 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This coming Saturday the real attention is one a show in Riyadh, which genuinely goes down as one of, if not the, best card, from top to bottom, that we will see this year, with a host of genuinely excellent bouts. The card is a really mouth watering one which promises a bit of everything, and gives fans so much to enjoy. One of the many great bouts on the card will see hard hitting Chinese fighter Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22) take on dogged and determined German Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17) in a bout for the WBC “interim” Heavyweight title. Aged 41 the giant Zhang, who stands at 6’6” and fights as a southpaw, knows father time is against him, but has scored his most notable wins at an advanced age, beating Joe Joyce, twice, in 2023 and Deontay Wilder in 2024. Sadly his prime years were wasted, but he's trying to make the most of his frighteningly heavy hands, solid chin and great timing, to end his career on a high. He can be outboxed, as we saw Joseph Parker do, but that’s not something many will manage for 12 rounds, and he will always be dangerous thanks to his power. As for Kabayel, he was, for much of his career, something of a forgotten man who was all but left behind after his 2017 win over Derek Chisora, a win that should have been parlayed into bigger fights. Sadly for him it took almost 6 years for him to get a big, high profile bout, and he made the most of it, stopping Arslanbek Makhmudov in late 2023 and then stopping Frank Sanchez in 2024 to put himself well and truly in the mix among the top of the contenders. Given the styles of the men involved, with Zhang being a slow, almost cumbersome, puncher and Kabayel being an in your face pressure fighter, who breaks opponents physically and mentally, this has the potential to be a great fight, and one that will see both men taking some real punishment. The other notably bout with an Asian on this card will see unbeaten American Vergil Ortiz Jr (22-0, 21) take on Uzbekistani fighter Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7) in a bout for Ortiz’s WBC Interim Light Middleweight title. Ortiz has long been seen as one of the next US stars, with his exciting style, impressive power, great work rate and, at just 26, his young age. He blew through his first 21 opponent in just 71 rounds, but was pushed all the way, and dropped twice, last time out in a narrow win against Serhii Bohachuk, a win that saw Ortiz face someone very similar to himself, and saw him forced to show some different wrinkles to his boxing to take the majority decision win. As for Madrimov, the Uzbekistani is someone who has shown a lot in just 12 fights. Early on he was a switch hitting monster, showboating, and racing through the rankings. In his most recent bout however, a narrow loss to Terence Crawford, he showed he could play patient boxer, giving Crawford one of his toughest bouts to date, and showed that he could temper his showmanship. Given his own power, timing, movement and ring craft Madrimov could have the tools to make Ortiz pay for his aggression, but by that same token, Ortiz could have the power to make Madrimov pay if he can drag him into his fight. Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Whilst the huge card in Saudi Arabia is, by far, the biggest action of the weekend, it’s not the only show with an Asian fighter on it away from home, as Japanese fighter Kyonosuke Kameda (15-3-2, 9) travels over to Mexico for the biggest bout of his career, by far, as he takes on former world champion Luis Nery (35-2, 27). Kameda, the cousin of the Kameda fighting brothers, has build a solid career on the Japanese domestic scene after being stopped on his debut by Shinnosuke Kimoto back in 2018 but his biggest wins to date have come against Suriyan Kaikanha, Tsubasa Narai and Karoon Jarupianlerd, with Nery being a massive step up for him. It’s worth noting he had denigrated recent Naoya Inoue foe Ye Joon Kim, and now faces someone, in Nery, that Inoue stopped in brutal fashion less than a year ago. Nery, a hard hitting Mexican fighter, has long been associated with Japan, in part due to his wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka, which saw him win the WBC Bantamweight title and be stripped of it along with receiving a lengthy ban by the JBC. Despite his history with Japanese fighters it’s hard to deny he is someone who stands on his own, with an aggressive, exciting style, nasty power, and heart. For Nery this bout serves as a chance to get the latest laugh in his long running saga with Japan, whilst it gives Kameda a chance to score a massive win against someone who has been proven to be world class. Given the styles of the men, who are both flawed, this could be, potentially, the hidden gem of the weekend. Singmanassak Muaythai School, Pathum Thani, Thailand Over in Thailand we have national title action as unbeaten Taiwanese fighter Jheng Ciou (3-0-1, 3) takes on 15 year old Thai Jirawat Aiamong (4-0-1, 2) for the Thai Light Flyweight title. Ciou, who will be defending the title he won last time out, has been fighting out of Thailand since he began his career, fighting in the Land of Smiles for 3 of his 4 pro bouts including all of his wins. His competition has been poor but he’s been getting the job done. As for Aiamong he made his debut last September, and has 22 professional rounds to his name, despite the fact he’s still only 15! Back in January he went 8 rounds, to take a win over Thoedkiad Weerachon, and this will be his 4th bout in less than 3 months, something that could well be a worry for his long term health and success. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea Another card in Asia will take place in South Korea. The bulk of this card is part of a tournament, with the quarter final bouts of the WE BOX Rookie King tournament at Featherweight and Lightweight, with those bouts all being 4 rounders. As fans of tournament boxing, we love this and we know the action will be exciting, and well matched bouts. As well as the tournament bouts we also get 2 bouts scheduled for 6 rounds. One of those will see Dong Wook Kim (2-1) take on the unbeaten 18 year old Seul Chan Yang (1-0, 1). Aged 19 Kim has bounced back well from being stopped in his debut, winning his last 2, but does look limited, with both wins being very close ones in 4 rounders, and his ceiling, from his first 3 bouts, looks to be somewhat limited. As for Yang he did make a mark on the amateurs, doing so at the 54th Presidential Cup, and he looked good in his debut last year, where he stopped the aggressive Joon Hyun Suh inside a round. A very good match up and a chance to see if Yang can live up to expectations of some of those in Korea. The other 6 rounder will see the experienced Jae Dong Hwang (2-4-1) take on the debuting Gun Woo Lee (0-0). The 29 year old Hwang debuted back in 2021 and despite some mixed results so far, has only been stopped once, losing in China inside a round to Lite Dawuxi. Lee on the other hand has been touted by some in South Korea as a top prospect, having impressed back when he was in high school. It’s hard to know how well he will do as a professional, but public exhibitions featuring him do show a real talent, with crisp, sharp shots, and a lot to like about the youngster.
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 Twin Messe, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
With Christmas just around the corner it seems the boxing gods are giving us early Christmas presents this year, and this coming Saturday they come thick and fast with 2 noteworthy shows in Japan. Notaly it’s a show in Shizuoka that stands out, for a number of reasons. Rather oddly the main event here, as least nominally, is an 8 rounders as former amateur stand out turn red hot prospect Aoi Yokoyama (1-0, 1) kicks off his 3150 x LUSHBOMU contract with a bout against OPBF ranked Filipino Denmark Quibido (13-3-2, 7). Yokoyama went 44-12 in the amateurs, won the 2022 All Japan Championships, and in his professional debut he stopped Hao Wang, in a scheduled 6 rounder. Now jumping up to an 8 rounder to take on an OPBF ranked fighter shows the confidence Watanabe and 3150 x LUSHBOMU have in him, and a win over Quibido would really see him in the mix for a regional title fight in early 2024. As for the Filipino he has never been stopped and is gaining valuable experience on the road, with 3 of his last 5 fights on the road, including losses to Sikho Nqothole and Landile Ngxeke and a technical draw in October with Hayate Hanada. Although he has only 1 win in his last 4 bouts, that was a win over the very solid Danrick Sumabong, and he recently went 12 rounds with former world title challenger Giemel Magramo. Quibido is no push over, and this ia case of sink or swim for Yokoyama. Although Yokoyama is technically the main event, the most notable bout on the card is actually an all-Mexican bout as Willibaldo Garcia Perez (22-5-1-1, 13) takes on Rene Calixto Bibiano (23-0, 9) in a bout for the vacant IBF Super Flyweight title, which was given up by Fernando Daniel Martinez so that he could rematch Kazuto Ioka at the end of the year. Perez is somewhat known in and around the world stage, having lost a close fight to Alexandro Santiago in 2020, and pushed Paul Butler all the way in 2021. He is currently riding a 10-0 (7) run since his loss to Butler, and whilst his competition hasn’t been great during that run it’s not been awful and does include a very solid win over Victor Mendez. Bibiano on the other hand is an unknown at world level, but a very close friend of Tomoki Kameda who has helped establish him in Japan, with this being his third bout there in 22 months, where he has scored a notable win over fancied prospect Hayate Hanada. There is little in terms of known quality on his record, though he did beat Sikho Nqothole last time out, in what should serve as a good warm up for this match up. We’re expecting this to be a brilliant mix of skills and machismo and it really could be a very special bout for the fans tuning in on Abema and those in attendance. Yokoyama isn’t the only touted unbeaten prospect on this show as Ryusei Moriwaki (2-0, 2) also steps up in class as he seeks a third pro win, taking on Salvador Juarez (19-9-2, 4). To date both Moriwaki's bouts have been scheduled 6 rounders, though he has ended both early and only has 5 combined rounds as a professional. Despite his professional inexperience Moriwaki went 26-9 in the amateurs, won the Under 15 and Under Junior Championships twice, each, as well as the National Athletic Meet, so was an accomplished young amateur before making his debut in March. This bout will be expected to get him some good seasoning, as he competes in his first 8 rounder and takes on a 30 fight Mexican veteran who has only been stopped once, by former world title challenger Argi Cortes. This is a monstrous step up for Moriwaki, with Juarez being a a very capable fighter. During his 30 bout career he has pushed the likes of Rodrigo Guerrero, Aaron Alameda and Victor Reyes Bernabe close in losses, and taken wins against Leosdan Nunez, Geraldo Valdez and Keyvin Lara, with those 3 wins all coming on the road. This is a very serious test for the 20 year old Moriwaki but if he passes it in impressive fashion, the rocket will be strapped firmly to his back. Japan’s Matcha Nakagawa (16-2-2, 6) will be seeking to build on July’s win over former OPBF champion Pete Apolinar as he takes on once-beaten Filipino Rocky Ogden (7-1, 5). Nakagawa, who is now 30, made his debut way back in 2013, with a draw against future world title challenger Ryohei Takahashi and would go on to win the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2015. Since then he has failed to really kick on, losing in a rematch with Takahashi, later losing a bout with Kai Chiba, in 2019. He is 3-0-1 since that loss to Chiba, but the win over Apolinar is his most notable win since his Rookie of the Year triumph. As for Ogden, the Australian is seeking a second straight win following a big upset loss to Chengcheng Yang back in April, a loss he avenged in July. This is Ogden’s first bout away from home, and whilst it is certainly a winnable one, he will be the under-dog. Another Filipino Vs Japanese bout will see Filipino fighter Angelo Beltran (10-2, 8) take on Kyonosuke Kameda (14-3-2, 8), in what will be Beltran’s Japanese debut. The 24 year old “Axe Boy” debuted in 2018 and whilst his career has almost all been fought at home, he has shown plenty of power and his last 4 wins have seen him beating the likes of Jeny Boy Boca and Chrstian Jude Capuno. Sadly however a 7th round KO loss last year to Dana Coolwell is hard to over-look. We like Coolwell, but that is Beltran’s only bout so far outside of his homeland, and a big indicator that he may struggle with the power of Kameda. The 26 year old Kameda is the cousin of the fighting Kameda brothers, and despite losing in his debut, back in 2018, he has gone on to have a very good career since, reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2019, claiming the Japanese Youth Featherweight title with a win over Tsubasa Narai which has aged really well and is unbeaten in his last 8, with notable wins against Jon Jon Estrada, Karoon Jarupianlerd, Mugicha Nakagawa and Suriyan Sor Rungvisai. This is a step for Beltran, it’s his second fight away from home, and it’s hard, really hard, to see him having much to test Kameda, who is looking likely to move into the regional title picture next year. On paper a clash between Thailand’s Nattapong Jankaew (13-4, 9) and Japanese promoted Mexican Kenbun Torres (15-5, 10) really doesn’t look like anything special, but this could end up being one of the best bouts on the show. Jankaew was once regarded as a really promising Thai, with some very nice technical skills, unfortunately he's not had the durability to go with the skills, and has lost 4 of his last 7, 3 by stoppage, to Adrian Lerasan, Hiroto Yashiro, Sathaporn Saart and Marlon Tapales. Those wins have essentially undone a good start to his professional career, which had seen him win his first 10 including wins against Wittawas Basapean, Karoon Jarupianlerd and Wicha Phulaikhao. He now needs a notable win to get his career back on track. As for Torres his career looked all but over just a few fights ago, but now, aged 37, he’s in the form of his career scoring 3 straight wins, including an opening round TKO of Reymart Gaballo and a Split Decision over the previously unbeaten, and much fancied, KJ Cataraja. Those two wins have put the 37 year old into the world rankings, at Super Flyweight, of all 4 title bodies, however with this bout being fought at a contracted 53.2KG (around 117.3lbs) he may well find himself up against a naturally bigger man. Also on this card is the fast handed Mitsuro Brandon Tajima (10-1, 8), who looks to bounce back from an upset loss to Alexandru Jur as he takes on once beaten Venezuelan Rosmen Brito (11-1, 9), in what looks like a very even bout, at least on paper. The 30 year old Tajima, is short for a Heavyweight, standing at less than 6’, but is explosive, fast handed and exciting to watch. Sadly he was around 280lbs last year, and whilst his weight has come down there are question marks about how seriously he is taking the sport, and how much he has gotten by, so far, on natural talent. Given the loss to Jur, back in March, he can ill afford another one, and the hope is that loss will have served as a wake up call for someone with clear areas to work on. As for Brito the 34 year old was stopped in a round last time out, by Lenar Perez, in his only fight outside of Venezuela. On paper his record looks good, but only 2 of his victories have come against fighters with wins, and it’s hard to read anything into those wins. This is clearly a bit of a smoke and mirrors bout for Tajima, who needs a win, and needs to show some serious improvements from his recent loss. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Tokyo Korakuen Hall plays host to this year’s All Japan Rookie of the Year finals, which, as always, gives us some really intriguing matchups, and could potentially unearth some talented young talent and future world champions. One of the many interesting match ups here will be at Welterweight, a division that Japan doesn’t shine at globally but does tend to have some compelling domestic bouts. The fight in question here will see the once beaten Takumi Fukunaga (5-1) take on the unbeaten Ryuto Sumida (6-0, 3). The 24 year old Fukunaka lost early in his career, against Yoshiki Kaneko, but avenged that loss in November in the West Japan Rookie of the Year final and comes in on the back of 4 straight wins. He's a talented outside boxer, with good footwork and a good jab, but will be facing the hungry Sumida. Aged 21 and standing at 6'0 Sumida will tower over his foe, and looks to be really showing what he can do, stopping 3 of his last 4. On paper his competition has been less impressive than Fukunaga’s, but he’ll know this is a huge chance to make a statement, and do so at a very young age. At 140lbs Xiaoling Koji (2-0, 1), a 33 year old former kick boxer with a very aggressive style, will be up against 23 year old Shota Tashita (4-0, 2), who’s much more technically sound and has good counter punching. Although not a standout kickboxer, by any stretch, Koji is much more experienced than his 2-0 record suggests, and when he’s in the ring his aggression shows that he’s not worried about taking a shot to land one, which makes him a very fan friendly fighter. His aggression, however, could prove to be his undoing here, against the quick handed Tashita, who has shown some lovely counter punching in the early stages of his professional career. At Super Featherweight we have unbeaten youngsters facing off, with 19 year olds Shota Kajino (3-0-1, 2) and Otaro Segawa (5-0-1, 2) clashing. Not only are both 19, but both actually drew on debut, and have reeled off a nice, though short, winning run since. Kajino has fought all 4 of his bouts this year, all at Korakuen Hall, and scored stoppages in his last 2. Interestingly all 3 of his wins have come against unbeaten fighters. As for Segawa, a very physical fighter, he debuted in 2022, aged 17, and has won his 5 subsequent bouts, with 3 wins coming this year, the most recent of which was a split decision over Koki Nitta. This will only be his second bout outside of Osaka, and the win over Nitta was his most notable win to date, by far. With both being so young we’re interested to see how composed both can be in such a major bout. At Super Flyweight the Shuta Takahashi (6-2-1, 4) takes on the unbeaten Aoi Murata (6-0, 4), in a bout that could be the most explosive bout on the show. The 23 year old Takahashi was stopped early in his career, and was 3-2-1 (3) at the end of 2023, but has developed well, picking up 3 wins this year, all again unbeaten fighters. In fact Takahashi's last 5 opponents have been unbeaten with a combined 19-0-2 record. To date he has only faced a single with a loss, not a losing record by a single loss, and all 9 of his bouts have been at Korakuen Hall. Murata, representing West Japan, is proving to be a well travelled fighter, with bouts in Aichi, Kanazawa, Shizuoka, Nakatsu and Osaka. After going the distance in his first 2 bouts he has scored 4 straight stoppage, including one over Junta Shiraki last time out, who had an identical record to Takahashi's current one. Aged 20 Murata is one of the few fighters out of Aichi who looks more than capable of becoming a force on the national scene, if he can get the developmental fights, a win here will help him secure solid domestic fights down the line. Of the two Takahashi is the more aggressive but Murata sticks to basics really well, and has got very good pop in his shots.  This coming Sunday is an interesting day for fight fans in Asia, with 3 cards in Japan and one in the Philippines. On paper the Japanese cards aren’t the strongest, with few really notable names in action , but there should be some good quality fights between well matched fighters. Over in the Philippines we get a really solid show, with 3 very good match ups on it.
KBS Hall, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan Starting with the Japanese cards, the most notable will be taking place in Kyoto and will be promoted by Futur Promotions who have a former world champion in the main event. The former world champion in question is former WBC Super Flyweight champion Suriyan Kaikanha (52-7-1, 28), aka Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, who competes in Japan for the third time as he takes on Kyonosuke Kameda (13-3-2, 8). Suriyan, a true veteran, is now 35 and made his professional debut in 2006. He really began to make his name in 2010 when he gave the legendary Pongsaklek Wonjongkam a very close bout in a WBC Flyweight title bout, losing a narrow decision to the Flyweight great. Less than a year later he would beat Tomas Rojas for the WBC Super Flyweight title, which he defended once before losing it in Japan to Yota Sato. His only other appearance in Japan 2 years later was when he was beaten WBC Bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka. Sadly though that Yamanaka bout was a decade ago and whilst he has gone 15-1 since then he’s certainly not the same fighter he once was. As for Kameda, the cousin of the fighting Kameda brothers, who is now coming into his prime at 26, he has proven himself a very credible domestic level fighter with notable wins over Tsubasa Narai, Mugicha Nakagawa and Hikaru Matsuoka. He's a big, dangerous fighter at Featherweight, which appears to be his natural weight and although not the most polished fighter, he is rapidly improving having come a very, very long way since a TKO loss on debut against Shinnosuke Kimoto back in 2018. We can’t help but feel this is a bout set up to boost Kameda’s standing and get him a win against a faded former world champion, but in many ways that’s good match making, and even a faded Suriyan is still a very capable fighter. In the chief support bout the once beaten Kotaro Kawai (5-1, 2) will take on Bakuto Nakahara (5-5, 2) in a 6 rounder. Kawai is 22 years old and is looking for his second win since suffering a razor thin loss to Ryugo Yanagibori in June 2023. He is quick, sharp and has a lovely 1-2. As for Nakahara he's a win-some, lose-some fighter from Okayama, where there really aren't many fights forcing him to travel for fights. Sadly for him he has struggled to find his weight class, and for this bout he's stepping up to Lightweight for the first time. 176BOX, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan Over in Toyonaka we get a pretty interesting card, with an unbeaten prospect and a title unification bout. The main event will see the unbeaten Marina Loreto (6-0-2) look to unify the JBC female Minimumweght title with the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title, as she takes on the experienced Mont Blanc Miki (6-7-1, 2). Loreto won the Japanese title in April 2023, and she recorded her first, and so far only, defense in November with a draw. Sadly she has now been out of the ring 11 months, losing some of the momentum she was building. As for Miki this is her 5th shot at a title, having come up short in the previous 4. She’s aggressive and fan friendly, but is defensively flawed and limited, with much of her offense being wild and wide, leaving her open to counters. In the chief support bout we’ll see unbeaten JBC ranked fighter Yamato Moriguchi (7-0-1, 2) take on hard hitting Thai visitor Sarawut Jiamthong (11-5, 10). Moriguchi is a 21 year old who won the All Japan Rookie of the Year last year, and looks to be a real prospect for the Kuratoki Gym to develop and nurture. He’s a clean accurate fighter with an aggressive style, who really impressed in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, unfortunately however he has been out of the ring since winning the Rookie of the Year and lost much of the momentum he had been building at the end of 2023. Jiamthong is something of a glass cannon. The 25 year old has heard the final bell twice in 16 fights, with 10 wins inside the distance and 4 losses coming early. Notably he has been stopped in the 3 bouts where he has travelled outside of Thailand, including a loss to Olimjon Nazarov back in May this year. Whilst it looks like he has power, his competition has been awful and it's hard to put too much weight behind his power. Foodpal Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan A third card in Japan is set to take place in Kumamoto, and this one is the smallest of the 3, by some margin, in terms of its significance. The main event will see Kazuhiro Imamura (3-3-1, 2) take on unbeaten American Alejandro Patrick Meniano (4-0, 2) in a 6 rounder. turned professional with some fan fare, and after a 2-0-1 start to the pros there was some hope he'd develop into a good fighter. Sadly 3 straight losses took away all momentum he was building and it took more than 4 years between his second win and his third win, which came earlier this year. Meniano on the other hand is something of an unknown quantity, though is no stranger to being on the road and will be confident of picking up his 5th straight win, in his third country, after notching a pair of victories in both Mexico and the Philippines. In a support bout Shoki Yamauchi (7-5, 6) will take on fun to watch Korean fighter Ho Jun Kim (3-1-2, 3). Yamauchi is something of a glass cannon with only 3 of his bouts going the distance, all of which were 4 rounds early in his career. Since July 2022 he has never seen the 4th round, going 5-1 (5) in that run. As for Kim the 25 year old debuted last year and despite set backs in his last 2 fights hasn't been stopped. Like Yamauchi he's dangerous early and has an aggressive style, which could lead to some serious fireworks here. Another Japan Vs Korea bout on this card will see once beaten JBC ranked fighter Misaki Hirano (10-1, 4) take on Korean ranked fighter Han Sol Lee (8-5, 4). Hirano is a 27 year old who has won his last 9, including a notable win over Ryo Suwa, and bounced back well from a razor thin loss in his second bout to Hikaru Fukunaga. Although not a nationally recognised name, his success is edging him towards a title fight and if he continues to pick up good domestic type wins he could find himself in the mix late next year. Lee on the other hand has won a couple of titles during his career, namely the WBF Intercontinental Flyweight and South Korean Bantamweight titles. Despite his success he has lot 5 of his last 6, including his last 3, and was stopped inside a round by Kanamu Sakama in his previous visit to Japan, back in 2022 Okada Manila Hotel and Casino, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines As well as the shows in Japan we also get a pretty good looking Filipino show, with several notable names on it, and a few really good looking bouts, in what might end up being the best show of the day. The main event on this show looks to be a really good match up, as former world title contender Giemel Magramo (29-4, 23) takes on rising youngster Judy Flores (14-2, 8) in a bout for the OPBF Super Flyweight title. Magramo was once seen as a future star for the Philippines but at 30 time is starting to run out for him to reach the heights expected of him. Coming from a boxing rich family and blessed with not just boxing in his blood but also spiteful power and well rounded skills he looked like being part of a new wave of Filipino fighters. Sadly for him he ran into Junto Nakatani in 2020 and has gone 5-2 since being stopped by the now 3-weight Japanese world champion. Notably however all 4 of his losses, which have come to Muhammad Waseem, Nakatani, Taku Kuwahara and Anthony Olascuaga, have come on the road to world, or at worst fringe world, level fighters. As for Flores the 25 year old is something of an unheralded Filipino who hasn’t had much fanfare but is 14-0 at home with his only losses, like Magramo's, coming on the road. His first loss was in 2022, to former Naoya Inoue opponent Antonio Nieves, and the second was last year to Andrew Moloney, both by decision, and both above Super Flyweight. Given the hunger of both men, and the fact both will know the OPBF title helps secure world title fights, we’re expecting a really special bout here, in what might be the Asian fight of the day. The main event isn’t the only interesting bout on this card. Another will see unbeaten puncher Roderick Bautista (6-0, 5) go up against the once beaten Arvin John Sampaga (8-1-1, 3) in a 10 rounder. Bautista, dubbed The Bone Crusher, is a 19 year old with nasty power who is living up to his moniker and quickly putting together a solid resume early in his career. In just 6 bouts Bautista has won the OBF Youth Light Flyweight title, taken 2 unbeaten records, had a completed 8 rounder, and either stopped, or dropped, every opponent he's faced. As for Sampaga he's 26 years old has done a completed 8 rounds on 4 different occasions, and bounced back by going 2-0-1 since losing to Lorenz Dumam-ag in 2023, who has since claimed the WBO Oriental Flyweight title albeit in controversial fashion against Ramel Macado Jr. As with the main event this should be really interesting and a very good chance to see whether Bautista can be fast tracked beyond regional level or not. A third bout of note on this show will see Benny Canete (11-2, 8) take on former world title challenger Edward Heno (16-5-6, 6). The 24 year old Canete, dubbed The bull, is an aggressive Southpaw. He's lost 2 of his last 6, losing to domestic foes Kenneth Llover and Noli James Maquilan, but is very much a young fighter who's fan friendly and the losses are unlikely to see him change his in ring mentality. Notably he has two solid domestic wins, over Renoel Pael and Jun Blazo, but a win over Heno would be his biggest, by far. Heno is best known for his 2009 bout with Elwin Soto, for the WBO Light Flyweight title. Despite losing a close decision to Soto it seemed like Heno would cement himself as a top contender for years to come, having given Soto a real test. Sadly however Heno has gone 2-4-1 since that bout, and moved through the weights fighting as high as 124lbs, and falling well out of world title contention. He's still tough, skilled and talented but under-sized, under-powered and as we saw against Toshiya Ishii in July, he's not as capable of taking shows at Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight as he was at Light Flyweight.  Shiga Daihatsu Arena, Otsu, Shiga, Japan
The main card this coming Sunday will see Koki Kameda and his 3150 Promotion head to Shiga, for what is said to be the first ever world title fight in the area, for what is a really interesting card. The main event will see IBF Minimumweight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (11-0-0-1, 9) defending his title title against mandatory challenger Pedro Taduran (16-4-1, 12), who was supposed to face Shigeoka in March before pulling out at short notice and leaving Shigeoka facing a late notice foe. The unbeaten Japanese champion is looking for his second defense, and is looking to build on stoppage wins against Rene Mark Cuarto, Daniel Valladares and Jake Amparo, who was the late replacement for Taduran in March. He’s fast, exciting, powerful and one of the most fun to watch fighters on the planet, and also a man who is unlikely to move up the weights, given he’s small, even at 105lbs. As for Taduran the 27 year old Filipino is a former world champion, who stopped Samuel Salva in a 4 round shoot out in 2019 for the IBF title. Sadly since his career defining win he has gone 2-2-1 and although he has won his last 2, he will go into this as the very clear under-dog. Taduran is tough, but he has been down before, and given Shigeoka’s power he could be in real trouble here. In a solid supporting bout Filipino Pete Apolinar (17-4-1, 10) will take on Matcha Nakagawa (15-2-2, 6). Apolinar, a former OPBF champion, is 0-3 outside of the Philippines, and 0-2 in Japan, but his bouts on foreign soil has been against tough foes, with the losses on the road coming to Jong Seon Kang, Yoshiki Takei and Hayato Tsutsumi. He’s talented, hits harder than his record suggests, and although he’s suffered recent losses he is very much a solid regional level fighter. As for Nakagawa he’s a very good domestic level fighter, but one who's biggest win came back in 2015, when he beat Tenta Kiyose in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Since that career best win he has gone 7-2-1 with losses in his two most notable bouts. This is a really interesting regional type bout, and the winner will boost their standing in the sport, even if it won’t secure them a major bout. An interesting rematch on this card will see the hard hitting but flawed Kyonosuke Kameda (12-3-2, 8), the cousin of promoter Koki Kameda, take on Mugicha Nakagawa (28-10-3, 18), the brother of Matcha Nakagawa. These two men fought last August, fighting to a split decision draw, and both will be looking to go better this time and pick up a win. Kameda, the younger fighter by 10 years, is coming into his physical prime and has picked up two wins since that draw. At 35 Nakagawa is very much coming to the end of his career but is still a tough guy, who was last seen losing in a regional title bout to the hard hitting Kazuki Nakajima. In his prime Nakagawa would likely have the tools to deal with Kamedam though maybe not the consistency. Here though we’d be surprised to not see Kameda pick up a win. Another supporting bout that’s very interesting will see Toma Kondo (8-8-3, 1) take on Hayate Hanada (1-1, 1), On paper this is a weird one to get excited about, and we’ll admit that, but again it’s not the numbers on paper that tell the story. Kondo is an experienced fighter who has shown him to be much better than his record suggests, despite the fact he has only scored a single win since July 2018, going 1-6-3 in his 10 subsequent bouts. That 10 bout run has included a Japanese Youth title fight, which he lost by split decision, draws with Yuki Nakajima, Ryutaro Nakagaki and Ryo Miyazaki, and a close loss to Tsubasa Murachi. He is much better than his record shows. As for Hanada he might be the best 1-1 boxer on the planet having stopped Sandeep Kumar on debut and then took a huge step up, losing to the world ranked Rene Calixto Bibiano in his second professional fight. He is better than his record suggests, and hasn’t got an opponent here who should take him rounds, whilst also allowing him to rebuild some of his confidence. One other bout of interesting on this card will see Cambodian amateur champion Lim Seavlam (0-0) make his professional debut, against the much touted Japanese hopeful Ryusei Moriwaki (1-0, 1). Moriwaki looks to be another in the long line of top Japanese amateurs looking to make a mark over the coming years, and despite being only 20 years old, he does look to be a very operator. It’s hard to know what Seavlam has to offer, but Cambodians tend to come to win, even when they are regarded as big under-dogs and given the amateur background of Seavlam, he’s certainly be fighting to win, in what could be a very fun fight, for as long as it lasts. Art Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan A second Japanese card, a much smaller one, comes from Kobe where Senrima Kobe will be putting on a small, yet solid, card for the locals. The main event will see Japanese ranked Featherweight hopeful Seira Kishida (9-2-2, 3) battle against Eiji Togawa (8-7, 4). For Kishida this will be his first bout of the year, and his second since losing to Ryusuke Sunagawa last July, though that seemed to show how good Sunagawa rather than how bad Kishida was. Kishida is a solid fighter, though he does have a lack of power which will likely be an issue against top domestic fighters, and will almost certainly prevent him from making a mark at the top of the domestic scene. As for Togawa he is a win-some-lose-some fighter who is 2-4 in his last 6 and has really struggled after reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Despite his losses he is pretty durable and should survive the 8 round schedule here. In a really well matched bout Daiki Kameyama (10-6-2, 3) will take on Shun Kosaka (19-9, 4), with both men looking to get their careers back on track after some recent set backs, and both also hoping to secure another regional or domestic title bout. The 27 year old Kameyama won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018, with a then 7-2-1 record, but has gone 3-4-1 since then losing to Shokichi Iwata, Yuga Inoue, Kosuke Ando and earning a draw in a regional title fight with Riku Kano. He’s been fighting at a good level, but losing at that level. As for Kosaka, he started 9-0, before losing in the 2014 All Japan Rookie of the Year final, and has gone 10-9 in his last 19 fights. Whilst some of his losses have come at a good level, including losses to Junto Nakatani and Seigo Yuri Akui, who both won world titles, others have come against much lower level domestic foes, such as Shota Asami. Given both men have struggled in recent years we suspect both will come into this feeling they have the tools needed to beat the other, and this could end up being a genuinely great fight between two limited but game domestic fighters. One other bout of note on this card will see 18 year old Thai Saharat Taehirun (8-1, 4) take on former regional title contender Kyohei Tonomoto (15-4-1, 7). In 9 bouts Taehirun has lost once, to the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai, sadly the Nakai bout aside there is nothing on his record to show any real ability, with all 8 wins coming against very low level opponents in Thai gym fights and it’s hard to read much into his record. As to Tonomoto he’s a fun fighter to watch, he showed he was game in his most bouts notably bouts, including losses to domestic foes Reiya Abe and Satoshi Shimizu and regional contender Jong Seon Kang, and has also shown enough to get excited about with wins against the limits of Kimihiro Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Takahara and Hikaru Matsuoka. He’s not a world beater, but a very solid domestic fighter, who is much better than his record suggests.  There is action across Asia this coming Saturday, though the two most noteworthy shows for the day both take place in Japan, and both feature title bouts.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The more notable of the two shows comes from Tokyo, where we get two title bouts, and the next bout in the career of an exciting and hard hitting young Japanese prospect. The main event will see Japanese Flyweight champion Jukiya Iimura (5-1, 1) make his second defense, as he takes on mandatory challenger Yuga Inoue (15-3-1, 3), in what is almost certainly going to be a high speed technical chess match. Iimura is a brilliant technical boxer, but he has shown some durability issues, as seen in his 2022 loss to Esneth Domingo, and if he gets tagged he could be in trouble. Matched against a fellow light puncher, such as Inoue, he won't need to worry much about his chin. Saying that however Inoue is known to drag fights into wars, and although he lacks power he doesn't mind fights being up close, as he loves to set a high tempo up close. If Inoue can cut the ring off he could be a really tough test for Iimura, however that’s a big if. The chief support bout here will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight champion Kenta Nakagawa (24-4-1, 12) defending his title against Tetsuro Ohashi (11-3-1, 2), who has stated that he is dedicating the bout to the recently deceased Kazuki Anaguchi who he described as his best friend. The 38 year old Nakagawa will be looking for his second defense of the title, and whilst no world beater he is a solid, and experienced all rounder, who has good skills, decent pop and good speed. He is however a man who has, in recent fights, started to look his age a little and father time will catch up with him shortly. As for Ohashi he is a skilled fighter, but he lacks pop and will struggle to get Nakagawa's respect here. Despite that he has a good work rate and good speed, and could be looking to rely on his youth against the much, much, older champion. The other bout of note on this card will see hard hitting youngster Kakeru Mashimo (7-0, 6), regarded by some as a future long term fixture of the Dynamic Glove series, taking on Indian visitor Dharmender (10-3, 6). Mashimo is aggressive, heavy handed, really exciting and one to keep an eye on with his aggressive mentality and style. Sadly Dharmender isn’t likely to ask any real questions of Mashimo, especially when you consider the only previous time he has fought outside of India, Dharmender was stopped in 6 rounds by Sathaporn Saart. Dhamender has fought at Featherweight, and might show some resistance, but it would be a huge surprise to see him last the 8 round distance here. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The other Japanese card is in Osaka and sees veterans colliding in the main event, a potentially explosive support bout, and a notable prospect in action. The main event of the card will see 46 year old Japanese veteran Yuki Nonaka (37-12-3, 11) take on 50 year old Australian Sam Soliman (49-18-1-2, 19) in a bout for the vacant OPBF Super Middleweight title. Soliman is a late replacement, after Rohan Murdock had to pull out, and on paper added a bit of extra star power for the bout, though Soliman is much faded from the man who once held the IBF Middleweight title. Nonaka has rebuilt well following back to back losses to Hiroya Nojima and Tyson Koki, and has won his last 2 bouts whilst settling at Super Middleweight, but given his lack of power, and his age, he will find it very, very hard to progress beyond the regional scene. As for Soliman, the wild and unorthodox Aussie has always kept himself in great shape, and will see this as a great chance to end his career with another title around his waist. At a combined age of 96 it’s hard to know what either man will do after this bout, but from a stylistic view, this should be really interesting, with Nonaka being a crisp, clean puncher, who sets himself and throws lovely technical shots, and Soliman really having a wild, crazy style, that lacks in terms of technical foundations and makes for some messy and wild fights. In a major supporting bout we’ll see Kyonosuke Kameda (11-3-2, 8) take on Ryukyu Oho (9-6-1, 5) in what should be a very fun, and potentially explosive clash. Kameda is always fun to watch, and win or lose he does make for good fights with his technical limitations masked by his size and power. Oho is better than his record suggests sadly for him however he has gone 2-2-1 in his last 5, and only has a single TKO win since 2021. If Oho can't make Kameda respect him, he could be in for a painful night here. A third bout worthy of attention here will see 19 year old Japanese prospect Shuri Oka (2-0, 1) look for his third win, as he takes on 17 year old Thai visitor Chanathip Khotchai (3-2, 2) in a scheduled 8 rounder. Despite only being 19 Suri is certainly one to keep an eye on, though we do hope he isn’t rushed too much as there is still a lot of work to do with him and given his age, and the fact he’s still maturing, there really is no need to race him into domestic or regional title fights. As for the visitor he has lost his last two, and actually had his unbeaten record ended last time he fought in Japan, when he was stopped in 2 rounds by Tomonori Nagao. Batangas City Coliseum, Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines Over in the Philippines we’re set for some low profile cards, one of which is in Batangas. The show really is a low profile one, and the best looking matchup set for the show will see the once beaten Leboy Atencio (3-1) take on Reynald Condes (3-3-1, 1). On paper this doesn’t look like a great bout, and with neither man having much power, it’s fair to suggest this may not end up being particularly exciting, or dramatic. Toledo City, Cebu, Philippines A second low level Filipino card is set for Toledo City. The only bout on the boxrec schedule at the time of writing is a matchup between the once beaten Jusue Bastillada (6-1, 3) and glass cannon Jayar Aliasot (6-6, 5). On paper this doesn’t look great, but it looks even worse when you realise that Aliasot has lost his last 5, with 4 of those losses being by TKO. Interestingly Bastillada’s sole loss was by stoppage, and given that Aliasot has power he could spring the upset here, but he will clearly be the under-dog. Hannam Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea Staying with low level cards, we’re also expecting one in Seoul, in what is very much a novice show. Almost all the bouts feature a debutant, with the only exception to that being a clash between Sang Myung Lee (1-0) and Dae Yub Jang (2-0, 2), who face off a Super Featherweight. Lee is 23 and debuted in January, with a 4 round win, whilst Jang is 24 and made his debut just over a year ago, with both of his wins so far being TKO3. against win-less fighters.  EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
In Osaka we'll be getting the next card from Harada Promotions, and whilst it's not a huge one, it does have two very noteworthy bouts. The main event of the card will see Kyonosuke Kameda (7-3-1, 6), the cousin of the fighting Kameda brothers, take on Filipino puncher Jon Jon Estrada (15-8-1, 14), in what could be a very, very explosive match up. The 23 year old Kameda is flawed, but a tall, rangy hard hitting fighter who looks huge at Featherweight and is also fighting with a point to prove after losing the Japanese Youth Featherweight title last time out, when he lost to Hiroki Hanabusa. Given that loss we're expecting him to fight like a man looking to re-establish himself as one to watch. Estrada on the other hand is a limited fighter, but someone with serious power, who comes in to this on the back of 4 early wins, including wins over Rex Wao and Jess Rhey Waminal. Estrada can be outboxed, but trying to out punch him is a major risk and he should have the power to crack Kameda's chin, is Kameda takes too many risks. We are really expecting this to be a shoot out and it could well be a blink and you miss it affair between two men who really can punch. The other notable bout on the show will see Japanese ranked fighters face off, as ranked Flyweight Shota Asami (9-10, 4) takes on ranked Light Flyweight Ryota Karimata (8-0, 4), in a battle of 27 year olds. Asami is a limited but exciting fighter, who is much better than his record suggests, and a lot of his losses have been incredibly close. He likes to let his shots go, and whilst he's not very polished, he is very much a frustrating fighter to share the ring with. Karimata on the other hand is best known for winning Rookie of the Year, and has notched two wins since then whilst slowly, but surely, heading towards bigger and better things. This bout really is an excellent test for Karimata, who, should he win, is likely to be pushed towards a Japanese title fight by Misako gym. Bohol, Philippines Over in Bohol we'll be getting a card promoted by Floriezly Podot, in what is set to be a low level Filipino show. Although the card is a low profile one, it does have a mouth watering minor title bout as the hard hitting pair of Antonio Siesmundo (8-3, 7) and Jhunrick Carcedo (7-1, 7) battle for the WBF Asia Pacific Light Welterweight title. Of the two men the more well known is Siesmundo, who was the debut opponent for Masahiro Suzuki back in 2018. He is incredibly dangerous early on, with 7 of his wins coming in the first 3 rounds, but also has questionable toughness, with all of his losses coming by stoppage. A bit of a glass cannon if you will. Carcedo is just as dangerous as Siesmundo, and his 7 wins have all come in the first 3 rounds. We don't expect a high level of skill here, but we do expect explosive action, especially in the early rounds. Also on this card is 24 year old prospect Regie Suganob (10-0, 3). Sadly Suganob is having a big step backwards as he takes on Indonesian fighter Asyer Aluman (3-2-1, 2). Suganob is a talented youngster who has notched wins over Jaroma Baloro and Ricardo Sueno in his last 2 bouts and this feels like a truly underwhelming bout for him in comparison to those wins. He's talented, he's young and hopefully his team will give him time to develop, mature and fill out as a Flyweight before pushing him towards a major regional title bout.  EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
This coming Saturday we'll be getting an Harada boxing show, held at the EDION Arena Osaka. Whilst the card isn't a big one it does have a Japanese Youth title fight as the main event, and a solid lower tied domestic bout as the chief support contest. The title fight will see Japanese Youth Featherweight champion Kyonosuke Kameda (7-2-1, 6) defending his title against the talented, but very light punching, Hiroki Hanabusa (8-2-3, 3) in an interesting first defense for Kameda. The hard hitting champion won the belt earlier this year, when he stopped Tsubasa Narai, and has won his last two by TKO following a 2019 loss to Jinki Maeda in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. Whilst Kameda is in great form the same can't be said of Hanabusa, who has lost his last two, but the talented Hanabua will go into this one knowing a win really can give his career a kick start, just when he needs it. Given the styles of the two men this really should be something fantastic to watch, with Hanabusa's out put going up against Kameda's power. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Kameda defends Japanese youth crown as he takes on Hanabusa! In a major supporting bout Japanese ranked Flyweight Shota Asami (9-8, 4) will be up against Keisuke Iwasaki (5-3-2, 1). On paper Asami doesn't look anything great, having lost 8 of his 17 professional bouts and 3 of his previous 8, however he has been competitive in all 3 of those defeats against some very good fighters, such as Daiki Tomita and Naoto Iwai. He is one of those fighters who is much better than his record suggests, and is going to be looking at securing a Japanese title fight in the next year or two. Iwasaki on the other hand has failed to win his last 2 bouts, but has shown his ability with wins over Mammoth Kazunori and the then unbeaten Ryuku Nagamine, and will know that a win over Iwasaki would earn him a Japanese ranking. This might not be a bout that excites those who don't follow the Japanese scene, but it should be a great one for the ones attending the event in Osaka.  EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
The Edion Arena plays host to two different shows this coming Friday, one from Taisei Promotions and one from Harada Promotion, both of which were originally scheduled to take place in June. The bigger of the two is the Taisei promoted event, which serves as a regional title double header. The main event will see former world title challenger Riku Kano (17-4-1, 8) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight title against the once touted Takumi Sakae (22-3-1, 16), in what could be a genuinely competitive match up. Kano was once regarded as the next super kid of Japanese boxing, but those hopes have faltered, repeatedly, in recent years and his ceiling, for now, appears to be this regional title level. Despite that comment he is a solid boxer, with good speed and he fights to his strengths. He is however too lightweight, at least at the moment, to make it to the top. Sakae was tipped incredibly highly at one point, but he has fallen short when he's stepped up and it seems clear that he doesn't have what it takes to reach the top. He's an exciting and fun guy to watch, but he's certainly lacking the tools to reach the world level. This bout could be a bit of a messy one, but should be competitive. Our full preview of this one can be read here Kano takes on Sakae in first defense of WBO Asia Pacific title In the co-feature veteran fighter Yuki Nonaka (34-10-3, 10) will defend his WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight title against Koki Koshikawa (9-2, 6). The talented Nonaka has had a remarkable career, and at 43 is among the oldest fighters in Japan. He signed a contract with an American promoted before the pandemic, and it was hoped that he would land a big US bout, but the pandemic put those plans to bed and he's now been out of the ring since September 2019. He desperately needs to get back in the ring, before father time beats him. In the opposite corner is a man who was tipped to be a star when he turned professional, following a strong run as an amateur, but has, so far, fallen short. Sadly for Koshikawa a TKO loss last time out, to Hironobu Matsunaga in 2019, has left his career dangling by a thread, and he needs a win here. It's rare for a bout to be a legitimate must win, but that's exactly what we have here. Our in depth preview of this one can be read here Veteran Nonaka takes on flawed Koshikawa! On the under-card we'll see WBO and JBC ranked Flyweight Arata Matsuoka (10-6, 4) take on Tetsuya Mimura (8-3, 1) in a 10 round bout. Matsuoka will be looking to fight for a domestic or regional title shortly, and this match up should help him prepare for something like that. As for Mimura he shouldn't be over-looked, but he's the big under-dog and probably lacks the power he'd need to defeat Matsuoka. One other domestic bout on this card worthy of some note will see Ryo Suwa (11-4, 2) take on Tomoya Kishine (6-4-1, 2), in a scheduled 6 rounder at Super Bantamweight. Suwa was once regarded as a domestic contender, but he has now lost 3 in a row and is more than 2 years removed from his last win. Kishine on the other hand is no world beater, but will feel he's getting to Suwa at the right time and a win here would still be a sizable boost to his career. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The other show is a much smaller event headlined by a Japanese Youth title fight, and a really interesting one at that. That Youth title bout will see the unbeaten Tsubasa Narai (7-0, 6), look to build on his Rookie of the Year win, back in February, as he takes on Kyonosuke Kameda (6-2-1, 5) in a mouth watering match up. Both of these men can punch, both are young, and both are coming to fight. For Kameda, the cousin of the fighting brothers, the key will be to use his height and reach to keep Narai at range and box behind his long straight shots. As for Narai we expect to see him relying on his power, and his aggression and for him to try and take Kameda out with single heavy shots, and well placed counters. Our preview of this one can be read here Narai and Kameda battle for Youth honours!  This coming Saturday is a pretty busy day in terms of Asian boxing with two shows in Japan, one in Thailand and one in India. Across those shows we will see a couple of regional title bouts, and a number of very promising youngsters as we move towards the end of November.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The most notable show of the day is an Ohashi promoted event at Korakuen Hall, which will feature a world ranked fighter defending a regional title, two interesting domestic fights and noteworthy exhibition. In the main event we'll see WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight champion Musashi Mori (11-0, 6) take on the heavy handed Tsuyoshi Tameda (21-5-2, 19) in an excellent match up. Mori, who is currently world ranked by the WBO, will be 21 when this fight takes place and will know that a win will help him move one step closer to a world title fight. Although a light puncher the talented youngster is maturing and following the guidance of legendary trainer Ismael Salas, and has become a very skilled young fighter. Tameda was once touted as one to watch, but in recent bouts he has been picking up losses, and appears to be falling short of expectation. Despite that Tameda is a rock fisted fighter and his power could give him a real chance, if he can catch Mori clean. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Young regional champion takes on dynamite puncher! In a supporting bout JBC #1 ranked Lightweight Seiryu Toshikawa (12-5, 7) will be taking on Takahiko Kobayashi (9-3, 7) in a good looking 8 rounder. The 24 year old Toshikawa, who will be risking his ranking here, has won 6 of his last 7, and has bounced well since a 2018 loss to Shawn Oda, in a very close fight for the Japanese Youth title. This however is not a gimme for him. In Kobayashi we have an under-rated 24 year old puncher who gave Handy Hiraoka real problems in 2017, leading on all 3 cards before being stopped, and beat touted Korean Jeong Han Cha last time out. Although not a spectacular bout on paper this is a really interesting match up, and could be a very, very compelling one when the men get in the ring. In another supporting bout we'll see the in form Hiromu Murota (6-4-1, 4) take on former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Seiichi Okada (22-7-1, 13). We've seen Murota really turn his record around after a 2-4-1 start, and he has run off 4 straight wins coming in to this bout, but they have all been at a very low level. As for Okada the 38 year old is well past his best, and it's more than 8 years since he lost the Japanese title to Daiki Kaneko. At his best Okada had more than enough skills to over-come Murota, but the question is what does he have left at this point in his long career. Also on this card will be an exhibition between former 3-weight world champion Akira Yaegashi (28-7, 17) and rising Japanese prospect Taku Kuwahara (7-0, 4). Although Yaegashi has retired as an active fighter it is good to see him remain in the sport, and it will be good to see him again here. Despite being retired he has continued to work in the sport, and is now working as a trainer at the Ohashi Gym. As for Taku Kuwahara the 25 year old Flyweight is one of the best prospects in Japan and this will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills against a loved figure of Japanese boxing ahead of his next fight in January. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan On a second card in Japan, over in Osaka, we see several interesting match ups. The main event will see Kyonosuke Kameda (5-2-1, 4), the cousin of Koki, Daiki and Tomoki, battle against the debuting Daiki Asai (0-0). On paper it's easy to assume that Kameda will be favoured here, especially after he reached the 2019 All Japan Rookie of the Year final last year, where he lost to Jinki Maeda, however this bout isn't the gimme it looks. Despite Kameda being from a successful boxing family it needs to be noted that Asai is a former amateur standout and went 61-16 (33), and will be looking to make a statement now he's turned professional. This could be a very intriguing bout, despite having the debutant status of Asai. Another very interesting bout here will see novice professional Ayato Hiromoto (2-0, 1) take on Japanese ranked Super Flyweight Ryosuke Nasu (12-5-3, 2). Originally we were expecting to see Hiromoto battled for world title challenger Masayuki Kuroda but with Kuroda being injured Hiromoto's team looked elsewhere and secured him this bout with Nasu. So far Hiromoto has looked a real talent, with excellent skills and boxing craft, but this is a serious step up. As for Nasu he's looking to secure a third straight wins following a 2019 loss to Kenta Nakagawa. This should be a very interesting match up, and a genuine test to see what Hiromoto really has to offer going forward. A third bout of interest here will see JBC ranked Light Flyweight Sho Omote (8-1, 3) take on Shota Asami (7-7, 4). The once beaten 26 year old is riding a 6 fight unbeaten streak, and had a sensational 2019 which included him winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year in December. The 25 year old Asami might not have a great record, and has lost his last 2 bouts, but he's had a number of very close bouts and he is much better than his record looks. With that in mind we wouldn't be surprised, at all, if Omote was given a very serious test by Asami here. Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand We also get a really good bout in Thailand pitting two talented unbeaten fighters against each other in a truly mouth watering contest. In one corner will be talented teenager Phoobadin Yoohanngoh (9-0, 4), who will be looking to defend his WBA Asia Light Welterweight title, whilst the other corner will play host to unbeaten challenger Atchariya Wirojanasunobol (13-0, 5). Aged just 16 Phoobadin is one of the most promising teenagers in the sport, and is tipped incredibly highly following several excellent performances. He will however need a career best performance here to over come the once touted Atchariya. As for Atchariya this will be his second bout since the start of 2019, following a lengthy legal battle, which derailed a bout in Japan against Andy Hiraoka. Aged 31 Atchariya can't afford an in ring set back, but he's in with a big, strong, skilled, youngster looking to make a big mark and move his career forward. This is a very, very interesting bout, and will be shown live on Thairath for fans interested in watching it live. Bawing Gym, General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines In the Philippines we'll see unbeaten prospect Criztian Pitt Laurente (5-0, 3) take on Renan Portes (10-13, 6), in what is expected to be another win for the talented Laurente. At one point Portes was a very capable fighter but he has now lost 8 in a row, and has been stopped in his last 5 suggesting he's essentially given up with trying to win. Given the talent of Laurente it's hard to see anything but a win for the youngster here. INTHEPINK FITNESS CLUB, Bangalore, India There will also be a show in India, albeit a very, very low key card. In one of the bouts on this show the unbeaten Karthik Sathish Kumar (5-0, 3) will be up against the debuting Jayapal Jaganadhan (0-0). The 24 year old Kumar debuting in April 2010 and has become a well travelled fighter already, with bouts in Thailand, Dubai and India. Sadly for him this will be his first bout since January. As for Jaganadhan, the 21 year old is really an unknown, and this looks like a tough debut, at least on paper. Another fighter making their debut on this card will be Shaik Nagma (0-0), who takes on the once beaten Ramandeep Kaur (6-1) in a female bout. Kaur was beaten last time out, by Rinky Inder Kishore, but will be looking to get back to winning ways here.  We really are closing in on Christmas, and even though we're a few days away we are set for one of the annual treats boxing calendar, the All Japan Rookie of the Year final. As well as the Rookie of the Year's there's a lot of other stuff going on, with a title bout, an eliminator and a host of prospects in action. This Sunday is big for Asian boxing!
Tokyo, Japan Our attention is obvious focused on the All Japan Rookie of the Year final from Korakuen Hall, with G+ airing the show live, and in full. For fans who want to know what makes Japanese boxing special at the lower end this is it. This is the culmination of a tournament that covers the whole country and takes the better part of a year. To get to the final you need to have won your regional final, and you don't get this far by chance. You get here on merit alone, and as a result we get some amazing match ups. We won't be going through all 12 bouts, but we have picked out favourite match ups from the line. It's always great to see all-unbeaten fights in the final and at Minimumweight we have one such bout, as Katsuki Mori (5-0, 1) takes on Takumi Chono (5-0, 3). This is a brilliant fight, with both men being young, having very similar records and both proving themselves to get this far. Mori is a sensational pure boxer from the Ohashi gym and will be looking to show case his skills, but Chono is not a push over, and has looked strong and powerful through out. The winner of this will really be one to watch in 2020. At Featherweight we expect to see fire-works as Kyonosuke Kameda (5-1-1, 4) and Jinki Maeda (3-0, 2) face off. It's been an emotional year for Kameda, the cousin of Koki, Daiki and Tomoki, and only 2 weeks ago there was a a real chance he'd miss out on this bout due to the politics at the Kyoei gym. Now here the hard hitting 21 year old will be wanting to make the most of his opportunity. Maeda has quietly made his way to the final, blowing out his first two professional opponents before shutting out the then 4-0 Hikaru Fukunaga. We expect this one to be the standout bout of the day. More fireworks are expected up at 140lbs where Kodai Honda (4-1, 3) and Yasutaka Fujita (5-0, 5) will face off. The 20 year old Honda lost on debut, more than a year ago, but has reeled off 4 wins since then, and he has stopped each of his last 3 opponents. Fujita on the other hand has been blitzing opponents and his 5 bouts have lasted just 10 rounds. Expect bombs to be thrown, and to be thrown early here! Osaka, Japan Whilst the Rookie of the Year show is the biggest it's certainly not the only show of note, and at the Sumiyoshi Ward Center the Muto Gym will be show casing some of their brightest young talents, as well as a regional champion. The main event of the show will see WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight champion Yuki Strong Kobayashi (15-8, 9) defending his title against Korean challenger Ki Chang Go (8-3, 4). This will be Kobayashi's first defense since winning the title in May with a minor upset against Ben Mananquil, and he'll be looking to go into the new year with some real momentum behind following a bizarre decision loss to Keita Kurihara at the end of 2018. It's really hard to see what Go offers here, and it was only last year that Go was stopped by career Flyweight Masahiro Sakamoto, a stablemate of Kobayashi's at the time. Our full and in depth previous of this regional title bout can be read here Kobayashi defends against Go in Osaka! In supporting bouts we'll see a trio of Muto gym prospects taking on Filipino foes. The most notable of the trio is Yusuke Mine (2-0, 1), who takes a huge step up to take on veteran Ardin Diale (35-15-4, 17). This is a brilliant bit of match making from the Muto team, who know that Diale is on the slide, but still very live and has been in there with a who's who of the lower weights. A risky match up for their star prospect, but a win here will instantly launch him into the mix for regional titles. High risk and high reward for Mine here. Another stellar prospect is Tulio Kuwabata (3-0, 2), who will be fighting as Deka-narudo Torio, who takes on hard hitting Pinoy Ken Jordan (8-1-2, 7). The 23 year old Kuwabata is tipped very highly by those in Japan and has been matched aggressively so far, with this being a pretty logical looking step. Jordan is unbeaten in over 2 years and recently claimed an ABF title, back in August. This is a bout between two youngsters each coming to win, and it should give us some very competitive action over 8 rounds. The third prospect of note is Ryosuke Nishida (1-0, 1), who made his debut in Thailand back in October. Unlike his fellow hopefuls he won't be in an 8 rounder, but instead he'll be scheduled for 6 rounds against the tough Pablito Canada (7-17-4, 1), and will likely be taken the distance by Canada who has only been stopped twice in his 28 bout career. Osaka, Japan A second Osaka, card, this time from the EDION Arena, will also be worthy of some attention. The main event here is a Japanese Super Flyweight title eliminator, the final of the eliminators to take place this year, and will see former world title challenger Hiroyuki Kudaka (26-18-3, 11) clash with Yuta Matsuo (15-4-1, 8) for the chance to fight Kenta Nakagawa in the new year. At 34 years old a loss will likely send Kudaka into retirement, ending an incredibly interesting and often exciting career, so we expect to see him being fired up for this. Matsuo is no world beater, but he is better than his record suggests and is hoping to secure a second Japanese Super Flyweight title fight, following a loss to Takayuki Okumoto earlier this year. Our in depth preview of this eliminator is available to read here Kudaka and Matsuo to clash in final Japanese eliminator of 2019! In an 8 round supporting bout Kenta Nomura (6-3, 3) will battle Ryo Suwa (11-2, 2), in a very interesting looking contest. Nomura is looking to bounce back from an August loss to Toshiki Shimomachi, in a Japanese Youth title fight, and although he's nothing special he does tend to make for good fights. Suwa on the other hand has won 4 of his last 5 and will see this as a chance to take a huge step towards a potential youth title fight of his own. This show will also feature the debut of former amateur standout Kantaro Juri (0-0), who fought in the Asian and World Youth Championships back in 2014, who will be in a 6 rounder at a contracted 53KG's. Sadly his opponent here hasn't been confirmed, though we have been told it will be an Indonesian opponent. Golaghat, India As well as the Japanese action there is also a low level Indian card in Golaghat. This card will be headlined by Sagar Narwat (9-1-1, 3) taking on Shiva (9-3, 3) in an 8 round bout. For Narwat this is a chance to get back to winning ways following October's loss to Troy O'Meley in Australia. As for Shiva he's now wheeled off 3 straight wins after he suffered a trio of losses on the road in 2017. Sadly this bout aside the card isn't really worth getting too excited about. |
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