 Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day running Amazon Prime and Teiken team up to give us a boxing fiesta, with this one coming to coincide with Sports Day, a national holiday in Japan. The card features 3 world title bouts and a regional title bout, with the fighters in those 4 bouts sporting a crazy combined record of 182-6-1-1 and 4 of them being unbeaten, 4 being current or former world champions, 2 being multi-weight world champions, and one being a former kick boxing star turned fast rising boxing sensation. So we mentioned the fighters on this card having 182 wins between them, 104 of those wins come from the two fighters in the main event. That bout will see 3-weight world champion Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21) [中谷 潤人] defending his WBC Bantamweight title, for the second time, as he takes on highly experienced Thai veteran Tasana Salapat (76-1, 53), aka Petch CP Freshmart or Petch Sor Chitpattana, in the Thai’s biggest bout so far. The talented Nakatani, regarded by many as Japan’s #2 fighter behind Naoya Inoue, has taken world titles at Flyweight, Super Flyweight and now Bantamweight, and appeared to be getting bigger and stronger with every move up in weight. With his frame clearly capable of adding more weight it’s hard to know just how high Nakatani can go, but on recent performances he’s looking better as a Bantamweight than he did at 112lbs or 115lbs. As for the challenger the Thai is a hard man to get much of a read on, despite having had a staggering 77 fights. Sadly much of his competition for those 77 fights has been below appalling with his only real bout of note coming in late 2018, when he lost a clear decision to Takuma Inoue in a bout for the WBC Interim Bantamweight title. In that bout he showed himself to have grit, determination, and hunger, but was technically lacking, predictable, slow and easy to hit. It’s going to be very interesting to see what his grit and determination is like whilst being tagged by the heavy, hurtful shots of Nakatani, who appears to be taking an “easy” fight to close out the year and score his third win of 2024. It appears going forward that Nakatani won’t be a solo-act with close friend, and fellow world champion, Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5) looking to become something of a double act with Nakatani. That was shown back in July, when Nakatani made his first defense and Olascuaga won the WBO Flyweight title, and appears to be the case again here as he makes his first defense, taking on Puerto Rican Jonathan Gonzalez (28-3-1-1, 14). Olascuaga has become a very popular fighter in Japan, not just due to his links to Nakatani, with the two having been friends since they were teenagers and both train together, but also due to his performances in Japan including a loss to Kenshiro Teraji in 2023 and wins over Giemel Magramo and Riku Kano, with the Kano win netting Olascuaga the WBO title. He’ll be looking to build on his moment as he takes on Gonzalez, who recently vacated the WBO Light Flyweight title to campaign at 112lbs. Notably Gonzalez is also pretty well known in Japan, having given Kosei Tanaka, who we’ll speak about in a moment, a great contest back in 2019, and taking a very controversial win over Shokichi Iwata back in 2022. He was also linked to a triple title unification fight with Kenshiro Teraji, which fell apart at short notice when he had to pull out, so may not get the warmest of welcomes here. Having just mentioned him it’s worth noting that Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11) will also be on this show, taking on unbeaten South African Phumelele Cafu (10-0-3, 8), in what will be Tanaka’s first defense of the WBO Super Flyweight title. The talented Tanaka, now a 4-weight world champion, was left without a dance partner earlier this year when Jonathan Rodriguez failed to make weight, and given that set back we’re expecting to see Tanaka fight like a man with a lot of anger and frustration and really try to take the fight to Cafu, using him to make a statement. Of course Cafu isn’t unbeaten for no reason, and the South African challenger has scored notable wins over Ben Mananquil, Jackson Chauke and Genisis Libranza. He's stepping up, massively, for this fight, and fighting outside of South Africa for the first time, but will be full of confidence and could well have the determination to give an Angry Tanaka hell. This bout is easy to overlook but has the potential to be a FOTY candidate, something Tanaka is known for having, especially against opponents that’s expected to easily deal with. The other bout of note on this card will see former kickboxing sensation turned boxer Tenshin Nasukawa (4-0, 2) look to win his first title, as he faces unbeaten Filipino Gerwin Asilo (9-0, 4) in a bout for the WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight title. Nasukawa looks like one of the most impressive young prospects in the sport, and is rapidly improving as a boxing, and already has the natural charisma and aura that can turn a star into a megastar. He’s lightning quick, scary sharp, and although he’s not a KO puncher he is developing his power, and appears to be a lot more spiteful than he first looked. This is his chance to take a huge leap towards a world title fight and he’ll know a win here sets up some major fights in 2025. As for Asilo his record is a mixed back, though he does have a solid win over domestic foe Aljum Pelesio, who had gone 10 rounds in a bout for this very same title with Ryosuke Nishida just a bout before Asilo beat him. Asilo has plenty of hunger and will know a win here would be a massive boost to his career, though he will clearly be a massive under-dog against the sensational Nasukawa. Athletic Center, Nakatsu, Oita, Japan Being over-shadowed by the big Teiken/Amazon show is a Rookie of the Year event in Oita, which will see the best from Western Japan take on the best from Central Japan, to progress towards the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in December. As is always the case with Rookie of the Year the fighters aren’t well known, but are fighting to become known, and the tournament almost always unveils some stars of the future. For this particular show the most interesting bout on the show is a 5 rounds at Flyweight as Atom Sunagawa (5-1, 3) takes on Ryoya Ogawa (4-1-1, 1), in the only 5 rounder on the show. Sunagawa is 23 years old and at 5’7” is tall for the weight. He began his career in 2022 and despite a loss in 2023 has bounced back well with two good wins to reach this stage of the competition. As for Ogawa he’s 25 and lost his second bout, before finding the right weight for himself, and he’s now making a mark at 112lbs. His competition hasn’t been as good as Sunagawa’s, but he’s riding a 4 fight unbeaten streak here. Another bout that looks interesting is at Bantamweight, where we see unbeaten men collide as Ryunosuke Sakashita (1-0) takes on Retsu Nakamura (3-0-1, 2). Aged 25 Sakashita only made his debut in July, when he beat Hikaru Mukai, take the decision 40-35 from all 3 judges. As for Nakamura he’s 20 and debuted just over a year ago. He won his first 3 bouts before fighting a draw last time out, against the then 4-0 Koki Ogawa. Nakamura is certainly the more experienced but the question is how he can use that experience here. Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines Outside of Japan we also get a small show in the Philippines, the card doesn’t have any major bouts, but does have an interesting contest between two veterans and the next bout in the career of a young and emerging hopeful. The veterans, who are clashing at Super Bantamweight, are Mark Anthony Geraldo (39-13-3, 20) and Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-25-3, 12) who should be able to put on a pretty interesting fight between them. Geraldo was, for a time, one of the more under-rated fighters coming out of the Philippines, with good skills, respectable power, good timing and good toughness. Now aged 33 however he has started to drop off and is a very, very long way removed from who beat future world champion Jerwin Ancajas and earned himself an IBF world title eliminator, losing a decision to McJoe Arroyo and lost a competitive bout with Takuma Inoue. He has rapidly fallen from 31-5-3 to going 8-8 in his following 16 bouts and has lost 4 of his last 5 dating back to late 2021. His 1 win in that 5 fight run was a win over Ponteras, in what was a very entertaining war earlier this year. Ponteras, who’s record really doesn’t show how solid and good of a fighter he is, will be looking to avenge that loss, and end an 11 fight losing run. To be fair we’re not expecting Ponteras to pick up the upset here, but we are expecting a fun tear up, much like their first bout. They styles gelled well and for fans sometimes a fun fight is what we need, rather than just big names Also on this card will be the unbeaten Crisaldy Beltran (3-0, 2), who takes on domestic journeyman Jerry Pabila (7-13, 5). The 20 year old “El Dinamita” made his debut in April and has racked up 3 wins in a combined 6 rounds, but against very low level or inexperienced opponents. Whilst Pabila is no serious threat he does have some experience and should be able to ask Beltran some questions before ultimately being stopped, for the 13th time in his career.
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 Bukidnon, Philippines
This coming Monday we get a small but notable show in Bukidnon. The card is certainly not going to get much attention, but there is a nice mix of youth and veterans on the show. In regards to veterans we’ll see 32 year old Mark Anthony Geraldo (38-13-3, 19) take on 34 year old Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-23-3, 12). Of the two men Geraldo is the much more well known fighter, having faced a genuine who’s who in and around the Bantamweight scene, the likes of Jerwin Ancajas, McJoe Arroyo, Takuma Inoue and Nordine Oubaali, but he’s also a man who is looking like his 54 fight career is catching up with him losing his last 4 and leaving him without a win since 2019! Ponteras on the other hand hasn’t fought at the same level as Geraldo, and comes into this on the back of 9 straight losses, but does have the edge in power and toughness, and despite having 23 losses to his name has only been stopped 3 times. It’s fair to say this is a bout between two veterans on the way out, but both will see this as a chance to take a late career victory. In regards to younger fighters Hong Kong fighter Raymond Poon KaiChing (9-2, 6) is set to take on local Filipino Jerry Francisco (9-2, 2), in a really well matched bout for the WBC Asian Continental Light Flyweight title. KaiChing is 28 years old, and has bounced back well since losing to Xiang Li in 2019, winning his last two bouts, both by stoppage. Francisco on the other hand lost last time out, when he was stopped by Arvin Magramo, and hasn't fought in well over 2 years. On paper this is a really good bout, but we do wonder about the ring rust that Francisco will have from such a lengthy lay off. Another fighter on this card worthy of some attention is the unbeaten Wenie Cline Verano (11-0, 8), a 30 year old female fighter who has looked destructive so far. She’ll be expecting to continue her unbeaten record here as she takes on Indian teenager Kamaljeet Kaur (2-1, 1). This should be little more than a stay busy fight for Verano who should be facing tougher opponents sooner rather than later.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get the next show from Shisei Promotions, and whilst it's not a huge card it does feature a number of interesting match ups including a mouth watering regional title bout, a pair of well matched Japan Vs Philippines bouts, and the debut of someone worth keeping an eye on. We'll start with the interesting debut, as 25 year old Toshihiro Suzuki (0-0) kicks off his highly anticipated professional boxing career, and takes on Thai visitor Pornthep Wadngam (4-2, 3). As an amateur Suzuki went 82-22, won bronze at the Youth Championships and silver at the Nanjing Youth Olympics, and the expectations on his shoulders are huge given his success in the unpaid ranks. As for the visitor, this will be his first bout outside of Thailand, and should be regarded as a massive step up from the competition he's been facing at home. In an interesting match up between Japan and the Philippines we'll see the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai (4-1-1, 2) take on Jess Rhey Waminal (14-5-1, 8), who needs a win right now. Nakai is one of the most under-rated hopefuls in Japan and has been really unlucky in his career so far, though has the tools to make a mark well above domestic level in the years to come. As for Waminal, the Filipino has struggled recently, losing his last 2, and 3 of his last 4, though he has been fighting at a very good level with losses coming to Pete Apolinar and Zhong Liu among others. Waminal is dangerous, despite recent form, whilst Nakai will know this is a chance to get some well over-due respect for his ability. In another Japan Vs Philippines bout we'll see 24 year old Japanese hopeful Ryuto Owan (8-1, 6) take on Filipino veteran Mark Anthony Geraldo (38-10-3, 19). Coming in to this Owan has stopped his last 3, and looked to have developed his man strength following a 2018 loss to Tetsu Araki. He looks to be heading places, and fighting out of the Shisei gym he is certainly training alongside top names. As for Geraldo the Filipino has been around the scene for years, and has shared the ring with a genuine who's who. He lost last time out to Carl Jammes Martin, but did give Martin a really good test over 12 rounds, and we're expecting something similar here for Owan. In the main event we'll see Yoshimitsu Kimura (13-2-1, 8) faces former foe Kanehiro Nakagawa (11-6, 5) for the WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title. The talented Kimura is looking to build on a big win last time out against Kosuke Saka, and put some disappointment behind him, following a bout with Samir Ziani falling through. He will enter as the favourite, and be looking for a repeat of a previous win over Nakagawa. As for Nakagawa he really built himself following that loss to Kimura, and has gone 7-1 since that defeat, and will feel full of confidence as he seeks revenge. The bout might not be a huge one, but it's one that has the potential to be something a little bit special, and a real war, given the mentalities of the two men involved. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Kimura and Nakagawa battle for regional title!  This coming Saturday isn't a huge day for Asian fight fans, but there is a nice mix of action, including title fights, in both Japan and the Philippines, as well as prospects in action in what should be a better day of action than it looks on paper.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan For us the most interesting action comes from Tokyo, where will be getting the latest Dynamic Glove show. The card features an Oriental title fight, a rematch of an interest Japanese Middlewieght bout and a the next step up for a promising prospect. The title bout will see OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight champion Ryota Toyoshima (14-2-1, 9) make his second defense of the OPBF belt as he takes on "reimported" boxer Shoki Sakai (26-12-2, 14), who first made his name fighting in the West. The talented Toyoshima has been on a tear in recent bouts, and scored notable wins over Riku Nagahama and Yuki Beppu already this year, a win over the teak tough Sakai would put him in the running for the Japanese domestic fighter of the year. Sakai on the other hand was last seen losing a close, and hotly contested, bout to Keita Obara for the Japanese title, and he'll know that a loss here might be his final shot to win a notable title, especially his style which does seem him taking a lot of punishment. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Toyoshima defends OPBF title against tough guy Sakai! In an interesting Japanese Middleweight bout, yes we do actually get some of those, we'll see All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Katsuhiro Nakata (7-0, 4) look to repeat his September win over once touted amateur Ran Tomomatsu (1-2). In their first bout Nakata won 58-56 on all 3 cards, but Tomomatsu was certainly not shown up there and will be determined to get revenge here, and get his career back on track after back to back losses. A third bout of note on this card will see promising novice Yudai Murakami (1-0), who was a very solid Japanese amateur, look to score his second win in the professional ranks, as he takes on Yudai Yakabu (3-2, 3). Murakami looked solid in his debut, back in January, but this is a credible step up and the hard hitting Yakabu will be in the ring to stop, or be stopped. Interestingly Yakabu has never seen round 4 of a fight, and has only gone beyond a single round twice, so we do not expect this one to go long. The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines As well as the Japanese card there's also an interesting one in the Philippines featuring former world title challengers and promising unbeaten fighters. The best bout on the card sees the once touted Mark Anthony Geraldo (38-9-3, 19), who really is a skilled fighter but has been inconsistent at times, take on exciting youngster Carl Jammes Martin (17-0, 15) for the GAB Super Bantamweight title. Geraldo won the title in 2019 and has defended it once since winning it, but has been inactive and this will be his first bout in over 2 years. Although very skilled we do wonder problems inactivity will cause for him here. As for Martin he is one of the rising stars of Filipino boxing, with an exciting, hard hitting style. Martin has been stepping up his level of competition in recent bouts, and will feel confident of making this step up as well as he looks to prove he's ready for bigger and better bouts. This should be a very interesting test for the unbeaten youngster. In a battle of unbeaten fighters former amateur standout Charly Suarez (8-0, 6) will be up against Delmar Pellio (9-0, 4). Suarez was someone who had the skills to go a long, long way in the sport. Now aged 33 it seems he will never come close to reaching his potential, and instead it seems almost like he's going to be a fighter who retires as tale of what could have been, had he turned professional younger and had the Pandemic not hit. Aged 21 Pellio is promising youngster, but sadly he comes into this bout having been out of the ring for almost 2 years and he is stepping up massively. It's hard to see past a Suarez win here, but he needs to kick on in 2022 if he's ever going to come close to landing a major international bout. A third bout of note on this card will see two former world title challengers facing off, as recent Naoya Inoue victim Michael Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20) takes on Ernesto Saulong (22-7-2, 9), who challenged the then IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa back in 2018. On paper this looks a pretty interesting bout, but Saulong has struggled for wins recently and is 1-5-1 in his last 7. Despite that he is tough and he will be in the ring looking to upset Dasmarinas, who hasn't fought since losing to the Monster back in June. The loser of this is unlikely to find themselves anywhere close to a major international fight, but the winner could end up landing a fight of note next year. CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada Away from Asia we'll see Canadian based Indian fighter Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti (8-0, 3) take on limited veteran Juan Carlos Raygosa (17-18-3, 6). Singh is a solid boxer, but the 29 year old is going to have to look to make up for lost time next year, as he only fought once in 2020 and this will be his first bout of 2021. Thankfully he will get some rounds here because Raygosa, for all his faults, is a tough and rugged guy capable of taking good fighters rounds. This is not the "gimmie" it looks, but it's hard to see past a Bhatti win.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday in Tokyo we get a low key card with a few notable bouts on it. One of the names on this card to be excited about is the debuting Ayato Hiromoto (0-0), the older brother of promising female fighter Eruka Hiromoto. The talented Ayato is expected to go on to big things, and will get a chance to show what he can do here against Thai opponent Suriyo Chonlathan (1-0, 1). Little is known about the Thai, though from what we under-stand he made his debut 11 months ago, with a win against another debut. In a potentially explosive bout we'll see the hard hitting Zirolian Riku (8-3, 8) take on fellow Japanese foe Ken Matsuzawa (5-5, 3). Between the two men they've had a combined 11 KO wins, from 13 combined wins, and 5 of their 8 combined losses have also been by stoppage. We do not expect this one to see the final bell! Interestingly the actual main event of this card is a low key match up between Joji Tsuchiya (8-5-3, 5) and Kazuki Kobayashi (7-10, 2), in what is a really weak main event bout. It's hard to get excited about this main event, but it should be a pretty competitive 8 rounder and make for some really fun low level action. Metro Manila, Philippines Despite the action in Japan we'd actually say the day's highlight is in the Philippines, where we see a former world title challenger, a top young prospect and a once touted contender all in action. One of two title bouts will see the talented Mark Anthony Geraldo (37-9-3, 18) take on the limited Lorence Rosas (9-4-2, 3), with Geraldo looking to defend the GAB Super Bantamweight title. The talented Geraldo will be looking to make his first defense here, and score his 4th straight win following a 2017 loss to Nordine Oubaali. Rosas on the other hand is looking to avoid a 4th straight loss, but it's now 18 months since he last picked up a win. A second title bout on this card will see the unbeaten Carl Jammes Martin (13-0, 12) go for gold as he takes on the experienced Benezer Alolod (19-12-5, 7) in a bout for the PBF Bantamweight title. On paper this isn't really a step up for Martin, but in reality we;re expecting this to be his toughest bout to date, as Alolod, despite his record is no push over and he'll be in there to win, and to upset the fast rising youngster. Given Martin's energy, power and aggression he'll be favoured, but we expect to see him need to work for this one Also on this card will be former world title challenger Vince Paras (14-2, 10), who has been matched incredibly softly as he goes up against domestic journeyman Vincent Bautista (5-15-4, 1). After taking two hard fought losses in 2018, to Hiroto Kyoguchi and Jonathan Taconing, we can excuse a couple of confidence building wins for Paras, who also picked up an easy win in April against Reymark Taday. At one point Bautista was a solid journeyman but with 9 losses in a row and 3 stoppages losses in his last 7 there is a feeling he's very becoming damaged goods. Bangkok, Thailand Staying in Asia we also get a small card in Thailand. One of the bouts of note here will see Kongfah CP Freshmart (28-1, 15) taking on Hyuma Fujioka (10-9-1, 2), in a bout for a regional WBC Super Bantamweight title. On paper this looks like a mismatch in favour of Kongfah, who is currently riding a 14 fight winning. Despite being a clear under-dog Fujioka is a live dog here, and ran Ryo Akaho close earlier in the year. Kongfah should be favoured, but we wouldn't be surprised if he really needs to work for the win. Yorkshire, United Kingdom We also see some Asian attention in the UK as once beaten Thai fighter Aran Dipaen (6-1, 5) takes on unbeaten Brit Tommy Frank (11-0, 3) in a bout for the WBC international silver Super Flyweight title. For Dipean this will be his third bout outside of Thailand, following a loss in Russia to Zafar Parpiev and a win earlier this year in Japan against Ryohei Arakawa. The under-dog the Thai is a very live fighter coming into this. Frank has been matched tougher than the Thai and until recently had shown little in terms of power, but with 3 stoppages in his last last 4 he is certainly developing belief in his power. This could be a very, very interesting match up. Originally Downua Ruawaiking (16-0, 13) was pencilled into for this card, but he now appears to have had his bout on the show cancelled. Davao del Norte, Philippines
Thsi coming Saturday our attention turns to the Philippines where we see a number of notable fighters featuring on a hot of notable names, including 3 former amateur standouts. One of the main bouts on this card will see 27 year old Mark Anthony Geraldo (37-9-3, 18) battle against Neil John Tabanao (17-5, 11) in a battle for the GAB Super Bantamweight title. Geraldo will be making his first defense of the title, and despite only being 27 this will be his 50th professional bout. Tabanao comes into this bout on the back of a loss to Angelo Leo, in the US in April, but had won his previous 4 and is 14-1 in the Philippines. This could be a very competitive contest. The most notable of the amateur fighters on this show is Charlie Suarez (2-0, 2), who takes a notable step up in class to take on Indonesian journeyman Waldo Sabu (13-14, 3) in a bout for the interim WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Featherweight title. The 30 year old Suarez really does need to look good in a bout like this to push his career along, as he is simply too old to waste time, and we're glad this is his 3rd bout in 4 months. Hopefully a win here will be followed by something more meaningful in the near future. Sabu scored a shock win last time he was in the Philippines, but has since suffered back to back losses and is 3-8 in his last 11. The under-rated Joey Canoy (14-3-1, 7) will be looking to pick up a couple of low level regional titles as he takes on Frans Damur Palue (15-22-3, 10), from Indonesia. The talented Canoy is a real talent and is expected to go far with his career. This bout will be for the WBA Asia and WBC Asian Boxing Council silver Minimumweight titles, and we can't help but think that Canoy will make light work of Palue and begin to target more meaningful titles in the near future. As well as Saurez fans if the Filipino amateur scene will also be happy to heat that Criztian Pitt Laurente (1-0, 1) and Criz Russu Laurente (1-0,1 ), who are brothers, are scheduled for this show. Both were very good amateurs and both could be fast tracked, despite both only being teenagers. These are two super hot Filipino prospects to make a note of.  This coming Saturday is set to be a hectic day with a lot of action as we continue to race towards Christmas!
Tecamac, Mexico In many ways the most significant bout to include an Asian this coming Saturday comes from Mexico where former world champion Nana Yoshikawa (7-2, 4) resurfaces, to take on the limited Delia Lopez (10-6-2, 5) for the WBC Female interim Flyweight title. For Yoshikawa a loss is likely to be the end of her career, and it would be a huge disappointment given her amateur background. Lopez however is a less than great opponent and should pose little threat for the Japanese fighter. Hyogo, Japan Staying on the theme of Japanese fighters there is also a low key card in Hyogo, thanks to Senrima Kobe. The main event of the card will see 2-time world title challenger Teiru Kinoshita (25-2-1, 8) take on a Thai foe in what is expected to be little more than a confidence builder for Kinoshita. The Japanese fighter was last seen in action this past July when he was stopped by Jerwin Ancajas in Australia, and it's clear that he's not going to win a world title. Despite that it's good to see him back in the ring, and hopefully he'll be moved towards an OPBF title fight in 2018. Another notable Japanese fighter on this card is Ryoki Hirai (9-4-1, 4), who sadly will also be facing a less than testing Thai foe. The talented Hirai has a misleading record, and is much better than the numbers suggest, as shown by recent wins over Takumi Sake and Ryoya Ikema. Although this bout is a step backwards for Hirai it should be noted that he was injured earlier in the year and this looks like an easy run out to test how he's recovered. The most interesting bout on this card will see Japanese ranked fighters collide as Giraffe Kirin Kanda (10-2, 6) battles Mitsuyoshi Fujita (10-3, 3). Coming in to this Kanda is on a 4 fight winning streak, including a big win over Ukyo Yoshigai, and looks to be slowly but surely working his way to a domestic title fight. Whilst Kanda is in good form the same can't be said or Fujita, who was stopped last time out by Koki Inoue, though prior to that loss he had been on an 8 fight winning run and is a live fighter here in what looks like a genuine 50-50 match up. Zhongshan, China For a second day running there will be action in Zhongshan, with several titles on the line. One of those titles will be the WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Super Featherweight title, which will see Filipino Joe Noynay (12-2-1, 4) battle against Chinese fighter Yongcai Liu (6-4-3, 3). Noynay was last seen losing in a very competitive contest to Reiya Abe, in what was his second loss in 4 bouts, but he should be favoured here. The local has won hist last two against veterans, but a win here would be a surprise given that he is stepping up quite notably here. A second bout for a WBC Asian Boxing Council title will be at Super Middleweight and will see once beaten Chinese puncher Ainiwaer Yilixiati (11-1, 9) take on Georgian foe Tornike Gikashvili (15-7-1, 3). For Yilixiati this bout will be his second since losing to OPBF champion Jayde Mitchell back in August, and it's hard to see anything but a win for the aggressive Chinese slugger. The 20 year old visitor has gone 1-5 in his last 6, including 4 stoppage losses, and it's hard to imagine him lasting the distance here. Another bout at Super Middleweight will see Zulipikaer Maimaitiali (9-1-1, 7) take on Pavel Semjonov (21-7-2, 8), in a non-title bout. The exciting Maimaitiali will be fighting for the second time since his very close loss to Vijender Singh in August and he will be looking to make a statement here. The visitor, from Estonia, may be recognisable to European fight fans, as he has fought a variety of notable fighters, but regularly comes up short in performance that show his toughness. We're expecting to see Maimaitiali win, and if so we can hopefully move towards a bout between him and the aforementioned Yilixiati. Metro Manila, Philippines The most significant of three shows in the Philippines takes place in Metro Manila and features a trio of title bouts, along with a scattering of other notable fighters. One of those title bouts will see the promising Ernesto Saulong (21-2-1, 8) battle against countryman Renan Portes (10-5, 6) for the IBF Pan Pacific Bantamweight title. Coming in to this Saulong has won his last 3, and rebuilt well following his 2015 loss to Lwandile Sityatha. On paper Portes looks the much lesser fighter, and his loss to Hayate Kaji earlier this year does show he can be blasted out, but Portes will know this is a big opportunity and hopefully he looks to take it with both hands. A second title bout, for the OPBF Silver Light Flyweight title will see the once beaten Ivan Soriano (16-1-1, 8) take on the upset minded Jaysever Abcede (15-7, 10). Coming in to this Soriano is riding a 12 fight winning run, dating back to 2010, though he has taken a significant break from action during that run and has fought only 4 rounds in the last 4 years. Abcede is best known for a 2015 upset win over Pigmy Kokietgym, though has only gone 5-4 since then and lost to the likes of Tsubasa Koura and Wanheng Menayothin. This could be a really intriguing match up, though it does look like one that Soriano should pick up the win in. A third title bout, and by far the weakest on the card, will see Danny Tampipi (7-8-2, 4) battle Noel Adelmita (13-11-2, 2) for the PBF Super Bantamweight title. We'll be honest and admit we really are struggling to get excited about this one with both fighters being out of form and neither likely to really shine here. Other fighters on this card include Mark Anthony Barriga (7-0, 1), Jerald Daniega (11-0, 8), Richard Claveras (18-3-2, 15) and AJ Banal (34-2-1, 23), all of whom are expected to pick up straight forward wins against over-matched foes. Barriga and Daniega are two real prospects with genuine potential, whilst Claveras and Banal are both aggressive and exciting and aggressive fighters who should be looking to make statements. Metro Manila, Philippines A second Filipino show in Metro Manila will take place, though to much less fan fare than the one above. The most notable bout on the card is a huge mismatch between Cris Paulino (14-3, 4) and Roy Lagrada (3-18-1, 3). The talented Paulino is the much better fighter here, despite losing successive bout to Koki Eto and Vic Darchinyan, though has taken 2 years out of the ring and will be looking to ease himself back into action against the over-matched Lagrada. This show will also feature the once beaten Giemel Magramo (19-1, 15), who looks to secure his third win since a close and competitive loss to Muhammad Waseem back in November 2016. Sadly at the time of writing Magramo's opponent hadn't been announced. Cebu, Philippines There will also be a small card in Cebu. The main event of the card will see the heavy handed Jayar Aliasot (6-1, 5) take on domestic foe Carlo Demecillo (8-4, 2). Aliasot is stepping up big time here, but will feel his power can do a number on Demecillo, like Satoshi Shimizu's did last December, and that he can get the lighter punching man out of there. As for Demecillo the game plan will be able dragging his man into the later rounds, and out working him, showing the toughness that gave Hisashi Amagasa problems in October 2016. Also on this card is a very interesting looking match up between 32 year old Clyde Azarcon (10-1, 4) and 21 year old Royder Lloyd Borbon (5-1-1, 5). Coming in to this Azarcon has won his last 9, but the competition during that run tells us very little about how good he is and none of the opponents had records to suggest they were really going to be tests. Borbon on the other hand will come in on the back of 3 stoppages, and will be looking to score his best win to date here. This should tell us a lot about both men. Brovari, Ukraine In Ukraine we see a Filipino fighter go to the Lion's den to face one of the more over-looked Ukrainian fighters of recent times. The Ukrainian in question is the outstanding Denys Berinchyk (7-0, 4), who was a Silver medal winner at the 2011 World Amateur championships and the 2012 Olympics. In the opposite corner to the Ukrainian will be once beaten Filipino Allan Vallespin (11-1, 8), who was stopped in his only bout outside of the Philippines by a thunder bolt from current Japanese Super Featherweight champion Masaru Sueyoshi. Vallespin could test Barinchyk but it's hard to imagine him getting a win here. Hauts-de-Seine, France We have another bout involving a Filipino in France, as local prospect Nordine Oubaali (12-0, 9) takes on the highly experienced Filipino Mark Anthony Geraldo (34-7-3, 15) in a bout for the WBC “Silver” Bantamweight title. The talented Oubaali is a 2-time Olympian who was once tipped for big things, but at 31 years old it does seem like now or never for him. Aged 26 Geraldo has been able to be a busy professional and has shown real touches of brilliance, but has never quite managed to put on a full performance at the higher levels. Coming in to this Geraldo is 3-3, including a loss to Takuma Inoue, and although he could give Oubaali a good test, it would be regarded as a real upset if Geraldo picked up the win. Quebec, Canada In Canada we see one of the most exciting prospects from Kazakhstan in action. That man is the heavy handed Batyrzhan Jukembayev (10-0-0-2, 9), who takes a credible step up in class to take on 22 year old American Wilberth Lopez (20-8, 14). The hard hitting Jukembayev does look like a destructive force and is carving out a promising career in Canada but does need to win here to continue that run. Lopez will come in as the opponent but he will be a very live one. He has gone the distance with decent prospects, like Alex Saucedo, Ivan Baranchyk and Juan Ruiz, whilst also proving he can score the odd upset, as he did against Jose Roman. This is not likely to be a walk in the park for the Canadian based Kazakh.  Hong Kong, China
The most notable card this coming weekend comes from Hong Kong of all places. The headline bout on the card will see three secondary titles being unified as local star Rex Tso (20-0, 12) takes on former 2-time world title challenger Hirofumi Mukai (13-4-3, 3) in a bout that both men will see as a must win. The aggressive Tso will be favoured here, especially given the home advantage, but Mukai has impressed recently and stopped Inthanon Sithchamuang in 2 rounds back in November. The bout will be brawler against boxer and could a very compelling contest. In an all Filipino support bout we'll see the talented, but currently struggling, Mark Anthony Geraldo (33-7-3, 15) take on countryman Kenny Demecillo (12-3-2, 7) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Bantamweight title. Coming in to this Demecillo is on a solid 5 fight fight unbeaten run with two wins against Daryl Basadre and another win against Jestoni Autida. That run will fill Demecillo with a lot of confidence but it's fair to see that Gerlado will come into this knowing he needs a win. The experienced man has lost 3 of his last 5 and desperately needs to steady the ship. In a Philippines Vs Japan bout we see big punching Filipino Rey Megrino (23-20-4, 20) take on Japan's Yuki Strong Kobayashi (10-6, 5). Megrino has gone 8-0-1 (7) in his last 9, with notable wins against Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Myung Ho Lee and Ernesto Saulong, and will be expecting to continue that rich vein of form here. Kobayashi has struggled in recent fights, going 2-3, but has mixed at a good level with losses to Ye Joon Kim and Takahiro Yamamoto and will be looking to use those experiences against Megrino. Another bout with a metropolitan feeling will see Japan's teak tough Takuya Watanabe (30-7-1, 16) take on Thai veteran Khunkiri Wor Wisaruth (24-18-2, 16). The bout should be a mismatch in favour of Watanabe, though the Japanese fighter will be looking to make a statement following a wide loss to Masayuki Ito at the end of 2017. Queensland, Australia There will also be action in Queensland featuring some Asian fighters. One of those bouts will see local fighter Steve Spark (4-1, 4) take on Chinese fighter Zhen Yang Cai (4-2-1, 2). On paper this looks really well matched, though it should be noted that Cai has gone 1-2-1 in his last 4 and has never fought outside of China prior to this contest. Another bout pitching a local against a Chinese visitor will see the unbeaten Brent Rice (5-0, 2) take on Li Fu Hu (4-2, 2), with Hu taking on his biggest test so far. The Chinese fighter, has proven to be limited and shouldn't pose many questions for Rice, but will be a trier and certainly will come to test the local It's also worth noting that Hero Tito (22-12-2,8) and Jack Asis (35-19-5, 18) as both set to fight on this card, against different opponents, but neither man has had their foe named as of yet.  Nevada, USA
The most significant bouts featuring Asian fights this Saturday both come from a stacked card in Las Vegas where Bob Arum is putting on a bumper show with several good looking bouts, including a mouth watering world title unification fight. The most interesting bout with an Asian interest on this card will see China's IK Yang (19-1-0-1, 14) face off against Leonardo Zappavigna (34-2, 24) in an IBF Light Welterweight eliminator. The bout looks almost certain to be a thriller with both fighters having serious flaws and being relatively free swinging. Of the two Zappavigna is the more proven however Yang is the bigger puncher and has the toughness that should help him to a very competitive victory. The other Asian fighter on this card is Japanese Middleweight contender Ryota Murata (10-0,7) who takes on the much more experienced George Tahdooahnippah (34-2-3-2, 24) in what will be Murata's second bout Stateside. Murata failed to shine on his US debut, when he beat Gunnar Jackson, but should manage to look here against an opponent who has little to threaten him. Another other than an impressive victory will seriously harm Murata's hopes of becoming a star in the US. Singapore, Singapore It's not just in the US where we get some interesting match ups with Asian fighters as Singapore hosts a very intriguing card. In the main event of the show fight fans will see promising Uzbek Qudratillo Abduqaxorov (7-0, 5) face off against once beaten Filipino Adones Cabalquinto (23-1, 15) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Welterweight title. The very talented Abduqaxorov has impressed so far in his career but this is a very credible step up and a win will put him on the boxing map. For Cabalquinto the bout is a must win with many criticising his career after a good start, with him facing a string of limited opponents. In an interesting all Filipino bout Jeson Umbal (10-5, 7) will be up against Mark Anthony Geraldo (33-6-3, 15) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Super Bantamweight title. Geraldo has lost 2 of his last 4, though was closing in on a world title fight before those losses. He will be favoured over Umbal, though knows that another loss will be the end of his hopes as a contender. Interestingly this will be the second time these two men have fought this year, with Geraldo beating Umbal back in February. A really testing bout will see former amateur stand out Azizbek Abdugofurov (2-0, 2) battle against Thailand's Chaloemporn Singwancha (17-0, 13) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Middleweight title. The 24 year old Abdugofurov is a hotly tipped Uzbek prospect but this is a monstrous step up for a guy who only debuted in May! The Thai will be favoured on paper but is is one of his first bouts with a guy actually facing him with the intention of winning, and that's without mentioning that Abdugofurov was a very accomplished amateur fighter. Another title bout will see Muhamad Farkhan (1-0, 1) face off with Indonesian Elly Pangaribuan (4-7-2, 1) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Cruiserweight title. We like Farkhan's desire to win a title at such an early stage but the WBC really should explain why either guy is fighting for any sort of belt here. One other bout of note sees our Canadian friend Ryan Ford (6-0, 4) in action for the first time since he beat Thailand's Manus Boonjumnong. The unbeaten Canadian will be up against Malaysian Muhammad Meeraj (2-0) in what should be an interesting bout. Ford will certainly be favoured but it seems that Meeraj should be the bigger fighter in the ring and could pose serious questions to the aggressive Canadian. Jakarta, Indonesia We also have title action in Indonesia where fans get two title fights. One of those is for the Indonesian Featherweight title and will see the experienced James Mokoginta (30-18-3, 17) battle against Gusti Elnino (3-9, 1). This looks like a straight forward win for Mokoginta however he's certainly beatable and has lost 3 of his last 6. The other title fight will see Ruben Manakane (17-16-1, 11) battle against Marten Kisamlu (3-6,1) - Indonesian Super Bantamweight title. This is a very competitive bout, despite the huge different in the records, and should be a genuinely compelling match of up for the fans in Jakarta.  Miyagi, Japan
The biggest card of the day is a special card courtesy of WOWOW who will be showing the card as part of a free day for the channel. The card featured a couple of big main events in what could potentially feature one of the most exciting bouts of the year. In one of the main events fans will see WBC Super Flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras (3-0-1, 26) battle against all-action warrior Koki Eto (17-3-1, 13) in a bout that could potentially be a FOTY contender. Eto, who is as fun to watch as any other fighter out there, is going to be the under-dog against the unbeaten champion but he's naturally the taller man and has shown his ability to make a fight of any bout. Cuadras will go into this one as the favourite but will have to expect the unexpected from the challenger in what could be an all-out war. The other co-main bout will see Yu Kimura (17-2-1, 3) attempt to claim an unlikely world title as he faces WBC Light Flyweight champion Pedro Guevara (26-1-1, 17) in a very tough bout for the challenger. Kimura is a former Japanese champion looking to climb the proverbial global summit but it's hard to see how he beats the talented Guevara, who actually returns to Japan for the first time since winning his title there, last December. Sadly apart from the two main bouts, this show is relatively slim on the under-card. Kagoshima, Japan A second Japanese card comes from Kagoshima where fans will get the chance to see Naoya Haruguchi (7-6, 2) face off against Takayuki Teraji (6-8-1, 3) in a Light Flyweight bout. The fight, scheduled for 8 rounds, is the highlight of another wise forgettable card featuring 7 undercard bouts, all set for 4 rounds. Cebu, Philippines The most exciting of several Filipino shows is a card from ALA which will feature several very notable names, including some world class fighters and one of the most promising prospects that the country has seen in recent years. Sadly we've not had the full bout sheet for this card, though it seems like AJ Banal (33-2-1, 22) will be facing Emilio Norfat (25-6, 19) in one of the main bouts. This should be an easy win for “Bazooka” but the Tanzanian visitor will be looking to score an upset and won't travel with the intention of just making up the numbers. Others scheduled for this card include Kevin Jake “KJ” Cataraja (1-0, 1) who is expected to be in a 6 rounder as well as former world title challengers Rocky Fuentes (35-8-2, 20), Arthur Villanueva (27-1, 14) and Milan Melindo (32-2, 12). Sadly we've not been given the opponents for any of those 4 men. Cotabato del Sur, Philippines Another Filipino show will see former OPBF title contender Mark Anthony Geraldo (31-6-3, 14) attempt to end a 2 fight losing streak as he takes on the unbeaten Jelbirt Gomera (10-0, 6) in an interesting 10 round bout. For Geraldo this is the first bout since he lost a clear decision to Takuma Inoue, for the OPBF Super Flyweight title, whilst the relatively unproven Gomera will be stepping up massively. It's a good match in many ways but one that seems designed to get Geraldo back on the winning track. Metro Manila, Philippines Another notable Filipino fighter in action is the talented, and under-rated Randy Braga (16-1-1, 3) who will be up against yet another “yet to be named” opponent. Rizal, Philippines Another show in the Philippines will be headlined by the promising Arnel Baconaje (3-0, 3) who will face another of the un-named opponents that seem to be scheduled for action this coming weekend. South Africa In South Africa fans will be able to see under-rated Filipino Renz Rosia (12-3, 6) battle against former IBF world champion Moruti Mthalane (31-2, 20) in a bout for the IBO Flyweight title. The bout is a very tough ask for Rosia though he did show his ability earlier this year when he pushed Makazole Tete all the way in a controversial loss, and with a recent win over Renan Trongco there is a great chance that Rosia could score a career defining upset against the talented but inactive Mthalane. |
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