 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get one of the most interesting cards for fight fans who love glimpsing into the future, with 4 notable Japanese former amateur stand outs all making their debuts on the same show. Not only that, but they are doing so under the guidance of Naoya Inoue’s promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, with some of them likely looking to emulate Inoue’s success and making a name for themselves not just nationally, but also international as some of the best fighters in the sport. Before we speak about the debutant it’s worth noting the card is headlined by two title fights. One of those will see Korean fighter Deok No Yun (8-1, 6) make his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title, as he takes on hard hitting Japanese puncher Tyson Koki (16-5-3, 13). Yun won the title in November when he stopped Tej Pratap Singh, a win that has aged well following Singh's recent victory over Kazuto Takesako, and Yun is currently riding a 5 fight unbeaten run with his only loss being a razor thin majority loss to David Drapac in Australia. He’s not a man who will change Korea’s long barren run at the world stage, but on the regional level he’ll be fun to watch. As for Tyson He is starting to have something of a career resurgence. Between December 2017 and May 2022 he went 1-3-1, but has bounced back with two wins, including a notable victory over Yuki Nonaka last June for the Japanese Super Middleweight title. This bout is likely to be a tougher one for Tyson than the Nonaka one, due to the style of Yun compared to the style of Nonaka, and this could end up being a very, very fun fight. In a less interesting title fight, though the nominal main event of the show, we’ll see unbeaten Japanese Featherweight champion Keisuke Matsumoto (10-0, 7) make his third defense, as he takes on veteran challenger Yushi Fujita (12-9-4, 3). Matsumoto is a brilliant hopeful, and at just 24 years old he is seen as one of the many future world champions in Japan. In just 10 fights he has climbed into the WBC and IBF world rankings and scored notable domestic wins against the likes of Ryo Sagawa, Ridwan Oyekola and Jinki Maeda; and won not just the Japanese but also the WBO Asia Pacific title. He is being moved well and it seems likely he’ll fight for a world title in a year or two. As for Fujita, the 34 year old seems to be getting this bout as something of an award to services for Japanese boxing, following a 14 year career that has seen him losing to the most notable fighter he's faced. He's certainly viewed as a tough fighter, but also a limited one, and not someone likely to ask questions of Matsumoto, but someone who should give Matsumoto some roundsm before being stopped late and, likely, retiring. From the 4 men making their debuts on this card the one viewed as the man with the biggest upside, and by some margin, is teenager Yuta Sakai (0-0), who notably won a gold medal at the World Youth Championships. He will be debuting against Korean foe Ji Yong Kim (3-1-1, 1), in a really good match up. Sakai is seen as being the nearest thing Ohashi have to “the next Inoue”, and is expected to be fast tracked through the ranks. As for Kim this will be his second bout in Japan, following a loss in March against Shunpei Kaneshiro, who is set to fight for a Japanese title in July, and as he showed against Kaneshiro he is there to win, though wasn’t good enough in that actual bout. Whilst Sakai is seen as the best of the debutants, the most fun to watch is expected to be Sora Tanaka (0-0), who has an ultra aggressive style, and is a fighter who is short and compact at the Welterweight, drawing comparisons to Mike Tyson. He’s defensively flawed, but offensively great fun, and should be an instant fan favourite and comes in to the pros having previous won an All Japan Amateur title. His debut comes against the limited but dangerous Dong Young Kim (3-4-1, 3), of Korea, and could make for a really exciting debut bout, with a lot of heavy leather being thrown by both men. Another Tanaka on this show is Shogo Tanaka (0-0), also a former All Japan amateur champion. Despite the shared surname, Shogo and Sora aren’t related. On paper Shogo Tanaka has probably the toughest of the debuts, taking on 2023 East Japan Rookie of the Year winner Ryunosuke Takaguma (8-2, 3). The styles of these two will make for an interesting bout, with Tanaka being a fighter who loves using his feet, getting in and out, and Takaguma being an aggressive, front foot fighter who applies pressure and lets his shots fly. A really fun Flyweight bout, on paper. The remaining debutant will be Ren Ohashi (0-0), who debuts against Thai visitor Atthachai Prasoetsri (4-2, 2). Ohashi, no relation to promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, is another All Japan amateur champion. Ohahsi has a style that should have success in the pros, and has a very nasty straight left hand, which he will be looking to showcase here. The visitor has been stopped in both of his previous visits to Japan, but will be fighting at a more natural Featherweight limit for this bout, with his two previous Japanese bouts coming at 130lbs.
0 Comments
 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we'll see the next show from the Ohashi Gym, and it's one that will show case some of the top young talent in Japan. The main event of the show will see WBO Asia Pacific Light Welterweight champion Andy Hiraoka (20-0, 15) defending his title against the crude, but hard hitting Filipino Alvin Lagumbay (13-5-1, 11). The talented Hiraoka is touted as Japan's biggest and best hope at 140lbs, and the hope is that this will be his last bout at this level, before progressing onto facing top 20 or so fighters, and begin moving towards a world title fight. As for Lagumbay he is very dangerous, as we saw in his first bout with Keita Obara, but he's certainly not unbeatable, and Hiraoka should have the tools to beat him. Our preview of this bout can be read here Hiraoka faces dangerous Lagumbay In a major supporting bout third generation fighter Keisuke Matsumoto (5-0, 5) will look to continue his rise through the ranks, as he takes on Ryota Ishida (11-3, 6). The talented Matsumoto is stepping up here, and it's something that he's needed to do, though he shouldn't struggle with Ishida who was stopped inside a round last time out by Kai Watanabe. In a mouth watering bout we'll see two unbeaten hopefuls face off as Ryutaro Nakagaki (2-0-2, 2) takes on Kyotaro Yoshida (2-0). Nakagaki turned professional with a lot of expectations on his shoulders following an excellent amateur career, but has had back to back draws coming into this bout, and desperately needs a win, but isn't being given a gimmie here as Yoshida was also a talented amateur. Notably Yoshida hasn't been hugely active since making his debut over a year ago, but he will see this as his chance to make an impact, whilst Nakagako looks to get back to winning ways. One other unbeaten fighters on this card is Kantaro Juri (4-0, 2), who takes on Filipino fighter Danrick Sumabong (12-2, 9). Juri is very highly regarded and the 26 year old was last seen sending former world title challenger Masayuki Kuroda into retirement. On paper this is a step backwards for him, but we'd rather a fighter takes a step back rather than sits inactive, which has been an issue for Juri since his 2019 debut. Even as a step back Sumabong is no push over, and he showed what he could do when he pushed Alphoe Dagayloan all the way, and since then he has won 5 in a row.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get the next notable card from Ohashi Gym, who have a mouth watering card with two title bouts and a host of young, emerging, prospects. The main event will see unbeaten fighter Masayoshi Hashizume (19-0-2, 11) look to make his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight title, as he takes on former 3 weight world champion Kosei Tanaka (16-1, 9), in what is an incredibly important bout for both men. Hashizume scored his most notable win last time out, when he took a decision over Akio Furutani to claim the WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles, and despite long being touted as one to watch he still lacks that B+ type win. A win he however would change that massively, and would really help him establish himself as a legitimate contender on the world stage. As for Tanaka this will be his second bout since losing to Kazuto Ioka at the end of 2020, and will see him looking to build on his 2021 win over Sho Ishida. Notably this will only be Tanaka's second bout at Korakuen Hall, and will see him return to the venue where he claimed his first professional title, way back in October 2014. He'll go in to this knowing he needs a win if he's to get a second shot at a Super Flyweight world title, and the pressure is all on Tanaka, despite the fact he's the challenger. Our preview of this bout can be read here Tanaka challenges regional champion Hashizume! The other title bout on this card will see Yoshiki Minato (10-5, 5) and Yasuhiro Kanzaki (7-2-1, 2) battle for the Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title. Coming in to this we have seen Minato really struggling, losing 4 of his last 6 including one to Masayoshi Hashizume last year, though he is a talent and aged just 23 we wouldn't write him off at all. Sadly though he does need time to build so momentum and his 2020 win over Kohei Oba is easily forgotten now. As for Kanzaki he's 21 years old and reached the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in 2020, losing in the final to Akira Hoshuyama. Despite that loss he showed the level he can compete at and he should come into this bout thinking this is his time to shine. Going in to this we expect to see both men putting on a great show in what should be a very good technical bout between two talented youngster looking to make their mark on the sport. Our preview of this bout can be read here Minato and Kanzaki battle for Japanese Youth title The leading support bout from the under-card will see the touted Keisuke Matsumoto (4-0, 4) look to extend his perfect record as he faces his first international opponent, Thailand's Nakharin Hangyu (4-1, 2). The promising Matsumoto looks like a kid with natural power, and very good size, but we're still yet to see anything close to he can really deliver and he is clearly a work in progress, albeit a very advanced work in progress and more well developed than most 4-0 fighters. The Thai visitor is someone who's untested, and is taking a big step up here, and we don't expect him to offer much competition to someone with the promise of Matsumoto. In another notable under-card bout Japanese ranked 154lb hopeful Rikuto Adachi (16-3, 12) taking on Hisashi Kato (10-10-2, 6). Aged 24 Adachi has time on his hands, and even with 3 losses to his name there is no reason to write him off, though he is very much a work in progress and really needs to develop defensively given his last 2 losses have both come by stoppage. He is someone with a lot of potential, but his team do need to let him develop slowly, and he needs to be given time to fill out his frame. As for Kato the 36 year old southpaw is no world beater but should have the tools to ask some questions of Adachi, especially with his lefty stance. The card also feature the much anticipated debut of former Japanese amateur standout Taiga Imanaga (0-0), who kicks off his professional career with a bout against Takahiro Hamazaki (3-8-3, 1). The 22 year old Imanaga is tipped for big things, and whilst his debut isn't a tough one, at least on paper, the bout will give him a chance to show what he can do and hopefully help settle him into the pro-style of boxing before bigger and better bouts later in the year. As for Hamazaki, the 36 year old is 1-5-3 in his last 9 and isn't expected to do much more than survive a few rounds with the talented former amateur.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday we get the next Ohashi promoted show, and it's a really good one, with an excellent main event, and 3 very noteworthy supporting bouts. The main event is a very anticipated WBO Minimumweight world title bout, which will see Masataka Taniguchi (15-3, 10) make his first defense of the title he won late last year, and take on the hard hitting Kai Ishizawa (10-1, 9), in the second bout between the two men. These two fought back in 2019, with Taniguchi taking a hard fought but clear win over Ishizawa. Since that first bout Taniguchi has gone 3-0 (3) and won the Japanese and WBO title, with his biggest wins so far coming last year when he stopped Wilfredo Mendez for the WBO title. As for Ishizawa he has gone 4-0 (3) since losing to Taniguchi, with his most notable win coming last time out when he stopped Katsuki Mori for the Japanese title. Given how good their first bout was, and the styles the two men employee, this should be a genuinely excellent bout and an action bout between two men who each really want to prove a point. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Taniguchi seeks first WBO title defense in rematch against Ishizawa! In the chief support bout we'll see the fast rising Yoshiki Takei (3-0, 3) take part in his 4th professional boxing bout, as he takes a huge step up and battles against Shingo Kawamura (15-8-4, 8). So far Takei, who first made his name as a kick boxer, has taken out his first 3 opponents inside the opening round. He was a very, very good kick boxer, and is now looking like one of the most dangerous prospects in Japanese boxing, with brutal power, very good technique and a significant amount of combat sport experience. Kawamura on the other hand is an experienced 31 year old who has twice challenged for OPBF titles, being stopped by Satoshi Shimizu in 4 rounds and Hiroaki Teshigawara in 6 rounds. Given Takei's power this could be over quickly, though if Kawamura can see out the first few rounds this could get interesting. Another unbeaten prospect on this card is third generation fighter Keisuke Matsumoto (4-0, 4), who takes a notable step up in class as he battles Morihisa Iju (11-5, 9). The talented Matsumoto, who has had his name circulated in Japanese boxing circles since he was competing in the Under 15 tournaments, did look shaky at times early in his career, but has progressed nicely in his last two bouts, and appears to be developing really well, likely why his team have stepped him up in such a notable fashion here. Aged 33 Iju is no world beater in the making, but he has respectable power, and is tough, having not been stopped since his 6th bout. Iju has been inactive recently, and has lost his last 3, but is rugged, and a genuinely good test for the 22 year old Matsumoto at this point in the youngster's career. Also on this card is a potential shoot out, as the hard hitting, yet frustrating, Jin Sasaki (11-1, 10) takes on Marcus Smith (7-1-1, 7) in an 8 round Welterweight bout. An 8 round bout that really isn't expected to go the distance. The 20 year old Sasaki started his career 11-0 (10) before losing last time out against Andy Hiraoka in a in a bout for the WBO Asia Asia Pacific and Japanese Light Welterweight title, with Sasaki missing weight as well as looking lacklustre through the bout. The result was a disappointing one, for one of the most fan-friendly young prospects in Japan. Here he is moving up in weight but is up against a naturally bigger fight who's also a puncher. Smith, a Japanese based American born fighter, has shown nasty power of his own, and has also shown a good chin, going 8 rounds with Koki Inoue in 2018. Sadly Smith has been out of the ring for over 2 years, but he will come into this knowing it's a huge opportunity for him to make up for lost time against a popular young banger. Echo Arena, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom As well as the interesting show in Japan we are also set to see WBO Bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero (31-4, 21) make his long awaited mandatory title defense against English fighter Paul Butler (33-2, 15). This bout was supposed to take place in 2021 before Casimero had to pull out, on the week of the fight, due to illness. Butler had a chance to fight for the interim title, but turned it down, and as a result both men are now essentially forced into facing each other. If Casimero fails to fight he will be stripped and if Butler pulls out or misses weight he will miss out on being the mandatory challenger. In this right this will be a case of Casimero's wild power, and freakish ability to hurt fighters, against Butler's slippery technical, boxing. Sadly though it does feel like an under-whelming fight in one of the sports best divisions Our preview of this fight, which was done for the original date of the bout, can be read here Casimero defends WBO crown against Butler in mandatory defense  Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
The main action in a surprisingly busy Tuesday, comes from the Kokugikan in Tokyo as we get a world title double header, and in fact the last world title bouts to take place in Japan this year following numerous post-Christmas bouts being cancelled. The first world title bout from the double header will see WBO Minmumweight champion Wilfredo Mendez (16-1, 6) defending his title against mandatory challenger Masataka Taniguchi (14-3, 9), in what could be a very interesting bout. This will be Mendez's third defense of the title, which he took from Vic Saludar in 2019, but he comes into the bout after almost 2 years of inactivity, and for his first bout in Asia. "Bimbito" is certainly a talented fighter, but he style may not have the success on the road as it has at home, and he can look very negative at times. Taniguchi has come up short at world level before, but he does seem incredibly focused on this bout, and has bounced back well from his last loss, to Vic Saludar, to score 3 notable domestic wins. His style could end up working against him at times, as Mendez is the much quicker man, but his physicality and power could be a major difference maker, especially with Mendez's recent inactivity. Our preview for this world title fight can be read here Taniguchi gets second WBO title shot as he takes on Mendez The other title bout on this show, and the main event of the day, will see Japanese star Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18) return to a Japanese ring for the first time in over 2 years to defend his WBA and IBF Bantamweight titles against hard hitting Thai challenger Aran Dipaen (12-2, 11). Inoue and his team have made it clear they wanted a bigger name than Dipaen for this bout, but were turned down by a number of more well known names, and that can be dangerous if they are over looking the Thai and looking towards unification bouts in the new year. Dipaen isn't so much a threat to Inoue here, but Inoue could be a threat to himself if he's over-looking the challenger. As for Dipaen no one is giving him a chance, but he will know he has nothing to lose and he will be in there looking to put in the performance his career. We don't see this one lasting long, but it could be a genuine test of Inoue's focus given such a frustrating end to the year. Our preview of this bour can be read here The monster returns to Japan to defend against Dipaen! As well as the two main bouts this card has several notable prospects on it, with youngster Keisuke Matsumoto (3-0, 3) taking on the much very experienced Takahiro Araki (12-10, 4), former Kickboxer Yoshiki Takei (2-0, 2) taking on Kazuhiro Imamura (2-0-1, 1), in what looks set to be his toughest bout to date, and the very exciting Toshiya Ishii (4-1, 3) taking on Takuya Fujioka (10-10-1, 1), in what looks to be a stay busy fight before bigger things in 2022. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The show at the Kokugikan isn't the only one in Tokyo, with Koakuen Hall playing host to an OPBF title double header. The bouts here aren't huge, but both the title bouts do promise a lot of exciting action, and there is also a solid under-card match up as well. One of those OPBF title bouts will see Light Welterweight champion Rikki Naito (23-2, 8) take on Japanese veteran Koichi Aso (24-9-1, 15). Naito has looked like something of a suspect champion since winning the title a few years ago, and was pushed hard in a number of defense, but there's no doubting his skills and ability with the main questions being about his power and stamina. As for Aso, the veteran is a former Japanese national champion, but is very much a fighter coming to the end of his career, and he no longer has the energy and aggression he did in his prime. This should be straight forward win for Naito on the cards, but Aso will make him for it. Our preview of this regional title bout can be read here OPBF champion Naito takes on Aso at Korakuen Hall The other title fight promises violence as the hard hitting Kosuke Saka (21-5, 18) takes on the under-rated Yoshimitsu Kimura (12-2-1, 7) in a bout for the vacant OPBF Super Featherweight title. Saka has looked a brute in recent bouts, smashing up both Masaru Sueyoshi and Takuya Watanabe, in two very impressive back to back performances, though it's fair to say that he can be beaten and there are always question marks about his chin and his mental application in the ring. As for Kimura this will be his second shot at the title, having previously coming up just short against Hironori Mishiro, and he really has shown he belongs at this level. He will go in as the man with no momentum, but he has the skills and tools to spring the upset, in what should be a genuinely spectacular bout for those at Korakuen Hall. Expect a lot of heavy leather here, and some thrilling exchanges. Our preview of this bout can be read here Saka and Kimura battle for OPBF Super Featherweight title! In one under-card bout worthy of some attention, we'll see boxing police officer Daisuke Sugita (6-2, 3) look to bounce back from a June loss to Ryo Akaho as he takes on youngster Ryuto Owan (7-1, 5). Sugita is a fun guy to watch, but he has been matched rather hand and losses to Akaho and Reiya Abe were both very one sided and showed he didn't belong in that company. Despite that he's a solid fighter and he has the tools to be a solid competitor on the Japanese domestic scene, albeit below domestic title level. Owan on the other hand is a promising and talented young fighter who seemed destined for big things until a loss in 2018 slowed his momentum, and a 2 year break from the ring followed. Since returning to action in October 2020 he has looked really impressive and he'll be looking to shine again here and move towards a potential title fight in 2022. Phuket, Thailand Outside of Japan there is also a very notable card in Thailand, headlined by WBA Minmumweight "Super" champion Knockout CP Freshmart (22-0, 8), who will be up against once beaten Filipino challenger Robert Paradero (18-1, 12). The talented Knockout is seeking his second defense of the year, after a long break from the ring following his 2020 win over Norihito Tanaka, and he'll be looking to end the year with an impressive performance here before moving onto a potential unification bout in 2022. As for Paradero he's looking to bounce back from his sole professional loss, which came earlier this year to Vic Saludar. The challenger showed plenty to like in that loss, but a lack of experience was an issue, and he'll be wanting to prove he has learned from that set back. It's always hard to bet against a Thai in Thailand, but it is worth noting that Filipino do historically have more success as challengers in the Land of Smiles than almost any other country and Paradero will not be there to make up the numbers. Or in deoth preview of this bout can be read here WBA champion Knockout takes on Filipino Challenger Paradero  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The next week or so set to be a good one in Tokyo, with three shows in 3 days at Korakuen Hall. The third of those is an Ohashi promoted event that is headlined by a fantastic main event, and has some very notable supporting bouts. The fantastic main event will see WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Musashi Mori (12-0, 7) take on OPBF champion Satoshi Shimizu (9-1, 9) in a massive regional unification bout. The talented Mori has been on a great run recently, with recent wins against Richard Pumicpic, Takuya Mizuno and Tsuyoshi Tameda, but he is now set for his most dangerous bout. Shimizu on the other hand is a very dangerous fighter, but has continually looked crude, easy to hit and defensively flawed. Give the styles of the two men this should be a thrilling bout, and a real test of Mori's chin and patience, as well as a test to see whether Shimizu can adjust against a speedy smart fighter. A second title bout on this show will see the unbeaten Kazuki Nakajima (9-0-1, 8) take on the under-rated Kai Chiba (13-1, 8) in a bout for the vacant OPBF Bantamweight title, which was given up by Takuma Inoue. Although not as interesting as the main event, this has the potential to be a fight that breaks into a war. Neither of these men are too well polished, though with Nakajima being a very puncher and Chiba being a boxer-puncher it has the potential to erupt into a war at any moment. We expect this to be slow at times, but once the touch paper is lit expect this to give us serious fireworks until one of the fighters forces a stoppage, and claim the title. Third generation fighter Keisuke Matsumoto (2-0, 2) looks to build on his early development as he takes on Hiromu Murota (6-4-2, 4). The 21 year old Matsumoto has looked a mixed bag so far. He's clearly talented, but we do have questions about his defense and his durability, and it seems he's a work in progress. Despite that he's being matched tough here against Murota, who recently held former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Seichi Okada to a draw and is unbeaten in his last 5. Matsumoto should win, but we expect to see Murota asking genuine questions of him here. One other bout on this card worthy of some attention will see rising Lightweight hopeful Katsuya Yasuda (7-0, 4) battle against Tomoki Takada (8-5-2, 5), in a battle between two JBC ranked Lightweights. The 29 year old Yasuda is a legitimat talent, with under-dated defense and an excellent boxing brain, but he is also someone who has yet to be given the chances to shine, and is sadly getting older without having made much of an impact on the sport. Here against Takada we see Yasuda getting a chance to move towards a national title fight. As for Takada he is showing power recently and has scored 3 opening round in his last 5 bouts. We expect to see Takada's power going up against Yasuda's defense and counter punching here. International Convention Centre, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa As well as the action in Japan there is also action in South Africa where Filipino fighter Joey Canoy (16-4-1-1, 9) takes on Nhlanhla Tyirha (4-1, 2), in a bout for the WBA Inter Continental Light Flyweight title. Although not too well known internationally Canoy is very much an under-rated fighter with wins against Toto Landero and Melvin Jerusalem, but it's fair to say that Filipino fighters rarely have any luck in South Africa and that's unlikely to change here. Tyirha isn't a big name but he did give Nkosinathi Joyi a close run bout in 2019 and he's certainly someone with the potential to be a contender in the lower weights in the coming years. Bryan Glazer Family JCC Auditorium, Tampa, Florida, USA Over in Florida we're expecting to see a trio of Japanese hopefuls in action as Teiken and All Star promotions look to develop some of the best talented in Tokyo. The most established of the trio is Mikito Nakano (5-0, 4), who has looked brilliant on the Japanese scene and is coming through the deep Featherweight and Super Featherweight ranks at home. Although not a complete fighter yet, he is developing well and this should be a good chance to see what he can do on foreign soil, though his opponent has yet to be named Another man on this card is Kenji Fujita (1-0, 1), who looked fantastic on debut earlier this year and looks like the type of fighter of who can be moved incredibly quickly. There is clearly a lot of work for him to do with Fujita, but he's a very advanced fighter for a 1-0 boxer, and he seems to have the potential to go a very, very long way. He's skilled, has a high level boxing IQ and fighting over in the US will do him the world of good, especially this earlier in his career. Sadly however he also hasn't had his opponent named fro this event. The third Japanese fighter on this show is the debuting Subara Murata (0-0), a former amateur stand out who is tipped to go to the top very quickly. Murata turned professional last year, but was unable to kick things off due to the Covid19 pandemic. It's a shame he's had to wait so long to make his debut, but given his style and amateur pedigree is seems almost certain that he's set to be a major success in the pros. As with his two countrymen he has not had his opponent named for this bout, but it's still great to see him making his debut, at long last!  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The first Japanese show of 2021 comes to us this coming Thursday thanks to Hideyuki Ohashi who puts on the next show under the Phoenix Battle series. This is a card that has a brilliant main event, but really the key part of the card are the bouts below it, which are all intriguing bouts for touted prospects. We'll start with the main event, which will see OPBF Bantamweight champion Keita Kurihara (15-5, 13) defending his belt against former WBC "interim" Bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue (13-1, 3), in what is a puncher Vs Boxer bout. For the heavy handed Kurihara this will serve as his second defense, following his title win in late 2018 against Yuki Strong Kobayashi and a win here would likely see him taking huge strides towards a world title fight. As for Inoue this will be his first bout since losing to Nordine Oubaali in 2019. For Inoue a loss would be very hard to come back from, and he'll be incredibly focused here making for what should be an excellent match up. Our full, in depth, preview of this one can be read here Keita Kurihara Vs Takuma Inoue - The first big Japanese fight of 2021! In an excellent looking 8 rounder we'll see the fast rising Katsuki Mori (7-0, 1) take on Sora Takeda (6-1, 1) in a battle between two Rookie of the Year winners. In 2018 Takeda won Rookie of the Year at 105lbs and since then has added two more wins to record, giving him a 6 fight winning streak since a loss on his 2017 debut. Mori won the Rookie of the Year in 2019, and has only fought once since then. Of the two men Mori seems to be the more promising man, who has shown more so far in his career, but this is certainly not a gimme either way. One of two highly regarded novice prospects on this card is former Japanese amateur stand out Ryutaro Nakagaki (1-0, 1), who takes a huge step up in class from his debut to take on fellow southpaw Yuji Okinori (10-5-2, 3). The 21 year old Nakagaki is tipped as a future champion and was a stellar amateur on the Japanese scene before making his professional debut last year. When he turned professional the worry was about his power, but he showed he had plenty of pop on his debut. In Okinori we have we have a 27 year old who asks questions, and comes in with a bit of momentum following back to back TKO wins. We strongly favour Nakagaki, but this is a legitimate test. The other highly regarded professional novice is Keisuke Matsumoto (1-0, 1), the son of former world title challenger Koji Matusmoto, who looks for his second win as he takes on Bejita Ishikawa (3-12-2, 1). Matsumoto was given a test on debut, and had to pull himself off the canvas to secure victory, though showed great composure and the mentality that should take him far in the sport. Ishikawa on the other hand is well known for his gimmick, of dressing up like Dragon Ball Z character Vegeta, hence his ring name of Bejita. Ishikawa is unlikely to provide much of a test, but it's going to be good to see Matsumoto back in the ring, as he is tipped as something special, despite the issues on his debut. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
A day after a number of Kazakh prospects make their debut we'll also see two touted Japanese prospects begin their professional careers, albeit in much lower profile action. As well as the prospects this card will also feature a former world title challenger in a very good looking domestic match up as boxing slowly begins to resume normality in Japan. One of those debutants is Ryutaro Nakagaki (0-0), who picked up 8 national titles in the amateurs. Regarded as a brilliant technical Nakagaki views himself as someone who can be fast tracked based on his amateur pedigree. The one thing he needs to work on, according to those in Japan, is sitting on his punches and developing more power as he heads to the pros. We'll see whether he's done that here as he takes on the limited Shohei Horii (3-5-2, 2), who has been stopped in 4 of his 5 defeats. This should be an easy win for Nakagaki, but it'll be interesting to see how he wins. The other amateur standout on this card is "Mirai Monster" Keisuke Matsumoto (0-0), who also won numerous amateur championships before heading to the pros. As well as his amateur success Matsumoto is a third generation fighter, following in the footsteps of his father, multi-time world title challenger Koji Matsumoto, and his grandfather. He had hoped to go to the Olympics but after missing out he took the advice of Naoya Inoue and turned professional. Matsumoto will be up against Hironori Miyake (9-9-2, 1), who has proven to be a tough fight, though one who lacks power, and this should be a decent test of what Matsumoto has in the locker, despite Miyake's record looking less than great. In the main event of this card former world title challenger Ryo Matsumoto (23-3, 21), no relation to Keisuke, take on Takuya Mizuno (17-2-1, 14) in a mouth watering show down. Coming in both men will be looking to make a major statement and take home a stoppage. Of the two Matsumoto is the more talented, and despite having 3 losses he is still very much a fighter with the potential to reach the top, but there is pressure on his shoulders following back to back losses in 2018. As for Mizuno he was beaten last time out by Musashi Morui and will see this as a chance to get his career back on track following that loss. Although there is no title on the line here the bout is still a brilliant match up between two talented, young, skilled, Japanese punchers who are risking a lot at this stage in their careers. Tynyshpayev Academy of Transport and Communications, Almaty, Kazakhstan Also on Monday is a small card in Kazakhstan, for a second day running. This really is a small card that's hard to give too much attention to, though the main bout on the show does appear to be a minor regional title fight. That title bout will see Mukhitdin Rajapbaev (12-7-1, 8) battle against the hard hitting Yedil Kozhamberdiyev (9-2, 9) in a 10 rounder for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Cruiserweight title. Coming in to the the 32 year old Rajapbaev, from Uzbekistan, has failed to win any of his last 6, and has been stopped 3 times in those 6 bouts. Aged 33 Kozhamberdiyev is stepping up, but has got momentum on his size having won his last 8, all within the first 3 rounds. Kozhamberdiyev has faced some god awful competition but is the naturally bigger man, and the fighter entering with form. |
Categories
All
Archives
August 2024
|
RSS Feed
