April 27th-Tapales in action in the Philippines, Sho Kimura and Akira Yaegashi meet in the ring!4/23/2025  General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines
This big card of the day is in the Philippines, where we see a former unified champion, along with a notable contender and a rising prospect all in action, in a very solid card. The main event will see former 2-weight world champion Marlon Tapales (39-4, 20) take on the once beaten Jon Jon Jet (15-1-1, 12) in a really solid looking bout, though one that Tapales’ should win given his much more accomplished career and the level he’s fought at. Tapales, who has held the WBO Bantamweight title, and the IBF and WBA Super Bantamweight titles will be seeking his third win since his 2024 loss to Naoya Inoue, and will also be looking to make his second defense of the WBC International Silver Super Bantamweight title. As for Jet, this is, easily, the biggest fight of his career and the Indonesian puncher has won his last 5, building up some momentum, though his level was shown in his 2019 loss to Luke Boyd, and it would take a huge upset to see him win here. In a really good supporting bout the criminally under-rated Joey Canoy (23-5-2, 14) will be up against Minh Phat Sam (10-5, 8) from Vietnam, with the two fighting for the WBC International Minimumweight title. Canoy is one of the many Filipino fighters who’s record doesn’t really reflect their ability. He’s one of the fighters who can compete at world level, and he holds a very good win over Melvin Jerusalem, and has mixed with very good company, despite not yet getting a shot at one of the 4 major world titles, though he has challenged for the IBO title twice. As for Sam, the Vietnamese puncher is dangerous, but his wins have come at a low level and he has lost to every notable fighter he's fought, including DainXing Zhu, ArAr Andales and Esneth Domingo. Sam will be hungry for a win, but it’s hard to imagine him having the experience or tools to overcome Canoy, who will be hoping to land a world title shot sooner rather than later. Also on the card, hard hitting southpaw Alvin Lagumbay (14-9-1, 12) will take on the unbeaten Criztian Pitt Laurente (13-0, 8), in what is a very good step up for the unbeaten 25 year old. Laurente is a genuine talent, and was a very good amateur before turning professional, and despite only being 25 it does feel like his career has been something of a grind, with only 13 fights in 6 years. Despite that he is promising and if he can be kept active and motivated he could go a long way. As for Lugambay, he’s a monstrous puncher, albeit a flawed puncher, who is best known for his 2018 win over Keita Obara. Sadly since then he has gone 4-7-1, has lost his last 3 and been stopped 3 times in his last 5. Kumagaya Dome, Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan In Saitama we get a very notable card, featuring two former world champions sharing the ring together. Sadly however they are not taking part in a live contest, but instead an exhibition bout as a local star takes on one of the most popular former champions Japan has, in a retirement ceremony. The retirement in question will see former WBO Flyweight champion Sho Kimura share the ring with former 3 weight world champion Akira Yaegashi, with two men taking part in a short public spar in what is dubbed Kimura’s “Last fight”. The two will compete for 3 round in what should be a a clear bit of fan service and fun for those in attendance, those watching the PPV and the two men involved, who would have had an instant classic had they both faced off when they were active fighters The main event, in terms of actual fights which will go on the records of the men involved, will see 27 fight veteran Hisashi Kato (12-13-2, 8) take on the once beaten Yasuomi Soda (7-1-1, 4). The 39 year old Kato is a true veteran of the Japanese scene. He debuted back in 2006 and during his career has fought a genuine who's who of the Japanese scene at 147 and 154lbs, with bouts against the likes of Nobuyuki Shindo, Shusaku Fujinaka, Yusuke Konno, Masaya Tamayama and Yuichi Ideta. Sadly he has lost almost all of his meaningful bouts, with a win over Rikuto Adachi being one of his few genuine upset wins. He’s never been a world beater, but he has been a great servant to the Japanese scene. As for Soda, he is looking to bounce back from a loss to Ryota Toyoshima back in November, a loss that came in a Japanese title eliminator and a loss that he will be desperate to avenge, though will know he needs to get past Kato to earn a rematch with Toyoshima, with is now the current Japanese champion at 154lbs. Soda should win, and should break down Kato here, look to make a statement and help move himself towards his first title fight. In another solid domestic bout the JBC ranked Mirai Imagawa (13-7-1, 5) will face the experienced Isao Aoyama (14-13-1, 4) in a Super Flyweight bout. The 29 year old Imagawa has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3, and been stopped in both those losses, pushing him from the verges of a title fight to well down the rankings, and he will need to string together a few results to land a shot at the Japanese title. On paper he should be strongly favoured here, however Aoyama is no push over, despite his record, and the 35 year old has proven to be tough, upset minded and will be wanting to do everything he can to end his career on a win, following a 2024 loss to Suzumi Takayama in a Japanese title, fight. Aoyama has fought pretty much anyone who is anyone on the Japanese scene at 115lbs including Keisuke Nakayama, Akinori Hoshino, Tsubasa Murachi, Tetsuro Ohashi and Takuya Kogawa. Aoyama will be determined here, Imagawa is out of form and we dare say Aoyama will see this as a real chance to end his career with a notable win. With that in mind, we expect this one to be a really thrilling, all action, fire fight. Messe Mie, Tsu, Mie, Japan A second Japanese show takes place in Mie, with this being a much, much smaller event. The card is mostly 4 rounders, with the one exception being a sure fire war, as Ren Yamabe (8-4, 7) takes on Yoshiki Shimomura (7-2-1, 7), in a bout that promises fireworks. Yamabe is no world beater, but he is a lot better than his 8-4 record suggests, and is every bit as dangerous as his 7 KO’s in 8 wins suggests. He has lost his most notable bouts, losing to Shinsei Otani, Jinu Lee and Jinki Maeda, but has typically taken fights close and wins over Eiji Togawa and Hikaru Matsuoka show his power is legit. He gave Maeda all he could handle back in December, and despite losing that bout will have given him a lot of confidence to build on. As for Shimomura he was 7-0-1 (7) not too long ago, but has lost his last 2, and knows that he can ill afford another loss here. Expect to see both looking to land power shots early in a fight that will have tension from the off, and could be over in the blink of an eye.
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 This coming Saturday is set to be one of the busiest days of the month for Asian fighter fans, with a world title fight in Australia and fights across much of Asia, including some very notable names with a former unified world champion in action in Cambodia and some of the hottest prospects in Japan in action in Tokyo.
HBF Arena, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia The most notable show of the day is in Australia, where we see a long reigning world champion in action as well as a hopeful from China. The main bout of the day will see WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart (24-0, 9), aka Thammanoon Niyomtrong, defending his title against fast rising Australian fighter Alex Winwood (4-0, 2), who has shown a willingness to risk his 0 in a high risk high reward move. The 33 year old Thai champion has long been regarded as one of the best fighters at 105lbs, but has also been one of the most frustrating fighters in the sport, having not fought since 2022 when he beat Wanheng Menayothin. At his best he was a reliable, talented, strong champion, who’s record is littered with good to very good wins, including wins over Carlos Buitrago, Byron Rojas, Rey Loreto, and Wanheng. Sadly though with 2 years of inactivity, and now edging to his 34th birthday it’s hard to know what he still has to offer the sport. As for Winwood, the Australian is everything we love about boxing, being aggressively fast tracked to the top, and proving himself on his way there, with notable wins over Tibo Monabesa and Cris Ganoza in his first 4 bouts. He certainly hasn’t look unbeatable, but has developed with every fight and could well be the next man to mount a challenge as the king of the division. He has youth, speed, activity on his side and home advantage, but Knockout isn’t a slouch and this should make for a brilliant match up. On the same card is Runqi Zhou (6-2-1, 2) as he takes on hard hitting local Richard Lockett (5-2, 4). Zhou is a 24 year old from China who began his career 6-0, with wins on the road against Surat Eaim ong and Sang Hoen Oh, but has failed to win his last 3, including a draw in a rematch with Oh and a loss to Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov in Uzbekistan Although no world beater he travels to win and will put in a genuine effort here as the visitor. As for Lockett he is, on paper, the one stepping up here, after a very stop-start career so far, with this only being his 4th bout since 2020. Locket seems to have power on his side, with 4 wins inside 4 rounds, but at such a low level that it’s hard to read much into them. This is a good match up, between two fighters who will each see this as a chance to open a door to bigger and better things. Phnom Penh, Cambodia Outside of the show in Australia it’s hard to know which bout is the most significant, but what is clear is who is the best established fighter, with that being former Bantamweight world champion and unified Super Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (38-4, 20). Tapales will be looking to score his second win since being stopped by Naoya Inoue late last year and record his first defense of the WBC Asian Continental Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on Indian fighter Saurabh Kumar (11-1-1, 6). The often under-rated Tapales shouldn’t struggle here, given the level he’s shown he’s capable of, but it’ll be interesting to see how Cambodia treats the “Nightmare”. As for Kumar this isn’t so much a step up in class, but a rocket powered blast through the levels with his most notable bout so far being a 7th round TKO loss to Zhong Liu. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo The other more notably bouts take place at Korakuen Hall, with two title fights by rising Japanese hopefuls, and three unbeaten prospects on the under-card. The main event will see Kuntae Lee (7-0-1, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese 140lb title as he takes on Ryan Joshua Yamamoto (7-6, 1). On paper this is a huge step down for Lee, who beat Homura Fujita for the title in April and has already scored good domestic wins against Cristiano Aoqui and Aso Ishiwaki. Despite that it’s clear that Lee is still a work in progress and this is clearly about letting him get rounds and develop as a champion. As for Yamamoto he is better than his record suggests, but is certainly not one of the strongest domestic contenders and whilst we suspect he will put up a very genuine effort, it’d be a shock to see him be competitive with the highly skilled Lee. A second title fight will see the very highly touted Mikito Nakano (10-0, 9) take on the once beaten Filipino Bryx Piala (9-1, 3) in a bout for the OPBF Featherweight title. Nakano has looked like a star since very early in his career, but given the depth at Featherweight he has had to take a slow climb to a title fight. He has shown great power, speed and skill but is still clearly a work in progress. As for Piala he has rebuilt excellently since a 2022 loss to Rhonvex Capuloy, thanks to solid domestic wins over Jhunriel Ramonal and Ken Jordan. Nakano will be strongly favoured, but we suspect he will have to work hard for a win here. In other bouts on this card we’ll see Hyoga Miyata (3-0, 1) take on Takara Kawaguchi (8-0-1, 5) in a mouth watering bout and a very good match up between Junya Shimada (6-0-1, 2) and Jiaming Li (5-3, 2). Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok Over in Thailand we’ll get a low level regional title bout along with a bout featuring a Pakistani fighter taking on a veteran from Ghana. The title bout will see Arnon Yupang (14-5, 5) face off with Walid Halima Salem (5-2, 4) in a bout for the lightly regarded Asian Boxing Federation Super Featherweight title. Yupang, at one point, looked like one of the few bright hopes on the Thai scene, but has gone 6-4 in his last 10 bouts and it seems clear that his level has been found, and it’s a long way off world class. As for Salem he is a Thai based Algerian fighter who has been a regular feature on the Bangkok stage since since his 2022 debut, though has lost his last 2 bouts, both to Sangkaphong Chomyong, and it seems clear that he’s been selected to give Yupang rounds, but not be a serious challenge. In an interesting under-card bout Pakistani fighter Shahir Afridi (11-1-1, 7) will take on the very experienced Patrick Allotey (43-6, 33), in a major step up for Afridi. Afridi has become a regular on the Thai scene, but hasn’t really beaten anyone of any note and certainly nobody with the experience and pedigree of Allotey. As for the Allotey he has faced a genuine who’s who over his long career, including bouts with Patrick Teixeira, Kanat Islam, Jaime Munguia and Serhii Bohachuk. He is coming to the end of his career, but may still have too much in the locker for Afridi. Nova Boxing Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea We also get a small card in Korea, there’s not much to talk about regarding this show, though we do suspect that Do Il Yoo (4-4) and Hae Myung Jung (4-6-2, 1) will put on a great bout with flawed but fun styles.  Midas Hotel and Casino, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
This coming Friday attention turns to the Philippines for a notable card featuring a recent former unified world champion and a former interim world champion. The biggest name in action is former IBF and WBA Super Bantamweight, and former WBO Bantamweight, world champion Marlon Tapales (37-4, 19), who returns to the ring for the first time since losing to Naoya Inoue in December. The rugged Filipino will be up against Thai fighter Nattapong Jankaew (12-3, 8), with the men battling for the WBC Asian Continental Super Bantamweight title, and a chance to stay in the mix for a WBC world title fight. For Tapales, the clear favourite, the bout will be his first in the Philippines since November 2020, when he beat Eden Sonsona. Since that win he has stopped Hiroaki Teshigawara and Jose Estrella, in the US, and taken a decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and lost to Inoue in a battle for the Undisputed title. He has proven himself as a legitimate world class Super Bantamweight, despite losing to the Monster. As for Nattapong, he once seemed like a rising face of the Thai boxing scene, and he raced to 10-0 (6), with notable domestic wins against Wittawas Basapean, Karoon Jarupianlerd and Wicha Phulaikhao. Since then however he has gone 2-3, been stopped by Adrian Lerasan and Hiroto Yashiro, and lost a domestic bout against Sathaporn Saart. A second bout of note sees former WBC “interim” Bantamweight champion Reymart Gaballo (27-1, 22) take on Mexican fighter Kenbun Torres (13-5, 9). Gaballo is best known for his controversial decision win over Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2020 and his blow out loss at the hands of Nonito Donaire.in 2021. Since that loss he has picked up 3 wins at home in the Philippines, including a surprisingly competitive decision over Michael Bravo last June. In the ring he’s explosive, powerful and quick, but also flawed and it does seem like if a fighter can take his power he really struggles to change things up. As for Torres, the son of former world champion German Torres, this bout follows a 1-3 run, and he's only scored 1 win in the last 7 years. Despite that the 36 year old does fight to win, and won't be there to just roll over, though he is, clearly, the under-dog against the naturally bigger, stronger and younger fighter.  This coming Saturday is almost certainly the busiest day we've had this year with a number of world title bouts across the globe, as well as top prospects and a a highly anticipated return to the ring of a former 3-weight world champion. This is a crazy weekend it is one to get very, very excited about.
Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Arguably the most notable card, at least for us, is in Dubai where we see two Philippines Vs UK world title, as well as the next step towards a major bout for a Filipino icon. One of the world title bouts will see hard hitting WBO Bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero (31-4, 21) make a mandatory defense of his title as he takes on Englishman Paul Butler (33-2, 15), himself a former IBF Bantamweight champion. Coming in to this Casimero is a huge favourite, though he has often blown hot and cold and Butler will go into the bout knowing that a loss here ends any hope he has of becoming a 2-time world champion. It's a must win for Butler, if he's to remain relevant, and a must win for Casimero if he's ever going to get a showdown with either Nonito Donaire or Naoya Inoue. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Casimero defends WBO crown against Butler in mandatory defense The other world title fight on this show will see IBF Flyweight champion Sunny Edwards (16-0, 4) make his first defense, in a mandatory against unbeaten Filipino Jayson Mama (16-0, 9). Mama was supposed to get a world title shot at Moruti Mthlane last year, before the authorities in South Africa refused to sanction the event, he was then supposed to fight Edwards earlier this year, before Edwards pulled out. Coming in to this Edwards is the clear favourite, and the slippery English fighter will feel full of confidence for his first world title defense, however it's certainly not a foregone conclusion. Our preview of this bout, from the original date, can be read here Jayson Mama gets crack at IBF champion Sunny Edwards! Another notable bout on this card will see Filipino icon Donnie Nietes (43-1-5, 23) battle against Norbelto Jimenez (30-9-5, 16), in what is essentially a must win bout for both men. At 39 years old Nietes is ancient for a Super Flyweight, but he has made it clear he wants a super fighter before he retires and wants to face the likes of Roman Gonzalez. For that to happen he needs to get past Jimenez. As for Jimenez, he is a multi-time world title challenger himself, and shouldn't be over-looked here, despite the fact he will be a very, very clear under-dog. Dignity Health Sports Park , Carson, California, USA Another major card will take place in California, where we see another world title bout, and a world title eliminator, in what could end up being a very, very explosive night of action. The world title bout will see WBC Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (41-6, 27) defending his title against mandatory challenger Reymart Gaballo (24-0, 20) in a rare All-Filipino world title fight. Of the two men Donaire is the much more proven, and established fighter, however at the age of 39 he is well past the typical prime of a fighter, and that's ignoring the type of incredible career he's had, and the punishment he's taken at times, including his hellacious 2019 bout with Naoya Inoue. Gaballo on the other is a young up and comer who has got power and speed, but did look less than stellar last time out, when he took a controversial decision over Emmanuel Rodriguez, and he'll be desperate to show what he can do, and rip the title, and proverbial torch, from Donaire. Given the style of the two men involved, this should be a brutal fire fight. Our in depth preview of this fight can be read here WBC champion Donaire faces Gaballo in all Filipino world title bout! Talking about fire-fights we're expecting another of those in a main supporting bout, as Japan's Hiroaki Teshigawara (22-2-2, 15) fights outside of Japan for the first time, and takes on former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (34-3, 17) in what could be the sleeper of the weekend. Teshigawara is known in Japan, and has carved out a successful career at Korakuen Hall, where he has built himself a cult following, and he'll know that a win here helps set him up for a potential world title fight in 2022. Tapales on the other hand is more well known, in part due to his amazing bout with Pungluang Sor Singyu and his two wins over Shohei Omori. Despite the past Tapales didn't look great in 2019, when he beaten up and stopped by Ryosuke Iwasa, and Teshigawara will be looking to score a repeat of that outcome here. KRK “Uralets”, Ekaterinburg, Russia We get yet another world title fight over in Russia, as we actually get quite an interesting card from Ekaterinburg. The world title bout on this card is a really good looking bout which will see Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11) defending his WBA Light Heavyweight "super" title against the once beaten Umar Salamov (26-1, 19). On paper this is a mouth watering match up, but sadly it's becoming harder and harder to get excited about Bivol bouts in recent years. It's clear he is an exceptional boxer, but like a handful of other world champions he's unwilling to roll the decide and put on a show, event against opponents that he should be comfortable seeing off. Salamov is an interesting challenger, who has shown some power, and a willingness to throw heavy shots, but he's also the sort of fighter that Bivol should be able to shine against. Salamov is hard hitting but open, crude, and there to be countered, something Bivol should be able to do at will, if he chooses to. Our preview of this fight can be read here Bivol defends WBA crown against Salamov! In a major supporting bout former world title challenger Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (15-0-1, 12) will be looking to bounce back from his frustrating draw with Jo Jo Diaz as he takes on the unbeaten Rilwan Oladosu (16-0, 8). Rakhimov showed he belonged in the mix at world level, and hopefully 2022 will bring him a second world title bout, potentially against Kenichi Ogawa. Oladosu on the other hand is a Nigerian fighter with a nice looking record, but one that doesn't really stand up to much scrutiny and this will be his first bout outside of Nigeria. Oladosu could be a rare Nigerian fighter to get excited about, but we suspect he's there to make Rakhimov look good instead. Echo Arena, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom As well as the world class men in action, we'll also be seeing a world class woman in action, as undisputed female Lightweight champion Katie Taylor (19-0, 6) defends all her titles against Kazakh challenger Firuza Sharipova (14-1, 8). On paper this one looks good, but in reality this should be little more than a public showcase for Taylor, one of the best female fighters on the planet, with Sharipova not fit to lace her boots. We know Taylor has beaten almost everyone of note at Lightweight, but they are really scraping the bottom of the barrel if they really think Sharipova will give her anything resembling a fighter. Our preview of this major female bout is available here Taylor defends unified crown against Sharipova International Conference Hall, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan Away from world title action we're set for a really good bout in Japan as former 3-weight world champion Kosei Tanaka (15-1, 9) looks to bounce back from his 2020 loss to Kazuto Ioka, by taking on Ioka's former stable mate Sho Ishida (29-2, 15), himself a former world title challenger. This bout, being dubbed a "survival bout" in Japan, is a really interesting match up and will put the speed and aggression of Tanaka against the long and gangly frame of Ishida, with both men knowing they can't afford a loss, especially not if they intend to get a big fight any time soon. Tanaka will go into the bout as the favourite, though we do need to wonder what his loss to Ioka, and the loss of his unbeaten record, will have done to him. As for Ishida, a win here could potentially set him up for a second world title fight. Almaty, Kazakhstan Staying in Asia we also get a compelling card in Kazakhstan, where we see some very highly touted prospects in action. The most notable of the bouts on this card will be a Cruiserweight bout between the very highly touted Kamshybek Kunkabayev (3-0, 3) and Steven Ward (13-1, 4), who clash for the vacant WBA "Gold" Cruiserweight title. Kunkabayev, a former amateur stand out, has hardly put a foot wrong in his first 3 bouts, but this is a step up in class against someone who will be in the ring to win, rather than to collect a pay check or just survive. Sadly for Ward he is the naturally smaller man and he was stopped just 2 fights ago, however he will come in to this hungry and should be a genuine test for the promising Kunkabayev. Also on this card will be a number of top Kazakh prospects, such as Talgat Shayken (6-0, 4) Sultan Zaurbek (11-0, 7) and Ray Seitzhanov (8-0, 5) who will all be looking to pick up wins and move their career forward.  This Saturday promises to be a great day with a brilliant Japanese card being shown live on Boxing Raise, and a live show being streamed from the Philippines!
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan That Japanese card comes from Tokyo and features 4 bouts of note, none are world title bouts, but there are two less title bouts on the show, and a mouth watering domestic show down, as well as a bout featuring a former Japanese national champion. In the main event OPBF Light Welterweight champion Rikki Naito (22-2, 7) will battle against fellow Japanese fighter Yusuke Konno (16-4, 9), with both Naito's OPBF title on the line. Coming in Naito will be the clear favourite, he's the more proven man, the Oriental champion and the quicker more skilled fighter. We shouldn't write off Konno however, and he's a big, strong, powerful fighter, with good stamina and he'll be desperate to force his will on Naito. This is very much a match up of skill Vs will and knowing that Konno will be pressing and pressuring through out we can't help feel that Konno is a very live under-dog here. Our full preview of this bout is available here Naito and Konno clash for OPBF title The chief support bout is a mouth watering match up between youngsters as Yoshimitsu Kimura (12-2, 7) and Shuma Nakazato (10-1-2, 7) clash, in a truly brilliant match up. Kimura is coming in on the back of a split decision loss to OPBF 130lb champion Hironori Mishiro, which was a great clash last year, and he'll have given his standing and confidence a huge boost despite the lost. Incidentally Nakazato's sole loss also came to Mishiro, but since then he has gone 4-0-1 and will know a win here moves him to within touch distance of a title bout. We expect this to be highly technical but also really exciting with Kimura being the aggressor, applying calculated pressure and Nakazato looking to play the role of a puncher. We wouldn't be surprised if this was the bout of the week. The other title bout promises to be just as good as the main event, with Japanese Youth Super Flyweight champion Suzumi Takayama (3-0, 3) defending his title against Hiroto Yashiro (2-0, 2), in what will be Takayama's first defense. Unlike most countries Japan matches their young up and comers against each other often and the Youth title has seen that happen more and more often in recent years. Prior to turning professional both of these youngsters had made their marks on the amateur scene and seeing them face off at this ultra-early point in their professional careers is really exciting. This is a hard one to call and we are expecting a brilliant, tactical, hard hitting battle here. A fantastic match up and credit to both men for accepting the bout. This should be something special. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Novices clash in Japanese Youth title clash! Also on this card will be former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Ryoichi Tamura (15-5-1, 7), who is always worth watching. The all action Tamura will be expected to pick up a relatively easy win here, as he takes on Ryu Oba (5-4, 3), though in fairness Tamura makes even mismatches fun and exciting with his action style and aggression. Although Oba is the under-dog he'll have some confidence having won his last 2 and will be here to win. This should be fun, even if it does have a very predictable winner. Phillipines The restart in Filipino boxing has been a slow one, though we do get another show in the country today as Sanman puts on a card with several notable names on it. The main event will see former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (33-3, 16) battle against Eden Sonsona (36-11-2, 13) in a bout at a contracted 132lbs, well above Tapales' best weight. This will be Tapales's first bout since losing to Ryosuke Iwasa in an IBF "interim" Super Bantamweight title bout, and to see him going up the scales this much is a worry, though he should still have enough to beat Sonsona. Another notable fighter on this card is 2-time world title challenger Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22), who will be in action at Bantamweight, where he takes on Reymark Taday (10-12-1, 5), in what looks very much like a confidence builder for Palicte following 2 losses last year, including one to Kazuto Ioka. Other notables involved on the show are Joey Canoy (15-4-1, 8) and the talented Dave Apolinario (13-0, 8), who are both facing domestic foes that they shouldn't struggle with. This event is set to be streamed on the Sanman Facebook page for those wanting to enjoy some Filipino action. Xi An, China As well as the action in Japan there will also be a show in China. This is another low key Chinese card, as we still see the sport re-finding it's feet in the Middle Kingdom. One of the few interesting bouts on this show will see Jin Ping Yang (2-0-1) take on Xiaokang Song (4-0) in a battle of unbeaten men, over 10 rounds. The 23 year old Yang made his debut in October 2018, with a 4 round decision, and stepped up to 6 rounders earlier this year. He's now leaping up to a 10 rounder in what is very, very clearly a step up in class. Song on the other hand is a 21 year old and has been a fighting in 4 rounders. This isn't an easy one to call, but is an interesting one on paper, and a somewhat compelling match up, given that the promoter is trusting the two men to headline the card. In a second bout on this card Shichao Gao (5-1-1, 2) will take on JiZhong He (2-1, 1) over 8 rounds. We have been impressed by Gao in the past, and he seemed to be on the fast track to the top when he beat Koji Igarashi and Anurak Thisa last year, but a loss in June has slowed his rise. As for He it's hard to say anything at all about him given the very low level of competition he has faced so far, and this is a very, very big step up in class for him.  This coming Saturday is a hectic day for Asian fight fans with a lot of action all crammed into a single day, and taking place all over the place. It might not be Christmas yet, but this weekend is set to feature a lot of gifts for us fight fans.
Puebla, Mexico On paper the most significant bout of the weekend, at least in terms of Asian boxing, will see IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (31-1-2, 21) take on Chilean challenger Miguel Gonzalez (31-2, 8), in Mexico. This bout has been arranged in a haste after a previously scheduled bout for Ancajas fell though, and although it looks good on paper we don't see this being anything other than a straight forward win for Ancajas. The Filipino has been frustrating at times, but he is a world class fighter and Gonzalez on the other hand has been easily beaten by the two world level guys he's faced. We're expecting a stoppage from Ancajas here, even if Gonzalez does end up being an awkward assignment. A full preview of this can be read here IBF king Ancajas faces Chilean challenger New York, USA Another bout with meaning at world level will see former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (33-2, 16) take on former IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa (26-3, 16) in a bout for the IBF "interim" Super Bantamweight title. The interim title has been created due to injuries suffered by Danny Roman, and despite interim titles not being great for boxing this bout is a brilliant one, and we're looking forward to this. Both fighters are world class, both can bang and they should be well matched, with styles that we're expecting will gel well. This should be very exciting, and we'd be shocked if we get through 12 rounds here. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we have a lot of action, with the most notable of the Japanese action coming from Tokyo, where we'll get a title double header, featuring two Super Featherweight title bouts. For fans wanting to watch this the show will be broadcast live on G+. The most notable of the title fights will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight champion Joe Noynay (18-2-1, 7) defending his title against Kenichi Ogawa (24-1, 18). This year has been a huge one for Noynay, who has already travelled to Japan and stopped Kosuke Saka and Satoshi Shimizu, and a win here against Ogawa will put him well and truly in the world title mix. For Ogawa a win here would put him on the verge of a second world title fight. We expect bombs to be thrown, we wouldn't be surprised if both men were badly hurt at some point, and this is an ideal headliner for a televised card. Our preview of this fantastic match up can be read here Noynay looks to extend "Japanese Killer" run as he takes on Ogawa The other title bout on this show will see Japanese Super Featherweight champion Masaru Sueyoshi (19-1-1, 11) defending his title against former Japanese Featherweight champion Kosuke Saka (19-5, 16). For Sueyoshi this bout will be his 5th defense, and if he wins we wouldn't be massively surprised to see him vacating the title in the new year to pursue regional, if not world, honours. For Saka this is a chance to put a very mixed 24 months, in which he has gone 3-2 (2), behind him and would end the year on the high following a loss to Noynay back in April. Saka has the power to hurt Sueyoshi, but Sueyoshi has the skills to outfox and out think Saka, in what is a compelling match up. Our preview of this bout can be read here Sueyoshi takes on Saka in next Japanese title defense Also on this card will be Teiken trio Hikari Mineta (7-1, 4), Daiki Funayama (10-3-1, 3) and Koki Mioya (6-1-2, 1) who will all be taking on limited Thai opposition in what look like stay busy fights to close out the year. Kanagawa, Japan A second Japanese show takes place in Kanagawa, and although much lower profile it features another title bout. That title bout will see Japanese female Featherweight champion Kimika Miyoshi (14-12-1, 5) defending her belt against unbeaten novice Aira Midorikawa (5-0, 1), in what will be Mioyoshi's first defense of her second reign. Miyoshi claimed the belt in September, when she took a split decision win over Miki Mitsuda, ending a 4 fight losing in a bit of an upset. Although Mitsuda was no world beater we hadn't seen Miyoshi win a fight in over 3 years! Midorikawa is taking a huge step up, and although she's unbeaten she is very untested ahead of this bout, her first title bout. It'll be a huge ask for Midorikawa, but Miyoshi is certainly not unbeatable. An in depth of preview of this bout can be read here Veteran Miyoshi takes on Midorikawa in Featherweight title bout Despite the title bout on this show the main event is technically a rematch between Yui Oikawa (7-5, 4) and Seiryu Toshikawa (11-5, 7). Coming in Oikawa has been stopped in his last 2, and desperately needs a win. He'll be driven on not only by the need of a win, but by a chance of getting to avenge a 2016 loss to Toshikawa, who beat him with a 4 round split decision. On paper Toshikawa might not look great but he's much better than his record suggests and he'll be looking to score his second win since suffering a razor thin loss in a Japanese Youth title fight to Shawn Oda in 2018. Hyogo, Japan A third Japanese show takes place in Hyogo, where fans get a card with several noteworthy names on it. In the main event we'll see Japanese and OPBF ranked Minimumweight Ryoki Hirai (12-6-1, 4) take on the limited Hirohisa Ichikawa (7-7-2, 2). We've long seen Hirai as a fighter with a lot of potential, but someone who has faltered in many of his toughest bouts. Here we expect him to shine, as he looks to build to a title fight of some kind in 2020. With just 1 win in the last 4 years it's hard to imagine Ichikawa giving Hirai much of a test, but he could give Hirai some rounds. World ranked fighter Kazuhiro Nishitani (20-4-1, 12) looks to continue his slow build towards a meaningful fight as he takes on Filipino veteran Monico Laurente (30-15, 7). The 32 year old Nishitani has won his last 5 by stoppage, including a notable upset win against Shuhei Tsuchiya for the Japanese Lightweight title in 2017. Sadly he has failed to make anything of his career after that win and vacated the title rather than defend it, which has done his career no favours as he continues to meander in the middle of cards in meaningless bouts like this one. Laurente isn't an awful opponent, but is certainly not a step forward for Nishitani who really has lost all the momentum of his win over Laurente. Another bout of some note on this card will see Hiroki Tokuyama (9-1-1, 2) take on Chikato Sumida (8-3, 1). This will see Tokuyama defending his JBC and OPBF rankings and score a 5th straight win. Sumida isn't terrible, but we don't see him posing much of a test for Tokuyama here. Quebec, Canada Yet another show with an Asian fighter in action is being held in Quebec, where fast rising Kazakh prospect Sadriddin Akhmedov (10-0, 9) takes on rugged Argentinian Jose Antonio Villalobos (12-5-2, 7). Akhmedov missed quite a bit of this year, whilst he recovered from injury and got married, but has still been busier than most and has began answering more and more questions, proving his stamina, his ability to box and move and that he can box on the back foot. There are still areas for him to work on, but for a 21 year old kid his incredibly impressive and a win here is seen as a formality before a potentially huge 2020. Villalobos will be there to try and ask questions of Akhmedov but we really don't see this as anything but an easy win for the talented Kazakh. Diriyah, Saudi Arabia On a show that features more morally objectionable content that we can remember for a boxing card, including 4 fighters who have failed drug tests and the show taking place in a country with a terrible history human rights, we'll see Azeri fighter Mahammadrasul Majidov (1-0, 1) take on Tom Little (10-7, 3). Macao S.A.R., China
The biggest Asian show this coming Saturday comes from Macao, where we get several bouts of note thanks to the IBF, who are holding a convention and having boxing take place around that event. On paper the best bout is an all-south Light Heavyweight clash between Fanlong Meng (14-0, 9) and Adam Deines (17-0-1, 8), who battle in what is an IBF final world title eliminator. Unbeaten fighters, with ambition, clashing is always a good thing, and whilst neither will be given a chance against IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev this should still be a worth while clash. With a world title fight up for grabs for the winner this is a really important contest, and potentially the hidden gem of the weekend. Another unbeaten fighter on this card is Australian Steve Gago (10-0, 4), who takes on criminally under-rated Filipino Adam Diu Abdulhamid (14-7, 6), in what should be a much, much tougher test than it appears on paper. Although Abdulhamid has 7 losses to his name he is a very talented fighter and a real potential banana skin for the unbeaten Gago. A third bout will see China's Sen Chen (11-1, 2) battle against Filipino veteran Richie Mepranum (33-7-1, 9), for a minor regional title. This is a big step up for Chen, but a win would help him out his name out there. At his best Mepranum is a solid fighter, but in recent years he has just been picking up more losses than wins, and has lost 3 of his last 5. A good test for Chen, but it should be a winnable one. Tokyo, Japan From the Korakuen Hall we'll get the next Dynamic Glove card, and unfortunately it won't be shown live, and instead it's going to be put on tape delay the following Wednesday. The main event of the card was supposed to be the first defense of the Japanese Flyweight title by Junto Nakatani (18-0, 13), who was pencilled in to face Wolf Nakano (6-7-4, 2). That was a disappointing bout and was cancelled when Nakano suffered an injury in training, and he has now been replaced by Filipino foe Philip Luis Cuerdo (11-6-1, 4). On paper this is a better bout than the original match up, but should be little more than the next step forward for Nakatani, who is looking like one of the brightest prospects in Japan. On paper the bout of the show looks likely to be the rematch between Charles Bellamy (28-3-2, 18) and Yuto Shimizu (12-4-2, 5), who had a cracking bout last September. The Bellamy, a popular Japanese based American, took a narrow win over Shimizu last year, and will be favoured here. Shimizu however is no push over, as he showed in their first bout, and this could be a very, very good bout. Another really good looking match up here will see Japan's Ryota Toyoshima (10-2-1, 7) look to build on a big 208 as he takes on Korean visitor Woo Min Won (10-1, 6). Toyoshima went 3-0 (2) last year, with a very notable win over Moon Hyun Yun, and will be looking to continue that run here. The Korean fight will be fighting on Japanese soil for the second time, having beaten Daiki Koide in Nagoya in 2016. Interestingly this will be Kim's 4th straight bout against a Japanese foe, and so far he has a 3-0 (2) record against Japanese fighters. Hard hitting Minimumweight prospect Kai Ishizawa (5-0, 5) might not be one of the most rounded prospects in Japan but he is a very heavy handed fighter with a lot of promise, and he's very, very young. On this show he will take on Indonesian journeyman Silem Serang (13-19-2, 1), in what should be little more than a show case for the very exciting Ishizawa. One other bout of note will see Rookie of the Year runner up Hikari Mineta (5-1, 3) kick off his 2019 with a bout against 32 year old Motosuke Kimura (3-1-2, 1). We were impressed by Mineta in the Rookie of the Year, though he did have a nightmare in the early stages of the final, and it's going to be great to see what the Teiken man can go on to achieve over the coming years. Berne, Switzerland On the subject of Japanese fighters it's worth noting that Swiss based Japanese born veteran Aniya Seki (34-4-3, 5) will be up against journey woman Ivanka Ivanova (1-10-2) in Berne. Seki, now aged 40, is unlikely to achieve her dream of becoming a world champion, but she should pick up an easy win here against her Bulgarian foe who hasn't won in her last 9. California, USA We turn to the US for much more notable action towards the end of the day, with a number of Filipino fighters in action. Sadly whilst there are some talented fighters on the card, the most notable of the Filipino fighters looks to be, on paper at least, in a stay busy fight. That is former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (32-2, 15), the criminally under-rated southpaw, taking on Mexican foe Roberto Castaneda (23-11-2, 16). On paper this is a mismatch, though Castaneda has had some interesting performances in recent years coming close to upsetting Jose Lopez in 2014 and securing a draw Tyler McCreary last time out. Another highly regarded Filipino on this card is the hard hitting Jhack Tepora (22-0, 17), who returns to the ring following a weight mishap earlier in the year. He'll be up against fellow puncher Jose Luis Gallegos (16-6, 12) and should manage to secure a pretty straight forward win, though has clearly lost some of his career moment after a huge 2018. Filipino-America John Leo Dato (10-0-1, 7) looks to extend his unbeaten record, as he takes on tough veteran German Meraz (62-55-2, 39). The Mexican veteran has 120 bouts to his name, and although his losses are stacking up he has only 8 stoppage defeats with the latest coming more than 2 years ago to Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Meraz will test Dato, but isn't likely to score the upset.  Quintana Roo, Mexico
In theory the most meaningful bout, as it's a world title fight, this coming Saturday will take place in Mexico, as WBC Female Light Flyweight champion Yesenia Gomez (14-5-3, 6) defends her title against Japan's Erika Hanawa (10-3, 4). For Gomez this will be her first defense, following a big win over veteran Esmeralda Moreno in September, and a good test for what's going to she's going to be able to do as a champion. Hanawa, who is fighting in her second world title bout, is talented but has got a reputation as someone who comes up short in her biggest bouts. Fighting outside of Asia for the first time won't do Hanawa any favours, but she does seem like she's really up for this fight. Our preview of this bout is here Hanawa gets world title shot at Gomez! California, USA Another really meaningful contest will take place in California, as Ryosuke Iwasa (25-5, 16) clashes with Cesar Juarez (23-6, 17) in an IBF Super Bantamweight world title eliminator. Iwasa, a former world champion, will be making his US debut against a very exciting and aggressive Mexican in what could be one of the most exciting bouts at 122lbs this year. Both men are flawed, but both are exciting, and their styles should gel. Iwasa is the bigger puncher, on a single punch basis, but Juarez is tough and sets a higher pace, making this a very hard to call bout. Our preview of this fight can be read here Iwasa and Juarez meet in IBF eliminator! Also on this card will be former WBO Bantamweight world champion Marlon Tapales (31-2, 14), though his opponent is still yet to be announced and there is a chance this bout could fall through by the time the show takes place. Metro Manila, Philippines In the Philippines we get a televised show courtesy of ESPN5, and it's a card with a number of good looking fights on it. The main event will be a 12 round contest between the unbeaten Dave Penalosa (14-0, 10) and Mexican visitor Marcos Cardenas (19-6-1, 15), who battle for the WBO Oriental Featherweight title. The unbeaten Penalosahas had a stop start career but two quick wins last year has seen him build some momentum to begin 2019 and a win here will give his career the big shot in the arm that it needs. Cardenas however won't be travelling to just lose however and he is riding a 3 fight winning run into this bout. Penalose will be strongly favoured, but Cardenas will have travelled to win, and has sort of proven his toughness, lasting 8 rounds with Miguel Marriaga and 5 rounds with Rey Vargas. The main supporting bout will see former 2-time world champion John Riel Casimero (25-4, 16) take on exciting Japanese brawler Kenya Yamashita (13-4, 10). The 29 year old Casimero, who won world titles at Light Flyweight and Flyweight, hasn't looked great recently, with a loss to Jonas Sultan last time he fought on home soil, but will be under pressure to perform here. Yamashita is crude, but exciting and powerful and will be looking to shine on his international debut. Should be a huge gulf in technical ability, but also a potential gulf in desire and hunger. A second supporting bout on this card will see teenage prospect Carl Jammes Martin (11-0, 10) take a huge step up in class to face off with Thai foe Petchchorhae Kokietgym (17-2, 8). The unbeaten Martin scored 4 wins last year, all by stoppage, and seems like one of the most promising young Filipino fighters beginning to break out. Petchchorhae on the other hand has failed to impressive despite winning some minor titles earlier in his career. The Thai was last seen being stopped in 3 rounds by Giemel Magramo, and was stopped in his other loss by Iwan Zoda, suggesting he can be taken out, something that Martin will be looking to do here. Suwon, South Korea There will also be a domestic card in Korean, albeit at a relatively low level. The main bouts are 6 round contests, with one of them being a bout between Ki Hyun Park (2-2-2) and Han Bin Suh (3-0-1, 2) whilst the other will be between Jong Won Jung (5-7-1) and Dae Young Lee (2-9-1). We'll be honest and admit that it's hard to get excited about either of these bouts, of the card in general. Liege, Belgium In Liege fans will be able to see Belgian based Kyrgyzstan born Faroukh Kourbanov (16-1, 3) battle against Ukrainian 36 year old Volodymyr Matviichuk (4-1). Kourbanov suffered his sole defeat last year, to the experienced Devis Boschiero in Italy, and will be looking to score his second win since that defeat. Matviichuk, who competed at the 2016 Olympics, only debuted as a professional in 2017 and will clearly see this bout as a chance to get into the mix at European level. Whilst Matviichuk does have a loss, it appears to be a suspect one, losing a split decision in Latvia to Ivans Levickis, in a bout that one judge scored 60-55 to the Ukrainian.  Metro Manila, Philippines
The biggest show this Sunday comes from the Philippines and features some very notable fighters, including an interim world champion, a former world champion and three touted prospects. On paper the main event will see WBA “interim” Bantamweight champion Reymart Gaballo (19-0, 16) battling against the horribly limited Julias Kisarawe (29-6-1, 15) of Tazania. The talented Gaballo claimed the interim title earlier this year, when he upset the unbeaten Stephon Young in the US, and showed that he was world class. Sadly Gaballo was one of the many talented Bantamweights who missed out on the World Boxing Super Series but as long as he stays active between now and the end of the tournament he will be in with a great chance of facing the eventual winner. Sadly this really is just a stay busy for Gaballo, and Kisarawe was stopped back in 5 rounds in July by Prince Patel, showing just how limited he is. The former champion on the card is former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (30-2, 13), who will be fighting for the first since he scored an 11th round KO against Shohei Omori in April 2017, a bout that saw him being stripped of the title for failing to make weight. Given his long break from the ring few we can't complain much about Tapalese being matched softly, and he has been. On paper Goodluck Mrema (22-3, 12) looks to be a decent opponent but the man from Tanzania has been matched very softly and has lost in his two bouts outside of homeland, including a stoppage loss in June in Scotland to the then 3-0 Lee McGregor. Tapales should have no problems dealing with the visitor here. One of the prospects on this card Dave Penalosa (13-0, 9), the nephew of promoter Gerry Penalosa, who looks to be taking a step up in class, at least on paper. The unbeaten southpaw will be up against Twalib Tuwa (21-5-2, 14), another import from Tanzania. Tuwa is 0-3 on the road, including a loss to to Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym. When you consider Kwanpichit is a Flyweight and Penalosa is a Featherweight we really should be questioning why Tuwa's team are throwing him in here. Another Penalosa on this card is Carlo Caesar Penalosa (12-1, 5), who will also be taking on an opponent from Tanzania, Jemsi Kibazange (11-2-2, 1). On paper this actually looks the most compelling of the Philippines Vs Tanzania bouts, despite Kibazange being very feather fisted. Kibazange hasn't never been stopped and despite suffering a couple of losses at least looks like he could be a test for Penalosa. Even if we are expecting the contest to be a mismatch. Kagoshima, Japan In Japan there will be two shows at the Kagoshima Arena, On paper the more notable of those two cards is the second show, which features a couple of notable bouts. The main event of this card will see Naoya Haruguchi (15-9, 6) take on Filipino visitor Lito Dante (14-10-4, 7). This will be Haruguchi's first bout since a loss to Tatsuya Fukuhara in July and although he's lost 2 of his last 3 he has proven to be a very credible fighter around the Japanese and OPBF title scene, with notable wins against the likes of Norihito Tanaka and Jeffrey Galero. On paper Dante looks like a limited fighter, but like Haruguchi he is much better than his record suggests and has gone the distance twice with Vic Saludar and also took Simphiwe Khonce the schedule. Dante is tough, talented and will be there to pick up a win on the road. This could be a thrilling and hotly contest contest. In the chief support bout we'll see OPBF female Bantamweight champion Miyo Yoshida (10-1) make her first defense, just weeks after winning the belt, as she takes on Thai challenger Phannaluk Kongsang (4-6-1, 2). Yoshida won the title on October 20th, to unify the OPBF and Japanese titles, and this will be her first defense of the regional belt as she gets a homecoming contest in Kagoshima, with the plan being for her to move on to world title fights in the near future. Coming in to this the Thai has lost 3 of her last 4, including a previous challenge for this title, and a win would be the biggest of her career, by far. We don't see the upset happening, but we do imagine the Thai will be able to last the distance, given Yoshida's lack of power. Kagoshima, Japan The other card in Kagoshima is a Rookie of the Year card, pitting the Western Japan champions against the Central Japan champions. The winners of these bouts will then find themselves one bout away from an appearance at the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in December. This card will feature 9 bouts in total with contests taking place from Minimumweight to Welterweight. We won't go through the bouts, but we are expecting some very competitive contests. Selangor, Malaysia
The key Asian show this coming Saturday comes from Malaysia, where fans will see a number of promising fighters in action. The most promising fighter on the card is WBC Silver Welterweight champion Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (13-0, 9), who will be making his second defense of the title as he takes on Hungarian foe Laszlo Toth (25-3-1, 17). The Uzbek fighter had a fantastic 2017 with notable wins over Charles Manyuchi, to win the title, and Dmitry Mikhaylenko to defend it, and he looks like a future world title challenger, possibly fighting for a world title later this year. The visitor is a bit of an unknown, though unlike most Hungarian fighters he's not collapsed in his defeats, instead he has gone the distance against the likes of Vyacheslav Senchenko and Kerman Lejarraga. This could be a decent test for the Uzbek fighter, but one that we expect him to come through as he continues his march to a world title fight. Another promising Uzbek fighter on this card is Azizbek Abdugofurov (9-0, 4), who kicks off his 2018 with a bout against Alfonso Tissen (10-1-2, 5). The 25 year old Uzbek Middleweight looked like a star in the making as we entered 2017, but some of the excitement has been lost for him, despite going 6-0 (1) for the year. He's still very promising and hotly tipped, but some of the hype has certainly gone. Tissen on the other hand is a bit of an unknown from South Africa, who looks to be stepping up in class, after 13 straight fights on the South African domestic scene. With 2 draws in his last 4 Tissen has shined recently and will not expected to pick up a win, but if this is competitive Abdugofurov will see his rise take another hit, and he really wouldn't want that to happen at the moment. A third Uzbek on this card is Jasur Akhmadjanov (3-0, 2), who looks to take on his most notable foe so far as he battles former world title challenger Roy Mukhlis (29-7-3, 22). Aged 21 Akhmadjanov is a promising youngster, but this is a monster step up in class, following 3 fights on the Uzbek domestic scene. Interestingly this will be the Uzbek's third bout of the year, following two bouts in January. Mukhlis challenged the then WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama in 2010, but since then his career has really faltered, going 5-4-1 with 3 stoppage losses. Mukhlis has looked shot in recent fights and this could be why he has been selected for Akhmadjanov's first step up, though he may still have the tool to ask questions of the youngster. A final bout of potential interest here will be a rematch between Malaysia's very own Muhammad Shehran (6-1, 1) and Indonesian Erick Deztroyer (11-4-1, 2). These two fought last December, with Deztroyer defeating Shehran, who was then 5-0, courtesy of a majority decision. Shehran will be seeking revenge here, whilst Deztroyer will be looking to double down and get a second win over the 22 year old Malaysian fighter. Victoria, Australia As well as the action in Malaysia there is also a show worthy of note in Victoria featuring a former world champion. That former world champion is former WBO Bantamweight king Marlon Tapales (30-2, 13), who will be up against Indonesian foe Rivo Rengkung (36-24-6, 14). The under-rated Tapales hasn't been seen in the ring since his second bout with Shohei Omori, a bout he won by 11th round TKO but was stripped of his world title for failing to make weight, way back in April 2017. The Filipino is likely to be a real handful for anyone at 122lbs with his toughness and under-rated skills, and despite his long break from the ring he should have no issue with Rengkung. The Indonesian has been stopped in 9 of his 24 defeats, and whilst he could see out the bell, as he did against big punching South African Macbute Sinyabi, it really is hard to see anyway for him to be competitive with the Filipino. Another Filipino on this card will be the once touted Neil John Tabano (14-4, 10), who will take on Thai puncher Yodchanchai Nakornluang (25-4-0-1, 20). Tabanao won his first 11 bouts, but has gone 3-4 in his last 7 and really needs to inject some momentum back into his career as soon as possible. The 39 year old Thai veteran hasn't fought in over 4 years and although he will still have his heavy hands he was never the toughest fighter and really should be fodder for the significantly younger and fresher Filipino hopeful. Anapa, Russia In Russia local fans will be able to see the unbeaten Vyacheslav Mirzaev (10-0, 1) take on Filipino foe Kenny Demecillo (13-4-2, 7). The unbeaten 29 year old Mirzaev has shown nothing in terms of power but has shown some nice skills so far, including last December when widely out pointed Sukkasem Kietyongyuth. The Filipino visitor likely isn't expected to be a threat, but he is a talented fighter and should be regarded as a live under-dog here, despite his less than amazing record. Demecillo is better than the numbers suggest, and if he performs to bis best he can be a handful for a fighter like Mirzaev. |
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