Pathum Thani, Thailand We return to Thailand on Friday to see a potential world title challenger in action on a relative low quality card. The main event looks like a clear stay busy bout for Nawaphon Por Chokchai (34-0, 27), who will be facing Roque Lauro (13-18-5, 3) in a bout that keeps Nawaphon busy as his team works on securing a world title fight. The unbeaten Thai is expected to be facing Juan Hernandez later in the year for the WBC Flyweight title, of the interim belt, and will be looking to just keep the ring rust off with this bout against the experienced but light punching Filipino journeyman. On the undercard fans will see Namphol Sithsaithong (11-10, 8) battle Boy Tanto (9-20, 1) in what looks to be a competitive bout between limited fighters Osaka, Japan We also get action back in Osaka, where Wednesday's bit show was held. In the main event the Japanese Tetsuya Hisada (25-9-2, 15) will be fighting in a stay busy bout against Kenta Matsui (7-5, 1). Hisada is currently the #1 ranked Japanese Flyweight contender and will be looking to get a title fight either towards the end of this year or early next year. The problem for Hisada here will be over-looking the limited and light punching Matsui who is clearly there to be a tune up opponent, and nothing more. In an excellent matched bout fans will see ounce touted Ioka fighter Takeru Kamikubo (10-2, 7) take on Shogo Hayashi (7-3-1, 4). Kamikubo had reeled off 8 straight wins to begin his career and was building some genuine momentum before suffering back-to-back stoppage defeats last year. He has scored a couple of wins since but knows he cannot afford another loss at the moment. As for Hayashi he has shown limitations of his own and is 2-3 in his last 5, though has yet to be stopped and is likely to know that Kamimubo has got serious question marks about his durability. Eastern Cape, South Africa Outside of Asia fans will see Filipino Raymond Tabugon (18-4-1, 8) take on the tough task of Makazole Tete (15-1-1, 10) in a bout for the IBF Continental Africa title. On paper Tete has to be favoured however he was beaten last November and should really have a couple of losses on his record, with the fighter lucky to get a win over Renz Rosia in April 2015. Tabugon has fought in South Africa before, beating Luzuko Siyo, however he was beaten last time he was on the road with Juan Hernandez stopping him in 5 rounds last November. New South Wales, Australia Also outside of Asia, though back in the Pacific region, fans will be able to see Korean Hyun Tae Bae (4-1-1, 2) take on the inexperienced Philip Robertson (1-1, 1) in what looks on paper like a relatively even bout.
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Tokyo, Japan After a few quiet days in Japanese boxing the action returns to the Korakuen Hall for a Yokohama Hikari show featuring a former world title challenger and several interesting match ups. The main event sees that former world title challenger, Ryo Akaho (26-2-2, 18) facing former foe Toyoto Shiraishi (25-9-3, 12) in a long awaited rematch. These two originally fought in 2009, with Akaho scoring a 9th round TKO win, and were supposed to fight last year but Akaho failed to make weight for that bout. Coming in to this one both men will know it's a must win, with both men having lost last time out, and neither can afford another slip up. In a very good looking supporting bout the once beaten Hironobu Matsunaga (9-1, 4) will be up against former Japanese Middleweight champion Sanosuke Sasaki (11-4, 5) in what is a really attractive looking bout. Sasaki has lost his last 3 but has the experience to give Matsunaga a real test in what looks like a very even bout. A potentially explosive bout at Super Flyweight will see Masashi Odaira (6-5-2, 2) face off against the limited but gutsy Mako Matsuyama (7-10-2, 3). This might not get a lot of attention going in but it will surely be a real war. Arguably the best bout on the card is a 6 rounder between Takahiko Suzuki (6-1, 4) and Ryota Ishida (5-1, 3). Both of these men are 20 years old and both and both will know that a win here has the potential to be a launch pad towards a major bout with a well known domestic foe. A brilliant match up and one where the two youngsters both deserve a lot of credit. Rayong, Thailand As well as the action in Japan there is also a regional title fight in Thailand, as Nawaphon Por Chokchai (33-0, 26) defends his WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight title against Filipino Macrea Gandionco (11-2-2, 7). This should be a straight forward win for Nawaphon, who is looking to secure a world title fight later in the year. Thailand There will be two cards in Thailand, one of which is a show from Nakornluang Promotions who will be show casing two of their best fighters. The most notable of those fighters is Super Flyweight destroyer Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (37-4-1, 34) [ศรีสะเกษ นครหลวงโปรโมชั่น] who is going to take part in a stay busy bout ahead of rematch with current WBC Super Flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras. Although we're not sure who Srisaket will be fighting we have been informed that it will be an Indonesian opponent and the bout will only be a stay busy. The other fighter is unbeaten Flyweight contender Nawaphon Por Chokchai (31-0, 24) [นวพล นครหลวงโปรโมชั่น] who is the mandatory challenger to Roman Gonzalez. The unbeaten Nawaphon will not be facing a test here with Nakornluang not risking his big bout later in the year, they may however petition the WBC to strip Gonzalez if the Nicaraguan does make the move up to Super Flyweight later in the year. We believe this card will be aired on Channel 7 in Thailand. Thailand The other Thai show will be put on by Kiatkreerin and features several notable fighters again. The main event of the card sees the experienced Mike Tawatchai (37-8-1, 21) defending his IBF Pan Pacific title against Japanese visitor Shingo Kawamura (11-2-1, 6). For Tawatchai this is his most notable fight since last June when he was widely beaten by IBF #1 ranked contender Shingo Wake whilst for Kawamura this is a big step up and sees him fighting in his first title bout. Also in action here will be former Olympic star Manus Boonjumnong (3-0, 1) [มนัส บุญจำนงค์]. Sadly we're unsure who Manus will be up against but we do need to confess we have been impressed by him so far. For fans interested in this one, it will be aired on Thairath Arizona, USA In Arizona there will be two Asian fighters in action. In the most notable of the two bouts fans will see touted Filipino Harmonito Dela Torre (17-0, 12) risk his record against Rafael Guzman (16-1-1-1, 10). On paper this looks like a genuinely tasty match up though we do wonder how good Guzman is given his competition so far has been relatively poor. If Guzman is as good as the numbers suggest however, then we may be in for a genuine treat here with the Filipino being given a real test. The other Asian in action is Kazak puncher Bakhtiyar Eyubov (9-0, 9), who takes a huge step up as he faces Jared Robinson (16-2-1, 7). The bout should pose real questions of both men and be a genuinely interesting fight. Eyubov, as mentioned, is stepping up massively whilst Robinson has faced some quality fighters like Amir Imam, who stopped him in 4, Michael Perez, who took a decision win against him, and Haskell Rhodes, who he fought to a draw. This really is a fantastic match up and credit to both men for taking it. Ningbo, China Attention turns to to Chinese this Friday as we get a number of title bouts from a show in Ningbo, which is set to be aired on CCTV5. The most notable bout on the show will see former world champion Xiong Chao Zhong (25-6-1, 14) battle against hard matched Filipino Crison Omayao (17-9-3, 5) in a bout for both the WBC International the OPBF Minimumweight titles. This will be Zhong's first defense of the WBC international belt, that he won earlier this year with a decision against Hiroya Yamamoto, whilst Omayao will look to claim his first international title. Another title fight at 105lbs will see the once beaten Cai Zong Ju (5-1, 1) battle against Mari Ando (12-7, 5) for the WBC International Female title. Ju, who will be defending her belt for the second time will be looking to score her biggest win to date and her third successive win of note, having previous wins over Gretchen Abaniel and Angor Onesongchaigym. For Ando this is a chance to move towards another world title after having come up short 3 times in recent years. A third title bout on this card will see China's Xu Chan (6-2) battle against Thai veteran Chaiyong Sithsaithong (37-13-4, 26) in a bout for the a WBA Oceania title. Chan, who impressed last time when he upset Kris George in Australia, is coming in to this one in some former with a trio of wins including a decision over Hurricane Futa. Despite being highly experienced Chaiyong has never won on the road, where he is 0-8-1, this however is his best chance at changing that. In a non-title bout Mohamadreza Hamze (6-6-1, 2) will face Huang Ju Xiang (0-1). This bout will be Hamze's first since losing in South Korea, albeit to an unknown opponent in a bout not listed on boxrec.com Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand fans will also get some action as Channel 3 airs a small card from Bangkok. The main event of the card will see Thailand's very own Chatpetch Sithmorseng (11-3-2, 6) take on experienced Filipino visitor Jetly Purisima (20-16-4, 5) in a bout for the PABA Super Flyweight title. On paper it's hard to see Purisima winning however we have seen Filipino travel to Thailand in recent months with a very upset minded mentality and that may be the case again here. Other bouts on this card include a bout between Romnakit Technopoly Bangkok (4-0, 3) and Filipino Junar Adante (5-1-1, 2), in what looks like a good match up on paper though Romnakit has looked impressive so far, an all Thai bout between the unbeaten Dennapa Kiatniwat (5-0, 2) and the win-less Kongpichit Sithprayoon (0-3) and a bout featuring Montree Technopoly Bangkok (2-0, 1). Pathum thani, Thailand On a second Thai card, to be aired on Channel 7, Nakornloung will be putting on a show, which features a world ranked fighter and a former world champion. That former world champion is 26 year old "veteran" Suriyan sor Rungvisai (44-6-1, 22) who will be defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Bantamweight title against Indonesian foe Frans Damur Palue (11-9-2, 6). Suriyan, who is a genuinely world class Bantamweight, shouldn't struggle at all here though the hope is that he will move towards another world title bout in 2016, with a possible bout against Rodrigo Guerrero coming before another shot at the top Another bout on this card will see the unbeaten Nawaphon Por Chokchai (29-0, 22) taking on Medgoen Por Kobkua (0-0). Nawaphon, who is hoping to get a Flyweight world title bout, should pick up an easy win here to take him to 30-0 however the question is whether he will ever get a shot a Roman Gonzalez or whether his #1 ranking with the WBC is meaningless. A more well matched bout, at least on paper, will see Pongsaklek Sithdabnij (4-3-1, 3) attempt to extend his 4 fight winning run as he takes on Heri Purnomo (2-5, 1). Although the records are both poor there is some talk of Pongasklek being one to watch and he has turned his career around after a 0-3-1 start. Incidentally the man that Pongsaklek scored his biggest win against, Kongfah Nakornloung (22-1, 14) will also be in action, albeit against an unknown opponent. *Note we have been informed that “Romnakit Technopoly Bangkok” and “Ronnakit PKT College” are the same fighter likewise “Montree Technopoly Bangkok” and “Montree PKT College” July 17th-Kgawa battles Saito on interesting Japanese show, Nawaphon and Hani Ansi also in action7/16/2015 Tokyo, Japan The most notable Asian card of the day is Dangan134 which is being held at the Korakuen Hall and features 4 bouts of real note, including a Japanese title fight and an intriguing bout between relative novices. The event of the card is the title bout which will see Takuya Kogawa (23-4, 13) battle against Hiroki Saito (9-4, 5) in a bout for the vacant Japanese Flyweight title. On paper it looks like a mismatch but the truth of the matter is that this is expected to be a very hard fought, exciting and competitive match up, possibly even the fight of the month. Stylistically Kogawa is always involved in fun fights and Saito has proven he's not a fan of taking a backwards step. The chief support bout will see former Japanese Super Featherweight title challenger Shingo Eto (16-3-1, 9) battle against experienced Filipino Edgar Gabejan (27-31-6, 9). Again this looks like a mismatch on paper but Gabejan is much better than his record suggests and holds a very notable win over current OPBF champion Vinvin Rufino. This could turn out to be a very interesting and tough contest. Another supporting bout will see the under-rated Hideo Sakamoto (16-1-2, 5) attempt to notch his 7th straight win as he takes on Hiroaki Teshigawara (9-1-1, 4), who has won his last 4. On paper this looks like an interesting match up but it's hard to imagine anything but a Sakamoto win as he moves towards a Japanese of OPBF title fight. Former Sakamoto foe Ryoichi Tamura (3-2-1, 1) is also on this card in a fantastic match up against Yusuke Suzuki (6-1, 4). This bout won't appeal to many outside of the hardcore Japanese domestic fans but it has the potential to be a genuine barn burner between two talented and over-looked fighters who could well both go on to advance to title level over the coming years. This really is a mouth watering bout for those who look beyond the “records” of fighters. Osaka, Japan As well as the show in Tokyo there is also one in Osaka. This card is much weaker but does have an interesting main event as recent Japanese title challenger Atsushi Aburada (10-7, 6) takes on Tetsuya Hisada (22-9-2, 12). On paper Hisada has the better record however he has struggled in recent times, with just 2 wins in his last in his last 7, Aburada on the other hand is coming in on an exceptional win win over Takeru Kamikubo. Pathhum Thani, Thailand We also get a relatively interesting bout from Thailand as Nawaphon Por Chokchai (28-0, 21) defends his WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight against Filipino foe Wiljan Ugbaniel (13-3-1, 4). Nawaphon hasn't impressed us in the way his record would suggest however he should over-come Ugbaniel, who was stopped last time out by Melvin Gumban. Socotra, Yemen In Yemen fans will get the chance to see the charismatic Hani Ansi (22-0-1, 20) take on an as yet un-named opponent for the UBO Super Flyweight title. From what we understand this was supposed to be the much anticipated Ansi Vs Ali Raymi bout, though Raymi's untimely passing left Ansi's team struggling to find a replacement foe. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) April 28th-Suriyan and Nawaphon both look to continue their move towards world title bouts!4/24/2015 Thailand
There isn't a lot of action this coming Tuesday however what there is does have an edge of significance to it as several world ranked Thai's are in action, albeit in stay busy fights. In the main event fans will see the unbeaten Nawaphon Por Chokchai (26-0, 19) defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight title and his WBC #1 world ranking against an Indonesian opponent who appears to be set up to lose. We've not been given the name of the visitor but considering Nawaphon is on the verge of a fight with Roman Gonzalez it's clear his team won't be risking him ahead of that potential world title bout. Another bout of note on this card will see Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (40-6-1, 18) battle against regional journeyman Yodpichai Sithsaithong (10-12, 4). Yodpichai seems to be continue his remarkable movements through the weights which last saw him fighting up at Featherweight, though has seen him fighting as low as Minimumweight. There are 3 other bouts pencilled in for this show but we're unsure who they will feature. For those interested in tuning in this will be aired on Channel 3. It's rare to have much in terms of interesting action on a Tuesday but this week fans in Japan get interesting action on a B class Dangan show whilst Thai fans get the chance to see some world class fighters in action. Pathum Thani, Thailand In Thailand fans get televised action on channel 3. Sadly the main event is a complete mismatch as WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight champion Nawaphon Por Chokchai (25-0, 18) defends his belt against the horrible over-matched Powell Balaba (8-12-1, 5). Balaba may have impressed fans who saw his last bout, in which he pushed Rommel Asenjo very close in an 8 rounder, but we think Nawaphon is going to be too big and too strong here for the Filipino Light Flyweight. This is a mismatch however it's also a stay busy fight for Nawaphon who is hoping to get a WBC Flyweight title eliminator later in the year. Nawaphon isn't the only notable fighter on this card and his older brother Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (39-6-1, 18) will also be in action as he looked for his second win of the year. From what we understand Suriyan will be up against the very limited Domi Nenokeba (11-22-1, 7) in what is again a stay busy fight for the Thai, who is also seeking a world title eliminator later in the year. A third fighter of interest on this card is the promising Jirapan Nakornluang (2-0, 2),though we're unsure who he will be fighting. We were really impressed by Jirapan on his debut and would suggest keeping a tab on him for the future, though his development might end up being a slow one. Tokyo, Japan For the second successive day this week we get the chance to see action from the Korakuen Hall as we the latest in the Dangan series of shows. This particular show is a B Class tournament show and will feature 11 bouts in total with 10 of them being scheduled for 5 rounds. Rather then going through all the bouts we'll just pick a few that have caught our eye. A relatively even looking even looking Middleweight bout will see the stop-or-be stopped Wataru Seino (4-2 4) battle against Koji Kase (4-4, 2) in an interesting, though relatively insignificant contest early on the card. Possibly the best prospect on the card is the unbeaten Kenya Noguchi (2-0, 1) who is a product of the Celes gym and appears to be one of the gyms most promising talents. The 19 year old Southpaw will be facing Thailand's Signoi Singmanasak (1-1) in what looks interesting on paper but is likely to be a dominant victory for Noguchi who we rate very highly. A very good looking Flyweight bout will see Tasuhiro Tanaka (4-1-2) fight against the interesting Kensuke Sasaki (2-1, 2). Sasaki appears to be selected as a very promising youngster and lost a close decision to the much more experienced Kenta Okumura on his debut, since then he has scored back to back stoppages and will be hoping to continue that run. Tanaka's only loss came 2 fights back when he was stopped by the then unbeaten Koya Sato in 5 rounds, notably that is Sato's only stoppage win. At Featherweight Takehiro Shinohara (5-4-2, 5) will battle fellow puncher Atsushi Kudo (3-3-2, 3). Both men have losses and draws but all wins for both men have come inside the distance and there is a good chance both will go out looking for a stoppage here. On paper the best match up is another Featherweight bout which will see Daisuke Watanabe (1-0, 1) battle against Ryuto Araya (7-2-1, 1) in what is a brilliant bit of match making. Watanabe's camp know they have a talent on their hands and a win here will shoot him towards a national ranking and put him on the fast track whilst a loss, this early in his career, is little more than a temporary set back. Technically the main event will be a Welterweight bout which will see Makoto Kawasaki (5-2-1, 1) battle against Mamoru Takeuchi (5-5-2). With just a single stoppage win between them from 20 bouts this looks like a distance affair but could still turn out to be enjoyable even if it doesn't look like a really exciting highlight to the show. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) Today's action is very limited as we get the proverbial "calm before the storm" and we only get a trio of very low profile bouts in Australia featuring Asian fighters and a small card in Thailand.
Saraburi, Thailand The main event on the Thai card will see the unbeaten, and world ranked, Flyweight Nawaphon Por Chokchai (24-0, 17) putting his unbeaten record and WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight title on the line against Filipino challenger Noli Morales (10-5, 3). Looking at this bout we can't help but think it's a farce with Morales having already gone 0-5 in Thailand with his last 2 losses both being stoppages. Nawaphon, a seriously huge Flyweight, shouldn't have any troubles disposing of Morales unless he has completely drained himself making the Flyweight limit. The only interesting thing about this bout is just how notable is the size discrepancy going to be with some some suggesting that Nawaphon is really a Super Bantamweight fighting at Flyweight. We have also been informed from our excellent Thai source that Chaiyong Sithsaithong (34-12-4, 24) will be in action though unfortunately we've been unable to locate the record for his opponent, who we have been told is Bryan Dennis, who we presume is an Australian. Western Australia, Australia The highest profile of the Asian's in action on this show is former world title challenger Angky Angkotta (27-10-1, 14) who twice fought in world title bouts against the exciting Jorge Arce. Angkotta a natural Super Flyweight-come-Bantamweight will be attempting to end a 3 fight losing streak as he takes on unbeaten Australian Super Featherweight Paul Fleming (18-0, 13) in what appears to be a very ugly mismatch. We'll be honest and say we fear a little bit for Angkotta here given his recent form and natural size disadvantage and hopefully the bout will have a cautious referee to stop anything bad happening to the Indonesian fighter. In a much better looking contest fans will see Thailand's Patomsith Pathompothong (10-2, 4) battle with local fighter Nathaniel May (7-1, 4) in a bout that almost looks even on paper. It does need to be noted that the Thai has lost 2 of his last 4 bouts, including a decision in Australia to the talented Ibrahim Balla, though he is significantly more experienced than the 19 year old May who looked less than impressive against Waylon Law in February. This is a pretty decent bout on paper and should be us 8 interesting rounds. The third bout will see Indonesian puncher Roy Tua Manihuruk (15-11-2, 11) battle against 20 year old local Brandon Ogilvie (8-1, 3). On paper this looks like a mismatch though we do suspect it will be entertaining with Ogilvie looking to build on a very impressive victory over Jerope Mercado from back in August. We hope the Indonesian can chin-check the Aussie here as that could make the bout rather interesting though we suspect Ogilvie will be too good for the visitor. (Thai information courtesy of Pal who we again want to thank for all the help he gives us, it really is appreciated!) Whilst we won't go as far as to say this Friday is an amazing day in Asian boxing it is certainly a notable day with plenty of exciting and interesting fighters in action.
Sara Buri, Thailand The biggest name in action is destructive Thai Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (27-4-1, 25) who will be attempting to claim a WBC regional title as he battles Zoren Pama (6-10-3, 3). For Srisaket this will be his first bout since he lost his world title in Mexico to Carlos Cuadras in a relatively disappointing bout that failed to live up to our expectations. Hopefully an impressive performance here will help Srisaket get another world title bout though his risk-reward isn't the sort of thing that makes him an attractive fighter, despite how exciting he is to watch with his power and seek and destroy mentality. We expect the co-feature here to be a bout between the unbeaten, and highly touted, Nawaphon Por Chokchai (22-0, 16) and Indonesian visitor Hendrik Barongsay (26-18-3, 15). Nawaphon is a very interesting fighter and one we suspect could be claim a world title somewhere down the line. As for Barongsay this will see him looking to end a 2 fight losing streak and score a shock win, just as he did in 2012 against Tabthong Tor Buamas. For what it's worth this card will be televised on Channel 7 in Thailand. Metro Manila, Philippines In the Philippines we have a relatively interesting domestic card though one that won't get much, if any, international attention. The headline bout will see the exciting Rogelio Jun Doliguez (19-1-2, 14) take on fellow Filipino Dennis Tubieron (18-3-1, 8) in a really interesting 10 rounder. We love watching Doliguez though know he can be out boxed by anyone able to take his power. We don't think Tubieron will be able to with stand the brute force of Doliguez though if he can he could find himself boosted into the fringes of a world ranking. Big opportunity for Tubieron but certainly a difficult ask. In another bout scheduled for 10 rounds we see another Filipino hopeful in action as the talented but light hitting Jetro Pabustan (23-2-5, 6) takes on the limited Angelito Merin (7-4-2, 1) in what should be an easy win for Pabustan though one that he will probably see him go the distance. Not blessed with power Pabustan is skilled and both of his losses have been via split technical decision. Sadly for all his skills he is involved in a lot of headclashes with an astonishing 9 technical decisions in 30 bouts. Merin has lost his last 2 though has the ability to make life difficult for Pabustan, we do however only see one winner. Sadly 2 other 10 rounders on this card look like complete mismatches with prospects taking on opponents that they are supposed to defeat without any issues. Thankfully however we do get an interesting 8 rounder as Roberto Gonzales (23-2, 14) battles the criminally under-rated Allan Tanada (13-2-3, 5) in what genuinely looks to be the show's outstanding contest. Gonzalez is a talented fighter though not one was good as his record suggests whilst Tanada is a former OPBF Super Featherweight champion who famously stopped Rikiya Fukuhara, almost 4 years ago to the day! This is a really good all-Filipino fight and one that we'd suggest could be the most competitive. As well as the trio of bouts mentioned we're expecting a further 9 bouts in a very deep card that is pretty full of mismatches, unfortunately. Hopefully we'll see some upsets but it's unlikely that make of the fights won't go as expected. New South Wales, Australia Another Filipino in action will be journeyman Roman Canto (8-4-2, 3) who will be taking on the unbeaten, and very talented, TJ Doheny (7-0, 5). We never like down playing fighters like Canto who will fight anywhere any time, though unfortunately he has gone 0-4-2 in the last 2 years including losses to Hikaru Marugame, fighting for just the second time as a professional, and the limited Ruben Manakane. Doheny shouldn't have any problems taking home a win with the question merely being the manner of the win. Something's in boxing are rare. One of those is an IBF title fight that takes place in Japan and another is a Chinese Heavyweight. Amazingly this Friday we get the chance to see both of those in a day that is genuinely littered with fights featuring Asians in contests that we wouldn't typically have expected. Hyogo, Japan The most important card of the day anywhere in the world on Friday is in the amazing Portopia Hotel in Kobe, Hyogo, as we get the day's only world title fight. The bout in question is the aforementioned IBF title fight which will see the unbeaten Teiru Kinoshita (19-0-1, 3) taking on South African puncher Zolani Tete (18-3, 16) in a battle for the vacant IBF Super Flyweight title. The bout, the first title fight in Kinoshita's career, is a hugely important one for not only the fighters but also the venue which is hosting it's first ever fights and also the IBF who has still viewed negatively in Japan. Whilst the Kinoshita/Tete bout is the headline contest it's just 1 of the 6 bouts on the card. Sadly the most notable support bouts are both pretty poor with one of them being between Shinichiro Morikawa (15-4-1, 10) and Ryota Kihara (6-8-4, 5) and the other being a bout between Yubon Kim (10-4, 3) and Yuta Matsuda (9-10-2, 4). Despite these bouts it's clear the fans at the venue will all be there to see the main event and not the support. Tokyo, Japan Another Japanese card will be held at the Korakuen Hall as Kaneko Promotions put on a show that did promise a lot until recently. Originally the main event for this show was to feature Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Hidenori Otake (22-1-3, 9) defending his belt against Daisuke Furuhashi (16-5, 6). Sadly a rib injury has forced Otake out of the bout and as a result the card does look a bit disappointing. As a result of Otake's injury the main event will now be the contest between Ryuto Oho (6-1, 2) and Shuji Hamada (12-6-3, 2). It's an acceptable contest but sadly it's not a great main event, especially considering that the main event was originally supposed to be a very interesting title bout. From the other 7 bouts on the card we need to admit that we are a little bit excited by the contest between Toshimitsu Goto (12-10-1, 5) and Spice Matsushita (11-8, 2). The records of neither man is great but they are about the same and both will be coming to win, also both men are better than their records indicate and will be looking to prove it in a really solid 50-50 bout. Osaka, Japan A third Japanese card takes place in Osaka at the Bodymaker Colosseum. This card is by far the smallest profile show in Japan for the day and will feature a total of 7 bouts, the most notable of which is arguably the 8 round contest between the experienced Tetsuya Hisada (21-8-1, 11) and the limited Takahiro Murai (9-5-1, 3). We imagine Hisada will win but it's a bout that is competitive and could go either way though neither guy is likely to even win a national title as they campaign in some of the deepest divisions on the Japanese domestic scene. Pathum Thani, Thailand The action in Thailand will feature the very promising Nawaphon Por Chokchai (21-0, 15) who will be defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Flyweight title against Filipino visitor Jay-ar Estremos (10-7, 4). Nawaphon, the younger brother of former world champion Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, is widely touted as a future world champion and shouldn't really struggle with Estremos here though the Filipino is much better than his record indicates and he should really have a victory over Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym from earlier this year. California, USA In the California we have two intriguing contests. One of those, the main event on a Fox Sports 1 card, will see former world title challenger Mercito Gesta (27-1-1, 15) taking on the experienced Luis Arceo (28-12-4, 18). Although the bout looks like a mismatch it is always fun to see "No Mercy" in the ring and hopefully he'll be at his most explosive against an opponent who is there to be taken out. On the same card fans will get the chance to see Chinese Heavyweight giant Taishan Dong (0-0) make his debut against the limited Alex Rozman (2-6, 1). Stood at 6'11" Dong really is a giant of a man and their seems to be real excitement about him though we really haven't seen much of him action other than one or two kick boxing contests, including a knockout win over Bob Sapp. If however he has skills as well as size he could be a genuine force in the division and it would be great to see him having success in the boxing ranks. New York, USA We have another US bout that takes place in New York. This bout will see Mongolia's San Luis Potosí, Mexico Staying in North America we also have a fight of interest in Mexico. This contest will see the promising Mexican based Japanese fighter Shoky Sakai (17-3, 11) battle against Abraham Cordero (8-2, 5). Although not a world beater Sakai is certainly developing into a capable fighter and his clear win over the previously unbeaten Omar Barajas back in May suggests that he may have the potential to become a possible contender in the future. For those interested in the titles this bout will be fought for the vacant WBC Youth Silver Lightweight title and of course the Youth titles are often a stepping stone to bigger and better things. South Africa Another bout outside of Asia will see IBO Super Flyweight champion Edrin Dapudong (29-5, 17) defending his belt against Lwandile Sityatha (16-3-1, 7). Dapudong, who won the belt by stopping Gideon Buthelezi inside a round last year, will be hoping to become the first Filipino to win back-to-back fights in South Africa though he will be coming into this fight after 13 months out of the ring and he may have some ring rust going into this bout. (Image courtesy of Senrima Kobe Promotions) |
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