 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday in Tokyo we get a good looking double header from Korakuen Hall as we get the 29th WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT. The main event will see WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight Subaru Murata (8-0, 8) make his first defense, as he takes on Filipino challenger Joseph Ambo (14-4-1, 9). Murata, who has long been tipped as one to watch following a successful amateur career, won the title in October, winning a thriller with Kaito Yamasaki, will know that if he can continue to pick up notable wins and work his way up the world rankings he might be able to pick up a title in a post Naoya Inoue Super Bantamweight division in 2026. He will however need to tighten up from the Yamasaki fight, where he was dropped, and a fight with Ambo is the ideal first defense. Ambo is no world beater but the Filipino is tough, hits hard enough to hurt fighters at this level, and is upset minded, as we saw when he shocked Darren Cunningham. He can be out boxed, as Kenji Fujita did a year ago, but he can't be overlooked and will give Murata good rounds. Notably Murata has only had 34 pro rounds in 8 bouts, and could do with going deep in a bout and Ambo might well drag him into the later rounds. The other title fight will see the fast rising Ryusei Matsumoto (4-0, 2) make his first defense of the Japanese Minimumweight title, as he battles Masatora Okada (9-5-1, 3). Matsumoto looks to be the next Japanese star at 105lbs, and has followed up an excellent amateur career by really impressing in his first 4 professional bouts, beating opponents with a combined 36-10-2 record, and claiming the Japanese title. In the ring Matsumoto looks like one of those fighters who can really do it all, and it all looks so natural, smooth and easy for him. His win over Katsuki Mori, for the title, late last year was an eye opener for many, and we suspect he will look to build on that moment here, then move onwards and upwards towards potential world title fights in late 2025 or early 2026. The under-card is also packed with really interesting fights. One of those is at 135lbs where Reo Saito (5-1, 5) takes on Go Hosaka (7-3-1, 5). Saito seemed to be on the fast track until he was beaten by the criminally under-rated Ryo Nakai, and this will be his second bout since then, as he looks to rebuild his momentum. He's heavy handed, talented, and a former stand out amateur, who at 26 years old still has his best years ahead of him. As for Hosaka he was touted early in his career, but has gone 2-3-1 in his last 6, including an 8 round decision loss to Ryo Nakai, and is now pretty much fighting to give his career a second chance after his recent setbacks. Given the styles of the two men and the mentality of both, and their need for a big performance, this could be an excellent contest, with real drama for both men. On paper Junya Shimada (7-0-1, 2) clashing with Filipino Jing Aguan (6-1, 4) should be good, however it does feel like Shimada should pick up the win here. The local is a really talented fighter, but he lacks the power to make a major mark on the top of the domestic scene, especially given how strong the Japanese scene is at and around 126lbs, for the time being. Despite that he does have a win over Michael Casama that has aged well. Aguan is a 31 year old Filipino who's wins have come at a very low level, with only his debut coming against a fighter with a winning record. Notably he was stopped last time out, taken out in 7 rounds by Fernando Tagpuno Jr., and really has nothing on his record to suggest he could test Shimada, despite how good it looks on paper. Having briefly mentioned Michael Casama it's worth noting that his former victim Kota Kaneko (6-1, 5) will be seeking his second win since being blown out by Casama in July 2024, as he takes on Christian Jude Capuno (7-2, 3). Prior to his loss Kaneko was building plenty of momentum but was totally jumped on by Casama and had no response when Casama hurt him. That will be a serious learning experience and something he will have learned more from than many of his wins. The 23 year old Capuno, who like Aguan and Ambo is also a Filipino on this card, is taking a huge step up here, and has already been stopped twice. He was once fighting at Flyweight, and whilst he last made 112lbs back in 2019 we suspect he'll look small here against the hard hitting and strong Kaneko who will be looking to make a real statement to begin the new year. Prudential Center, New Jersey, USA Over in the US former 2-weight world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) will look to bounce back from her 2024 loss to Shurretta Metcalf, as she takes on Hungarian fighter Beata Dudek (5-5, 4). The bout has been put together at short notice and appears to be a case of the talented Yoshida getting some ring time, rather than having a long lay off. Her career has, sadly, been full of lengthy breaks, and it's been a case of Yoshida not really getting to build on her momentum of big wins. She only fought once in 2020, once in 2021, once in 2022 and once in 2024. Her last fight, her second loss to Metcalf, came in October and despite this being a stay busy fight, we are glad to see her being kept busy. As for Dudek, the Hungarian debuted in 2023, won her first 3 fights, and managed to fit in 7 fights last year. Whilst she did go 2-5 during the year, she was never stopped and will be on there to give Yoshida good rounds, the sort of thing the Japanese fighter needs ahead of a potential third bout with Metcalf later this year.
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 New York, New York, USA
It’s fair to say that 2023 was a rollercoaster year for Japanese fighter Miyo Yoshida (17-4) who ended fought only twice in the year, all in the last 2 months of the year, and felt both the heartache of a loss, and the jubilation of a massive, upset, win to end the year. The first of those two fights saw her lose to American fighter Shurretta Metcalf (13-4-1-1, 2), in a wide decision, and just weeks later she was seemingly picked as a short notice opponent for Ebanie Bridges, the then IBF Female Bantamweight champion. Rather than rolling over and playing the happy loser Yoshida upset Bridges with a career defining performance to become a 3-time, 2-weight, world champion following 2 reigns as the WBO Female Super Flyweight champion. Sadly for Yoshida she hasn’t fought since that remarkable win over Bridges, but she does return this coming Wednesday as she seeks revenge against Metcalf in a much anticipated rematch. In their first bout Metcalf dominated Yoshida on the scorecards, taking the win with scores of 96-94, 98-92 and 99-91. As mentioned Yoshida bounced back, dethroning Bridges, and finishing the year on a high to continue her excellent story as a boxer and a mother, with her daughter often being regarded as the driving force for her career. As for Metcalf she’s actually not fought, at all, since beating Yoshida, and the now 39 year old really needs to repeat the win over Yoshida, prove it wasn’t a fluke, and get a chance to get a good payday on the back of being a world champion. Given their first bout it’s hard to see a win for Yoshida, but the performance against Bridges was brilliant from the Japanese, and it’s fair to say she’s determined to make the most of this chance to avenger her most recent loss, much like she did in 2021, following a 2020 loss to Tomoko Okuda, and in 2017 when she avenged a 2016 loss to Yuki Koseki.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we'll get the next card from Misako gym, and it's an interesting one, with out being a huge one. It's got a female world title fight in the main event, and two decent looking supporting bouts, with one featuring a recent Japanese champion looking to bounce back from their title loss. The main event of the card will see WBO Female Super Flyweight champion Miyo Yoshida (15-2) seek her first of her second reign as she takes on veteran challenger Tamao Ozawa (16-5, 6), who gets her third world title shot. The popular Yoshida managed to reclaim the title last year, winning a rematch against Tomoko Okuda, and we suspect she'll be desperate to keep the title here and extend her profile in the sport, which has grown since she first won the Japanese Female Bantamweight title in 2017. As for Ozawa the 37 year old challenger will know this is her last shot at a world title, and sadly for her it comes after more than 3 years of inactivity, and more than 4 years fighting at a different weight. Ozawa will be the under-dog, but we suspect she will be driven to make the most of this chance, and will give Yoshida real trouble at times here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Yoshida takes on Ozawa in WBO title defense In one of the main supporting bouts former Japanese 140lb champion Daishi Nagata (15-3-2, 6) will be looking to bounce back from his title loss, last June, as he takes on the limited Tetsuya Kondo (6-5, 4). Nagata, who famously beat Koki Inoue for the Japanese title in 2020, has failed to pick up a win since winning the title, and it's hard to know what he has to offer right. He was out boxed and stopped by Masahiro Suzuki and in some ways it seems his title win was the worst thing for his career. Thankfully for him however Kondo shouldn't be much of a test at least on paper, as he's a natural Lightweight who has lost his last 3. However Kondo is upset minded and did give tough tests to Takeru Kobata, Rikuto Adachi and Kaiki Yuba, so he is no push over and is better than his record, and recent form, suggests. In another major supporting bout we'll see two Japanese ranked 147lb fighters face off as Yuichi Ideta (15-15-1, 8) and Hironori Shigeta (7-2-1, 4) clash in an 8 rounder, which will also serve as a Japanese title eliminator. Despite his record Ideta is fighting like a man who knows he can't afford any more setbacks, and his 2020 win over Ryota Yada stands out as an excellent domestic level win, which has seen him earn a high Japanese rankings. As for Shigeta he's a former Rookie of the Year winner who is 2-1-1 in his last 4, but has shown his ability and gave Shoki Sakai a decent test in 2020. This should be a very competitive and very exciting bout, with a Japanese title fight almost certainly in touch distance for the winner.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday the Korakuen Hall will play host to the latest show from Misako promotions. The card isn't a bit one but it does feature a world title rematch in the main event, a good prospect in the chief support bout and some Japanese ranked fighters in supporting bouts. It's a decent show, but not one which set the world alight. The main event will see WBO female Super Flyweight champion Tomoko Okuda (7-2-2, 1) make her first defense as she takes on Miyo Yoshida (14-2), the woman she beat for the title back in December. The first bout between these two saw Okuda prove to be too strong, too aggressive and too powerful for Yoshida, before headclashes and cuts forced the bout to be stopped in round 6. This time around we dare say Yoshida knows what to expect from the 38 year old Okuda and we could end up seeing a more purposeful display from the former champion. As for Okuda she will not be looking to hand the title back without a fight and this could end up being very, very competitive and very personal. Our preview of this bout can be read here Okuda and Yoshida II - Repeat or revenge? In the chief support bout we'll see the very talented Tsubasa Murachi (6-1, 3) battle against Ken Achiwa (12-15-6, 4) in a bout that should see the winner knocking on the door of a title fight. Entering the bout Murachi is ranked in the top 10 by the JBC and the WBO AP whilst Achiwa is in the top 20 of the JBC rankings. On paper this looks a mismatch, and Murachi should be strongly favoured as he is a genuine talent, but Achiwa is an upset minded fighter and he has proven to be much better than his record suggests. Achiwa will look for the upset, but we see the boxing brain and speed of Murachi being too much and the youngster should take a clear, if hard fought, decision here. At Welterweight we'll see veteran's collide as Motonobu Suzuki (5-6-2, 2) takes on the JBC ranked Yuichi Ideta (14-15-1, 7), who is actually on the verge of a very unexpected title fight. The 37 year old Suzuki hasn't fought since January 2019, and despite his record looking like a mess he is 3-1-2 in his last 6 bouts dating back to 2015, impressive form for a man who was 2-5 in his first 7. Ideta on the other hand is a 36 year old who lost 11 in a row between 2012 and 2019, but scored an upset of the year contender in 2020, when he beat Ryota Yada. That shock win has put Ideta in the top 10 of the JBC rankings and just a win or two away from a very, very unexpected title fight. Another JBC ranked fighter on this show is Shuri Hasebe (8-5, 2), who defends his top 15 JBC Minimumweight ranking as he takes on 28 year old Kosuke Ando (8-3, 3). Although no world beater Hasebe has put in some good performances, notably beating Desierto Nagaike last time out, and will know that if he keeps plugging along and picking up wins he could land a title fight. As for Ando this is an opportunity to rebuild his career after a blow out loss last time out to Toshiki Kawamitsu. Ando impressed in the 2019 Rookie of the Year, reaching the All Japan final, and will feel he needs win here to get his career back on the right track.  December 13th becomes the latest date for a promoter to hold two events at the same venue in Japan, and although neither of the shows are amazing, both look relatively interesting with title action and a couple of decent bouts. Interestingly it appears the first will be made available on YouTube, as part of the Boxing Real channel whilst the second will be available, on demand, on Boxing Raise.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The first of the cards features a solid, if somewhat easy to over-look, main event, a Japanese female title bout and an anticipated debut. The main event on the first show will see Yuki Yonaha (7-3-1, 5) take on the JBC ranked Motoki Osanai (4-2, 1) in an interesting 8 rounder. The 29 year old Yonaha is without a win in well over 4 years, but did show plenty of desire and hunger in his most recent bout, a draw with Naota Iwai, and it's clear he is a talent, though we do question his hunger and desire in the sport. Osanai on the other hand turned professional to fanfare, taking part in his pro-test bout on the same day as Hiroto Kyoguchi and Masataka Taniguchi, but was sadly left in their shadows and lost 2 of his first 3. Coming into this he has scored 3 wins and appears to be building some career momentum, and a win here would continue the ball rolling. One of those ones where the abilities of both men are a lot better than their records suggest. The title bout on this card will see Japanese female Minimumweight champion Yumi Narita (4-4-3, 1) defending her title against Mont Blanc Miki (4-3-1, 1), in what will be Narita's first defense of the title. On paper this is another where the records of the two fighters suggests a poor bout, but the styles and mentalities of the two women should actually make for a war. Neither of the two are technically fantastic but both are warriors who let their hands go and we expect this to be a genuine tear up. Our full preview of this bout can be read here Narita takes on Miki in first Japanese title defense As for the debutant that is switch hitter Takahiro Tai (0-0), who fights out of the gym by his father. Tai was a solid amateur on the Japanese amateur scene and is looking to make an impact on his professional debut as he takes on Ryosei Hamaguchi (6-6, 2) in a 6 rounder. We don't think Tai will be fast tracked, but there was a lot to like from his amateur performances and he's very much a fan friendly, stylish fighter with a lot of flare. We see that winning over fans quickly here. Hamaguchi isn't a bum, but he has lost 4 of his last 5, and has scored just 1 win in the last 3 years, so would need something a bit special to test the talented Tai here. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The second part of the card will again feature a title bout, an intriguing 8 rounder and a debut...well a debut of sorts. The title bout here, which is also the main event, will see WBO female Super Flyweight champion Miyo Yoshida (14-1) making her second defense of her title as she takes on Tomoko Okuda (6-2-2, 1). The talented Yoshida will be strongly favoured here, though it is worth noting that this will be her first bout since transferring over to the Misako Gym and the change in her team and set up could end up leaving some questions for her to answer. Okuda has been fortunate at times with some results, but at 37 we really do wonder if she has the tools to hang with a top class fighter like Yoshida. Our full preview of this world title bout can be read here Yoshida takes on Okuda in second WBO world title defense In an excellent 8 round match up we'll see the once beaten Yuga Inoue (10-1-1, 1) take on Daiki Tomita (14-2, 5), in a bout between two top 10 JBC ranked Light Flyweights. The light punching Inoue has scored 3 wins since his 2018 loss to Kai Ishizawa for the Japanese Youth title, and has rebuilt in a hard way, going up against solid fighters and testing the water at Flyweight. He's had a loss, and gone straight back in with tough competition rather than rebuilding his confidence with easy wins. In fairness that's actually what Tomita is looking to do here in his first bout since a 10th round TKO loss to Kenichi Horikawa in July. Although both men are in their early 20's this is strangely a cross roads bout and the winner will find themselves on the verge of a Japanese title fight, whilst the loser will begin a long climb back up the rankings. A genuinely excellent match up. Also on this card is the debut of Ayumu Hanada (4-0, 3), or rather the Japanese debut of Hanada. Or more precisely the JBC debut of Hanada, who began his career in Mexico and fought in an unrecognised bout in Japan in 2019. Despite the weird start to his career Hanada is expected to be a star and he has impressed, bot just in his Mexican bout but also his "unofficial", for lack of a better word, bout in Japan. In the opposite corner to Hanada is the heavy handed Ryuku Nagamine (5-1, 5), who began his career with 5 early wins before losing to Keisuke Iwasaki in the Rookie of the Year last year. Given his power he's a real dangerman for Hanada and, if we're being honest, this could end up being the bout of the day. Both men are explosive punchers and both will be looking to make a statement. If you're going to watch this one, don't blink! Quzhou, China As well as the action in Japan we also get a small Chinese card from Quzhou. Sadly this is a very low level card. The most interestingly match up on the show will see 20 year old hopeful Yeerjialahasi Laayibieke (4-2, 3) take on the once beaten Jiaming Li (4-1, 2). Whilst this isn't expected to be a great fight we do love the fact it looks like a pretty 50-50 match up. Notably Laayibieke has won his last 4, with his last 3 coming by T/KO, but he's not the only one with momentum, and Li has also won his last 4. A genuinely interestingly match up. The only other 8 rounder on this card will see Jiajia Li (6-2, 2) battle Ayati Sailike (10-8-3-1, 4) in a decent looking match up. We don't think this will be as good as the other one, but it is a lot more even than it looks on paper. The 32 year old Li was beaten last year, and since then has picked up two very low key wins. Sailike on the other hand is unbeaten in more than 2 years and looks like he's coming into his prime. This could end up being a lot better than it appears on paper. Note - Hanada's Japanese debut was a WBF title bout in Osaka in June 2019. The bout isn't recognised by the JBC, his "actual" record is 5-0 (3)  Tokyo, Japan
To end 2019 we get a bumper card from Watanabe Gym who give us 6 titles on a single show in Tokyo. For those at the venue this is set to be a monster show, one of the best of the year, whilst those at home will only be able to see 2, or 3, of the bouts from the show. The show at the venue is set to open with one of the best opening bouts on a show this year, as fast rising prospect Ginjiro Shigeoka (4-0, 3) defends his WBO Asia Pacific title against former world title challenger Rey Loreto (25-14, 17). Fans who aren't aware of Loreto might see this as a mismatch but the Filipino, who started his career 0-4, is a legitimate danger man and this is a very legitimate test for Shigeoka. A win for the 20 year old local is expected to be followed by a world title fight next year, but again a win here is not a given against the tough and heavy handed Loreto. Our preview of this bout is available to read here Rising star Shigeoka defends regional crown against former world title challenger! Another regional title bout on this show will see Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Yusaku Kuga (19-3-1, 13) take on Filipino Jhunriel Ramonal (16-8-6, 9), in a bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight title. Coming in to this Kuga has had a great year, reclaiming the Japanese title with a win against Ryoichi Tamura and then defending it with a blow out against Yosuke Fujihara. He will be the favourite. However Ramonal is unbeaten since mounting a comeback in 2018, and was last seen blasting out Shingo Wake in October, and he will be full of confidence coming in to this bout. Our preview of this bout can be read here Kuga and Ramonal clash for WBO Asia Pacific crown! The first of three world title bouts, and one that is available to a Japanese only audience through Paravi, will see Miyo Yoshida (13-1) defending her WBO female Super Flyweight title against Chinese challenger Li Ping Shi (5-2, 2). This will be Yoshida's first defense of the title she won earlier this year, when she beat Casey Morton, and she, and her team sound confident that she has really come on and developed since winning the title. For Shi this is a huge step up in class, but she comes in with self belief and confidence. We go into a lot more detail of this bout here Yoshida defends WBO crown against Shi! The second world title fight on this card will see fast rising Japanese star Kosei Tanaka (14-0, 8) defending his WBO Flyweight title, for the third time, as he takes on Chinese challenger Wulan Tuolehazi (13-3-1, 6). The talented Tanaka looked poor last time out, needing to pull victory from the jaws of defeat against Jonathan Gonzalez, but put that down to being sick in the build up. We expect to see a better performance here, but Wulan is no pusher over and comes into this bout full of confidence, in what looks like a potential banana skin of a defense. This bout has been previewed in a lot of depth here Tanaka takes on Wulan in year ending WBO Flyweight title bout! The main event of the card will see Kazuto Ioka (24-2, 14) defending his WBO Super Flyweight title against mandatory challenger Jeyvier Cintron (11-0, 5), in what will be the final world title bout of the decade. Ioka won the title earlier this year, when he stopped Aston Palicte, and will be looking to go into the new decade as one of the top faces of the lower weight classes. Cintron on the other hand is looking to claim a world title in his first world title fight, and build on a very successful amateur career. This is a actually a really good way to close out the year, and the winner will enter 2020 as a man with potentially huge fights out there for the new year, including a show down with Roman Gonzalez. A full scale preview of this bout can be read here Ioka and Cintron to clash in final world title bout of the decade! The other title bout, which is actually pencilled in as a swing bout, will see Marina Sayama (4-1-1, 2) and Yume Hirayama (4-0) battle for the vacant Japanese female Flyweight title. This will be the second bout between the two fighters, who fought in 2017 with Hirayama winning, and looks likely to be a competitive bout, but one only those in the arena will get the chance to see. Our preview of this bout can be read here Hirayama and Sayama battle for Japanese title!  Chiba, Japan
This coming Wednesday attention turns to Chiba for a world title triple header. The show not only has a trio of world title bout but also features a couple of promising Japanese prospects, both taking a step up in class. The main event of the show will see Japanese 3-weight world champion Kazuto Ioka (23-2, 13) have his second shot at the WBO Super Flyweight title, as he takes on Filipino puncher Aston Palicte (25-2-1, 21), who also gets his second shot at the title. These two both fought Donnie Nietes for the vacant title late year, with Palicte earning a draw and Ioka suffering a narrow loss, and with Nietes vacating the title to pursue a legacy defining fight, the two men get the chance to face off with each looking to make the most of their second chance. This should be a high skilled battle between two very talented fighters, with very different strengths. We're not expecting a FOTY style war, but we are expecting a very, very good bout. Our preview on this bout is available here Ioka and Palicte vie for vacant WBO crown! Another fantastic looking world title fight will see unbeaten men collide, with WBA Light Flyweight "Super" champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (12-0, 9) defending his title against unbeaten Thai challenger Satanmuanglek CP Freshmart (11-0, 5) , aka Tanawat Nakoon. For Kyoguchi this will be his first defense, following his title at the end of 2018 against Hekkie Budler. The Japanese star will be strongly favoured here but it should be noted that the Thai challenger is a former Muay Thai stand out and should not be regarded as a push over. This should be very interesting and a real chance to see if the Thai is a legitimate threat in the world of professional boxing. Our preview of this bout is available here Kyoguchi takes on unbeaten Thai challenger Satanmuanglek The third of the world title fights will see a second WBO Super Flyweight world champion being crowned, this time the female champion as in form Japanese fighter Miyo Yoshida (12-1) takes on Casey Morton (8-1-3, 1). Yoshida has managed to win Japanese and OPBF female titles on her climb up to this bout, but this is a bet test on paper, an her first 10 round bout. It should noted that whilst this should be Yoshida's toughest bout to date Morton did not impress in her her last bout at Super Flyweight, when she was clearly beaten by Thai foe Jutamas Jitpong and it could be that she just isn't suited to the 115lb weight class. Our preview of this bout is available here Yoshida and Morton battle for vacant WBO world title! The more notable of the prospects on this card is the talented Shu Utsuki (4-0, 3), who looks to build on his stoppage win over Jerry Castroverde as he takes on Japanese based Venezuelan Omrri Bolivar (8-1, 3). Utsuki seems on his way to getting a title fight in the next 12 months or so and this is a really good step up in class, against a talented and often over-looked foe. The 28 year old Bolivar is no world beater but he's solid on the fringes of domestic level and should give Utsuki some tough rounds. The other prospect on this card is former amateur stand out Shisui Kawabata (1-0, 1), who made his debut earlier this year. The 23 year old Japanese fighter had been touted as one to watch before his debut, back in March, but was surprisingly dropped in his first pro bout. He'll be hoping for a better performance here as he takes on Thai visitor Mongkol Kamsommat (5-4, 4). It should be noted the Thai is 0-2 in Japan, but did go 7 rounds last year with Kenichi Horikawa and is certainly better than his record suggests. This could be a real test for Kawabata.  Tokyo, Japan
We get the latest in the female only "Victoriva" series of shows this coming Wednesday as we get "Victoriva Vol 4" at the Korakuen Hall. The card isn't as stacked as some of the previous shows under the banner but does feature two really good looking title bouts, both of which are worthy of some attention for fans of female boxing. The main event will see Atomweight titles being unified as OPBF champion Eri Matsuda (2-0) faces Japanese champion Nanae Suzuki (8-2-1, 1) in a fantastic match up. The unbeaten, and fast tracked, Matsuda is a delightful fighter to watch and her OPBF title win back in December was a brilliant performance, out pointing Minayo Kei over 8 rounds. Suzuki is a battler, and come be a nightmare up close for Matsuda, though the unbeaten fighter will look to make the most of her hand speed and excellent foot work, in what should be a great clash of styles. Our preview of this bout is available here Matsuda and Suzuki battle to unify titles! The chief support bout will see JBC and OPBF female Bantamweight champion Miyo Yoshida (11-1) defending her national title, and we believe only the Japanese title, as JBC #1 ranked contender Yoshie Wakasa (6-0, 2). Yoshida has been on a tear, winning her last 7 bouts, unifying the Japanese and OPBF crowns and going 4-0 in title bouts. Wakasa is fighting in her first title bout, but as an unbeaten challenger she is clearly hungry and will be coming into this bout knowing it's her chance to get a career best win. This could be very, very exciting, even if it's not likely to be the tidiest of bouts to watch. Our preview of this bout is available here Yoshida takes on unbeaten Wakasa in upcoming defense Pangasinan, Philippines As well as the show in Tokyo there is also a Filipino card scheduled. The main event here is set to be Jason Buenaobra (7-3-3, 3) taking on the once beaten Joseph Ambo (8-1-1, 6) in a well matched contest. The 24 year old Buenaobra is the only fighter to have heard the final bell with teenage sensation Carl Jammes Martin and has reeled off a 5 fight unbeaten run since then, but does lack power and hasn't scored a stoppage since his 5th bout. Ambo on the other hand is a puncher but was beaten last time out, losing a decision in Thailand to Sukkasem Kietyongyuth. Ambo will be looking to return to winning ways, whilst Buenaobra will be looking to extend his unbeaten run to 6 bouts. Also set for this card is the unbeaten Denmark Quibido (8-0-1, 5), who saw his record being marked up late last year with a technical draw against Joel Taduran. At the time of writing his opponent hasn't been announced.  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.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday Dangan put on their second “Victoriva” show, which took the role of Dangan Ladies. From that it should be clear that this will be an all female show, and it actually features a couple of female title fights. The main event of the card will see Miyo Yoshida (9-1) take on Filipino foe Gretel de Paz (5-3, 2) in a bout for the vacant OPBF female Bantamweight title. The once beaten Yoshida has reeled off 5 straight wins, including a big win over Tomomi Takano for the Japanese female title, and looks to be getting better and better as she develops her in ring experience. As for de Paz she is pretty much a journey-woman, with her last 3 fights all taking place away from home. The visitor won last time out, against a debutant, but we can't see her beating the very in form Yoshida here. The second title fight will see Japanese Atomweight champion Nanae Suzuki (6-2-1, 1) defending her belt against Akari Arase (6-4, 1), in what will be Suzuki's first defense of the title. Teh champion claimed the belt back in March, when she took a majority decision win over Sana Hazuki, in what was the second meeting between the two women. The 36 year old Arase is better than her record suggests, having ran Masae Akitaya close last year, but is no world beater and a win here would be her best win to date. A supporting bout will see the aforementioned Sana Hazuki (6-3-1, 2) taking on the debuting Eri Matsuda (0-0) in a 6 round bout. As mentioned Hazuki has twice faced Suzuki in Japanese title fights, drawing once and losing a majority decision, showing that she is among the top domestic fighters at 102lbs. Matsuda on the other hand was a former amateur stand out who is jumping in at the deep end here. A win for Matsuda would see her announce herself on the national stage and be a huge way to kick off her career, but of course Hazuki is not there to make up the numbers. Another supporting bout of note will see the once beaten Tomoko Okuda (4-1-1) battle against the unbeaten Yoshie Wakasa (5-0, 2). Okuda lost on her debut but has since gone 4-0-1 and moved into 6 rounders. Wakasa on the other hand has avoided a loss so far, but this will be her first 6 rounder. Interestingly neither fighter has a win of any real note so the winner here will have a career best win. |
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