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.
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T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The big bout of the weekend comes from Nevada and is expected to see a storied rivalry come to an end, as Mexican star Saul Alvarez (57-2-2, 39) faces Kazakh nemesis Gennadiy Golovkin (42-1-1, 37) in their third bout. Coming in to this Golovkin is seen a man on the way out, and has failed to officially win either of the previous bouts with Canelo. Notably however those previous bouts have been at Middleweight whilst this bout will see Golovkin move up to Super Middleweight as he challenges Canelo for the unified Super Middleweight title. Canelo, who lost last time out to Dmitry Bivol at 175lbs, will be risking the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 168lbs in a bout that really is a huge match up for both men, and the division. Golovkin might be old, but he likely knows this is going to be one of, if not the, final bouts of his career and we expect to see him throw everything he has at Canelo, who can ill afford another poor performance after his loss to Bivol. Our preview of this bout can be read here Canelo Vs Golovkin III - The Trilogy Golovkin isn't the only Kazakh on this card, as the once beaten Ali Akhmedov (18-1,14) looks to get his career back on track, as he takes on popular veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-15-1, 15) in a must win, for both men. The hard hitting and exciting Akhmedov seemed to be riding to the top when he was 16-0, but has struggled to rebuild since his December 2020 loss to Carlos Gongora, in what was a sensational fight for the IBO Super Middleweight title. As for Rosado, the 36 year old continues to be inconsistent, and has sadly failed to pick up a win since shocking Bektemir Melikuziev in 2021. He looked dreadful last time out, losing to Shane Mosley Jr, and will need a much, much better performance here. Mielparque Hall, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the action Stateside we also get a notable show in Japan, with two title bouts. This card is expected to be explosive, and a genuinely interesting one thanks to former world champions Koki and Daiki Kameda. The main event of the show promises fireworks as Japanese Super Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (21-6, 18) takes on hard hitting challenger Tsubasa Narai (8-1, 7), who gets the biggest fight of his career. For Saka the bout serves as his second defense of the Japanese title, which he won back in December 2019, but will see him looking to bounce back from a loss, having lost last December to Yoshimitsu Kimura in an OPBF Super Featherweight title bout. Saka will be favoured but he has long been unpredictable. As for Narai, the former Rookie of the Year winner was stopped last year by Kyonosuke Kameda, but has bounced back with an impressive win over Shinnosuke Hasegawa, back in April, and will be looking to build on that win here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Japanese champion Saka faces Narai in potential fire fight! In a supporting bout former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (14-6-1, 7) will be facing off with Toshiya Yokogawa (12-12-3, 10). On paper this looks like an easy win for Tamura, but he hasn't looked great in recent fights and it seems like his hard career, filled with brutal wars, has caught up with him. He's not just lost a gear, but appears to have lost pretty much the entire transmission unit. As for Yokogawa, he's hard hitting, upset minded and will know this is a great chance for him to get a win over a former national champion. Yokogawa's career record does, notably, hide the fact he has gone 5-1-2 in his last 8, the best run of his career, and he will be full of confidence here. One other bout on this show will be an OPBF female Minimumweight title fight, as the unbeaten Mizuki Chimoto (4-0, 1) faces limited Korean Hye Soo Park (6-8-3, 1), with Chimoto seeking her second defense, following he shock title win in June 2021 against current world champion Yuko Kuroki. Chimoto is one of the brightest hopes in female boxing and isn't expected to be tested at all by Park here. Park was beaten the last time she fought outside of Korea, and although she is unbeaten in her last 3, she has been fighting at a very, very low level since a 2019 loss to Tamao Ozawa. Our preview of this bout can be read here OPBF champion Chimoto faces Park EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
The big show this coming Saturday is in Osaka, where Nakazato Boxing Gym will be promoting a very good looking Japanese title double header, with both title bouts being genuinely good looking ones. On paper the less competitive looking bout will see Japanese Super Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (21-6, 18) defending his belt against the criminally under-rated, but very much in form Kanehiro Nakagawa (11-6, 5). Saka won the title in 2019, in arguably the best performance of his career as he battered Masaru Sueyoshi into submission, and defended it 2021 with a destructive win over Takuya Watanabe, but lost in a regional title bout against Yoshimitsu Kimura at the end of last year, which could see his confidence being shattered coming in to this. Nakagawa has a very scruffy looking record, but he is 7-1 in his last 8 and has won his last 6, including notable victories over Seiichi Okada, Taiki Minamoto and Shinnosuke Hasegawa, and will be full of confidence here, in the biggest opportunity of his career. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Japanese champion Saka faces Nakagawa! The other title fight will see veterans collide as Hiroyuki Kudaka (28-18-4, 11) faces Kenta Nakagawa (20-4-1, 12) for the Japanese Super Flyweight title, which was vacated by Ryoji Fukunaga. For both men it feels like a must win bout. Aged 37 Kudaka is a true veteran, a 4 time world title challenger and a former 1-time Japanese national champion who has had a thrilling career, with an exciting style, and some really memorable nights. Sadly at his age and with his style things will catch up with him, but he's very much a true warrior, with impressive work rate, stamina, toughness and fighting spirit, even in his mid 30's. As for Nakagawa, who's a 2-time Japanese champion, he is 36 himself and the better technical boxer here, but also the man who took an absolute pasting just 2 fighter ago, against the aforementioned Fukunaga. These two could put on a stinker, if father time has his word, or a legitimate fight of the year contender, it really is a very hard one to call, and one we are seriously intrigued by. Our preview of this bout can be read here Kudaka and Nakagawa clash for Japanese title! The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Vung Tau, Vietnam There is also set to be a small, but notable, card in Vietnam, where Cocky Buffalo will be putting on their next show. The most notable bout on this card will see Uzbek veteran Olimjon Nazarov (27-5, 15) defending his WBO Oriental Flyweight title, as he takes on Filipino youngster Jerome Baloro (6-1, 4). The 33 year old Nazarov is highly ranked by the WBO, but his competition has, for the most part, been weak and this feels very much like a case a case of defending his regional title until he becomes the mandatory and gets a shot almost by default, without being prepared or particularly qualified for a shot at a fighter like Junto Nakatani. As or Baloro his competition has been weak and he was beaten last December by fellow Filipino hopeful Regie Suganob. Dauis, Bohol, Philippines As well as the action in Japan and Vietnam there is also set to be a show in Bohol, headlined by an interesting domestic Super Flyweight title bout. The aforementioned regional title bout will see the unbeaten Rodel Suganob (6-0-1, 2) battle against Ranelio Quizo (10-2, 3) for the very lightly regarded, and currently vacant, WBF Asia Pacific Super Flyweight crown. The 25 year old Suganob has is a promising youngster who showed his potential last time out, when he stopped former world title challenger Vergilio Silvano in 4 rounds. The promising southpaw looks like he could go a long, but needs to be tested so we can see what he's really made of. As for Quizo he's 23 and has won his last 3 bouts, including a good win over Philip Luis Cuerdo, but did lost back to back bouts not too long ago, and it's unclear just how good he is. One thing that we should see here is both men answering questions and pushing each other which is exactly what both men need at this point in their careers. 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 February 11th - Double header at Korakuen Hall! Big names in exhibitions at Yoyogi first gym!2/8/2021 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
It's fair to say that February is set to be a very, very quiet month with less action scheduled for the month than there was in January, also a super quiet month. Thankfully however this coming Thursday there is a notable show taking place at Korakuen Hall, and it's a genuinely exciting card with a Japanese Youth title fight and Japanese title fight both set for the show. Better than that, is the fact both of the title fights look very, very even and very interesting on paper.. The show only has 4 bouts on it in total. The most interesting of those will see Shinnosuke Kimoto (6-4, 2) take on Shota Ogasawara (5-3, 3) in a 6 round Super Bantamweight bout. Incidentally this is their second bout, but more about that in a moment. Coming in to this Kimoto is looking to rebound from a majority decision loss to talented youngster Tom Mizokoshi, a loss than ended a 2-fight winning run for him. As for Ogasawa he'll be fighting for the first time in over a year, following his loss in the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year. Although he lost last time out in a notable bout Ogasawara is better for a different loss, his thrilling 2019 loss to Ryugo Ushijima. As mentioned these two have fought before, with Ogasawara beating Kimoto back in 2017, in what was Kimoto's debut. Fair to say Kimoto will want revenge here! The first of the two title fights on the show will see Ryu Horikawa (3-0-1, 1) clash with Yudai Shigeoka (2-0, 1) in a sensational looking Japanese Youth Light Flyweight title fight, for the vacant title. The 20 year old Horikawa impressed in his 2019 debut and impressed even more in his second professional bout, when he beat Yuki Nakajima, though was unlucky in his third bout when he was controversially held to a draw in China against Xiang Li. Horikawa is a very skilled and quick boxer-mover and will be looking to make the most of his slick footwork here. On the other hand Shigeoka, the older brother of Ginjiro Shigeoka, looked promising on debut and sensational in his second bout, as he calmly outboxed OPBF Lito Dante over 6 rounds. Shigeoka looks the more imposing fighter, the physically stronger and more polished, but also the man with the slower footwork. This should be a genuinely fantastic match up, and a really high level bout between two sensational youngsters. Our preview of this bout can be read here Horikawa and Shigeoka battle for Youth crown in Tokyo! In the main event we'll see Japanese Featherweight champion Ryo Sagawa (10-1, 5) defend his belt against mandatory challenger Hinata Maruta (10-1-1, 8), in a bout that was originally scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to Covid19. For Sagawa this will be his third defense since beating Reiya Abe for the vacant title in 2019 and he looks to continue an excellent 9 fight winning run which has seen him defeat Junki Sasaki, Ryo Matsumoto, Al Toyogon and the aforementioned Abe. The champion has looked fantastic in recent bouts, but there are question marks about his chin and durability. On the other hand Maruta, who turned professional with a lot of buzz, has failed to meet the expectations put on his young shoulders, however a win here would see that buzz return. Aged just 23 Maruta has the tools to go a very, very long way, but a 2017 loss to Hidenori Otake slowed his rise and a controversial draw against Ben Mananquil also slowed him down. Coming in this the challenger has won his last 3, and has shown a more aggressive side to his boxing than earlier in his career. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Sagawa and Maruta clash at last, in Japanese title bout! Yoyogi First Gym, Tokyo, Japan As well as the show at Korakuen Hall there will also be a special event at the Yoyogi 1st Gym in Tokyo. This however isn't one you'll find on Boxrec and is instead a charity event where we'll get 7 exhibition bouts, and nothing that will go down on a fighters record. Despite that it's something that is worth being aware of, in part due to the fighters featured on it, including several world champions, amateur standouts and genuine Japanese stars. One of those will be an potential dream bout as WBA "Super" and Ring Magazine Light Flyweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0, 9) shares the ring with the now retired Akira Yaegashi (28-7, 16), who himself held the IBF Light Flyweight title along with titles at Minimumweight and Flyweight. It's a shame the careers of these two didn't over-lap as this is a brilliant match up. Another retired former world champion on this show will be former WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama (24-2-1, 20) who will be in the ring with current Japanese national Super Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (21-5, 18). Although Uchiyama would be strongly favoured to win, had the two men clashed for real, this could be an interesting exhibition, especially given that Uchiyama is in fantastic condition. A third former world champion included in the event is former WBO Flyweight champion Sho Kimura (19-3-2, 12) who will be battling with former K-1 fighter Yoshiki Takei (0-0), who makes his professional boxing debut in March. Whilst not the greatest match up it will be a chance to see what Takei brings as a boxer, and we always love seeing Sho Kimura in the ring. Former world title challenger Takeshi Inoue (17-1-1, 10) will be taking on amateur standout Yuito Moriwaki in one of several bouts between professional fighters and amateurs. Another of these will see 140lb hopeful Andy Hiraoka (16-0, 11) share the ring with Japanese Olympian Daisuke Narimatsu and the a third will see Japanese Youth champion Jin Sasaki (10-0, 9) [佐々木尽] face off with the very highly regarded Seon Okazawa. We've saved the best until last, and that's a bout between WBA "super" and IBF Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (20-0, 17) and former WBC Flyweight kingpin Daigo Higa (17-1-1, 17) [比嘉 大吾], in what should be a sensational exhibition bout over 3 rounds and something worthy of paying the hefty admission fee for. This is two big names, both in their primes, facing off in a bit of a dream fight, even if it is just an exhibition. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
For hardcore of the Japanese scene we get a live card from Boxing Raise and Dangan Aoki this coming Friday, and it’s the one card that genuinely standsout for the month of January. It’s a small card, with just 4 bouts on it, but all 4 of those bouts are meaningful ones, including two brilliant looking Japanese title fights, and it’s a show that looks like it will be worth watching every second of. The show will begin with a B Class Tournament final at Super Bantamweight as the once beaten Koki Mioya (8-1-2, 2) takes on the unbeaten Tentaro Kimura (5-0-2), the cousin of the highly regarded Rentaro Kimura. The 23 year old Mioya has gone unbeaten in 7 bouts, including a draw in the 2018 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, and has looked like an improving fighter in recent years, but is still very much a work in progress. Kimura, who will be overshadowed by his brother, is a relatively crude fighter, but a fun one to watch and his September battle with Wataru Yokoyama was certainly a treat from Suruga Boys. We don’t expect highly quality boxing here, but we do expect a really fun 5 round war here between two men with a will to win, and relatively little power. In another 5 rounder we’ll see an A-Class tournament final as heavy handed Lightweight hopeful Shu Utsuki (7-0, 6) takes on the experienced Masashi Wakita (10-10-2, 5). Since turning professional Utsuki has been highly impressive, showcasing solid boxing skills, very heavy hands, and a fun aggressive style. He’s still a work in progress but the 26 year old is looking like a future star for the Watanabe gym. In the other corner is Wakita, a 24 year old who is very much a “win some, lose some” fighter, but generally makes for fun battles, and he could, if he can see out the first round or two, make for a fun war with Utsuki. Sadly however there’s a very real chance that Utsuki could make this look very, very easy. The first of two title fights will see the heavy handed Kosuke Saka (20-5, 17) defending the Japanese Super Featherweight title against the teak tough Takuya Watanabe (37-9-1, 21), in what may well be an early contender for FOTY. Saka is a crude but aggressive and heavy handed fighter who, on his day, can be a nightmare for anyone on the regional and domestic scene. He looked fantastic in his title, though it should be noted he’s not fought since December 2019 and he has been inconsistent in his biggest bouts. Watanabe on the other hand is a true warrior, who appears to be made out of something they should be using to make tanks. His bouts are almost always action packed bouts and despite often relying on his toughness he is a solid boxer-fighter. He earned this show with his November 2019 win over Taiki Minamoto and despite being inactive for a year the break may well have done him a favour after a lot of very tough and punishing fights. Our in depth preview of this one can be found here Brutality awaits Saka and Watanabe in overdue Japanese title fight! The other title fight on this show will see JBC Super Bantamweight champion Yusaku Kuga (19-4-1, 13) defending his belt against Gakuya Furuhashi (26-8-1, 14). Kuga, as with Saka, is a crude fighter but a monstrous puncher who can box a bit and bang a lot. Sadly for Kuga he will enter this bout after a lengthy break from the ring, and was last seen suffering a KO1 loss to Jhunriel Ramonal in December 2019. That loss will still be on his mind given he wasn’t able to get a confidence building win in 2020. Furuhashi will be getting his third shot at a Japanese title, having previously come up short against Yukinori Oguni and Yasutaka Ishimoto. At 33 years old Furuhashi is very much a veteran and he will know this could be his final shot at a Japanese title. As with the other title bout this could end up being a legitimately thrilling war, with Furuhashi setting a high tempo and Kuga looking to land bombs. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Warriors Kuga and Furuhashi battle for Japanese throne! ![]() This coming Saturday is a hectic day for Asian fight fans with a lot of action all crammed into a single day, and taking place all over the place. It might not be Christmas yet, but this weekend is set to feature a lot of gifts for us fight fans. Puebla, Mexico On paper the most significant bout of the weekend, at least in terms of Asian boxing, will see IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (31-1-2, 21) take on Chilean challenger Miguel Gonzalez (31-2, 8), in Mexico. This bout has been arranged in a haste after a previously scheduled bout for Ancajas fell though, and although it looks good on paper we don't see this being anything other than a straight forward win for Ancajas. The Filipino has been frustrating at times, but he is a world class fighter and Gonzalez on the other hand has been easily beaten by the two world level guys he's faced. We're expecting a stoppage from Ancajas here, even if Gonzalez does end up being an awkward assignment. A full preview of this can be read here IBF king Ancajas faces Chilean challenger New York, USA Another bout with meaning at world level will see former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (33-2, 16) take on former IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa (26-3, 16) in a bout for the IBF "interim" Super Bantamweight title. The interim title has been created due to injuries suffered by Danny Roman, and despite interim titles not being great for boxing this bout is a brilliant one, and we're looking forward to this. Both fighters are world class, both can bang and they should be well matched, with styles that we're expecting will gel well. This should be very exciting, and we'd be shocked if we get through 12 rounds here. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we have a lot of action, with the most notable of the Japanese action coming from Tokyo, where we'll get a title double header, featuring two Super Featherweight title bouts. For fans wanting to watch this the show will be broadcast live on G+. The most notable of the title fights will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight champion Joe Noynay (18-2-1, 7) defending his title against Kenichi Ogawa (24-1, 18). This year has been a huge one for Noynay, who has already travelled to Japan and stopped Kosuke Saka and Satoshi Shimizu, and a win here against Ogawa will put him well and truly in the world title mix. For Ogawa a win here would put him on the verge of a second world title fight. We expect bombs to be thrown, we wouldn't be surprised if both men were badly hurt at some point, and this is an ideal headliner for a televised card. Our preview of this fantastic match up can be read here Noynay looks to extend "Japanese Killer" run as he takes on Ogawa The other title bout on this show will see Japanese Super Featherweight champion Masaru Sueyoshi (19-1-1, 11) defending his title against former Japanese Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (19-5, 16). For Sueyoshi this bout will be his 5th defense, and if he wins we wouldn't be massively surprised to see him vacating the title in the new year to pursue regional, if not world, honours. For Saka this is a chance to put a very mixed 24 months, in which he has gone 3-2 (2), behind him and would end the year on the high following a loss to Noynay back in April. Saka has the power to hurt Sueyoshi, but Sueyoshi has the skills to outfox and out think Saka, in what is a compelling match up. Our preview of this bout can be read here Sueyoshi takes on Saka in next Japanese title defense Also on this card will be Teiken trio Hikari Mineta (7-1, 4), Daiki Funayama (10-3-1, 3) and Koki Mioya (6-1-2, 1) who will all be taking on limited Thai opposition in what look like stay busy fights to close out the year. Kanagawa, Japan A second Japanese show takes place in Kanagawa, and although much lower profile it features another title bout. That title bout will see Japanese female Featherweight champion Kimika Miyoshi (14-12-1, 5) defending her belt against unbeaten novice Aira Midorikawa (5-0, 1), in what will be Mioyoshi's first defense of her second reign. Miyoshi claimed the belt in September, when she took a split decision win over Miki Mitsuda, ending a 4 fight losing in a bit of an upset. Although Mitsuda was no world beater we hadn't seen Miyoshi win a fight in over 3 years! Midorikawa is taking a huge step up, and although she's unbeaten she is very untested ahead of this bout, her first title bout. It'll be a huge ask for Midorikawa, but Miyoshi is certainly not unbeatable. An in depth of preview of this bout can be read here Veteran Miyoshi takes on Midorikawa in Featherweight title bout Despite the title bout on this show the main event is technically a rematch between Yui Oikawa (7-5, 4) and Seiryu Toshikawa (11-5, 7). Coming in Oikawa has been stopped in his last 2, and desperately needs a win. He'll be driven on not only by the need of a win, but by a chance of getting to avenge a 2016 loss to Toshikawa, who beat him with a 4 round split decision. On paper Toshikawa might not look great but he's much better than his record suggests and he'll be looking to score his second win since suffering a razor thin loss in a Japanese Youth title fight to Shawn Oda in 2018. Hyogo, Japan A third Japanese show takes place in Hyogo, where fans get a card with several noteworthy names on it. In the main event we'll see Japanese and OPBF ranked Minimumweight Ryoki Hirai (12-6-1, 4) take on the limited Hirohisa Ichikawa (7-7-2, 2). We've long seen Hirai as a fighter with a lot of potential, but someone who has faltered in many of his toughest bouts. Here we expect him to shine, as he looks to build to a title fight of some kind in 2020. With just 1 win in the last 4 years it's hard to imagine Ichikawa giving Hirai much of a test, but he could give Hirai some rounds. World ranked fighter Kazuhiro Nishitani (20-4-1, 12) looks to continue his slow build towards a meaningful fight as he takes on Filipino veteran Monico Laurente (30-15, 7). The 32 year old Nishitani has won his last 5 by stoppage, including a notable upset win against Shuhei Tsuchiya for the Japanese Lightweight title in 2017. Sadly he has failed to make anything of his career after that win and vacated the title rather than defend it, which has done his career no favours as he continues to meander in the middle of cards in meaningless bouts like this one. Laurente isn't an awful opponent, but is certainly not a step forward for Nishitani who really has lost all the momentum of his win over Laurente. Another bout of some note on this card will see Hiroki Tokuyama (9-1-1, 2) take on Chikato Sumida (8-3, 1). This will see Tokuyama defending his JBC and OPBF rankings and score a 5th straight win. Sumida isn't terrible, but we don't see him posing much of a test for Tokuyama here. Quebec, Canada Yet another show with an Asian fighter in action is being held in Quebec, where fast rising Kazakh prospect Sadriddin Akhmedov (10-0, 9) takes on rugged Argentinian Jose Antonio Villalobos (12-5-2, 7). Akhmedov missed quite a bit of this year, whilst he recovered from injury and got married, but has still been busier than most and has began answering more and more questions, proving his stamina, his ability to box and move and that he can box on the back foot. There are still areas for him to work on, but for a 21 year old kid his incredibly impressive and a win here is seen as a formality before a potentially huge 2020. Villalobos will be there to try and ask questions of Akhmedov but we really don't see this as anything but an easy win for the talented Kazakh. Diriyah, Saudi Arabia On a show that features more morally objectionable content that we can remember for a boxing card, including 4 fighters who have failed drug tests and the show taking place in a country with a terrible history human rights, we'll see Azeri fighter Mahammadrasul Majidov (1-0, 1) take on Tom Little (10-7, 3). ![]() This coming Saturday fight fans through Asia will have action to look towards. There are several shows in Asia, as well as Asian fighters fighting around the globe. Osaka, Japan The most notable card of the day, in Asia at least, takes place in Osaka and features not only a regional title fight but a guy who looks set for a world title fight later in the year and two evem looking supporting bouts. The main event will see Japanese-Filipino Joe Noynay (16-2-1, 5) battle former Japanese Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (18-4, 15), in a bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title, which was vacated by Masao Nakamura. Noynay is a really talented boxer, and one of the most under-rated fighters in the Philippines. Although not well known he did give Reiya Abe one of his toughest tests to date. Saka on the other hand is a crude but very heavy handed fighter, who lost the title in bizarre circumstances to Takenori Ohashi in 2017, when he misheard the clack for the bell, and since then he has bounced back with a couple of early wins. This could be a very, very interesting match up. A full preview of this bout can be read here Saka and Noynay clash for regional crown In the chief support bout we'll see world ranked Light Flyweight Tetsuya Hisada (33-9-2, 19) fight in a stay busy contest, as he takes on Indonesian journeyman Stevanus Nana Bau (9-10-2, 2) in what should be little more than a tick over fight for Hisada. Over the past few months Hisada has been linked to every Light Flyweigth world champion, but has been unable to secure a shot at one, which explains this tick over bout. As for the supporting bouts we'll see Shota Asami (7-5, 4) take on Naoto Iwai (5-2, 3), in what should be a very compelling match up between two talented, and under-rated youngsters, and we'll also see Hirokazu Okajima (9-6-2, 5) take on Shota Yukawa (10-5-3, 4) in a battle of Japanese ranked fighters. Goyang, South Korea As well as the show in Japan there is also one in Goyang in Korea. This card is set to be a Korea Vs Japan card, though if we're being honest the card as a whole is poor, with very low quality match ups. The main event will see the unbeaten Min Jang (7-0-2, 2) take on Hyeon Joon Lee (6-2-1, 4) in a bout for the BoxingM Korean Super Flyweight title. This is a pretty even looking bout, and could be a fairly compelling match up. The unbeaten Jang has won his last 4, since a draw with In Soo Jang back in 2018. Lee on the other hand is looking to claim his first title and score his second win since a loss in Japan to Shota Asami. The most notable of the Korea Vs Japan bouts appears to be contests between Kyung Min Hwang (3-0, 2) and Teru Nobita (4-1-1, 2) and Ha Nok Shim (4-0, 2) battling against Tom Mizokoshi (3-1-1, 2). We're expecting Korea to win overall, and it's a shame that the card doesn't really have any notable names on it, like past Korea Vs Japan shows, with their being a couple of great shows last year, with several interesting match ups. Bang Phun, Thailand A third Asian show will take place in Bangphun, thanks to WorkPoint. In one bout we'll see the WBC Youth Super Bantamweight title being fought for as the unbeaten pairing of Thattana Luangphon (3-0-1, 3) and Muhammad Ashiq (6-0-1, 5) battle. The title, which has been vacant since Tenta Kiyose gave it up, makes for an interesting reward for the winner of this one. The unbeaten Thai is 21 and is a staple of the WP Boxing shows, having fought all of his bouts in their studio. Ashiq on the other hand is a well travelled Singaporean, with bouts in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Neither man is a world beater, from what we've seen, but this should still be an interesting bout. In another interesting, though very odd, bout we'll see former WBO Bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (52-6, 35) take on former OPBF Super Featherweight champion Carlo Magali (23-11-3, 12) in a 6 round bout. Coming in both men have gone without a win in a while. Pungluang has lost his last 3, and is without a win since February 2016, whilst Magali has lost his last 2, and is 4-4 since Pungluang's last win. A real strange one. Kyiv, Ukraine Outside of Asia we have some intriguing match ups, the best of which takes place in Ukraine and sees Japanese tough guy Nihito Arakawa (32-6-2, 18) take on unbeaten Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk (10-0, 7) in a bout for a WBO minor title. This bout is likely to be wonderfully violent, though we do wonder what Arakawa has left in his body at this time, given he's now 37. A few years ago this would have FOTY candidate written all over it, though we now thing that wear and tear will be a major issue for Arakawa against someone as strong and powerful as Berinchyk. A full preview of this bout is available here Arakawa and Berinchyk seek major win in Kyiv! New York, USA Over in the US we're expecting to see Indian former amateur standout Vikas Krishan (1-0, 1) take on Noah Kidd (3-1-1, 2), in what should be an easy win for the "Indian Tank". ![]() Qingdao, China The biggest card this coming Friday is in Qingdao as we get two world title fights and several other minor title contests. One of the world title bouts will see WBO Flyweight champion Sho Kimura (16-1-2, 9) return to China, where he won the title last year against Zou Shiming, to defend the belt against Froilan Saludar (28-2-1, 19). Kimura has made just a single defense of the title, but looks like a solid champion who is strong, hungry and hard hitting, much more so than his record suggests. As for Saludar he was once tipped as a major star but has failed to reach the heights expected of him. Saying that however Saludar has seen his brother, Vic Saludar, score a massive win recently over Ryuya Yamanaka and will feel full of confidence following his brothers win. We're expecting heavy leather to be thrown here and we suspect both have the power to hurt the other. The other world title fight will see unbeaten WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (17-0, 7) defending his title against China's very own Xiong Zhao Zhong (27-7-1, 14). This will be Knockout's first bout outside of Thailand and will see him hunting a 5th defense of the WBA regular title. Although talented Knockout does have flaws and with the Chinese crowd against him he may need to up the pace in the later rounds, something he's rarely done when he's been fighting at home. For Zhong the bout is one final chance to become a 2-time world champion, though at the age of 35 it's hard to know what he really left in the tank. In another title bout we'll see China's Baishanbo Nasiyiwula (13-2-1, 6) take on Filipino fighter Sonny Katiandagho (12-2, 7) for a couple of regional titles. Coming in to this Nasiyiwula will be trying to bounce back from his April loss against Fredrick Lawson in the US, and will be dropping back down from Welterweight to Light Welterweight for this bout. As for Katiandagho he was stopped 2 fights ago, and has been down a few times during his career, though will feel confident here having gone 2-0 in fights in China. Other bouts on this card include Can Xu (13-2, 1) against Jelbirt Gomera (13-4, 7) and an interim regional Flyweight title bout between Wulan Tuolehazi (7-3-1, 3) and Yokthong Kokietgym (18-4, 11). Tokyo, Japan Fight fans in Tokyo will get something a bit special as reason put on a stacked card at the Korakuen Hall. The major attraction here is an amazing match up for the Japanese Super Bantamweight title, as defending champion Yusaku Kuga (16-2-1, 11) takes on former world title challenger Shingo Wake (24-5-2, 16) in what is essentially a world title eliminator between two world class fighters. The hard hitting Kuga has made two defenses of the title that he won in February 2017, though certainly got pushed hard in the first of those against the aggressive and hard hitting Ryoichi Tamura. Wake on the other hand is a former OPBF champion who's only loss in the last 6 years came to the hard hitting Jonathan Guzman in 2016. This is a puncher against a boxer, and we're expecting a compelling stylistic match up here. Whilst the main event is brilliant it may end up being outshone by a supporting bout between unbeaten Minimumweight prospects, who trade blows for the Japanese Youth Minimumweight title. The bout in question will see 2016 Minimumweight Rookie of the Year Daiki Tomita (12-0, 4) take on the heavy handed Kai Ishizawa (4-0, 4) in what is really a fantastic match up. The 20 year old Tomita had a break out 2016 with his Rookie of the Year triumph and since then has gone 4-0 (2) with a notable domestic win over Desierto Nagaike. On the other hand Ishizawa, who debuted in June 2017, has just been destructive with his April win over Tatsuro Nakashima being a huge statement. This really has the potential to be a very special bout. Former Japanese and OPBF champion Takuya Kogawa (29-5, 13) will be returning to the ring for his first bout of the year, as he takes on former Japanese title challenger Yusuke Sakashita (16-8-2, 11). At his best Kogawa was world class, and has long been a fan favourite due to his high octane style and willingness to have a tear up against anyone. Sadly though at the age of 33 we suspect his career is catching up with him and he may not have too long left at the top. Saying that however we still suspect Kogawa will have more than enough to over-come the somewhat limited Sakashita who has gone 4-4 in his last 8, losing to the 4 notable fighters that he's shared the ring with in that time. Another really interesting match up will see former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Masaaki Serie (27-9, 10) return to the ring after more than 2 years away from the ring. Unfortunately for the 35 year old Serie he will be up against the fast rising Daisuke Sugita (2-0, 1), who is tipped for big things. At his best Serie was a really solid fighter, who scored notable wins against the likes of Mikihito Seto, Shoji Kimura and Yasutaka Ishimoto. Sadly for Serie he was showing signs of his age before his break from the ring, and had gone 3-4 in his previous 7 bouts. Sugita is a former amateur stand out who debuted in April and is taking a big step up here, but one that we expect him to make with ease given just how good he was as an amateur, and how good he's been since turning professional. Osaka, Japan A second Japanese card will be held in Osaka where we see several rising prospects and a former Japanese champion in action. Sadly however this card really lacks in terms of quality match ups. The main event on this card will see second generation fighter Juiki Tatsuyoshi (8-0, 5), the son of the legendary Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, take on Indonesian veteran Noldi Manakane (32-24-2, 18). The Japanese fighter will be fighting in his first 10 rounder and taking a notable step up in class as he battles his first former world title challenger. Sadly though Manakane is a long, long way from the fighter who challenged Koki Kameda or the WBA Bantamweight title back in 2012 and the 34 year old has won just 8 of his last 21 fights. The former champion on this card is former Japanese Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (17-4, 14), who continues to rebuild his career following his shock loss to Takenori Ohashi last December. The heavy handed Saka shouldn't struggle at all with the light hitting Gusti Elnino (4-12-1, 1), who fights outside of Indonesia for the first time. Saka might not be the best fighter, or the smartest, but he should be far too strong and powerful for Elnino. The once beaten, and heavy handed, Kyosuke Tsutsumimoto (7-1, 6) will be looking to score his 4th straight stoppage as he takes on Arega Yunian (6-10, 1). The Japanese fighter has rebuilt well since a loss in a 4 rounder to Bunta Okamoto back in 2016, and looks to be rising through the ranks, helped in part to a big win in April against Engelbert Moralde. The Indonesian fighter also fought in April, but unlike Tsutsumimoto he was himself stopped, being taken out in 3 rounds by super prospect Hintata Maruta. Given how their performances went in April it's hard to see anything but a stoppage win for Tsutsumimoto. Also on this show will be the highly promising Ginjiro Tsutsumimoto (1-0, 1), who impressed us back in his amateur days. The talented Japanese hopeful will be up against his own Indonesian foe in the form of Iwan Sanca, who has been stopped in both of his defeats. We've got big hopes for Tsutsumimoto and really can't imagine him struggling, at all, in this bout as he moves towards bigger and better fights. Eastern Cape, South Africa Outside of Asia the most interesting match up will see once beaten South African fighter Yanga Sigqibo (10-1-1, 3) face off against Filipino foe Rene Dacquel (20-7-1, 6) in a bout for the WBC international Super Flyweight title. The South African fighter won the national title last year and made one defense, but this is a big step up for him as he takes on a former OPBF champion. Dacquel was dominated last time out, by Andrew Moloney, but is a very capable fighter and has got a real chance of picking up a solid win on the road here. Victoria, Australia The more notable of two Australian cards comes from Victoria where Brian Amatruda gives us a pretty interesting match up with a Thai involved, and also a bout with a notable Filipino. The interesting bout, for us, will see the once touted Kaewfah Tor Buamas (27-4, 17) take on rising Australian hopeful Liam Paro (14-0, 10). The Thai would win his first 23 bouts but has since gone 4-4 as his career has began to go backwards and he has suffered recent defeats to Czar Amonsot, Masayoshi Nakatani, George Kambosos and Atchariya Wirojanasunobol all in the last 24 months. As for Paro this is a slight step up in class, but the 22 year old looks a class act and should have the edge in size, power, youth and skills as we go into this bout. A win from Paro is expected, but the real question will be about how he wins. The Filipino on the other hand is Czar Amonsot (34-4-3, 22). He hasn't had his opponent for the contest announced as of yet, but isn't expected to face much of a test as he competes in a 6 rounder and looks to bounce back from an October 2017 loss to Carlos Manuel Portillo. Western Australia, Australia Staying in Australia there will also be a couple of mismatched featuring Indonesian fighters. One bout will see the under-rated Brandon Ogilvie (19-2-1, 10) take on Indonesian journeyman Rusmin Kie Raha (15-15-3, 3). Although no world beater Ogilvie is certainly not a bad fighter, and his 2016 draw in Tokyo against Yoshitaka Kato was impressive, as was his stoppage win against Pharanpetch Tor Buamas. As for the Indonesian he has suffered 9 stoppage losses in his 15 defeats and has gone 3-13-1 in his last 17 bouts. The other match up with an Indonesian visitor will see the once beaten Jackson Jon England (4-1, 3) battle against the very limited Arief Blader (23-28-2, 8). Although England was beaten last time out, losing to the then debuting Richard Lockett, he should easily pick up a win here against a very out of form Blader, who has lost his last 6 and has started to collect losses on a very regular basis. ![]() This coming Monday Japanese fans will get two different shows, neither of which is huge but both of which are worth making a mental note about. Nagoya, Japan For us the most interesting bout takes place in Nagoya, as an unbeaten prospect takes an insane step up in class. That step up will see former Japanese Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (16-4, 13) take on the promising Masanori Rikiishi (2-0, 1), in what looks to be a serious acid test for Rikiishi. Saka held the Japanese title for 8 months last year, winning the title in April before losing it in his first defense in December. The loss was a surprise for Saka, who had entered that bout on an 8 fight stoppage run, and it seems like Rikiishi's team is hoping for Saka to be a damaged fighter. As for Rikiishi he has been matched hard since his debut in July last year but this is a massive step up. The 23 year old novice has looked fantastic so far, but this is still a bout that looks like he has been thrown into the deep end and told to sink or swim. A loss for Rikiishi won't be the end but a win would immediately put him into the title mix. A win for Saka will keep him relevant, whilst a loss will be very hard for him to come back from. Despite the really interesting bout against Saka and Rikiishi that bout is only the chief supporting bout. The actual main event will see Japan's Kotatsu Takehara (14-11-3, 7) take on Indonesian foe Satria Antasena (6-9, 2) in a Heayweight bout. Entering this contest both men are ranked #1 in their respective nations, but it's hard to imagine the visitor, who is 0-4 outside of his homeland, pick up a win here. Osaka, Japan Although we're really interested in the Nagaoya show there is also a notable card in Osaka, where we see a high profile prospect in the main event and several notable supporting bouts. The main event here will see the popular Juiki Tatsuyoshi (7-0, 5), the son of the legendary Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, battle against Shun Ishibashi (10-22-1, 4). This bout was originally meant to take place last year, though injuries got in the way and Tatsuyoshi had to pull out. Since then he has matured, had a child and recovered from injuries. He should be strongly favoured here, especially given that Ishibashi has lost his last 6, but we suspect he will prove to be a test for the hard hitting but crude Tatsuyoshi. In a supporting bout Takayuki Teraji (9-14-1, 4) will battle against recent Japanese title challenger Takeru Kamikubo (13-3, 8). Coming in to this one the limited Teraji has scored back to back wins, for the first time in his career, and will be looking to snowball that success here. Kamikubo was once touted as a real hopeful, but with 3 stoppage losses in his last 8 fights, including a loss last time out to Tetsuya Hisada in a Japanese title fight, he seems unlikely to reach his potential. This is a great chance for Teraji to score a big win, but he will have to work very hard for it. In another supporting bout 2-time Japanese title challenger Satoru Sugita (13-5-1, 8) will be up against Masashi Wakita (8-6-2, 3). The talented Sugita, who came up short twice against Kenichi Ogawa, has gone 2-3 in his last 5 but is a genuine talent and will be looking to get another shot at the Japanese title in the near future. The 22 year old Wakita is better than his record suggests, and he gave really tough tests to Spicy Matsushita and Naotoshi Nakatani, but will likely come up short again here against Sugita. |
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