 Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Sunday we will get a very notable show at the Kokugikan in Tokyo, headlined by the second huge Super Flyweight title bout in just over a week, as well as a bout viewed as a warm up for a potential world title fight for an unbeaten Bantamweight, and a notable prospect taking on a man who seemed on the verge of a world title fight a few years ago. The main event of the show will see WBA “super” champion Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16) take on IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez (16-0, 9) in a Super Flyweight unification bout, with the winner expected to pursue a bout with WBC champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in the near future. Ioka, now enjoying a world title reign in his 4th division, has been one of the major faces of Japanese boxing for over a decade now, though at 35 is starting to get to the point where father time will be picking a fight with him. He’s still a technical genius, and comes into this on the back of his first stoppage in over 3 years, but he is up against a very good fellow champion. In Martinez we have a whirling dervish of a fighter, with a very high output and a very aggressive style. The Argentinian first announced himself as one to watch back in 2019, when he stopped Athenkosi Dumezweni, but had to wait until February 2022 to really show what he could do, when he dethroned Jerwin Ancajas. Since winning the title he has fought just twice, but now has the chance to unify titles after more than a year of inactivity. This is expected to be a bout pitting the technical brilliance and counter punching, of Ioka, against the aggression and bloody mindedness of Martinez, in what should be a stylistically thrilling contest. In the main supporting bout Seiya Tsutsumi (10-0-2, 7) is expected to get some rounds under his belt as he tunes up for a world title fight. The talented and heavy handed Tsutusumi will be up against Thai visitor Weerawat Noolae (4-1, 2), who is expected to put up something of a fight but not really be a test. The Thai, who gave the fast rising Reo Nishioka 8 rounds back in April, is supposed to give some resistance to Tsutusmi, who has been out of the ring since December. The unbeaten Japanese fighter has eyes on a potential world title fight at the end of the year, and has stated he wants to face Takuma Inoue, so will likely want to make a statement here to land a shot at the WBA champion. Another unbeaten on this card is Kantaro Juri (6-0-1, 2), who takes on Thai veteran Phai Pharob (37-4, 28). Juri was last seen out in December, when he beat former world title challenger Danai Ngiabphukhiaw, and will be looking to get some good rounds here. As for Pharob, who was once the WBO #1 ranked Minimumweight contender and had looked like he was on the verge for a world title fight, this will see him look to avoid a 4th defeat in less than a year. At his best Pharob was a top contender, but is now a faded force, fighting not just above his best weight, but also well beyond his prime and his is 5-4 since 2016. In a good looking supporting bout Yudai Murakami (4-2) will face Hiro Ichimichi (8-1-1, 6), in what should be a very solid domestic bout, but one where Ichimichi will feel his power should be the difference. Despite the lack of power Murakami has shown himself to be a very capable fighter, with an upset minded mentality. He has scored notable upsets over Junki Shirasaki and Narumi Yukawa, and gave the then Japanese Lightweight champion Shuma Nakazato a real test back in December. Ichimichi went the distance with current Japanese Super Featherweight champion Tsubasa Narai last year, but his best win to date is a win over Ryuto Araya, and at 39 it is hard to know just how much he has left in the tank.
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Suphanburi, Thailand
Thai fans get action on Channel 3 as the highly ranked Paipharob Kokietgym (31-0, 24) defends the PABA Light Flyweight title against Indonesian fighter Oskar Raknafa (12-11, 5). The Indonesian was 12-4 when he faced a then debuting Kosei Tanaka just 24 months ago but has since lost and lost as his record has crumbled. We suspect that run of losses will continue here against the Thai who will be hoping to get a long awaited world title shot in 2016. New South Wales, Australia In Australia fans will get the chance to see Indonesian visitor Roy Tua Manihuruk (18-13-2, 14) battle against Australia's very own Valentine Borg (10-2, 7). On paper this is a big mismatch in favour of the hope fighter however Borg has been stopped twice, including last time out against Darragh Foley, and Manihuruk can certainly punch even if he's not a great fighter. October 3rd-Kamegai, Shimoda, Paipharob, Gesta and Denkaosan leave us with a name heavy day!10/1/2015  Tokyo, Japan
The best Asian card of the day comes from Japanese promotional giant Teiken who show case some of their notable fighters and also put on an interesting under-card of well matched bouts. In the main event former world champion Akifumi Shimoda (29-4-2, 12) takes on an interesting in the form of Filipino foe Jerry Nardo (21-7, 11). On paper it's clear that Shimoda should be favoured however Nardo is much better than his record suggests and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see the supposedly chinny Shimoda in some worrying moments In the co-feature Welterweight puncher Yoshihiro Kamegai (25-3-1, 22) takes on Filipino fighter Nelson Gulpe (8-5, 3). We can't see this being anything more than an easy win for Kamegai, who should be too strong, too powerful and too tough for the limited Gulpe. The Filipino, who has been in poor form here, may feel he's getting a diminished Kamegai but the Japanese fighter is unbeaten in Japan and is likely to swat aside almost everyone at Oriental level, never mind Gulpe who is some way away from Oriental class. Arguably the best of 3 well matched under-card bouts will see Japanese ranked Musashi Suzuki (11-3, 4) battle against 2014 Rookie of the Year Kenya Yamashita (7-1, 4). This is Yamanashita's first bout since he was beaten by Jo Tanooka and we expect to see him try and make a statement against Suzuki, however the more experienced man cannot be written off here. Another of the under-card bouts that caught our eye will see once beaten Teiken fighter Masaru Sueyoshi (9-1, 6) take on the “better than his record suggests” Roman Canto (10-7-2, 5). On paper it's easy to write off Canto though this should genuinely be a very good measure of how good Masaru is and we may well see him kick on if he can look impressive here. The remaining under-card bout that caught our eye will see Junki Sasaki (13-3, 5) battle against Yuki Ozawa (10-4, 2). This is an excellently matched bout and although Ozawa has lost his last 4 he should ask very god questions of Sasaki. Notably Sasaki did run Ryo Takenaka very close last time out and seems like he has got a lot of promise, though hasn't yet Thailand's In Thailand fans will get the chance to see highly regarded Paipharob Kokietgym (30-0, 23) defending his WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title against Filipino journeyman Jopher Marayan (7-7-2, 3). This is one of the worst bouts we've seen headline a Thai card, especially given that Marayan has lost 5 of his last 6 bouts coming in to this one. New South Wales, Australia In Australia fans will get the chance to see a number of Thais in action. Many of the bouts here are low profile but three actually did, genuinely, catch our eye. In one of them former world champion Denkaosan Kaovichit (63-5-1, 26) battles the unbeaten TJ Doheny (12-0, 8) in a bout for the PABA Super Bantamweight “super” title. This will be Denkaosan's first bout since he was stopped last year by Ryo Matsumoto. The Thai will be the under-dog here but has got the experienced to perhaps make life difficult for the champion, then again at 39 Denkaosan might be too shot to put up any kind of a fight at all. Another bout of note sees Mongkolchai Lookmuangkanch (12-4, 7) take on former world champion Vic Darchinyan (40-8-1, 29). This should be a horrible mismatch against the Thai but, at 39, Darchinyan is a bit long in the tooth and could find himself being a bout that turns out to be much more competitive than expected. The third bout of note will see the experienced, but limited Denkamon Pakdee Gym (22-6, 13) take on the unbeaten, and much touted, Cameron Hammond (13-0, 7). This is a very tough ask for the Thai who has lost his last 2 and is unlikely to pose any threat at all to Hammond, who some are tipping as a potential Australian world champion. California, USA In the US fans get a mouth watering b-tier match up as popular Filipino Mercito Gesta (28-1-2, 16) takes on former world title challenger Martin Honorio (32-9-1, 16). On paper Gesta will be the clear favourite but Mexican veteran Honorio is certainly no push over, despite losing his last 3. At his best Honorio was a real handful, giving Juan Carlos Salgado a close loss back in 2014, pushing Argenis Mendez razor close in 2010 and scoring upsets over the likes of John Molina and Steve Luevano. Despite Honorio's ability to play the upsetter it's difficult to see him winning this one. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) August 28th-Nakatani looks to extend title, Kubo hopes to move towards OPBF shot...and more!8/26/2015  Hyogo, Japan
The final really notable card this month, as far as Japanese fans should be concerned, takes place on August 28th as we see an OPBF title bout, a world ranked contender and a couple of unbeaten JBC ranked prospects. The main event is the aforementioned OPBF title bout which will see the unbeaten Masayoshi Nakatani (10-0, 5) defending his belt for the 4th time as he takes on clear under-dog Kazuya Murata (11-4, 5). Coming in to the bout Nakatani will be hoping to make a statement and end a run of 4 successive decision wins, including victories over Yoshitaka Kato and Ricky Sismundo, though he did look disappointing last time out against Accel Sumiyoshi. For Murata this is his first title bout and one that he's expected to be stopped in, it is however a huge opportunity for him to make a name for himself. The world ranked contender is unbeaten Super Bantamweight prospect Shun Kubo (7-0, 5), who came to the attention of the WBC last year when he out-pointed Luis May. Sadly for Kubo, who had a solid 2014 over-all, the momentum on his career has slowed significantly and that's shown by the fact he'll be facing Jakarachlek Sor Wankaew (0-4) in his bout on this show. It should be noted however that Kubo is in the running for a potential OPBF title fight and may well attempt to pick up the title after Shingo Wake vacates. One of the ranked prospects on this card is Bantamweight hopeful Shohei Kawashima (10-0-2, 2), who will be hoping to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on the experienced Tatsuya Miyamoto (11-13-1, 7). This bout should be a good, but passable, test for the unbeaten 23 year old. The other unbeaten ranked contender is Reiya Konishi (8-0, 4), who actually won the All Japan Rookie of the Year last year. Konishi, who was recently included in the WBO world rankings, will be up against Naoya Haruguchi (7-5, 2) in what appears to be a suitable test for he 22 year old, who is fighting in just his second 8 round bout. As well as the 4 bouts which have been mentioned, this card will feature 3 others. Bangkok, Thailand Staying in Asia we also know there will be a show in Thailand, televised on Channel 7. One of he headline bouts will see Pigmy Kokietgym (57-7-2, 23) face off against Jaysever Abcede (9-3, 5) on a bout for the for vacant WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title. It appears that this bout will serve as a warm up for Pigmy who is said to be in talks for a world title fight with Kosei Tanaka, which could be announced in the next week or two, if he sees off Abcede here. The other attraction will see Paipharob Kokietgym (29-0, 22) battle against Indonesian fighter Fanther Ndahiuw (3-2-1). This bout will see Paipharob defending his defending WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title as he continues to pursue a WBO world title fight. New South Wales, Australia In New South Wales fans will see a battle of veterans as 43 year old Thai Plaisakda Singwancha (38-21, 32) battles 38 year old Australian based-Keyan born Kariz Kariuki (25-11-2, 19). Given the age of the two men we're not expecting anything great but both can punch and both have shown durability issues so it'd not be a huge shock to see this one end inside the schedule. South Africa In South Africa fans will get the chance to see Filipino youngster Rene Dacquel (14-5-1, 5) take on local fighter Thembelani Nxoshe (13-5-1, 3) in a bout for the IBO International Super Flyweight title. This could well be one of the fights of the week given that both are aggressive fighters who lack major power. This really could be a joy for fans in attendance. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)  The action this Friday is relatively low key on the international conciousness but there is quite a lot of significance to it in some ways with a national tournament and several world ranked fighters in action.
Gwangju, South Korea In January South Korean fans got 4 days of preliminary bouts for their national tournament. Those prelims took place from the 27th of January to the 30th of January and featured more bouts than we could count. Sadly those aren't recorded on boxrec and we were unable to recognise the fighters involved, who are all believed to have either been debutants or very inexperienced novices. Today we see the next round in the tournament as we reach the semi final of the competition. From what we understand this show will feature a total of 16 bouts with these bouts set to take place between Bantamweight and Light Middleweight. Sadly however the names of the fighters are beyond comprehension of Hangul. Thailand Another show in Asia, in fact a much higher profile one, takes place in Thailand where we get a world class Light Flyweight in what appears to be a tune up bout as he continues to angle towards a world title fight later in the year. The main event will see that world ranked fighter, Paipharob Kokietgym (27-0, 20), defending his WBO regional title against Filipino visitor Lionel Legada (12-7-1, 5). At one point Legada was world ranked by the WBC but poor form has seen him dropped and with 5 losses in his last 8 bouts that dropping has been more than understandable. Also on this card will be the unbeaten Norasing Kokietgym (13-0-1, 10) who faces an unknown opponent and we also expect to see world ranked South Korean Myung Goo Yuh (24-4-1, 19), though we also don't know who he will be up against. Western Australia, Australia As well as the fights in Korea there will also be Asian fighters in action in Australia with a pair of Thai's and an Indonesian all on the same show. The Indonesian fighter is the chinny Anshori Anhar Pitulay (8-14-2, 6) who will be battling against Nathaniel May (8-1, 4). Pitulay has been stopped in 12 of his 14 losses and we suspect he'll be stopped again here by the 19 year old May. One of the Thai's is former female world title challenger Angor Onesongchaigym (7-1, 4), who was stopped in 9 rounds last year by Momo Koseki in a WBC Atomweight title fight. Angor will be battling against unbeaten Australian Louisa Hawton (3-0, 1) who will be facing her first non-debutant. Hawton is 3-0 against Thai's though this is a big step up for her. The other Thai is Middleweight veteran Kiatchai Singwancha (35-12, 24), who is also known as “Ice Jellybaby”. Singwancha has a very tough assignment ahead of him as he battles the unbeaten Wes Capper (8-0, 6). This is a step up for Capper but it appears to be a calculated one against a man who is 0-8 in Australia and has been stopped in 7 of his 8 bouts in the country. (Image courtesy of Thairec.com)  The month of October might still be young but the notable fights continue through the coming days with a number of title fights and world ranked fighters in action.
Tokyo, Japan The most significant Asian fight of the day comes from Tokyo where we get to see the world ranked Suguru Muranaka (20-2-1, 6) defending his Japanese national title. Muranaka will be battling against the little known Yusuke Sakashita (12-4-2, 7). This will be Muranaka's second defense of the title he won last December with a victory over Takuya Kogawa and, with some luck, a win here will help him move towards a world, or OPBF, title fight. Although not a divisional elite Muranaka is a very hard working and talented fighter who we like and would love to see him testing himself against a higher caliber opponent sooner rather than later. Sadly the rest of this show is poor. The chief support bout is a Lightweight contest which will see Japanese veteran Takashi Inagaki (17-12-1, 7) battling against domestically ranked foe Yusuke Tsukada (6-4, 3). It's an even match up but not one that excites us in the slightest. One man we are interested in seeing in action is novice Kensuke Sasaki (1-1, 1) who lost on his debut to Kenta Okumura but is tipped as someone with plenty of talent who could go on to national glory. Hopefully Suzuki will get to show that potential as he takes on Indonesian visitor Jack Madison (2-2). Batangas, Philippines As well as the Japanese card we also have a trio of shows in the Philippines. For us the most interesting of the three is in Batangas with several interesting fighters in action. One of the bouts on this card will see the promising Rene Dacquel (11-3-1, 3) battle against the once beaten Menard Abila (5-1-4, 1) with both men attemptin to claim the WBC Youth Intercontinental Super Flyweight title. Dacquel has only won 1 of his last 4 bouts though is talented and his stoppage over Yuki Nasu last year was impressive, we're just unsure about him as a Super Flyweight. As for Abila he's taking a clear step up for this bout though it's hard to say how good, or bad, the 20 year old is. Another interesting bout on this show will see the world ranked, and always fun to watch, Warlito Parrenas (21-6, 19) defending his WBO Oriental Super Flyweight title against Indonesia's Espinos Sabu (11-1-1, 5). We love watching Parrenas in action due to his aggression and power though we did see Sabu go the distance with Rusalee Samor not too long ago and he may be able to surprise Parrenas in what could be the Asian fight of the day. In a Filipino Flyweight title fight fans will get the chance to see champion Ardin Diale (23-9-3, 10) attempt to record his 5th defence of the belt. Diale, who was involved in an absolute war with Koki Eto earlier this year, will be taking on the unbeaten Renerio Arizala (11-0-1, 4). On paper Diale has to be the favourite due to the clear edge in experience and quality of opponents so far, however Arizala knows that this is a huge opportunity and will boost his standing in the sport massively. The remaining bout of note on this show will see the explosive Richard Claveras (9-0-2, 9) defending his WBC ABCO Light Flyweight title against former OPBF title challenger Jonathan Refugio (13-4-4, 3). This could be a real test of how genuine Claveras's power really is and if he walks over Refugio quickly we will have to take the unbeaten with some seriousness. For Refugio this will be his first bout since losing a decision to Knockout CP Freshmart in March. Benguet, Philippines On a second Filipino show, one in Benguet, we will again seen some interesting fighters, though they are less interesting than those involved in Batangas. The most notable name here is Joneil Dapidran Pacquiao (5-0, 3), the nephew of Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao will be hoping to extend his winning run as he takes on the win-less Jeffrey Garcia (0-1) in what looks to be little more than a squash match to further pad Pacquiao's unbeaten record. Although Pacquiao is the most notable name on the show he's a long way from being the best on the show. That is probably the world ranked Mateo Handig (13-6, 7) who holds a controversial decision over Katsunari Takayama. Handig will be fighting for the first time in over a year as he takes on novice Julius Bala (3-2, 1) in a 8 round contest. The bout looks like a mismatch though it's likely to be a case of letting Handig shake off some ring rust before taking on more testing foes. The only title bout on this show will see Argie Toquero (7-3-1, 5) battle against Japanese visitor Takaya Kakutani (7-4, 6) in a bout for the vacant WBC Youth World Super Featherweight title. We'll admit this is a very weak title bout, one of the weakest "Youth" title bouts in a long time. We've got to go with Toguero here, he is the more proven fighter, though neither should be fighting in a title contest like this. Misamis Oriental, Philippines The third, and least interesting, of the Filipino shows is in Misamis Oriental. The headline bout here is a 10 round non-title contest between Jessie Espinas (8-1, 4) and the highly experienced Rodel Tejares (20-30-6, 5). Although Espinas is a promising youngster we don't think this bout should be a main event anywhere, hopefully however Espinas will impress and step up to the plate to put on a great performance and announce himself as a possible contender. In a 6 round bout we will see unbeaten fighters collide as Jeronil Borres (4-0, 4) takes on Jack Lord Daoay (1-0, 1). This is For Borres this will be his 5th fight since his debut at the start of May and he really looks like an interesting prospect at just 18 years old and having vicious power, sadly though his opponents so far have been poor and inexperienced. Daoay made his debut in Jun and this will be a step up from his debut, though likewise he him self is a step up in class for Borres. Interesting fight. Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand In Thailand we get some interesting action with the unbeaten Paipharob Kokietgym (26-0, 20) defending his PABA Light Flyweight title. Sadly we're confused as to who his opponent is as we've been told it could Mateo Handig, who we believe is actually in action in the Philippines. If it is Handig fighting here it's certainly a very good and is likely to be one of the toughest bouts Paipharob will have fought in so far. It's not Handig we suspect it won't be anyone notable and will be a relatively easy win for Paipharob, sadly. As for this defense we're hoping to see a better performance from Paipharob than we saw in his last out outing against Faris Nenggo. On the same card we're expecting to see Saenganan KKP (8-0, 5) take on Indonesia's Madit Sada (9-17-1, 3). This should be an easy win for the unbeaten Thai though it is a step up for him and it would be his best win to date. Another unbeaten man on this card is the promising Petchmanee Kokietgym (2-0) who will be fighting against Johan Wahyudi (9-29, 5). Although a relatively unknown fighter Petchmanee has been pretty aggressively matched and if he wins here he'll likely be moved towards a PABA or WBC Asia or IBF Asia title fight in the next few fights. We's admit that Wahyudi isn't a great opponent but this is still an interesting fight for the unbeaten youngster. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) Samut Prakan, Thailand
The only Asian action down for this coming Friday is in Thailand. Although there isn't a lot of action it does feature some notable names, including one of Thailand's boxing gems. That boxing gem is the unbeaten and heavy handed Paipharob Kokietgym (25-0, 20) who will be trying to claim the currently vacant PABA Light Flyweight title. In the opposite corner to Paipharob we will find the limited Indonesian fighter Faris Nenggo (8-5-3, 2) who will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Ryuji Hara back in June. We really don't see anything but a demolition job by Paipharob who looks genuinely world class. We're hoping that Paipharob can step up to the world level soon though as we all know Thai fighters can have very frustrating careers if their backers can't get them top level opponents. On the under-card we're expecting to see former world title challenger Pigmy Kokietgym (52-7-2, 22) fight against Indonesia's busy journeyman Samuel Tehuayo (18-24-2, 3) in what will be Tehuayo's 8th bout of the year, unfortunately for him he has only won 1 of the previous 7 bouts. For Pigmy this will be his first bout since being stopped by Hekkie Budler in a WBA world title bout in June. Another Thai Vs Indonesian bout will see Fonluang KKP (20-1-1, 9) battle against Boido Simanjuntak (18-21-1, 7). This will be a second meeting between the two and just over a year ago Fonluang took a 6 round decision over the Indonesian journeyman who is in terrible form with 4 straight losses.  Although this week started with a female world title fight the action really didn't last and for the past few day's we've had almost no action. Thankfully however the weekends with a few fights, albeit nothing great.
Tokyo, Japan The biggest potential fight this Friday was a clash which would have seen OPBF Super Middleweight champion Yuzo Kiyota (25-4-1, 23) defending his title. Unfortunately the title part of that bout fell through when none of the ranked contenders were happy to fight Kiyota, understandable given his power and aggression. Sadly with no ranked contenders happy to face him Kiyora has ended up facing off against Indonesian fight Hero Yauw Katili (6-6-1, 4). From what we understand Katili's record is incomplete but he has never fought anyone like Kiyota and this looks to be little more than a stay busy bout from the fun to watch Japanese slugger. Sadly many of the other bouts on the same show lack any type of appeal with the best of the rest being an 8 rounder between the 22 year old Yoshitomo Watanabe (4-1, 3) and Thailand's Pirat Manopchaigym (0-0). Although Pirat is listed on boxrec.com as a debutant we have our suspicions that he has fought before however his actual number of fights and level of fights is up in the air. In total there are 8 bouts on this show but it's hard to get excited about any of them now that Kiyota is facing a significantly over-matched opponent. California, USA Outside of Asia fans will get the chance to see the Kyrgyzstan born Timur Shailezov (17-7-1, 4) fighting against the hard hitting and somewhat promising Victor Ruiz (13-3, 10). Shailezov has started to become a bit of a journeyman with 5 losses in his last 6, including stoppages to Rex Tso and Zhanat Zhakiyanov, though he did shock the previously unbeaten Miguel Cartagena last time out. In Ruiz we have an unknown but young and hungry Mexican who has shared the ring with the very good Francisco Rodriguez Jr. On record we'd favour Ruiz but on recent performances it's fair to say that Shailezov could score another upset. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) Nonthaburi province, Thailand
In Thailand we get a televised show on Channel 7 which is headlined by the world class Paipharob Kokietgym (24-0, 19) who will be defending his WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title for the first time. In the opposite corner to Paipharob will be Filipino fighter Bobby Concepcion (11-4-1, 5). We don't see anything but a win for Paipharob but hopefully he'll move on after a win because he really has the skills to make a mark on the world stage. In one of the support bouts fans will get the chance to see Thailand's Samartlek Kokietgym (16-4, 5) fighting in a warm up bout prior to his world title challenge with Naoya Inoue, on September 5th. For those worrying about the Inoue fight there is very little risk for Samartlek as he takes on Indonesia'sDomi Nenokeba (11-18-1, 7), a man who is winless in more than 4 years! The only other bout that we have had confirmed for this show Ratchasak Kokietgym (22-3-1, 10) battle against Indonesia's Jemmy Gobel (18-24-5, 13). This will be Ratchasak's first fight since his loss in Macau to Rex Tso though unlike that bout we don't see him chasing shadows here. May 7th was a major day in Asian boxing with several notable fighters in action such as Sho Ishida, Masayoshi Nakatani, Kazuto Ioka, Amnat Ruenroeng and Katsunari Takayama. Just a day later we get a chance to see some budding prospects in action as we reach the next round of the Rookie of the Year-East competition.
Tokyo, Japan The show, held at the Korakuen Hall, is one we're unsure of in terms of the line up though we know 13 bouts will take place on the show with fights going from Light Flyweight to Middleweight. The Rookie of the East competition is one of the key annual competitions for Japanese boxing. The winner if the Rookie of the East fights a representative from Western Japan to fight in the Rookie of the Year final at the end of the year. The winner of the Rookie of the Year tends to go on to have notable success. Although we're unsure on who will be in action we'll be sure to bring you results from all 13 bouts and hope to keep fans updated on the competition as we go through the rounds of the competition. Hopefully by the later rounds we'll get to know and recognise the fighters who at the moment are so low profile they aren't even having their bouts, or even the show, listed on boxrec.com. Lopburi, Thailand In Thailand we believe there is a title show in Lopburi Province as the very talented and big punching Paipharob Kokietgym (23-0, 18) attempts to reclaim the WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight title. If our information is right then Paipharob shouldn't struggle at all with his opponent said to be the tough but limited Jay-ar Estremos (10-6, 4). Although Estremos did give Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym a serious test, and a arguable loss, earlier this year we view Paipharob and Kwanpichit on completely difference levels to each other with Paipharob being genuine world class. On the same Thai card we've been told that Ratchasak Kokietgym (21-2-1, 10) will be battling Indonesia's Anis Ceunfin (16-19-5, 6). Ceunfin, if you recognise his name, was recently stopped by Japanese prospect Naoto Uebayashi and shouldn't be a test for the decent Ratchasak who has only lost to credible opponents so far in his career. Another bout from this card is thought to be a contest between Petchchorhae Kokietgym (4-0, 2) and Madit Sada (9-16-1, 3). From what we understand Petchchorhae is thought to be a very promising fighter and he already holds good wins over Heri Amol and Yokthong Kokietgym we'd imagine that Sada won't give him any problems at all here. It appears this card will be shown on Thai Channel 7 for those interested in watching the action live. New South Wales, Australia In Australia Korean fighter Hwi Jong Kim (5-11, 1) will be hoping to score a big upset over the talented Kye Mackenzie (8-0, 6). Many in Australia are tipping MacKenzie to become a world ranked fighter so Kim is really up against it though we have seen Kim putting up some excellent efforts in some recent bouts and he might well do the same here. |
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