an international star. Unlike many Japanese boxers Nakatani does spend a lot of time in the US, training quite frequently in the US and has been picking up the language over the last few years. A win here, against the heavy handed Acosta, would give his profile a massive boost. As for Acosta, the Puerto Rican is a former world champion at 108lbs and will be looking to become a 2-weight world champion here. He's the more proven fighter, but we do wonder whether he has an answer for the size, reach and jab of Nakatani, who is a huge guy at Flyweight. Our full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here: Nakatani makes US debut as he faces off with Acosta  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
At Korakuen Hall this coming Friday we get a very interesting card thanks to Teiken, who have managed to give us a real mix of things on a very nice looking card. The main event is a bout that has been on and offer more often this year than our socks, though we are so glad that it is is now on and sorted. The bout in question is the match up between once beaten Filipino Giemel Magramo (24-1, 20) and unbeaten Japanese fighter Junto Nakatani (20-0, 15), who vie for the vacant WBO Flyweight. The title became vacant earlier this year, when Kosei Tanaka moved up in weight, and was supposed to see a new champion crowned several times, however the on going situation, and travel issues, kept pushing it back, and back. Thankfully Magramo was able to travel to Japan in October, do his isolation, and leave us here, now, on the verge of this brilliant match up. A full, in depth, preview of this bout can be read here Old fashioned fine tuning and the quick study: Giemel Magramo versus Junto Nakatani In a fantastic chief support bout we'll see second generation fighter Juiki Tatsuyoshi (13-0, 9) take on the fast tracked Kazuhiro Imamura (2-0, 1). Although not the fighter his father, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, was it's fair to say that Juiki Tatsuyoshi is developing well and is actually becoming a very solid fighter in his own right. Imamura on the other hand is a relative unknown in many ways, but but has looked solid in his two previous pro bouts and will know that a win here will open the door for a Japanese title fight in the near future. This is not a big fight, by any stretch, but it is a very interesting one between two unbeaten men looking to move their career's forward. In another supporting bout we'll see Junpei Tsujimoto (6-2-3, 4) take on the big punching Daiki Ogura (4-3-1, 4). Last time out Tsujimoto was stopped by Nath Nwachukwu in 2 rounds and will now be looking to bounce back from that set back. He will be backed heavily against the hard hitting, but very beatable, Ogura. We suspect this will really will be about rebuilding Tsujimoto's confidence, and little more. 
New York, USA
The biggest show this coming weekend comes from New York and features a trio of Central Asian fighters in notable bouts. The biggest of those bouts will see Kazakh legend Gennady Golovkin (39-1-1, 35) battle against Ukrainian foe Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10) for the vacant IBF Middleweight title. The hard hitting Golovkin is seen as being past his best, but is still favoured to pick up the win here against the technically well schooled Derevyanchenko. The title, which was vacated when Saul Alvarez's team failed to reach a deal with Derevyanchenko, will give the winner a bargaining chip for a unification bout next year, but will leave the loser in a really awful position. Our full preview of this fight can be read here Golovkin and Derevyanchenko clash for IBF crown! The fast rising Israil Madrimov (3-0, 3), from Ukraine, will be fighting in his 4th professional bout as he takes on Alejandro Barrera (29-5,18). On paper this is another solid match up for Madrimov, but in reality it's a notable step backwards for the Uzbek who should be expected to score a very clear win. Barrera's record looks good on paper but he has lost 3 of his last 4, was stopped by Errol Spence in 2015 and only has 1 win in the last 3 years, he has also been fighting at Welterweight. The one thing Barrera does, perhaps, have going for him is that he's only been stopped once but inactivity, natural size disadvantage and poor form doesn't bode well against a fighter like Madrimov. Kazakh Super Middleweight Ali Akhmedov (15-0, 11) is also on this card, where he will be taking on 33 year old American Andrew Hernandez (20-7-2-1, 9). The experienced Hernandez has mixed in good company, but losses to the likes of Caleb Plant, Jesse Hart and Ahmed Elbiali do show his limitations. Saying that Hernandez has been a banana skin through his career for prospects and will be a really good test for Akhmedov. The 24 year old Kazakh is climbing through the rankings well and this is a brilliant bit of match making for him. We expect Akhmedov to win, but we expect to see him needing to earn the victory. Tokyo, Japan Whilst New York has a big card there is also a really interesting one in Japan, where Tokyo plays host to the next Dynamic Glove show, though sadly it won't be aired live on G+ and is instead set for a tape delay broadcast. The main event here sees Japanese youngster Junto Nakatani (19-0, 14) take a huge step up in class as he takes on former world champion Milan Melindo (37-4, 13) in a really interesting 10 round contest. Nakatani has looked brilliant coming through the ranks, but has, for the most part, faced smaller opponents and limited opposition. Here we still see him up against a smaller foe, but an experience and skilled opponent with world class experience. Melindo will be going up in weight for this, and will feel he has the experience to deal with Nakatani. This is a really major bout on the regional scene, and we suspect that the winner here will end up fighting for a world title in 2020. A full preview of this fight can be read here Nakatani takes on former world title challenger Melindo! On paper the chief support bout looks like a massive mismatch, with Korean visitor Kyung Min Kwon (7-5, 3) taking on 2-time world title challenger Ryo Akaho (34-2-2, 22). On paper this should be an easy win for Akaho, who has the clear edge in power and experience however Kwon is the naturally bigger fighter and the younger man and will be in the ring looking to score an upset. Kwon enters the bout as the interim Korean champion and managed to last 8 rounds last year with Satoshi Shimizu in an OPBF Featherweight title fight. Kwon is tough and could well frustrate Akaho, though we do expect Akaho to pick up the win. A really good looking support bout will see Filipino Robin Langres (10-3, 4) take on under-rated Japanese local Ikuro Sadatsune (9-4-3, 3) in what has the potential to be a thriller. The 23 year old Langres is making his international debut here, and comes into the bout on the back of his second win against Jomar Fajardo, but he was beaten last year by Jason Buenaobra. Sadatsune has lost twice already this year, though both of those bouts were razor thin and against against well regarded fighters Kenshin Oshima and Sho Ishida. This could be a very hotly contest and exciting back and forth battle. For those interested in learning more about Sadatsune he was recently covered in a recent "Introducing" article Introducing... Ikuro Sadatsune Also on this card is the debuting, but very highly touted, Shigetoshi Kotari (0-0) who kicks off his professional career against Lasben Sinaba (3-2, 3), from Indonesia. As an amateur Kotari fought over 70 professional bouts and has already impressed in sparring since turning professional. He's expected to show case his skills here, but Sinaba has been stopped in both of his losses and we see him being taken out again here and it may only be a short showcase for the Japanese debutant. Michigan, USA Going back to the US we'll see Kazakh heavyweight Izim Izbaki (2-0, 1) take on the win-less Troy Albring (0-2). The 24 year old Izbaki is worth making a note of, as he rises through the ranks, but this is little more than a fight to help him adapt to professional boxing. Albring has been blown in the opening round of both his previous fights and we're expecting the same to happen again here. Delaware, USA Also in the US will be Chinese Light heavyweight Fanlong Meng (15-0, 9), who faces Gilberto Rubio (9-8, 6), in a stay busy fight whilst he awaits his shot at the IBF Light Heavyweight title. Macao S.A.R., China
The biggest Asian show this coming Saturday comes from Macao, where we get several bouts of note thanks to the IBF, who are holding a convention and having boxing take place around that event. On paper the best bout is an all-south Light Heavyweight clash between Fanlong Meng (14-0, 9) and Adam Deines (17-0-1, 8), who battle in what is an IBF final world title eliminator. Unbeaten fighters, with ambition, clashing is always a good thing, and whilst neither will be given a chance against IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev this should still be a worth while clash. With a world title fight up for grabs for the winner this is a really important contest, and potentially the hidden gem of the weekend. Another unbeaten fighter on this card is Australian Steve Gago (10-0, 4), who takes on criminally under-rated Filipino Adam Diu Abdulhamid (14-7, 6), in what should be a much, much tougher test than it appears on paper. Although Abdulhamid has 7 losses to his name he is a very talented fighter and a real potential banana skin for the unbeaten Gago. A third bout will see China's Sen Chen (11-1, 2) battle against Filipino veteran Richie Mepranum (33-7-1, 9), for a minor regional title. This is a big step up for Chen, but a win would help him out his name out there. At his best Mepranum is a solid fighter, but in recent years he has just been picking up more losses than wins, and has lost 3 of his last 5. A good test for Chen, but it should be a winnable one. Tokyo, Japan From the Korakuen Hall we'll get the next Dynamic Glove card, and unfortunately it won't be shown live, and instead it's going to be put on tape delay the following Wednesday. The main event of the card was supposed to be the first defense of the Japanese Flyweight title by Junto Nakatani (18-0, 13), who was pencilled in to face Wolf Nakano (6-7-4, 2). That was a disappointing bout and was cancelled when Nakano suffered an injury in training, and he has now been replaced by Filipino foe Philip Luis Cuerdo (11-6-1, 4). On paper this is a better bout than the original match up, but should be little more than the next step forward for Nakatani, who is looking like one of the brightest prospects in Japan. On paper the bout of the show looks likely to be the rematch between Charles Bellamy (28-3-2, 18) and Yuto Shimizu (12-4-2, 5), who had a cracking bout last September. The Bellamy, a popular Japanese based American, took a narrow win over Shimizu last year, and will be favoured here. Shimizu however is no push over, as he showed in their first bout, and this could be a very, very good bout. Another really good looking match up here will see Japan's Ryota Toyoshima (10-2-1, 7) look to build on a big 208 as he takes on Korean visitor Woo Min Won (10-1, 6). Toyoshima went 3-0 (2) last year, with a very notable win over Moon Hyun Yun, and will be looking to continue that run here. The Korean fight will be fighting on Japanese soil for the second time, having beaten Daiki Koide in Nagoya in 2016. Interestingly this will be Kim's 4th straight bout against a Japanese foe, and so far he has a 3-0 (2) record against Japanese fighters. Hard hitting Minimumweight prospect Kai Ishizawa (5-0, 5) might not be one of the most rounded prospects in Japan but he is a very heavy handed fighter with a lot of promise, and he's very, very young. On this show he will take on Indonesian journeyman Silem Serang (13-19-2, 1), in what should be little more than a show case for the very exciting Ishizawa. One other bout of note will see Rookie of the Year runner up Hikari Mineta (5-1, 3) kick off his 2019 with a bout against 32 year old Motosuke Kimura (3-1-2, 1). We were impressed by Mineta in the Rookie of the Year, though he did have a nightmare in the early stages of the final, and it's going to be great to see what the Teiken man can go on to achieve over the coming years. Berne, Switzerland On the subject of Japanese fighters it's worth noting that Swiss based Japanese born veteran Aniya Seki (34-4-3, 5) will be up against journey woman Ivanka Ivanova (1-10-2) in Berne. Seki, now aged 40, is unlikely to achieve her dream of becoming a world champion, but she should pick up an easy win here against her Bulgarian foe who hasn't won in her last 9. California, USA We turn to the US for much more notable action towards the end of the day, with a number of Filipino fighters in action. Sadly whilst there are some talented fighters on the card, the most notable of the Filipino fighters looks to be, on paper at least, in a stay busy fight. That is former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (32-2, 15), the criminally under-rated southpaw, taking on Mexican foe Roberto Castaneda (23-11-2, 16). On paper this is a mismatch, though Castaneda has had some interesting performances in recent years coming close to upsetting Jose Lopez in 2014 and securing a draw Tyler McCreary last time out. Another highly regarded Filipino on this card is the hard hitting Jhack Tepora (22-0, 17), who returns to the ring following a weight mishap earlier in the year. He'll be up against fellow puncher Jose Luis Gallegos (16-6, 12) and should manage to secure a pretty straight forward win, though has clearly lost some of his career moment after a huge 2018. Filipino-America John Leo Dato (10-0-1, 7) looks to extend his unbeaten record, as he takes on tough veteran German Meraz (62-55-2, 39). The Mexican veteran has 120 bouts to his name, and although his losses are stacking up he has only 8 stoppage defeats with the latest coming more than 2 years ago to Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Meraz will test Dato, but isn't likely to score the upset.  The month of February kicks off this coming Saturday, and we start to see action return to normal with the second Dynamic Glove card of the year, and a Kazakh prospect in action in the US.
Toyko, Korakuen Hall The Dynamic Glove card is an interesting one, with a ring return of a fighter who has served a year long suspension, a Japanese title fight and the second bout of a very highly regarded prospect. The returning fighter is Kenichi Ogawa (22-1-0-1, 17), who will be fighting for the first time since December 2017 when he faced Tevin Farmer. The former Japanese Super Featherweight champion has served a 12 month ban for testing positive for illegal substance and will be looking to put that year behind him as he takes on Filipino foe Roldan Aldea (12-6-1, 6). The Filipino has lost his last 2, but did become the first fighter to take the exciting Shawn Oda the distance, doing that last April, and will be looking to have another solid performance here, even if he does end up coming up short again. The Japanese title fight will see the unbeaten Junto Nakatani (17-0, 12) look to enhance his growing reputation as he takes on Naoki Mochizuki (15-3, 8) for the vacant Japanese Flyweight title. The title was vacated in late 2018, as Masayuki Kuroda put his focus on preparing for a world title fight, allowing Mochizuki to face Nakatani in the Champion Carnival. The unbeaten Nakatani is a former Rookie of the Year and Japanese Youth Champion who has already broken into the world rankings and is expected to go a very, very, long way. Mochizuki on the other hand is underrated due to his losses, with 2 of those being very competitive and one of those being suffered early in his career. Mochizuki has proven to be tough, have a good work rate and could well spring the upset over the much fancied and very highly regarded 21 year old Nakatani, but many will be tipping the youngster. We've previewed this bout here Nakatani and Mochizuki battle for Japanese title! Another notable name on this card will be former WBA "interim" Flyweight and OPBF Super Flyweight champion Koki Eto (23-4-1, 18), who will be up against Filipino visitor Rommel Oliveros (9-4-1, 4). This looks like it will be little more than a tune up bout for Eto who is wanting to fight for a world title this year, though is likely to continue just ticking over, as he has done since facing Carlos Cuadras way back in 2015. Also on this card is the second professional bout of former amateur standout Mikito Nakano (1-0, 1) and the professional debut of Gonte Lee (0-0), also an amateur standout. These two Teiken prospects will be up against Thai visitors in what we expect will be little more than show case bouts for the novices, who are expected to achieve great things in the near future, as the Teiken gym rebuild after a few disappointing years. Texas, USA As well as the Japanese action fight fans will also get the chance to see touted Kazakh fighter Janibek Alimkhanuly (4-0, 1) take on Steven Martinez (18-4, 13), in a dangerous looking bout. We were excited to see Alimkhanuly goo full on professional last year, and sign with Top Rank, though his performances in 2018 left us wondering whether he really is suited to the professional ranks. He is very talented, sharp and accurate, but there is a feeling that something hasn't yet clicked, though in fairness he has been matched hard and there is incredibly high expectations on his shoulders. Martinez is a 28 year old who is tough, having never been stopped, but has been beaten by his most notable opponents, such as Terrell Gausha, Denis Douglin and Christopher Pearson. This should be a very good test for the Kazakh.  Pak Kret, Thailand
The main action this coming Saturday is from Thailand of all places, as ONE Championship put on a card that will feature a major boxing world title fight. That bout will see WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (46-4-1, 41) defending his belt against Mexican challenger Iran Diaz (14-2-3, 6). The champion, who is now a sporting hero in Thailand, will be making his third defense of the title that he won in March 2017 when he upset Roman Gonzalez. Since then he has beaten Gonzalez in a second bout, Juan Franisco Estarada and fought a stay busy bout against Young Gil Bae, this is however a serious chance to impress on a show that isn't aimed specifically at a boxing audience. Diaz is taking a huge step up in class, though has scored notable wins over Hernan Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Sadly the Mexican has suffered notable stoppage losses and given Srisaket's power the odds are he will suffer another stoppage defeat here. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Srisaket and Diaz clash at Kingdom of Heroes Tokyo, Japan As well as the big show in Thailand there is also a notable card at the Korakuen Hall, including a title unification bout, a Japanese title eliminator and the debut of a stand out amateur fighter. The title unification bout will see OPBF Super Featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro (6-0, 2) battle against Japanese champion Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1, 11) to unify those two titles. Of the two men it's Sueyoshi, the national champion, that has the more distinguished reign, having held his title since October 2017 and has already made a couple of defenses of the belt. Although a talented fighter Sueyoshi can be frustrating to watch and has a rather unique tempo in the ring. Mishiro on the other hand only won his regional title this past June, defeating Carlo Magali with a split decision. He knows he's up against a more experienced professional fighter, but did have a very accomplished amateur background. This could be the best bout of the day in terms of skills, even if the action probably won't be the most intense. A full preview this bout can be read here - Mishiro and Sueyoshi battle to unify crowns! The chief support bout will see the unbeaten Junto Nakatani (16-0, 12) face off with recent OPBF title challenger Shun Kosaka (15-4, 4) with the winner getting a Japanese Flyweight title fight next year. Of the two Nakatani is clearly the favourite. He's a Rookie of the Year winner, a Japanese Youth Champion and a fighter who has broken into the world rankings. Kosaka on the other hand has come up short in most of his biggest bouts, with stoppage losses to Tetsuya Hisada and Jayr Raquinel, with the loss to Raquinel coming in an OPBF title bout. Given Nakatani's power we suspect Kosaka suffer his third stoppage defeat. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Nakatani and Kosaka fight for the right to challenge for Flyweight title! This show will also feature the debut of of the very highly regarded Mikito Nakano (0-0), who ran up an excellent 75-9 in the amateurs and has been sparring with Hiroaki Teshigawara to prepare for his debut. The Japanese fighter will be taking on a relatively straight forward first assignment as he battles Thai foe Thanawat Yancharoen (1-3), in what should be a straight forward debut win for a genuine talent and a great addition to the Japanese professional ranks. Benguet, Philippines In the Philippines we get a card rescheduled from September 22nd, a pretty notable card taking place in Benguet. The main event will see former OPBF title challenger Cris Paulino (18-3, 7) facing off with the upset minded Jomar Fajardo (16-11-2, 7) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super. Flyweight title. Paulino has been stopped in all 3 of hos defeats, to Ardin Diale, Koki Eto and Vic Darchinyan, but is a very capable fighter who is riding a 4 fight winning run into this fight. “Wallopman” Fajardo is best known for his two fights with Francisco Rodriguez Jr, earning a draw in the first of those bouts. Despite being upset minded Fajardo is 1-7-1 in his last 9 and and a win here would be one of his very best. A bout that should be better than the records of those involved suggests will see Ryan Rey Ponteras (22-13-2, 11) take on Cris Alfante (14-7-1, 6). Neither of these men are world beaters, by any stretch of the imagination, but they should make for a very good contest between each other. Ponteras, on his day, can hold his own with fringe OPBF level opponents but is very inconsistent and can end up losing to opponents he should be. Alfante is the naturally smaller man, but also the younger man, and the fighter who will be looking to build on recent wins over Reymark Taday and Roilo Golez. This could be a pretty interesting match up, if we get the best from both guys. Also on this card is promising youngster Jayson Vayson (7-0, 4), who looks to continue his unbeaten start to professional boxing as he takes on Ronald Alapormina (3-2-1). We like the 20 year old Vayson, a lot, and are looking forward to seeing him let off the leash in the near future. On paper this isn't a step up in class, but it will be his first 10 round contest. As for Alapormina he has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3 and will be wanting to end that win-less run. We expect a win for Vayson, but do hope to see him getting tested in the near future. Gurgaon, India There's another small card taking place in India, which has also been rescheduled from September 15th and feature a youth title bout. The title bout will see unbeaten Indian Rajesh Kumar (9-0-1, 2) take on Bright Ayala (16-1, 11), with Kumar defending the WBC Youth Lightweight title for the first time. The unbeaten local won the title back in April, when he defeated Glenn Enterina, and will not be wanting to relinquish that title just 5 months after winning it. Ayala, from Ghana, hasn't fought anyone of real note though was beaten last time he faced an unbeaten opponent, losing a decision to Oluwaseun Joshua Wahab. This bout should let us know how good both men are, or aren't. The lead supporting bout is a female contest which will see 20 year old local Kirti (4-1, 2) take on Kiwi visitor Cherneka Johnson (10-0, 5). Coming into this Kirti is looking to build on a big win over Noemi Bosques but she will be regarded as the underdog against the in-form Johnson, who has stopped 3 of her last 4. Baja California, Mexico Out side of Asia we have a number of notable bouts, including a very interesting contest in Mexico between Jason Canoy (27-8-2, 19) and Luis Nery (26-0, 20), who battle for the WBC Silver Bantamweight title. The rugged Canoy is best known for losing in his biggest fights, including a loss to a then debuting Hinata Maruta and a thrilling loss to Hiroaki Teshigawa, and is expected to come up short again here. However the Filipino is tough, heavy handed and has never been stopped, he will also know this is a massive opportunity. Nery on the other hand is known for being a controversial figure, who has two tainted wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka. Nery is talented, heavy handed and highly capable, though there are serious doubts as to whether he can make Bantamweight and he will always have dark clouds hanging over his head for the wins over Yamanaka. Baja California, Mexico Staying in Mexico there will also be a contest featuring Mark Magsayo (18-0, 13), though his opponent has yet to be named. This will be Magsayo's first bout of 2018, and his first contest since seemingly leaving ALA Promotions earlier this year. He's a talented fighter but the long break, change in management and the lack of named opponent will not serve him well as he continues looking to build towards a potential world title fight. Quebec, Canada In Canada fans will be able to see Kazakh prospect Batyrzhan Jukembayev (13-0-0-2, 11) continue his rise as he faces off with Mexican southpaw Patricio Moreno (20-2, 14). This will be Jukembayev's third bout of the year and he is tipped to go on to big things, this however is a perfect step up in class with Moreno being a tough but limited opponent capable of genuinely testing Jukembayev. A really interesting and solid match up. |
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