 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday in Tokyo we get a good looking double header from Korakuen Hall as we get the 29th WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT. The main event will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight Subaru Murata (8-0, 8) make his first defense, as he takes on Filipino challenger Joseph Ambo (14-4-1, 9). Murata, who has long been tipped as one to watch following a successful amateur career, won the title in October, winning a thriller with Kaito Yamasaki, will know that if he can continue to pick up notable wins and work his way up the world rankings he might be able to pick up a title in a post Naoya Inoue Super Bantamweight division in 2026. He will however need to tighten up from the Yamasaki fight, where he was dropped, and a fight with Ambo is the ideal first defense. Ambo is no world beater but the Filipino is tough, hits hard enough to hurt fighters at this level, and is upset minded, as we saw when he shocked Darren Cunningham. He can be out boxed, as Kenji Fujita did a year ago, but he can't be overlooked and will give Murata good rounds. Notably Murata has only had 34 pro rounds in 8 bouts, and could do with going deep in a bout and Ambo might well drag him into the later rounds. The other title fight will see the fast rising Ryusei Matsumoto (4-0, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese Minimumweight title, as he battles Masatora Okada (9-5-1, 3). Matsumoto looks to be the next Japanese star at 105lbs, and has followed up an excellent amateur career by really impressing in his first 4 professional bouts, beating opponents with a combined 36-10-2 record, and claiming the Japanese title. In the ring Matsumoto looks like one of those fighters who can really do it all, and it all looks so natural, smooth and easy for him. His win over Katsuki Mori, for the title, late last year was an eye opener for many, and we suspect he will look to build on that moment here, then move onwards and upwards towards potential world title fights in late 2025 or early 2026. The under-card is also packed with really interesting fights. One of those is at 135lbs where Reo Saito (5-1, 5) takes on Go Hosaka (7-3-1, 5). Saito seemed to be on the fast track until he was beaten by the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai, and this will be his second bout since then, as he looks to rebuild his momentum. He's heavy handed, talented, and a former stand out amateur, who at 26 years old still has his best years ahead of him. As for Hosaka he was touted early in his career, but has gone 2-3-1 in his last 6, including an 8 round decision loss to Ryo Nakai, and is now pretty much fighting to give his career a second chance after his recent setbacks. Given the styles of the two men and the mentality of both, and their need for a big performance, this could be an excellent contest, with real drama for both men. On paper Junya Shimada (7-0-1, 2) clashing with Filipino Jing Aguan (6-1, 4) should be good, however it does feel like Shimada should pick up the win here. The local is a really talented fighter, but he lacks the power to make a major mark on the top of the domestic scene, especially given how strong the Japanese scene is at and around 126lbs, for the time being. Despite that he does have a win over Michael Casama that has aged well. Aguan is a 31 year old Filipino who's wins have come at a very low level, with only his debut coming against a fighter with a winning record. Notably he was stopped last time out, taken out in 7 rounds by Fernando Tagpuno Jr., and really has nothing on his record to suggest he could test Shimada, despite how good it looks on paper. Having briefly mentioned Michael Casama it's worth noting that his former victim Kota Kaneko (6-1, 5) will be seeking his second win since being blown out by Casama in July 2024, as he takes on Christian Jude Capuno (7-2, 3). Prior to his loss Kaneko was building plenty of momentum but was totally jumped on by Casama and had no response when Casama hurt him. That will be a serious learning experience and something he will have learned more from than many of his wins. The 23 year old Capuno, who like Aguan and Ambo is also a Filipino on this card, is taking a huge step up here, and has already been stopped twice. He was once fighting at Flyweight, and whilst he last made 112lbs back in 2019 we suspect he'll look small here against the hard hitting and strong Kaneko who will be looking to make a real statement to begin the new year. Prudential Center, New Jersey, USA Over in the US former 2-weight world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) will look to bounce back from her 2024 loss to Shurretta Metcalf, as she takes on Hungarian fighter Beata Dudek (5-5, 4). The bout has been put together at short notice and appears to be a case of the talented Yoshida getting some ring time, rather than having a long lay off. Her career has, sadly, been full of lengthy breaks, and it's been a case of Yoshida not really getting to build on her momentum of big wins. She only fought once in 2020, once in 2021, once in 2022 and once in 2024. Her last fight, her second loss to Metcalf, came in October and despite this being a stay busy fight, we are glad to see her being kept busy. As for Dudek, the Hungarian debuted in 2023, won her first 3 fights, and managed to fit in 7 fights last year. Whilst she did go 2-5 during the year, she was never stopped and will be on there to give Yoshida good rounds, the sort of thing the Japanese fighter needs ahead of a potential third bout with Metcalf later this year.
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 This coming Saturday is set to be one of the busiest days of the month for Asian fighter fans, with a world title fight in Australia and fights across much of Asia, including some very notable names with a former unified world champion in action in Cambodia and some of the hottest prospects in Japan in action in Tokyo.
HBF Arena, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia The most notable show of the day is in Australia, where we see a long reigning world champion in action as well as a hopeful from China. The main bout of the day will see WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (24-0, 9), aka Thammanoon Niyomtrong, defending his title against fast rising Australian fighter Alex Winwood (4-0, 2), who has shown a willingness to risk his 0 in a high risk high reward move. The 33 year old Thai champion has long been regarded as one of the best fighters at 105lbs, but has also been one of the most frustrating fighters in the sport, having not fought since 2022 when he beat Wanheng Menayothin. At his best he was a reliable, talented, strong champion, who’s record is littered with good to very good wins, including wins over Carlos Buitrago, Byron Rojas, Rey Loreto, and Wanheng. Sadly though with 2 years of inactivity, and now edging to his 34th birthday it’s hard to know what he still has to offer the sport. As for Winwood, the Australian is everything we love about boxing, being aggressively fast tracked to the top, and proving himself on his way there, with notable wins over Tibo Monabesa and Cris Ganoza in his first 4 bouts. He certainly hasn’t look unbeatable, but has developed with every fight and could well be the next man to mount a challenge as the king of the division. He has youth, speed, activity on his side and home advantage, but Knockout isn’t a slouch and this should make for a brilliant match up. On the same card is Runqi Zhou (6-2-1, 2) as he takes on hard hitting local Richard Lockett (5-2, 4). Zhou is a 24 year old from China who began his career 6-0, with wins on the road against Surat Eaim ong and Sang Hoen Oh, but has failed to win his last 3, including a draw in a rematch with Oh and a loss to Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov in Uzbekistan Although no world beater he travels to win and will put in a genuine effort here as the visitor. As for Lockett he is, on paper, the one stepping up here, after a very stop-start career so far, with this only being his 4th bout since 2020. Locket seems to have power on his side, with 4 wins inside 4 rounds, but at such a low level that it’s hard to read much into them. This is a good match up, between two fighters who will each see this as a chance to open a door to bigger and better things. Phnom Penh, Cambodia Outside of the show in Australia it’s hard to know which bout is the most significant, but what is clear is who is the best established fighter, with that being former Bantamweight world champion and unified Super Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (38-4, 20). Tapales will be looking to score his second win since being stopped by Naoya Inoue late last year and record his first defense of the WBC Asian Continental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Indian fighter Saurabh Kumar (11-1-1, 6). The often under-rated Tapales shouldn’t struggle here, given the level he’s shown he’s capable of, but it’ll be interesting to see how Cambodia treats the “Nightmare”. As for Kumar this isn’t so much a step up in class, but a rocket powered blast through the levels with his most notable bout so far being a 7th round TKO loss to Zhong Liu. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo The other more notably bouts take place at Korakuen Hall, with two title fights by rising Japanese hopefuls, and three unbeaten prospects on the under-card. The main event will see Kuntae Lee (7-0-1, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese 140lb title as he takes on Ryan Joshua Yamamoto (7-6, 1). On paper this is a huge step down for Lee, who beat Homura Fujita for the title in April and has already scored good domestic wins against Cristiano Aoqui and Aso Ishiwaki. Despite that it’s clear that Lee is still a work in progress and this is clearly about letting him get rounds and develop as a champion. As for Yamamoto he is better than his record suggests, but is certainly not one of the strongest domestic contenders and whilst we suspect he will put up a very genuine effort, it’d be a shock to see him be competitive with the highly skilled Lee. A second title fight will see the very highly touted Mikito Nakano (10-0, 9) take on the once beaten Filipino Bryx Piala (9-1, 3) in a bout for the OPBF Featherweight title. Nakano has looked like a star since very early in his career, but given the depth at Featherweight he has had to take a slow climb to a title fight. He has shown great power, speed and skill but is still clearly a work in progress. As for Piala he has rebuilt excellently since a 2022 loss to Rhonvex Capuloy, thanks to solid domestic wins over Jhunriel Ramonal and Ken Jordan. Nakano will be strongly favoured, but we suspect he will have to work hard for a win here. In other bouts on this card we’ll see Hyoga Miyata (3-0, 1) take on Takara Kawaguchi (8-0-1, 5) in a mouth watering bout and a very good match up between Junya Shimada (6-0-1, 2) and Jiaming Li (5-3, 2). Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok Over in Thailand we’ll get a low level regional title bout along with a bout featuring a Pakistani fighter taking on a veteran from Ghana. The title bout will see Arnon Yupang (14-5, 5) face off with Walid Halima Salem (5-2, 4) in a bout for the lightly regarded Asian Boxing Federation Super Featherweight title. Yupang, at one point, looked like one of the few bright hopes on the Thai scene, but has gone 6-4 in his last 10 bouts and it seems clear that his level has been found, and it’s a long way off world class. As for Salem he is a Thai based Algerian fighter who has been a regular feature on the Bangkok stage since since his 2022 debut, though has lost his last 2 bouts, both to Sangkaphong Chomyong, and it seems clear that he’s been selected to give Yupang rounds, but not be a serious challenge. In an interesting under-card bout Pakistani fighter Shahir Afridi (11-1-1, 7) will take on the very experienced Patrick Allotey (43-6, 33), in a major step up for Afridi. Afridi has become a regular on the Thai scene, but hasn’t really beaten anyone of any note and certainly nobody with the experience and pedigree of Allotey. As for the Allotey he has faced a genuine who’s who over his long career, including bouts with Patrick Teixeira, Kanat Islam, Jaime Munguia and Serhii Bohachuk. He is coming to the end of his career, but may still have too much in the locker for Afridi. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea We also get a small card in Korea, there’s not much to talk about regarding this show, though we do suspect that Do Il Yoo (4-4) and Hae Myung Jung (4-6-2, 1) will put on a great bout with flawed but fun styles.  Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The main card for the day in terms of global boxing comes from Saudi Arabia, where we get the 5 Vs 5 show, pitting 5 Matchroom fighters against 5 Queensberry fighters. Some how one of of the bouts on that card will see Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42), representing Matchroom for some reason, taking on Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21), who has fought under Queensbury a few times but is hardly regarded as a fighter who broke through under Queensbury. Despite the faulty gimmick around the fight, it is undeniably an interesting match up, between two awfully flawed, but in sanely powerful fighters. Wilder, a former WBC champion, is vicious with his power, and although he never really learned how to box, he has had undeniable success as one of the true punchers of his generation. Zhang is the better boxer, and hits just as hard, but at 41 his work and stamina are almost non-existent. This bout could either be a really crazy battle of power, with both men hitting the canvas multiple times. Or it could be one of the worst bouts we see this year, as both stand off, waiting for an opening, until one man lands a bomb and finishes the show early. It is a hard one to predict, other than to say we do not imagine this one going the distance. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Asia the most interesting card comes from the legendary Korakuen Hall, where we get a real mix of bouts, including 2 regional title bouts and two supporting bouts featuring unbeaten prospects. One of the title bouts in Japan is, like the aforementioned bout in Saudi Arabia, not expected to go the distance. That is the OPBF Super Featherweight title bout, as Kosuke Saka (23-7, 20) defends the title against Yamato Hata (14-2, 13). In total the men have only seen the final bell 7 times in 46 bouts, and once 4 times in their combined 37 wings. Both are huge punchers, with Saka being the more proven but also the more flawed whilst Hata is the more intelligent boxer puncher but also the less battle tested. Both have been stopped before, and both make for extremely fun fights. This one, like Zhang Vs Wilder, is going to be one where you can’t really blink, for fear of missing something, and another we expect could end at any time. The other title bout will see former amateur standout Kenji Fujita (6-0, 3) make his first title defense, as he defends the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title against unbeaten Filipino Rodex Piala (10-0, 1). Fujita won the title in January, when he beat Joseph Ambo over 12 rounds, and is expected to do something similar against Piala, who is stepping up massively for this bout. Unlike the Super Featherweight bout, we’re not expecting bombs from both men, but instead we’re expecting a much more technical bout here between two talented, but light punching fighters. As for prospects on this card, we’ll see the highly skilled, though somewhat frustrating, Junya Shimada (6-0, 2) take on Yuya Hirose (9-3-1, 4), in what should be a very solid 8 rounder. Shimada took some time to find his footing in the pro ranks, going the distance in his first 4 bouts, but does appear to have settled into the professional at last and has stopped his last 2, including a 2nd round KO win over Jetro Pabustan in February. As for Hirose this will be his second 8 rounder, and comes on the back of a career best win over Chihiro Iwashita in February, though this is a very clear step up in class from that bout. The other prospect of real note on this card is WBO world ranked Flyweight Yoali Mejia Mosqueda (10-0, 7), a Mexican making his international debut as he takes on hard hitting Filipino Eldin Guinahon (9-2, 8). Mosqueda’s world ranking does seem a stretch, given his competition so far has been novices, but he’s an undeniable talent and this is a solid step up for him against a Filipino looking to make a name for himself. Sadly whilst Guinahon does have power, there is real question marks about his own durability, given he has been stopped in his last 2. Regardless, this should be a very fun fight, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the winner landed a WBO world title fight in the next 18 months. Minami Gymnasium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan A second Filipino card takes place in Fukuoka. This is a much smaller card, packed with 4 rounders, many of which are Western Japan Rookie of the Year bouts. The one bout that isn’t set for 4 rounds is an intriguing Middleweight bout between Kazuki Kyohara (7-2-3, 3) and Katsuhiro Nakata (9-5-1, 5). Coming into this Kyohara just scored the second best win of his career, beating Rei Nakajima in January, with only his 2022 upset win of Tyson Koki being a more important win. As for Nakata he is without a win in his last 3, and was stopped recently by Riku Kunimoto. Given the styles of the two men, who are limited, but both come to fight, throw plenty and lack 1-punch power, this could end up being the opposite of the Wilder Vs Zhang fight, and could end up being a very, very fun, high tempo, brawl, with both letting their hands go and trying to out work the other. Antipas, Cotabato (del Norte), Philippines We also get two shows in the Philippines. On paper the more interesting of those is in Cotabato, with several bouts of note, even if none are hugely significant outside of the Filipino domestic scene.. One of the two 10 rounders on the show will see 23 year old puncher Angelo Beltran (9-2, 7) take on 23 year old Christian Jude Capuno (6-1, 2). Beltran has lost 2 of his last 5, but scored a good domestic win over Jeny Boy Boca last time out, in March. His most notable bout to date is a 7th round KO loss to Coolwell, with the Boca bout being his only one since then. Capuno on the other hand has won his last 4, though 3 of them have come against fighters with double digit losses and the other was a close bout against the 2-0 Justine Digamo. The other 10 rounder will see the pretty solid Richard Garde (9-2, 8) take on the once promising but not badly struggling Clyde Azarcon (17-10-1, 6). Garde is a 27 year old who lost once early in his career and has lost more recently to the very good DianXing Zhu, being the only fighter so far to last 10 complete with Zhu. Garde might not be a world beater, but he certainly seems like he could compete on the regional title scene in the coming years. Azarcon was once 13-1, but has since gone 4-9-1, and has been stopped in his last 7 bouts as his career has completely imploded. It’s very hard to imagine anything but a Garde win here. In an 8 rounder we'll see the unbeaten Nathaniel Dorona (4-0, 2) take on light punching journeyman Ramel Antaran (6-25-3), in what should be an easy win for Dorona. Another 8 rounder will see Crisalito Beltran (5-0, 4) take on the limited Rey Ramos (8-15-3, 3), who has proven himself as a durable fighter, but now aged 34 he has started to see the miles catch up with him and has been stopped in 3 of his last 5 bouts. Fingers crossed both Dorona and Beltran get to show what they can do here and move on to bigger and better things. Midas Hotel and Casino, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines The other Filipino card is in Pasay City, and in terms of quality, this has a better main event, but doesn’t have much to support a very good bill topper. The main event here will see the once beaten John Vincent Pangga (10-1, 7) take on fellow Filipino Danrick Sumabong (13-3-1, 9) in a bout for the lightly regarded WBF Super Flyweight title. Pangga suffered his sole loss to Alvin Camique in March 2023, and has bounced back with two stoppage wins since then, and looks to have quickly rebuilt his confidence following his loss. As for Sumabong he is 1-1-1 in his last 3, and whilst he did score a win last time out, against Anferne Palarca, it does appear that the stoppages that he had earlier in his career, with 8 of his first 9 wins coming earlier, have dried up with only 1 of his last 4 coming inside the distance. As for prospects on this card there is the promising Kevin Villanueva (3-0, 2), who faces Ernie Samoyag (2-1, 2). Coming into this Villanueva has stopped his last two inside a round, following a decision win on debut. Samoyag stopped his first 2, both debutants, before being stopped byu John Dave Villamor in December. Given that both have power and both like to throw shots earlier, this might be something of a "blink and you miss" affair. Uijeongbu Gymnasium, Uijeongbu, South Korea We have title action in South Korea, as the unbeaten Sung Chul Kang (5-0-1) defends the South Korean Lightweight title against Dong Young Lee (3-6-2, 1). Kang has won his last 4 bouts, beating Juanito Paredes for the title in March, and despite being the champion he really lacks any sort of quality on his record, which does say a lot about the Korean scene still. As for Lee he's not won any of his last 5, going 0-4-1, though did notably hold Min Jang to an unexpected draw in March. The draw with Jang shows there is something about Lee, but he’s going to be the very clear under-dog here. Nehru Centre, Mumbai, India Over in India we also have a small card, this show is all 4 rounders, and at the time of writing, almost half of the fighters on the show haven’t been announced, and from the ones that have they are all single digit fight novices. It’s a shame that we’re not seeing cards in India fully announced with much notice, but we do like the fact these cards are taking place, and are laying down the foundations in the most populated country in the world. It’s not a historical boxing country, but, a bit like China, it’s a potential sleeping giant in boxing, and one that has had success in the amateurs ranks, suggesting their is talent there, and eventually some of that talent will break out in the pros.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main show for us this coming Saturday is the latest in the long line of Dynamic glove cards from Korakuen Hall, and it's a real show case for the future of Japanese boxing thanks to Teiken. The card is headlined by a WBO Asia Pacific title bout, and is then packed with talented novices all looking to take big strides forward with their careers. The main event will see 26 year old Japanese warrior Ryota Toyoshima (15-2-1, 9) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight title against Filipino challenger Adam Diu Abdulhamid (17-10, 9). For the talented Toyoshima, who is enjoying the best run of his career, this will be his second defense of the title, and a chance for him to not just tighten his grip on the regional scene but also take a step towards a potential world title fight. This bout is very much one that he should look great in, but he can't over-looked Abdulhamid. The Filipino is an aggressive fighter, who will be in the ring looking to force the action and drag Toyoshima into a war, which could give us a genuinely excellent battle. The skills are with the champion, but the challenger does have heart and desire and could well play his part in a bit of an action packed war. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Asian Pacific champion Toyoshima battles Abdulhamid! From the prospects on the card, the hardest matched is former amateur standout Gonte Lee (3-0-1, 1), who takes on Korean visitor Moo Hyun Kim (9-2, 5). Lee was tipped for huge things when he turned professional, but the pandemic has slowed his rise and he'll know that if he's going to deliver on the promise he showed as an amateur he's going to have to shine here. As for Kim he returns to Japan for his third bout in the country, where he currently holds a 2-0 record, but Lee is, by far, the most talented fighter and polished fighter he will have faced. Another former amateur standing out looking to pick up a win against a foreign import is the wonderfully gifted Hiroto Yashiro (2-0, 2) , who takes on Thai visitor Suphaphon Hanvichachay (3-0, 2), in what we are expecting will be an explosive, and short bout. Both men can punch, and only one of their 5 combined bouts has gone beyond 3 rounds. Don't blink when these two are in there together. Another battle of unbeaten men will see Junya Shimada (1-0, 1) battle Rechel Calo (3-0, 1). Shimada made his debut last year, and eked out a narrow win over Shigetoshi Kotari, and will be hoping to put in a more commanding effort here. As for Calo this is his first bout away from home and a huge step up, given Shimada's amateur exploits. Other under-card bouts will include Kenshi Noda (2-1, 2), looking to bounce back from his loss, taking on Thailand's Kitidech Hirunsuk (9-2, 5), former Rookie of the year winner, Hiromasa Urakawa (7-1, 4) battling Thailand's Perapan Judkan (8-1, 7), in what could be a very explosive bout, and the debut of Hiroki Ogawa (0-0), who takes on unbeaten Thai novice Phongthep Bunchari (1-0, 1). Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand As well as the action in Japan, featuring notable hopefuls and prospects, we get the chance to see some top Thai hopefuls taking on some dangerous Filipino fighters in WBA Asia title fights. The more notable the two major bouts will see Tanes Ongjunta (10-1, 5) look to make his third defense of the WBA Asia Flyweight title as he takes on the very dangerous Jeny Boy Boca (14-7, 12). The talented Ongjunta has rebuilt well since being stopped in 2020, by Adrian Lerasan in a forgotten but thrilling 8 round war, and has scored 6 wins since then to get his career back on track. On paper Boca doesn't look like a test, but the visitor is dangerous, as he showed last time he was in Thailand, when he stopped Sarawut Thawornkham. Sadly though he has been inactive since a December 2020 loss to Muhammad Waseem The other bout will see Yuttapong Tongdee (7-0, 4) battle Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-15-3, 12) with the two men trading blows for the WBA Asia Bantamweight title. Tongdee looks to be among the most talented of the emerging Thai hopefuls, but this is a genuine step up for him and we could see him being given a genuine chin check by Ponteras. As his best Ponteras was a tough, stubborn guy with solid power, and he showed that stubbornness late last year when he gave Seong Yeong Yang a tough test, however he was taken out in a round in 2019 by Seiya Tsutsumi, who has since gone on to win the Japanese Bantamweight crown and shown his potential. This should be a real work out for the unbeaten local fighter. China Staying in Asia, we also get a show in China, with a former world title challenger, who's fighting for only the second time since losing in a world title fight in 2019, and an unbeaten hopeful. The former world title challenger is Wulan Tuolehazi (14-4-1, 7), who famously challenged Kosei Tanaka for the WBO Flyweight title on the final day of 2019 and was stopped by the KO Dream Boy. Since then Tuolehazi has scored a single win, in early 2020, and will be fighting for the first time in over 2 years here, as he takes on DianXing Zhu (6-1, 5). Zhu is a 25 year old with heavy hands but he is also a naturally smaller man than Tuolehazi, and is unlikely to have the power to get the respect of the veteran. The other bout of note on this card will see the unbeaten 22 year old LeQuan Wang (6-0, 4) look to continue his winning streak as he takes on Zixiang Wang (4-2, 2), who's only losses have been by razor thin split decisions. The unbeaten Wang began his career in 2019 and has looked heavy handed through out his career, but has faced a string of very limited foes, with 4 wins against debutants and 5 wins against fighters without a win. As for Zixiang Wang he began his career in 2017 and has, overall, faced better opponents, but was beaten just 2 fights ago, and hasn't shown much in terms of power. For both men this is their most notable bout to date, and should provide a genuine chance to see if either man has what it takes to make a mark on the regional scene. Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas, USA Over in the US we'll see hard hitting Uzbekistani hopeful Bektemir Melikuziev (9-1, 7) continue his rebuilding process as he takes on the experienced Sladan Janjanin (32-11, 24), from Bosnia And Herzegovina. The hard hitting Melikuziev will be looking for his third win since his shock 2021 loss to Gabe Rosado, and he shouldn't have any problems here. Janjanin is experience, and does have plenty of wins to his name, but his wins have come at a very, very low level and he has consistently lost when he has faced name fighters, including a 7th round TKO loss to Nathan Heaney last year and a 3rd round TKO loss in 2016 to Steven Butler.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day running we're at Korakuen Hall for title action in what is a very easy to over-look event, but one that has several very interesting match ups on it including a huge regional title unification bout, and a bout between two talented novices each looking to take huge strides forward with their careers. That novice bout will see former amateur standouts clash as Junya Shimada (0-0) makes his debut and takes on Shigetoshi Kotari (2-0, 1). Although it's his professional debut there are huge things expected from Shimada, who is tipped as a future face of the Teiken Gym and a future world title contender. Kotari turned professional with a decent amount of hype himself, but a disappointing performance against Motosuke Kimura last time out did see some of that hype die down. Here we're expecting a highly skilled and very competitive bout, and the winner will almost certainly be pushed quickly towards a title fight. As for the loser, it's early days and they will not be written off. The bout on this show will see the once touted Junpei Tsujimoto (7-2-3, 5) take on Hideo Mikan (9-13-2, 2) in what looks like a total mismatch, but could be a very dramatic bout. The talented Tsujimoto is very much a man who has a questionable chin and he was stopped 2 fights ago, and was almost stopped last year as well, in a remarkable bout with Daiki Ogura. Despite having won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018 his career really has not kicked on. Mikan on the other hand is a limited fighter, but comes into this unbeaten in his last 3 and will be looking to build a little bit more momentum with his career. Sadly for Mikan he had lost 6 in a row before his current unbeaten run. In the chief support we'll see a very interesting match up as Japanese ranked Welterweight Masaya Tamayama (13-2, 7) takes on WBO Asia Pacific ranked Light Middleweight Hisashi Kato (10-9-2, 6). On paper this looks like a one sided bout, with Tamayama the clear favourite, and he certainly has momentum on his side going 9-1 (4) in his last 10. Kato however isn't the push over his record suggests and he can spring the upset and has faced a string of very good domestic fighters. This could be genuinely well contested, though obviously Tamayama will go in as the favourite. The main event is a potential Japanese fight of the Year contender as Ryota Toyoshima (13-2-1, 8) the OPBF Welterweight champion takes on WBO Asia Pacific champion Yuki Beppu (21-1-1, 20) in a regional unification bout that promises so much. Toyoshima won his title earlier this year and showed himself to be a tough, aggressive fighter with clear technical limitations but a good work rate, good power and a good chin. Beppu on the other hand is a monstrous puncher, with very heavy hands, under-rated boxing skills and a shaky chin, but incredible powers of recover, as we saw against Ryota Yada in 2019. Given the styles of the two men this should be an all out war, and one that really could see both men being dropped, multiple times. If you can tune in to this one live, on G+, you're in for a genuine treat. The only real shame is that Beppu has been inactive for over a year coming in to this. Our full, in depth, preview of this one can be read here Beppu and Toyoshima clash to unify regional titles! Lokomotiv Arena, Novosibirsk, Russia As well as the Japanese show we also have an event in Russia featuring some Central Asian hopefuls. One of the notable hopefuls on this show is talented Kazakh Bek Nurmaganbet (3-0, 2), who takes on Tazania's Twaha Kassim (17-7-1, 8), in what looks like a very nice test for the unbeaten Kazakh. The unbeaten Nurmaganbet was a sensational amateur and it's going to be very interesting to see how he developes in the professional ranks. Kassim is certainly not a bad fighter, but he has gone 5-5 in his last 10 and has struggled when fighting outside of Tanzania. On paper a very decent test for the Kazakh, but one he should pass with fly colours. Nurmaganbet isn't the only Kazakh on this card as compatriots Yevgeniy Pavlov (3-0, 2) and Danila Semenov (2-0, 1) are also in action on this card, looking to build on their own fledgling careers. Sadly at the time of writing they don't have their opponents confirmed for this show. Another unbeaten Asian fighter on this show is Indian fighter Gurpreet Singh (2-0-1, 1), who battles fellow novice Nachyn Chambaldoo (0-0-1) in a 6 rounder. Singh will be fighting for the first time in almost 2 years, though his last performance suggested there was something to him, fighting to a draw with the then 6-0 Rakesh Lohchab. The 27 year old Chambaldoo also had a draw last time, but to a professional loser, suggesting he's not a hugely promising fighter himself. Another Indian fighter on this card is 22 year old Suraj (2-2, 1) who will be taking on the unbeaten Shahriyor Akhmedov (1-0, 1), originally from Tajikistan. Akhmedov looked decent on debut, winning his first bout by TKO due to cuts, though it's hard to read into that debut too much. As for Suraj he's not impressed since turning professional and both of his wins came against debutants. This is likely a bout to make Akhmedov look good, but it's still way too early to get too excited about him. |
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