 This coming Sunday is a solid day of action in Japan, with 3 shows across the country. None of them are “huge” but there is a card in Osaka that is much bigger than the other two, but all 3 have at least one bout of note on them.
Sumiyoshi Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan Lets start with the aforementioned Osaka show, which really does stand out, with a Japanese title fight topping the card, a former world champion in a supporting bout and another supporting bout featuring a touted debutant. The main event will see Japanese Middleweight Riku Kunimoto (13-1, 7) take on Kazuki Kyohara (9-2-3, 4), in what will be the second bout between the two men. The talented Kunimoto, who avenged his only professional defeat late last year when he stopped Kazuto Takesako inside a round, is really running out of domestic competition. This is his 15th bout as a professional and marks his 4th rematch, and he’s gone 3-0 (2) in the others, and it;s a shame because he is a talent with a fun style, a sense of fragility and solid power. He perhaps needs to either look for a regional title, move up in weight or hope the likes of Kazusa Kawabuchi, Tsukuru Midorikawa and Issei Aramoto are willing to be rushed into domestic title fights. Kyohara is a much more experienced fighter than he was in the first bout with Kunimoto, with the two meeting back in 2021. Since their first bout he has gone 4-1-1, and scored 3 solid low level domestic wins, but this is a big step up and he would need a career best performance to overcome the champion. In the chief support bout we’ll see Kaito Yamasaki (9-1, 5) look to bounce back from his first loss, in a WBO Asia Pacific title fight against Subaru Murata, as he takes on former 2-time WBC Super Flyweight world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (58-6-1, 47), who was once in the fringes of the pound for round list, but is now beginning to wind down his career at the age of 38. At his best Srisaket was a monster at 115lbs, with wins against Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrrada, Jose Salgado and Yota Sato. Sadly however he is very much a faded force, despite winning 8 in a row since a 2022 loss to Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez. Those 8 wins have all come at a very low level against and this is a big step up from those opponents, and against a naturally much bigger man. Interestingly the bout also serves as his return to Japan the country where he debuted, against Akira Yaegashi, and fought 3 of his first 4 bouts. As for Yamasaki he is much younger, smaller, hungrier and his team will see this as a great chance to score a major scalp against a dangerous, but faded, legend. Yamasaki should be too big, but he can’t look to take too many early risks with Srisaket who can, and will, hurt him if he’s not careful. Also on this show is the debut of Keita Nakayama (0-0), as he takes on Korean visitor Ji Yong Kim (4-2-1, 1). The 22 year old Nakayama went 40-13 in the unpaid ranks, won the All Japan Championship and was a regular in the final stages of national and sub-national tournaments as an amateur. He’s the sort of prospect that those in the know get very excited about, and those at the Mutoh Gym are expecting huge things from. As for Kim this is his third bout in Japan in a little over a year. He went 6 rounds with Shunpei Kaneshiro and was stopped in 2 by Yuta Sakai a few months later. This bout should give us a fair idea of how Nakayama compares to both of those, with many feeling Sakai could be one of the very best prospects in Japan and Kaneshiro being a very solid, though not elite, level hopefully. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan Over in Kariya we get a small card with two interesting bouts. The more interesting match will see the once beaten Daiki Kitsuki (5-1-2, 3) take on the hard hitting Kazunori Hirano (4-4-1, 4). Kitsuki suffered his first loss last time out, losing a technical decision to Ruito Tomora, and will be desperate to get back to winning ways here, and will be strongly favoured to do so. Hirano on the other hand is very dangerous, scoring all his wins inside the distance, but hasn't scored a win since December 2020, going 0-4-1 in his 5 bouts since then. Kitsuki should win, but we wouldn’t be surprised by him being given a chin check first. In a very even looking match up the hard hitting Seiya Akiyama (4-3, 4) will take on the once beaten Hiroki Hisamatsu (4-1, 1). Despite 3 losses, Akiyama is dangerous, with his power, and has won his last 2, both in the opening round, and will be confident that he can do the same again here. Hisamatsu,. who hasn't scored a stoppage since 2022, has won his last 2 bouts, but this is a step up for him, and will also be his first 6 rounder. Chres Gym, Kochi, Kochi, Japan In Kochi we get punchers colliding, as the unbeaten Ryo Ichihara (3-0, 3) takes on Shohei Otsuka (3-3, 3), in a bout between two men who have only heard the final bell twice in a combined 9 fights, and never in a fight they’ve won. In fact their combined 9 bouts have gone a combined 23 rounds, with their 6 wins going just 13 rounds. We expect bombs from the off here, and would be hugely surprised if this goes the scheduled distance.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get co-promoted Phoenix Battle/Dangan card from Korakuen Hall. Despite the two solid promotional teams behind the event it's an underwhelming show, which seems an odd thing to say about an event that has both a Japanese title fight and a Japanese title eliminator on it. Sadly the title bout looks like a stay busy defense, which was supposed to take place earlier in the year before the champion was forced to pull out. The title bout will see Japanese Super Flyweight champion Suzumi Takayama (8-0, 7) defending his title against Isao Aoyama (14-12-1, 4). Originally this bout was set to take place in July, with Takayama pulling out due to suffering acute gastroenteritis and dehydration. When the bout was canceled we were hoping, rightly or wrongly, that it wouldn't be rescheduled and instead Takayama, one of the fastest rising and most exciting Super Flyweights on the planet, would face someone else on his return. Instead we’re sat here, with Takayama set to make his third defense of the Japanese title against a 35 year old veteran who has won 2 of his last 7 dating back to late 2020, including a loss to the man Takayama made his first defence against. Aoyama is better than his recent form, and record, suggests, but he still shouldn’t be much of a test for the destructive champion. In the main support bout we get a Japanese Middleweight title eliminator, to decide who fights for the title at the Champion Carnival, as Ran Tomomatsu (4-2-1, 1) takes on Kazuki Kyohara (8-2-3, 3). The two men really do show the drop off in Japanese Middleweights before the top two right now, with Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto in a completely different league to the rest. Despite that the bout should be a fun one with both having styles that should gel really well. Tomomatsu is a former amateur who made a solid mark on the domestic scene with a powerful, aggressive style. He’s clumsy but aggressive, comes to fight and makes for fan friendly bouts. Kyohara lacks the amateur foundations of Tomomatsu, and has come up short in his most notable bouts, but does have a draw with Mikio Sakai and a win over Rei Nakajima. Given the styles this should be a fun bout, but it is one that feels like a weak link in this years eliminator bouts. In another supporting bout 22 year old puncher Kaiji Nakajima (6-1, 5) will be up against Thai visitor Nattawut Maneewong (8-3, 6), in what could be something of a shoot out. Nakajima's 7 bout career has seen him go a combined 20 rounds, whilst Nattawut's 11 bouts have gone 39 rounds, with only 1 of his last 7 going more than 4 rounds. This is not one expected to go the scheduled 8 rounds.  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
In Tokyo this coming Friday we're set for a really good card under the A-Sign Bee banner. The card isn't the most stacked, but has an excellent main event, and 3 well matched and interesting looking supporting bouts. The main event of the card will see former IBF Super Bantamweight champion Yukinori Oguni (21-2-1, 8) take on the hard hitting Keita Kurihara (16-6, 14) in a mouth watering bout that pits skills against power. The 34 year old Oguni is best known for his 2016 win over Jonathan Guzman, but sadly since then he has been fairly inactive, suffered numerous injuries, retired, and really not managed to have any momentum since then. In fact the last time he fought was 3 years ago, and it's really hard to know what he has left to offer the sport. There's no doubting that he was a good fighter, but we really don't know what a 2022 version of him will be like. As for Kurihara the 29 year old has been wanting to score a break out win for a while, and announce himself as one to watch, with wins over Yuki Strong Kobayashi, Warlito Parrenas and Kazuki Nakajima not quite being enough. Sadly for him he did suffer a wide technical decision loss last year, albeit to Takuma Inoue, but has bounced with his win over Nakajima to become a 2-time OPBF champion and it's clear he wants to move towards a huge fight in the next year or two. A win over a former world champion would certainly help him secure such a big fight. In a really interesting supporting bout former world title challenger Ryohei Takahashi (19-5-1, 8) takes on the unbeaten Tentaro Kimura (8-0-2). The 32 year old Takahashi is best known for his 2019 bout with TJ Doheny for the IBF Super Bantamweight title, and since then he has looked poor, squeaking past Kiyohei Endo and losing in a major shock loss to Hyuma Fujioka last time out. He needs a win if he's to remain even semi-relevant on the Japanese scene. As for Kimura, the cousin of Rentaro Kimura, he's starting to make a name for himself and has broken into the WBO Asia Pacific and JBC rankings. He'll know a win here will help him push his career towards a title fight, and in fairness to him, he has the speed and skills to beat Takahashi here. Although we're not expecting a thriller here, this could be a genuinely compelling bout between a fading contender, and an emerging hopeful. In a Bantamweight bout we'll see OPBF and JBC ranked contender Kai Chiba (13-3, 8) take on Koji Tsurumi (6-4-1, 3). Coming in to this Chiba has lost his last two, and desperately needs a win which is why he's being matched relatively softly here. Chiba is a solid boxer-puncher, but it does feel like he has lost a lot of momentum since a 2019 win over Matcha Nakagawa and he really needs to string together some good results over the next few years. As for Tsurumi he's bounced back well since a loss to the then debuting Josuke Nagata, last June, but will be taking on his toughest and most notable opponent so far. Hard to see anything but a Chiba win, but the real thing to pay attention to is how he scores that win. One other interesting looking match up will see Kazuki Kyohara (5-1-2, 3) clash with Koki Tyson (14-4-3, 12) in a really interesting Middleweight bout. On paper this looks like a young novice being matched hard, and it is. But it's one that has more too it than that. Tyson is the clear favourite, and the former OPBF Middleweight will go in to the bout feeling that his power and experience will be the difference maker. He is however, someone who hasn't had a fight since October 2019, and has only had a single win since the start of 2018. His confidence and sharpness is unlikely to be there. As for Kyohara, he's proven to be a decent and aggressive fighter, who will likely look to get close and take the reach and height from Tyson, which could mean we end up getting a really good fight here. Whitesands Events Center, Plant City, Florida, USA As well as the interesting card in Japan we also get a show with Asian interest in Florida. That's due to Chinese fighter unbeaten Fanlong Meng (17-0, 10), who faces his most notable opponent to date, as he clashes with former world champion Jean Pascal (35-6-1-1, 20). The 34 year old Meng was set to fight for a world title before Covid19 got in the way, and since then he has been frustratingly wasting time, with just a single fight in the last 2 years, and that was against Israel Duffus last October. Given his age, Meng looks like he's going to age himself out of contention and will likely suffer a loss before getting a world title fight now. Jean Pascal on the other hand is someone who has been there, seen that and got the T-shirt whilst fighting a genuine who's who, of who over the last 15 years. Sadly Pascal is now 39, and his career is coming to an end, but there is no doubting that he has had a remarkable and thrilling career which has seen him never turn down tough competition. Even now he is dangerous enough at this sub-world level to spring upsets and although the under-dog here, we wouldn't be surprised at all by a Pascal win over the unbeaten Chinese fighter.  This coming Sunday is a big day in Japan, with 4 different shows, including a title bout in Osaka, several bouts with prospects and the East Japan Rookie of the Year final.
Sumiyoshi Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The show with the most important single bout takes place in Osaka, where we see several rising stars of Japanese boxing in action. The main bout of the show will see WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (4-0, 1) defending the title he won from Daigo Higa earlier this year. The talented, and really promising, Nishida will be up against fellow Japanese fighter Tetsuro Ohashi (8-2-1, 2), who is best known as a solid and promising young Super Flyweight. Ohashi is a very solid fighter, but this is a big step up for him, and he is very much like a smaller, less polished version of Nishida. As for the champion this is a solid first defense, even if it is a step down from his last two bouts, which saw him beating Shohei Omori and Daigo Higa. Unlike those bouts this will see Nishida up against a fellow boxer, as opposed to a fighter or puncher, and we could see him needing to answer some different questions here. Our preview of this one can be read here Nishida takes on Ohashi in first WBO Asia Pacific title defense In a major supporting bout we'll see former Japanese title challenger Riku Kunimoto (4-1, 2) look to bounce back from his loss to Kazuto Takesako as he takes on the unbeaten Kazuki Kyohara (5-0-2, 3). On paper this looks a really even match up but in reality Kunimoto is the more proven and the more polished, and a very solid former amateur. Kyohara will know a win opens the door for a title fight of his in 2022, but he's meant to be little more than a game "opponent" here. On the subject of good former amateurs we'll also see Kaito Yamasaki (1-0) fight in his second professional bout, as he takes on the experienced Takahiro Hamazaki (3-7-2, 1). Yamasaki was a very talented amateur and he looked like he could go a long, long way on his debut, but does have some questions to answer, including some about how he'll adapt to the professional ranks, and how his power will hold up. Hamazaki on the other hand is there to play the role of a veteran, and we suspect the 35 year old will ask some questions on route to a wide decision loss. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Tokyo we get two shows, the most notable of which is set to take place at Korakuen Hall. The reason is so notable is because it's the East Japan Rookie of the Year Final, and is a platform for future stars. In total there is 12 bouts set for this card, with bouts taking place from 105lbs all the way up to Middleweight, with the exception of 154lbs which isn't competed in as part of the Rookie of the Year. One of the most interesting match ups for this show is at Bantamweight, as Hiroto Sato (3-0-1) takes on Shori Umezu (5-0, 5) in a battle of unbeaten youngsters. Sato, aged 21, only debuted in July but has managed to squeeze 4 fights in already this year, prior to this one. Sadly he did fight to a draw on debut, has shown a lack of power, which could be a major issue here. Umezu, himself only 23, made his debut in August 2020, and has taken out his first 5 opponents in a combined 8 rounds. He has never seen round 3, and has really heavy hands. He'll be looking to show what his power can do here. Another interesting bout between two unbeaten fighters will see Ryuya Kusamura (2-0, 2) take on Minori Okamura (2-0, 1), with this bout being the Middleweight bout, and for those not aware Japanese Rookie of the Year Middleweight bouts tend to be among the most entertaining as it's usually two big, somewhat unpolished, guys landing a lot of leather on each other. Interesting both these men debuted in September, both had their second pro bout in November and will be having this bout just 3 and a half months after their debuts. Kusamura is the taller man, and the harder hitter, and has looked really fun to watch in his first two bouts. Okamura on the other hand has had attention on him, with his debut coming against Eigoro Akai, the son of a popular former fighter, and he has gone 4 rounds, which he did last time out. This should be a very, very fun 4 rounder. Arena Tachikawa Tachihi , Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan Staying in Tokyo, there is a small, but notable card in Tachikawa city. The card is certainly not a huge one but it does have a very solid main event, as JBC ranked Lightweight Shinnosuke Saito (8-4, 2) takes on Mirai Naito (8-3, 3). Coming in Saito is going to be the favourite, and he certainly is the more prove fighter, though Naito will be wanting to prove himself, especially with this bout coming less than a week after his brother's upset loss to Koichi Aso. Saito did lose last time out, with that loss ending a 5 fight winning run, but he'll be hungry to get back to winning ways here. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan We'll also be getting rookies in action in Kariya as we get a show featuring only 4 rounders. Sadly it's always hard to get too excited about these shows, due to the lack of name value, but the 4 rounder format does tend to deliver some amazing action as two flawed novices put it all on the line. Despite the lack of notable names, we do like the look of these shows and this should be fun. If pushed for a bout to make a note of, it's worth noting the nominal main event of the show will be a bout between Kenta Sugawara (2-2-1, 1) and Yuya Nakazato (5-12, 5), who is the most experienced man on the card, by far. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Over in Vietnam we're going to be seeing once beaten Vietnamese fighter Van Thao Tran (13-1, 8) take on unbeaten Thai puncher Boonrueang Phayom (9-0, 9) in what looks set to be a really interesting match up. Tran was tipped for big things, following a solid amateur career, but inactivity and a loss in 2019 to Billy Dib has cost his career and he's really not reached the level that many had hoped he would. Aged 22 Boonrueang is one of the more interesting Thai prospects, and a genuine puncher, but someone who has fought at a very, very low level. For Boonrueang this is a massive step up in class, and his first fight bout outside of Thailand, but a win here would help set him up for a very interesting 2022.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day in a row we get action from Korakuen Hall as Ichiriki put on a small card under the A-Sign Boxing Banner. This really is a small card, but as we see all the time even small Japanese cards can deliver some real fun and there is the potentially for some intriguing action here. The main event here will see the "stop or be stopped" Kazuaki Miyamoto (6-5, 5) take on the under-rated Tasuku Suwa (6-4-1, 1) in what could be a brilliant, and easy to over-look, 8 rounder. In his 11 bouts to date Miyamoto has heard the final bell once, and that was in September 2017, since then he has had 6 bouts and none have gone the distance with only 2 lasting longer than 2 rounds. Thankfully for Miyamoto's chin Suwa isn't a puncher, but he is much better than his record suggests and he ran the inform Kanehiro Nakagawa razor close in 2018. Don't look at the records and ignore this one, is really could a very good bout. Talking about good bouts we also have a 6 round Middleweight clash between Kazuki Kyohara (4-0-2, 3) and Yuta Ashina (5-2) which could end up being something very tasty. Kyohara fought to a draw in the 2018 All Japan Rookie of the Year with Nath Nwachukwu, and showed he was tough, aggressive and energetic in that bout. He might not be a big name but he's certainly a capable fighter. Ashina on the other hand lost in the final of the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, but his route to the final was all action, and he's one of the most fan friendly, aggressive fighters out there. We genuinely expect this to be an all out war and one of the hidden gems of the month. InterContinental Miami, Miami, Florida, USA Unbeaten US based Azeri fighter Elvin Gambarov (9-0, 8) is looking to have a quick turn around as he looks to return to the ring just weeks after his most recent bout. Gambarov took a quick win in Colombia against Segundo Herrera on November 20th and will be looking to squeeze in his third bout within a month as he takes on Geronimo Nahuel Sacco (8-1-1, 1). Although talented it's hard to say much about Gambarov as his competition has been very poor so far. Sacco on the other hand is an Argentinian who began his career 8-0 but has come up short in his last 2 bouts, losing one and drawing the other. On paper this looks a good match up but we can't help think this is an easy 10th win for Gambarov who will need bigger and tougher tests soon.  Osaka, Japan
On paper the most notable Asian show this coming Monday takes place in Osaka, where we get a pair of female Featherweight title bouts. Sadly though neither bout really screams that it deserves masses of attention, despite both featuring a world title challenger. On paper the more significant of the two bouts will see OPBF female Featherweight champion Wakako Fujiwara (8-3-2, 3) defending her title against Yoshie Wakasa (6-1, 2), in what looks like a pretty decent match up on paper. Fujiwara won the belt last year and defended it once before challenging WBA female Super Featherweight champion Hyun Mi Choi earlier this year, and lost a clear decision to the Korean. Fujiwara is a decent fighter, and a solid OPBF level competitor, but at 38 we do need to wonder what she has left in the tank. At 31 Wakasa is the much younger challenger, but is also the naturally smaller fighter, and her last bout was a loss in a Japanese female Bantamweight title fight, so we need to wonder how she operates 8lbs heavier than she's been fighting at recently. Our preview of this bout can be read here Fujiwara to defend OPBF title against once beaten Wakasa The other title bout is much less interesting, as the limited but solid punching Miki Mitsuda (5-5, 4) takes on veteran Kimika Miyoshi (13-12-1, 5) for the Japanese female Featherweight title. Of the two it's Miyoshi who is the more well known, a 3-weight OPBF champion and a former world title challenger, but she has lost her last 4 and is more than 3 years removed from a win. Mitsuda on the other hand is the defending champion, having won the belt last time out, and she's turned her career right around with a 4-1 (3) record in her last 5 bouts. This is very much momentum Vs experience, and should be entertaining, but shows the clear lack of depth in some divisions of female boxing, still. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Mitsuda takes on experienced veteran Miyoshi for vacant title! Fukuoka, Japan A second Japanese show will be held in Fukuoka and see several notable hopefuls in action as they look to move towards bigger and better fights. One of the notable hopefuls is Welterweight puncher Yuki Beppu (19-1-1, 18), who has had a frustrating 12 months thanks to a loss last October to Yuki Nagno and scored his first decision win this past April. The big punching Beppu is expected to score his 10th win, and his 19 stoppage, as he takes on under-sized Indonesian visitor Roy Mukhlis (31-10-4, 23). At his best Mukhlis was a world title challenger, at Super Featherweight, but that was almost a decade ago, and even that he was blasted out by Takashi Uchiyama. This should be nothing more than a showcase win for Beppu. Another fighter expecting to win a show case against an Indonesian foe is Takumi Sakae (21-3-1, 15), who takes on the very limited Stevanus Nana Bau (9-11-2, 2). Sakae was once tipped for big things, in the world rankings and a Rookie of the Year winner. In recent years his career has faltered, but he is a skilled fighter with an aggressive mentality and he should go through Bau with ease. The visitor has been stopped in 3 of his last 4, and 8 of his 11 career losses, and we can't see anything but another stoppage loss here for the visitor. A third bout of note on this show will see the unbeaten Kazuki Kyohara (4-0-1, 3) step up for his first 6 rounder. The unbeaten youngster will be up against the much more experienced Toshihiro Kai (6-11-2, 2) who has been stopped in 4 of his last 5. On paper this is a step up for Kiyohara, but it should be a very manageable step up up for the youngster. |
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