 EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get the next show from Green Tsuda, and whilst it’s not a big card, it does feature 3 notable bouts on it, one of which features a man who has been on several Naoya Inoue under-cards facing a former opponent of the “Monster”, one is a really interesting domestic clash and the other features an unbeaten All Japan Rookie of the Year winner. The main event sees former Japanese Super Bantamweight Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3, 12), who fought on two Naoya Inoue undercards in the last 12 months, take on Aran Dipaen (20-3, 17), who challenged Inoue back in 2021, when Inoue was struggling to get fighters to travel to Japan during their harsh covid restrictions. Shimomachi made 4 defenses of the Japanese title before vacating it earlier this year, with the intention of moving on to bigger and better fights. Notably this will be his first non-Japanese opponent since late 2020 when he fought Jeo Santisima. As for Dipaen he is unbeaten since his 2021 loss to Inoue, in a bout for the WBA “Super” and IBF Bantamweight titles, going 8-0 (6) since then, with his best wins coming at Super Flyweight against Justine Darap and Cris Alfante. Reality is the Thai should be too small, though we will admit Shimomachi has not been at his best in recent bouts, and we dare say he needs more serious tests after this bout. In a supporting bout we expect fireworks as Kanta Fukui (12-6-1, 8) takes on Shinsei Otani (10-2, 7), with both men feeling confident in their power, both knowing a win moves them to within touching distance of a Japanese title fight at 130lbs, and both knowing that a win here would be among their best as professionals. Of the two Fukui is the one with more to lose, with the 31 year old risking JBC and OPBF rankings against unranked 24 year old Otani. Despite having 6 losses in 19 fights Fukui shouldn't be overlooked, especially given the fact he pushed Tsubasa Narai all the way in a Japanese title fight last year, and has won 4 of his last 5 including wins over Hikaru Matsuoka and Ryo Sagawa. As for Otani, he suffered back to back losses in 2023/2024, losing to Kai Watanabe and Min Ho Jun, but has reeled off 3 wins since then, and even in those losses he was unlucky. He’s a genuine talent and is a very good prospect, who was too patient at times but has shown more killer instinct recently and will definitely see this as a potential bout that moves him into the title mix. The other bout we’re really interested in will see 2024 All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Shota Tashita (5-0, 3) look to build on his success as he takes on Thai visitor Thitikorn Ratanakun (5-6, 5). The 24 year old Tashita, who currently has a top 15 JBC ranking at 140lbs due to his Rookie of the Year success, is a really promising southpaw, with a lovely right hook, a lot of promise and 4 wins against previously unbeaten fighters in his first 5 bouts, a notably feat even against novice professionals. Aged 20 Ratanakun is very much a youngster, but someone who has already taken plenty of punishment in a career that has seen him fighting all over the weights. He lost 4 of his first 5, including bouts against Navapon Khaikanha and Sathaporn Saart, before going on a 4 fight winning run, all against very weak opponents in Thailand. Sadly his winning run came to an end last year, when he was stopped inside a round by Kenshin Yura in Tokyo, and he was also beaten in December, in Shizuoka, by Ryusei Miyagawa. Tashita isn’t on the level of a Yura or Miyagawa, but should still comfortably have too much for the visitor here.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan event
This coming Tuesday we get a triple header at Korakuen Hall, in what is set to be a really good card, even though it did have a late change, with a regional title bout and two Champion Carnival bouts for vacant Japanese titles. The main event will see former WBO AP Super Featherweight champion Kai Watanabe (13-2-1, 7) look to regain the title, which is now vacant, and bounce back from a recent defeat as he takes on the limited but dangerous Ryusei Ishii (12-7-1, 9). Watanabe went 9-0-1 to begin his career and showed some real promise before winning a Japanese youth title in late 2023, in his second shot. He defended that belt once before putting on a sensational performance to win the WBO AP title in late 2024 with a blow out win over Toshihiro Suzuki. The win over Suzuki seemed like one that showed Watanabe was a star in the making, he lost his very next fight, in a rather tense but dull affair against OPBF champion Tsubasa Narai in January. At his best he’s sensational, but sadly Watanabe is very hit and miss, and can focus too much on boxing which doesn’t seem to play to his strengths. As for Ishii he’s a very dangerous southpaw, who has turned his career around in the last 4 years or so. He was 8-7-1 (5) at one point, but has won his last 4 , including big domestic wins over Takuya Uehara, avenging one of his losses, Go Hosaka and Soreike Taichi. You overlook Ishii at your peril, and whilst Watanabe should win, he will need to be aware of Ishii’s power and confidence. In the chief support bout we get a genuinely mouth watering Japanese Super Bantamweight title bout, as Toshiya Ishii (8-1-2, 5) takes on Katsuya Fukui (8-0, 6) for the title which we saw being vacated by Toshiki Shimomachi. For Ishii this will be a second shot at the Japanese title and despite his 8-1-2 record he has already proven he very much belongs at this level, his one loss was a controversial one to Sho Ishida and his draw have come against highly ranked domestic fighters, including Shimomachi in a 2023 title fight.his one loss was a controversial one to Sho Ishida and his draw have come against highly ranked domestic fighters, including Shimomachi in a 2023 title fight. As for Fukui, this is a clear step up in class, but one he’s been working too in the correct fashion with good wins against a mix of styles and fighters, including Hiroki Hanabusa, Sang Heon Oh and Ben Mananquil. Given the styles of the men, we expect this to be high level, explosive and incredibly tense, with both likely feeling they have the power to stop the other. The third bout, another bout for a vacant Japanese title, will see Kyotaro Yoshida (6-3, 3) take on Jinya Yamaguchi (5-0-1, 2), for the Japanese Super Flyweight title. Originally the plan had been for Yamaguchi to face Suzumi Takayama (9-0, 8) in a very good looking Champion Carnival bout, but Takayama had to vacate the title due to illness, and we’ve ended up with this one instead. Yamaguchi, a second generation fighter, has claimed the Youth title already in his career and had earned a shot at the Japanese senior title, but hadn't really shone like some had hoped and he is very much still a work in progress after 6 fights.With 9 fights to his name, and 3 losses, it’s easy to write Yoshida off, but he was a very capable amateur, who has been matched hard since turning professional and has finally began to show his potential as a professional, sitting on his shots more, and scoring TKO’s in his last 3. This is likely to be something of a chess match, but a very interesting one, between two men who likely feel they are somewhat fortunate to be fighting for the vacant, and not taking on Takayama. On the under-card we’ll see Dave Apolinario (21-1, 14) continue to rebuild after his loss in a bout for the IBF Flyweight title last year, as he takes on Chinese visitor Longyi Hu (8-2-2, 4). The talented Apolinario is someone who is really skilled, but needs some seasoning, some higher quality wins, and some good rounds against solid regional fighters, and Hu fits that mould well. He has never been stopped, both of his draws, and his two losses, have been razor thin bouts, and he's a very live fighter with ambitions of his own, as he showed in 2023 when he stopped Shugo Namura. Hu is 2-2-2 in his last 6, but could easily have won all 6 and will look to make the most of the biggest fight of his career. One other bout to be aware of is the debut of Hijiri Oka (0-0), who takes on Thai visitor Witsanu Phimpa (7-6, 5). Oka is tipped for big things after going 40-10 in the amateurs and should be way too good for his foe here, as he looked to make a quick impact, and then move on to bigger and better things over the coming years.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we’re set for a brilliant show from Korakuen Hall, with 3 title fights, the debut of a talented and hotly tipped youngster, and supporting bouts that promise to deliver some great action. The card might not be a show that gets much international attention, given that all but one fighter is a Japanese fighter, but it’s a show that really is set to be a great one. The main event of the show will see Kazuki Nakajima (15-2-1, 12) defending the OPBF Super Bantamweight title against veteran Shingo Wake (31-8-2, 22), in a very interesting battle of southpaws. The hard hitting Nakajima won the title in April, beating Mugicha Nakagawa, but has shown frailty and has been stopped in both of his professional losses, to Keita Kurihara and TJ Doheny. Although talented he is somewhat predictable, defensively flawed and can be hurt. Wake, now aged 37, is very much a faded force from his prime, is a former holder of this belt, holding it from 2013-205. At his best he was a hard hitting, sharp shooter, but father time has taken its toll on Wake who has lost a step or two and is pretty much fighting for his career with every bout going forward. A prime Wake would likely take an easy win here, but the 37 year old version of Wake is a very different fighter. One of the Japanese title bouts will see Japanese Super Featherweight champion Tsubasa Narai (13-2, 10) defending his title against Kanta Fukui (12-5-1, 8), in what is Narai’s first defense of the title. Narai won the belt back in April, when he scored an upset win over Yuna Hara in what was his 5th straight win and his 3rd by TKO. Although something of a glass cannon, with both of his losses coming inside the distance, Narai’s power makes him incredibly dangerous at this level. As for Fukui he has bounced back excellently since being stopped in 2022 by Narumi Yukawa, winning his last 4 including big wins over Hikaru Matsuoka and Ryo Sagawa. Despite that good run, this is a rare case of Fukui taking on a genuine power puncher, and he has already been stopped in 2 of his 5 losses. The other Japanese title bout will be for the vacant Welterweight title, and could be the bout of the day, as Japanese based Ugandan David Ssemujju (5-1, 3) takes on the always fun to watch Aso Ishiwaki (13-7-1, 9). The 31 year old Ssemujju, a former Olympian, won the Ugandan Middleweight title in 2023 before relocating to Japan, where he beat Hiroya Nojima in March. He is a big, strong fighter with a fun style, and despite being flawed he is certainly a fun fighter to watch, as he showed against Nojima. As for Ishiwaki he’s a genuine joy to watch, with a high intensity pressure style that involves a lot of action up close. He can be hurt and he has been stopped, but a recent win over Kaiki Yuba showed just how good he can be, and the styles here should make for a thriller. Also on this card is the debuting Haruki Miyamoto (0-0), former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (15-8-2, 7), who takes Taichi Sugimoto (10-2-3, 1) and a bout between Rikuto Adachi (18-4, 13) and Masaki Kobayashi (9-3, 4).  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get the next show under the Dynamic Glove banner, and it's a really notable one, with the Japanese ring return of a notable Lightweight, an interim Japanese title fight and a chance to see 5 notable unbeaten prospects in action. The main event will see Masayoshi Nakatani (19-2, 13) return to Japan for the first time in well over 3 years, as he takes on Harmonito Dela Torre (22-3, 14). The talented Nakatani hasn't fought in Japan since he beat Hurricane Futa back in 2018. Since then he has fought 3 times, fighting Teofimo Lopez, Felix Verdejo and Vasyl Lomachenko. Despite not fighting in Japan recently Nakatani's profile has risen massively with those 3 fights and he has gone from being a fighter only known in Asia to a fighter with something of an international profile. As for Dela Torre, he's a talented fighter, but someone who has come up short in his most notable bouts, with losses to Tugstsogt Nyambayar, Yongqiang Yang and Shuichiro Yoshino, with that loss to Yoshino happening in his only previous bout in Japan. Whilst we suspect that Nakatani could see off Dela Torre early on, we actually expect to see him take a few rounds, enjoy the the feel of a Japanese audience and then, finally, get to work on finishing Dela Torre in the middle rounds. In the co-feature bout we'll see former Japanese Welterweight champion Yuki Nagano (19-3, 15) take on Takeru Kobata (11-5-1, 4) for the interim Japanese Welterweight title, with the bout being organised following an injury to Japanese Welterweight champion Keita Obara. Notably Nagano was supposed to face Obara for the Japanese title earlier this year, with that bout being cancelled due to Obara's injury which appears to be series enough for an interim title to be created. Coming into this Nagano knows he has everything to lose, and a loss to Kobata would end any hope of that Obara bout being re-arranged. As for Kobata this is a massive chance for him to make a name for himself, and coming in to this he really isn't well known, even in Japan, so this opportunity is absolutely massive for his career. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Nagano and Kobata clash for Interim title! One of the many prospects on this card is the much touted Mikito Nakano (5-0, 4), one of the very best prospects in Japan, who takes on Filipino Juanito Paredes (9-7-1, 4). The talented Nakano didn't fight at all last year, and has fought just once since the start of the pandemic. Despite his career stalling during the pandemic there is no denying Nakano's ability, and he's incredibly smooth in the ring, with a solid amateur career and an impressive transition to the pro ranks, which should see him fighting for a title of some sort within 3 or 4 fights. As for Paredes he's unlikely to put up much of a test for Nakano, though we wouldn't be surprised to see him take Nakano into the later rounds of the bout. Notably Paredes has turned his career around well, after a 1-4-1 start to his career, but he has lost 2 of his last 3 and is facing arguably the most talented fighter he's faced so far. A second unbeaten hopeful taking on a Filipino visitor is Katsuya Fukui (3-0, 2), who will face off with Jason Buenaobra (8-6-3, 3). The talented Fukui began his career in 2019 but sadly was out of the ring for the entirety of 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. He return last year with a career best win, over Hiroki Hanabusa, and will be looking to build on that win here. As for Buenaobra, he is best known for his 2020 loss to Daigo Higa, in what was Higa's long awaited and since then has gone 1-1 suggesting. Sadly for Buenaobra he is 1-3 in his last 4 and it would take a career best performance for him to over-come the must touted Fukui. Another former amateur standout taking on a Filipino visitor is Subaru Murata (1-0, 1), who battles against John Mark Tihuk (6-1-2, 2). The talented Murata, who is one of the most notable Japanese amateur in recent memories, debuted last June in Las Vegas, when he stopped Keven Monroy on a Top Rank card, and he'll be expected to be moved very quickly now, especially given the time that he's wasted since hanging up the vest and turning professional way back in 2020. Notably the Japanese local isn't being matched easily here, and Tihuk is no push over, in fact the 23 year old Pinoy reached the semi final of the UBS tournament in 2020 and has reeled off 4 straight wins since then, taking 3 unbeaten records along the way, including that of Ranelio Quizo. This should serve as a genuine test for Murata. One other bout worthy of note will be the debut of 24 year old hopeful Kota Kaneko (0-0), who went 56-13 as an amateur. The promising 24 year old will be up against Thai visitor Pasith Visetso (6-2, 4), who is ranked #9 in Thailand. Kaneko really did look like a promising talent in the unpaid ranks and there are big hopes in the Teiken gym for him, and his future in the sport. As for the Thai, he's a 21 year old who will be fighting outside of Thailand for the first time. On paper Viseto doesn't look anything special, and his wins have come against fellow novices, though it's worth noting that he faced Kongfah CP Freshmart, though he was stopped in 3 rounds in that bout.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
After a very quiet start to the boxing year, something we're used to by now, we're set to get the first Japanese show of 2022 this coming Tuesday, and it's one that has a brilliant main event, as well as number of good supporting under-card bouts. It's not a big domestic show, not by any stretch, but it's a solid show to begin a new year. The excellent main event will see the hard hitting Kai Ishizawa (9-1, 8) take on the hugely skilled, but light punching, Katsuki Mori (9-0, 2) in a bout for the vacant Japanese Minimumweight title. The title was vacated late last year by Masataka Taniguchi, who went on to win the WBO title in December, and it's fair to say that the winner of this bout will likely have eyes on Taniguchi for the future, especially Ishizawa given his only loss came to Taniguchi. The 25 year old Ishizawa has been on the radar for a while now and is a genuinely exciting Minimumweight, with brutal power, naturally heavy hands and some brilliant body shots. Unlike most at 105lbs he is a pure pressure fighter who hurts people, and breaks them. Mori on the other hand is a wonderful pure boxer, who won Rookie of the Year in 2019 and looks like a genuine prospect, but at 21 he also looks like he's not yet a fully matured fighter and it might be a few years before we see the best from him. Regardless, it's great to see Mori and his team take a dangerous fight like this and the bout should deliver a lot of great action, in what is, of course, the first Japanese title fight of the year. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Ishizawa and Mori clash in first Japanese title fight of 2022! In one of the numerous solid supporting bouts we'll see unbeaten prospect Narumi Yukawa (3-0, 2) take on Kanta Fukui (8-4-1, 6) in a Lightweight bout. Yukawa looks the part, with an energetic, aggressive, pressure style, and he's determined to put some questionable past activities behind him as he pursues professional success in the ring. Fukui is a good opponent for Yukawa at this point in time, with Fukui having the power, skills and toughness to keep Yukawa honest, and we wouldn't be surprised if the unbeaten prospect really needs to work for his win here. Another unbeaten hopeful on this card is the under-rated Tentaro Kimura (7-0-2), the cousin of the very highly regarded Rentaro Kimura, who takes a credible step up in class to face off with Kaito Takeshima (6-3-1, 1) in what should be a very good technical bout. Kimura is a naturally gifted boxer, but he lacks stopping power, and his team will know that, and that likely explains why he's not being rushed into taking on punchers. In Takeshima we have another talented fighter, but another man who lacks power, and someone who has had some set backs in recent years. Interestingly both of these men are 23 and we really wouldn't be surprised by seeing them collide again down the line. One other bout that needs a mention is a stay busy bout for JBC ranked Light Middleweight Makoto Kawasaki (11-8-1, 2) as he takes on Fumisuke Kimura (9-8-1, 6). The 37 year old Kawasaki will likely be looking to land a Japanese title fight later in the year, before heading off in to the sunset, but he's not fought since the pandemic and will have some ring rust to shake here, with Kimura serving as something of a tough and dangerous test. Although Kimura is without a win in his last 5 he is dangerous and cannot be over-looked by Kawasaki here.  Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan
The only Asian action this coming Thursday takes play at the Sangyo Shinko Center in Sakai City and it's certainly not a big show, but it should be an entertaining one with two pretty interesting 8 rounders scheduled for the show. The first of the two outs of note will see the limited but big hitting Toshiya Yokogawa (11-12-2, 10) take on the highly experienced Shun Ishibashi (10-24-1, 4). The 36 year old Yokogawa has proven to be a limited fighter, even on the domestic stage, but he's a very dangerous fighter and 8 of his 11 wins have come in the first 3 rounds. As well as being heavy handed, Yokogawa is also a fighter easy to tag and he's been stopped in 4 of his 12 losses. Ishibashi on the other hand is a 33 year old veteran who has struggle a lot in recent years, losing his last 8. Despite that he can be a banana skin, and with Yokogawa's limitations this could be a strangely compelling and competitive bout. In the main event we'll have a battle of Kanta's as Kanta Fukui (7-4-1, 5) takes on Kanta Takenaka (7-6-1, 2). On paper this looks like a relatively poor match up, however both men has misleading records. Fukui has really showed his class in the last few years, running Shuma Naakzato and Go Hosaka close and earning a draw against the heavy handed Yoji Saito. Takenaka on the other hand has been stopped in 4 of his last 4, but can pick up upsets at this level, and a number of his wins, so far, have been mild surprises. This should be a lot more exciting than the records of the two men suggest.  This weekend is a big one for fans of Asian boxing! The biggest show comes from Aichi on Saturday but that's not all we have, with notable action in the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Russia! Aichi, Japan The big card in Aichi, will be headlined by a world title fight, and will have support bouts featuring a fast rising local prospect and a former world title challenger. It's not a monster card, but it is a very good one. The main event will see 3-weight world champion Kosei Tanaka (13-0, 7) defending the WBO Flyweight title against mandatory challenger Jonathan Gonzalez (22-2-1, 13). For Tanaka this will be his second defense of the title he took from Sho Kimura last year, and sees him looking to build on his win over Ryoichi Taguchi earlier this year. For Gonzalez this will be his first world title fight, and finally a chance for him to live up to the potential he showed as an amateur. This should be a really high speed and very technical bout, but the champion will clearly be the favourite. Interestingly if Tanaka wins there are murmurs he could be set for another step up in weight and another world title. Our preview of this world title bout can be read here Tanaka returns for next defense, faces "Bomba" Gonzalez In an excellent supporting bout we'll see the hard hitting and wonderfully exciting Kento Hatanaka (9-0, 9) take on world ranked Filipino fighter Jaysever Abcede (19-8, 12). The unbeaten Hatanaka has needed just 32 rounds to get to 9-0 and already looks like he's a star in the making with major titles clearly in his future. On paper Abcede should be a straight forward step up for Hatanaka hwever the Filipino is no push over and he has regularly proven to be a banana skin, with upset wins against the likes of Pigmy Kokietgym, Stamp Kiatniwat and Seigo Yuri Akui. This should be a really good test for Hatanaka. Our preview of this bout can be read here Hatanaka steps up in class for Abcede test! Another notable name in a supporting role is former world title challenger Genesis Servania (32-2, 15), who will be fighting for the first time since he lost to Carlos Castro back in February. The talented Japanese based Filipino is getting a clear confidence builder here as he takes on limited Indonesian foe Erick Deztroyer (12-5-1, 3), in a clear mismatch. Don't be surprised if this one ends very early! A much more interesting match up on this card will see the limited but hard hitting Kanta Fukui (6-2, 5) take on the very talented and promising Shuma Nakazato (8-1-2, 6). Fukui came runner up in the West Japan Rookie of the Year last year, losing a razor thin decision to Takuya Ota in the final. Since then he has bounced back with a single win, but will be stepping up massively here. The 22 year old Nakazato is genuine talent, and someone who should be on the radar of hardcore Japanese. He's the son of former world title challenger Shigeru Nakazato, and has already held his own with Hironori Mishiro, losing a competitive decision to the current OPBF champion and beaten Lorence Rosas. Although in the middle of the card this is a very interesting match up, and one that could end in explosive fashion. Also on this card will be Japanese Youth Super Flyweight champion Yuto Nakamura (10-5, 7) who battles in an 8 round bout against Indonesian Muhammad Wahid (4-2, 1). Wahid impressed us, in some ways, this past May when he stood and took a 6 round pounding from Lap Cheon Cheong in Hong Kong, and he showed his bravery. We suspect that Wahid will again have to be brave, but can't see him lasting 8 round here. Metro Manila, Philippines Staying in Asia we also get a notable card in Metro Manila, featuring a great mix of fighters from world class to prospect level. The world title bout, or rather the WBO "interim" world title bout, will see John Riel Casimero (27-4, 18) defend his Interim Bantamweight title against the limited Cesar Ramirez (18-3, 11). The talented Casimero, a true road warrior, won the title in April and will be looking to make his first defense here. Ramirez is yet to prove he belongs any where near world level, especially in this talent stacked division that we currently have. Although can blow hot and cold, it's hard to imagine him really being tested here. Our preview of this bout is available to read here Casimero set to face Ramirez in first interim title defense In a pretty interest all Filipino bout between regional contender types we'll see Vincent Astrolabio (13-3, 9) take on Kevin Aseniero (9-2-1, 5). Astrolabio will be defending the WBO Oriental Bantamweight title, which he won in Indonesian back in April, for the first time. Aserniero on the other hand will be looking to stretch a 4 fight unbeaten run. The most notable prospect on this card is former amateur standout Charly Suarez (2-0, 2), who takes a big step up in class to face the under-rated Virgil Puton (17-12-2, 8). The 30 year old Suarez, who made his debut in January, will be looking to get his career back on track after a 5 month break from action. He's incredibly talented, but doesn't have time to waste. In Puton we have a true regional journeyman, who picks up losses, but pushes good fighters, such as Ye Joon Kim and Shuya Masaki. This is a tough test for Suarez, but one he must pass if he's to make any noise at all in the pro ranks. Puerto Rico Amazing we'll have a third world title fight, with WBO Minimumweight champion Vic Saludar (19-3, 10) making his second defense as he takes on mandatory challenger Wilfredo Mendez (13-1, 5) in Puerto Rico. The under-rated champion, who won the belt in July 2018, was successful this past February when he beat Masataka Taniguchi in his first defense and now fights outside of Asia for the first time. Although not a major global name Saludar is very talented, heavy handed and has under-rated boxing skills. For Mendez this will be his first world title fight, and it looks like a massive step up in class for the talented, though rather negative, Puerto Rican hopeful. This could be a very interesting clash of styles, though will of course be over-shadowed by the other world title bouts earlier in the day. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Vic Saludar and Wilfredo Mendez clash for WBO title! Chelyabinsk, Russia In Russia we get a pretty big card headlined by Sergey Kovalev and Anthony Yarde. Although that bout doesn't have an Asian interest the under-card does, and it has quite a few in fact with several different bouts featuring an unbeaten Central Asian fighter. Arguably the most interesting of the Central Asian hopefuls on this card is the always fun to watch Akzhol Sulaimanbek Uulu (14-0, 7) defending his WBA Asia Super Featherweight title. Originally he was pencilled in to face off with Sibusiso Zingange (13-3-2, 3), though Zingange was removed from the bout and at the time of writing, his replacement hasn't been named. Uulu, whilst flawed, would have been strongly favoured to beat the South African. Another really interesting bout will see Uzbek Super Middleweight Azizbek Abdugofurov (12-0, 4) risk his WBC Silver title against once beaten Russian Andrey Sirotkin (16-1, 5). The talented Uzbek has been out of the ring since beating Wuzhati Nuerlang last November, and has lost much of the early momentum his career once had. Despite that he will be favoured over the 34 year old Sirotkin, who is best known for being stopped last October by John Ryder in the UK. Unbeaten Kyrgyzstan born Russian based Erzhan Turgumbekov (6-0-1, 2) looks to bounce back from a draw against Javokhirbek Karimov just a few weeks ago, as he takes on unbeaten Ukrainian teenager Heorhii Lashko (9-0, 5). The unbeaten Turgumbekov rushed to 6-0 in just over 13 months but the draw last time out certainly slowed his momentum. Lashko on the other hand scored his biggest win in March, when he beat Ryo Takenaka in China, and will be looking for his 5th win of the year here. Takenaka aside there is little on his record of any note at all. Kazakh Meiirim Nursultanov (11-0, 8) will also be looking to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on the once beaten Artur Osipov (15-1, 10). The 26 year old Kazakh, who is managed by Egis Klimas, has been out of the ring since beating Luis Hernanez in March, and will be looking to impress on what will be his first bout outside of the US in close to 2 years. Osipov on the other hand is coming in to this bout after a loss in March to Evgeny Terentiev, and will likely be low on confidence, for what looks like his toughest bout so far, on paper. Another bout on this Russian card worthy of interest ins a contest between Aleksei Papin (11-0, 10) and Ilunga Makabu (25-2, 24) in what is a must watch bout on paper, promising a lot of explosive fireworks and a real feeling that this one will not see the final bell. A full preview of this bout is available here Dynamite meets TNT as Papin and Makuba clash! |
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