 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get an interesting card at Korakuen Hall courtesy of Ohashi, who gives us a bit of everything with this one, including notable names, prospects and well matched bouts that promise real excitement.. The main event will see Koki Inoue (17-2, 14) take on Mikhail Lesnikov (8-5-1, 3) in a bout being fought just a smidge over the Welterweight limit. The talented Inoue really is coming into this as a man essentially in the last chance saloon after his second loss to Daishi Nagata last year. Rather than continue to fight a 140lbs he’s moved up in weight for this bout, potentially feeling he’s taking a lot from himself to boil down, and knows that a chance in weight can revitalise a fighter. Although talented his career hasn’t caught fire in the same way as his cousins, Naoya and Takuma, but if he retired tomorrow he’d have still managed a respectful career, being a 2-time regional champion. Lesnikov on the other hand is a Russian fighter who has been fighting out of Asia for the last few years, with bouts in South Korea and Vietnam. He’s a natural 140lb fighter himself, who started his career in 2016, and went 3-4 through his first 7, he has bounced back, and picked up a number of wins at a very low level, but was widely beaten by Izuki Tomioka back in January 2024. On paper this really should be a straightforward win for Inoue who really can’t afford another loss. Another man who can’t afford a loss is Katsuki Mori (12-4, 3), who had been beaten in 3 of his last 5 and looks a long, long way from the fighter who impressed by winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year back in 2019. Mori once looked nailed on to win some sort of senior title, but the best he’s accomplished so far is winning the Japanese Youth Minimumweight title, and has come up short in two subsequent Japanese title fights. Thankfully for him he will strongly favoured to win here as he takes on Naoki Morooka (8-9, 3) who lacks power, and despite winning 2 of his last 5, has struggled in both of those wins. He's the sort of fighter who is much better than his record suggests, but Mori should be seen as the clear favourite, and if Mori can't get over the line it wouldn't be a surprise to see him hang them up. Other fighters desperate to avoid another set back on this show are 25 year old Rikuto Adachi (19-4, 14) and 30 year old Kamikaze Ran (4-3-1, 1), formerly known as Ran Tomomatsu, who face off in a bout that both likely see as a must win. Adachi showed a lot of early promise, reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year final in 2017 but since then has suffered 3 stoppage losses, two in Japanese Youth title fights, and it’s been clear that his long frame doesn’t have the best durability. He’s talented, and has nice variation, but is something of a glass cannon. As for Ran, he is a former notable amateur who impressed on the Japanese amateur scene before turning professional, though sadly it never really clicked for him in the pros losing 2 of his first 3, and being stopped last time out, when he was stopped inside a round by Kazuki Kyohara. We expect Ran to try and get to Adachi’s chin early on, and as a result this could be a very interesting tight walk for the younger man. We also get a number of unbeaten hopefuls on this show, with perhaps the most promising being former amateur standout Ren Ohashi (2-0, 2), who looks to build on his impressive start to the pros as he takes on his first non-Thai opponent, in the form of Filipino Reycar Auxilio (7-4-1, 6). Ohashi was a fantastic amateur and since turning professional he hasn’t put a foot wrong, stopping his first 2 opponents in a combined 4 rounds. Sadly though his opponents so far have offered little and had a combined 13-12-1 record between them. Here he goes up against someone with a bit of ambition with Auxilo coming into this on the back of a career best win against Jess Rhey Waminal and going 3-1 in his last 4. He is not there to make up the numbers and has only been stopped once in his 12 fight career. This should be a fair test for Ohashi at this stage in his career. Another unbeaten fighter taking on a Filipino is Takero Kitano (7-0-1, 3) who takes on the very solid regional level Jake Amparo (16-6-1, 4), in a very solid match up. The 20 year old Kitano has won his last 3, after being held to a draw early in his career, including a notable win over Rento Miyazawa for the JBC Youth Minimumweight title last September. He’s still a work in progress but that win definitely showed that the youngster does have plenty of promise and could well be in the mix for a regional title in a year or two. As for Amparo the 27 year old Filipino has picked up losses, 3 by stoppage, but has faced some really good fighters during his career, with losses coming to the likes of Garen Diagan, Arvin Margramo, Regie Suganob, Pedro Taduran and Ginjiro Shigeoka. He has also claimed some big wins, including a 2023 win over Goki Kobayashi for the WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title. This is a really good step up for Kitano, and the sort of bout that should see him being given a genuine test. One other unbeaten on the card is Ryuha Terada (6-0-3, 2) who is risking his unbeaten record against the hard hitting, and once beaten, Kaiji Nakajima (7-1, 6). The 27 year old Terada started his career in 2021 and was 3-0-3 by the end of 2023, before reeling off 3 wins last year to leave his record looking more respectable. Sadly behind the numbers, there is a lack of notable wins, and his last stoppage came against the then 1-4-1 Yudai Saito back in 2023, since then he has gone the distance 5 times. Nakajima on the other hand is a hard hitting 22 year old who won his first 5 before losing to Eikicho Kawamura in 2024. Since then he has rebuilt quickly with 2 wins over Thai opponents, but he does lack a much needed good domestic win, which he will be hoping to get here. We suspect this will be Terada’s boxing against the power of Nakajima, which should make for a very interesting clash of styles.
0 Comments
 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get co-promoted Phoenix Battle/Dangan card from Korakuen Hall. Despite the two solid promotional teams behind the event it's an underwhelming show, which seems an odd thing to say about an event that has both a Japanese title fight and a Japanese title eliminator on it. Sadly the title bout looks like a stay busy defense, which was supposed to take place earlier in the year before the champion was forced to pull out. The title bout will see Japanese Super Flyweight champion Suzumi Takayama (8-0, 7) defending his title against Isao Aoyama (14-12-1, 4). Originally this bout was set to take place in July, with Takayama pulling out due to suffering acute gastroenteritis and dehydration. When the bout was canceled we were hoping, rightly or wrongly, that it wouldn't be rescheduled and instead Takayama, one of the fastest rising and most exciting Super Flyweights on the planet, would face someone else on his return. Instead we’re sat here, with Takayama set to make his third defense of the Japanese title against a 35 year old veteran who has won 2 of his last 7 dating back to late 2020, including a loss to the man Takayama made his first defence against. Aoyama is better than his recent form, and record, suggests, but he still shouldn’t be much of a test for the destructive champion. In the main support bout we get a Japanese Middleweight title eliminator, to decide who fights for the title at the Champion Carnival, as Ran Tomomatsu (4-2-1, 1) takes on Kazuki Kyohara (8-2-3, 3). The two men really do show the drop off in Japanese Middleweights before the top two right now, with Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto in a completely different league to the rest. Despite that the bout should be a fun one with both having styles that should gel really well. Tomomatsu is a former amateur who made a solid mark on the domestic scene with a powerful, aggressive style. He’s clumsy but aggressive, comes to fight and makes for fan friendly bouts. Kyohara lacks the amateur foundations of Tomomatsu, and has come up short in his most notable bouts, but does have a draw with Mikio Sakai and a win over Rei Nakajima. Given the styles this should be a fun bout, but it is one that feels like a weak link in this years eliminator bouts. In another supporting bout 22 year old puncher Kaiji Nakajima (6-1, 5) will be up against Thai visitor Nattawut Maneewong (8-3, 6), in what could be something of a shoot out. Nakajima's 7 bout career has seen him go a combined 20 rounds, whilst Nattawut's 11 bouts have gone 39 rounds, with only 1 of his last 7 going more than 4 rounds. This is not one expected to go the scheduled 8 rounds. Chonburi, Thailand
The most notable action this coming Wednesday comes from Thailand, where we see a much anticipated bout, that is sadly being fought after it was allowed to marinate too long and lost of the lustre it once had. The bout in question will see WBA Minimumweight "super" champion Knockout CP Freshmart (23-0, 9) defending his title against former long term WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin (55-2-0-1, 19). This bout was the most demanded bout at 105lbs, just 2 years ago when both men were world champions. Since then however Wanheng has suffered two losses to Panya Pradabsri, though both were razor thin and controversial, and the loss of the WBC title has seen this bout lose a lot of the shine it had. The bouts also suffers from the fact Wanheng is now 36, and has suggested retiring in the past. As for Knockout, the 31 year old is a long reigning champion and will be favoured here. Saying that a win over Wanheng, even a Wanhneg with 2 losses, would be the biggest win in Knockout's career, and help further enhance his reputation as one of the best fighters at 105lbs. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Knockout and Wanheng clash at last! Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Japan we have a low level card, which is being held in honour of former Japanese Featherweight champion Taiki Minamoto, who will be taking part in his retirement ceremony, which will include a public sparring session with former world champion Takashi Uchiyama. Outside of that spar there isn't much which will get attention, but the card does have two that are noteworthy. The main bout will see JBC ranked Middleweight Ran Tomomatsu (2-2) battle against the once beaten Eiki Kani (5-1-2, 2), in what could be something of a thrilling 8 rounder. The hard hitting and somewhat brutish Tomomatsu is no world beater, but he's strong, flawed and exciting, which makes for great action bouts. His limitations will likely hold him back from even winning a domestic title, but his style will lead to some very fan friendly wars. Kani on the other hand comes into this less than 18 months removed from a loss in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, where he impressed with his exciting style. We suspect the physicality of Tomomatsu will be the difference maker here, but the styles of the men should really gel to give us something of a thrilling, and brutal 8 round war. The other bout of note on this card will see JBC ranked Featherweight Kimihiro Nakagawa (8-5-2, 4) battle against Tamaki Miwa (8-7-1, 1). On paper Nakagawa will be the favourite here, but he has really been struggling the last few years and he is 3-4-1 in his last 8 bouts, going back 6 years. Miwa on the other hand has won his last 2, but is 2- in his last 5, and hasn't looking too threatening in the ring, with a lack of power, and a questionable chin. The winner of this will take a step towards a Japanese title fight, but in reality neither is even close to being ready for one. Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia As well as the action in Asia, we'll also see a notable bout in Australia, as former Filipino world title challenger Juan Miguel Elorde (29-2, 15) takes on unbeaten Australian hopeful Sam Goodman (11-0, 6), in a bout for the IBF Inter-Continental and WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight titles. Elorde has fought just once since being stopped by Emanuel Navarrete in September 2019, and now aged 35 we can't help but think we've seen the best of him. Goodman on the other hand will be returning to the ring for the first time since beating Japan's Fumiya Fuse in May, and looks to be heading towards bigger and better things. Aged 23 Goodman is not the complete article, but is certainly developing fight by fight and should have too much for Elorde at this point in time.  This coming Saturday isn't a huge day for Asian fight fans, but there is a nice mix of action, including title fights, in both Japan and the Philippines, as well as prospects in action in what should be a better day of action than it looks on paper.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan For us the most interesting action comes from Tokyo, where will be getting the latest Dynamic Glove show. The card features an Oriental title fight, a rematch of an interest Japanese Middlewieght bout and a the next step up for a promising prospect. The title bout will see OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight champion Ryota Toyoshima (14-2-1, 9) make his second defense of the OPBF belt as he takes on "reimported" boxer Shoki Sakai (26-12-2, 14), who first made his name fighting in the West. The talented Toyoshima has been on a tear in recent bouts, and scored notable wins over Riku Nagahama and Yuki Beppu already this year, a win over the teak tough Sakai would put him in the running for the Japanese domestic fighter of the year. Sakai on the other hand was last seen losing a close, and hotly contested, bout to Keita Obara for the Japanese title, and he'll know that a loss here might be his final shot to win a notable title, especially his style which does seem him taking a lot of punishment. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Toyoshima defends OPBF title against tough guy Sakai! In an interesting Japanese Middleweight bout, yes we do actually get some of those, we'll see All Japan Rookie of the Year winner Katsuhiro Nakata (7-0, 4) look to repeat his September win over once touted amateur Ran Tomomatsu (1-2). In their first bout Nakata won 58-56 on all 3 cards, but Tomomatsu was certainly not shown up there and will be determined to get revenge here, and get his career back on track after back to back losses. A third bout of note on this card will see promising novice Yudai Murakami (1-0), who was a very solid Japanese amateur, look to score his second win in the professional ranks, as he takes on Yudai Yakabu (3-2, 3). Murakami looked solid in his debut, back in January, but this is a credible step up and the hard hitting Yakabu will be in the ring to stop, or be stopped. Interestingly Yakabu has never seen round 4 of a fight, and has only gone beyond a single round twice, so we do not expect this one to go long. The Flash Grand Ballroom of the Elorde Sports Complex, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines As well as the Japanese card there's also an interesting one in the Philippines featuring former world title challengers and promising unbeaten fighters. The best bout on the card sees the once touted Mark Anthony Geraldo (38-9-3, 19), who really is a skilled fighter but has been inconsistent at times, take on exciting youngster Carl Jammes Martin (17-0, 15) for the GAB Super Bantamweight title. Geraldo won the title in 2019 and has defended it once since winning it, but has been inactive and this will be his first bout in over 2 years. Although very skilled we do wonder problems inactivity will cause for him here. As for Martin he is one of the rising stars of Filipino boxing, with an exciting, hard hitting style. Martin has been stepping up his level of competition in recent bouts, and will feel confident of making this step up as well as he looks to prove he's ready for bigger and better bouts. This should be a very interesting test for the unbeaten youngster. In a battle of unbeaten fighters former amateur standout Charly Suarez (8-0, 6) will be up against Delmar Pellio (9-0, 4). Suarez was someone who had the skills to go a long, long way in the sport. Now aged 33 it seems he will never come close to reaching his potential, and instead it seems almost like he's going to be a fighter who retires as tale of what could have been, had he turned professional younger and had the Pandemic not hit. Aged 21 Pellio is promising youngster, but sadly he comes into this bout having been out of the ring for almost 2 years and he is stepping up massively. It's hard to see past a Suarez win here, but he needs to kick on in 2022 if he's ever going to come close to landing a major international bout. A third bout of note on this card will see two former world title challengers facing off, as recent Naoya Inoue victim Michael Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20) takes on Ernesto Saulong (22-7-2, 9), who challenged the then IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa back in 2018. On paper this looks a pretty interesting bout, but Saulong has struggled for wins recently and is 1-5-1 in his last 7. Despite that he is tough and he will be in the ring looking to upset Dasmarinas, who hasn't fought since losing to the Monster back in June. The loser of this is unlikely to find themselves anywhere close to a major international fight, but the winner could end up landing a fight of note next year. CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada Away from Asia we'll see Canadian based Indian fighter Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti (8-0, 3) take on limited veteran Juan Carlos Raygosa (17-18-3, 6). Singh is a solid boxer, but the 29 year old is going to have to look to make up for lost time next year, as he only fought once in 2020 and this will be his first bout of 2021. Thankfully he will get some rounds here because Raygosa, for all his faults, is a tough and rugged guy capable of taking good fighters rounds. This is not the "gimmie" it looks, but it's hard to see past a Bhatti win. This coming Sunday isn't a huge day for boxing, but if you're in Osaka, you may be in for a treat as the EDION Arena Osaka hosts 3 different shows, including the finals of the West Japan Rookie of the Year, which is split over 2 shows, and an unrelated show. As well as the West Japan Rookie of the Year events there is also set to be another Rookie of the Year event in Aichi as the Western and Central Japan Rookie of the Year winners clash.
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The first of the West Japan Rookie of the Year events is set to feature 5 bouts in total. One of the most interesting bouts on this first show is the Light Flyweight bout which pits two real novices against each other, with Kohei Hosoda (1-0) battling against Takuma Kamigaki (1-0). Both of these men are in their early 20's, both have just 4 rounds to their names and neither is particularly well known, but they are only two wins away from fighting at All Japan Rookie of the Year final in February. Another interesting match up will see Ren Nishimura (4-2, 2), who competed in the West Japan Rookie of the Year last year, taking on the hard hitting Shodai Morita (4-1, 3). This is one that promises to be explosive, with both men capable of hurting the other. This should be a very, very solid Super Bantamweight bout between two men with plenty of promise. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan On the second West Japan Rookie of the Year show we'll see another 5 bouts. One of the bouts on this card is a Welterweight clash between Mitsuyoshi Oshima (3-1, 1) and Yusa Toyonaka (2-2-1, 1). Welterweight bouts at Rookie of the Year tend to be very entertaining, as it's usually two big guys, at least for Japanese boxing, with some serious flaws, unloading on each other and that's exactly what we expect to see here. On paper the bout on this card that promises the most is the Super Featherweight bout between Ryuichi Sakamoto (2-0, 2) and Takehiro Ogawa (1-0-1). Both of these men are 21 years old, unbeaten and will bring a lot of ambition into this one. Sakamoto has needed just over 3 minutes to score his first two wins, and he will be coming out guns blazing here, whilst Ogawa will be happy to go rounds, given his first two bouts have both gone the scheduled 4 round distance. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The third show from the EDION Arena Osaka is a card from Green Tsuda and will feature 7 bouts in total. The show isn't the deepest but does have some interesting match ups on it. One of those interesting match ups is a female contest between Terumi Nuki (11-4, 8) and Marina Sayama (4-2-1, 2). Of the two fighters Nuki is the better known, having fought in several female world title bouts, including two against the legendary Mariana Juarez Sadly however she has lost 3 of her last 5 and is fighting for the first time in well over 2 years. Sadly Sayama hasn't been seen in the ring since the very end of 2019, when she lost in a Japanese title fight to Yume Hirayama and it's hard to know what ambition she has coming in to this given her lengthy inactivity. Whilst this is certainly not a mouth watering bout, it is certainly an interesting one and one we expect will provide great entertainment. The most interesting bout on this card will see touted former amateur stand out Ran Tomomatsu (1-1) battle against Rookie of the Year king Katsuhiro Nakata (6-0, 4), in a potentially thrilling Middleweight bout. Tomomatsu was tipped for pretty big things on the domestic scene when he turned professional, in 2019. Tomomatsu lost his second bout, to Mikio Sakai, who has proven his quality since that bout. Nakata on the other hand showed what he could do in 2020, Reaching the All Japan final which he won in February this year in a great bout against Eiki Kani. Given the styles of the two men, with Tomomatsu being an aggressive boxer-fighter and Nakata being a tall boxer, this could end up being a genuinely brilliant little war. Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan In Aichi we'll see the Central Japan and Western Japan Rookie of the Year winners clash, and they will actually go on to face the West Japan winners later in the year. One of the most interesting bouts on this card is the Lightweight bout, which will pit 24 year old puncher Ren Yamabe (2-0, 2) against 20 year old Kuhiro Arimitsu (0-0). Both men debuted earlier this year, with Yamabe making his debut in May and Arimitsu in June, and both are showing some real promise. Yamabe, as a southpaw, has the trickier style, but Arimitsu has the edge in height and reach and this could be a a very tough one to predict. Another interesting bout on this event will see will be at Flyweight, where teenagers Yuki Morikawa (1-0-2) takes on Kento Seki (1-0, 1). It's rare for two 18 year olds to clash in Rookie of the Year, but for them to face off just 2 wins from a place in the All Japan Final is even rare. Of the two Morikawa is the more experienced, and is also the taller man and a southpaw, but he lacks power and has gone the distance in all 3 of his bouts. Seki on the other hand showed good power and aggression in his debut, back in June, and looks to be the man with some pop coming into this one.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday focus heads to a Kadoebi card at Korakuen Hall, where we get an OPBF title fight, a really good looking novice pro bout, and several decent supporting bouts. The main event will see OPBF Light Middleweight champion Akinori Watanabe (38-7-1, 32) making his first defense of the title, as he take on Thai challenger Sitthidet Banti (12-5, 6), in what looks like a very, very soft first defense. Watanabe has mixed against stiff competition through his career, and last December's war with Nobuyuki Shindo was truly sensational, so for him to have an easy bout isn't too bad, but it is a weak title defense. To show how weak it is, Banti was stopped by Japanese novice Takuma Takahashi back in August. Our preview of this bout can be read here Does Watanabe get an easy first defense of OPBF crown? Whilst the main event is a mismatch there is some really interesting action on this card, including a brilliant match up between Ran Tomomatsu (1-0) and Mikio Sakai (1-0). Despite both men being professional novices both were talented amateurs and they both looked great, albeit in very different ways, on their debut. Of the two Tomomatsu looks the more physical and stronger fighter, but the less technical, whilst Sakai has a flash and speedier look to him. This is a huge risk bout for both, and something to get very excited about. In another interesting support bout we'll see the talented Yuichiro Kasuya (13-2-1, 4) take on 2-time Japanese title challenger Satoru Sugita (15-6-1, 10). Since moving over to the Kadoebi gym we've seen Kasuya show more some real development, and belief in his punching, and with 3 wins already this year he does now seem to have some momentum behind him. As for Sugita this is a real must win after going 4-4 in his last 8, including his two losses in Japanese title fights. As his best Sugita would favoured against the best we've seen from Kasuya, though it's unclear what Sugita still has left and how much more Kasuya can improve. Another bout worth noting here will see talented youngster Yuki Nakajima (2-1, 2) look to bounce back from his first defeat as he takes on Yasuhiro Tanaka (6-4-2) in a good looking comeback bout. Nakajima was beaten back in August, by the excellent Ryu Horikawa and although he was beaten it wasn't a loss to be ashamed by and he's certainly not having an easy blow out here, despite Tanaka's record. Tanaka has proven to be a competitive fighter at the lower levels of the Japanese scene and went 5 rounds with the excellent Rikito Shiba last year. That will be the target for Nakajima, and if he can beat what Shiba did then we'll be impressed. Almaty, Kazakhstan As well as the action in Japan there is also a notable card in Kazakhstan, though one that appears to have gone through a number of changes in recent days. The card is being hosted to celebrate Kazakhstan Independence day, and should be a great show if you're a Kazakh with a great array of Kazakh talent on the show. Former world champion Hekkie Budler was originally announced for main event of this show, but it now appears that the main event will see Viktor Kotochigov (10-0, 4) take on Javier Jose Clavero (27-5, 5). On paper this looks like a good test for the unbeaten 26 old Kazakh, but in reality Clavero should be seen as a clear under-dog against an unbeaten prospect fighting in front of his home fans. This is a step up for Kotochigov, but one he will be be expected to win with out too many issues. A solid supporting bout will see the highly touted Sultan Zaurbek (8-0, 6) take on China's Leshan Li (16-3-2, 9), in what is Zaurbek's first title bout as they face off for the WBC Youth Super Featherweight title. We've been wanting to see Zaurbek take a step up for a while and this is exactly the sort of bout that should tell us more about the talented 23 year old. Impressive Zaurbek will be fighting for the 6th time in 2019. As for Li he's unbeaten in 3, but has yet to score a win of note in his 21 bout career. Other fighters on this card include an array of Central Asian prospects and hopefuls. They include 22 year old American based Kazakh Iskander Kharsan (7-0, 6), 2-time Olympian Khurshid Tojibaev (3-0, 2) and 2016 Olympic champion Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (7-1, 4). Eastern Cape, South Africa In South Africa we'll see another bout in the excellent Philippines Vs South Africa rivalry. This time around it'll be unheralded Filipino Joey Canoy (15-3-1, 8) taking on South African Nkosinathi Joyi (28-5-1-1, 19) in a bout for the IBO Minimumweight title. On paper Joyi will be the favourite, the former IBF world champion is the more proven and more experienced man, however Canoy will be confident of picking up the win, in what is his third visit to South Africa, and he'll be boosted by John Riel Casimero's recent win against Zolani Tete.  Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we'll see a really good card from Tokyo as Japanese and Korean fighters clash, and we get a female title fight featuring a fighter who has been put on the fast track. The female title fight will see Japanese female Minimumweight champion Chie Higano (8-8-1, 2) defending her title against touted novice Mizuki Chimoto (1-0, 1), who looks to win a Japanese title fight in just her second bout. Chimoto was a former amateur standout who looked sensational on her debut and is clearly being pushed hard by her team at the Watanabe Gym. Higano is a nightmare to fight with her aggression and style, but she will enter as the under-dog against the talented upstart in what should be a very interesting match up. A full preview of this bout is available here Chimoto goes up against Higano in Japanese title fight! The title bout is actually in the middle of the card, with the main event being the Japan Vs Korea bout that looks most likely to have fireworks. The match up in question will see unbeaten Korean teenager Jeong Han Cha (5-0, 5) take on Japanese puncher Takahiko Kobayashi (8-3, 6) in a bout at 140lbs. This has the potential to be a very exciting bout between two heavy handed, but flawed, young fighters who will be in the ring attempting to stop the other, rather than win a decision. Another Korean teenager on the show will be In Soo Jang (5-1-1) who will battle former Japanese amateur standout Suzumi Takayama (1-0, 1), in what could be a very interesting match up. Jang is only 19 but already has a 6 round bout under his belt. Takayama on the other hand made his debut in February and is taking a clear step up in class here, though was a very accomplished fighter on the amateur scene. Another Japanese novice on this card will be Ai Tomomatsu (0-0), a former amateur stand out who will be up against unbeaten Korean puncher Sang Geun Lee (6-0, 4). This is a baptism of fire for Tomomatsu, but a win will give his career a huge boost straight away and we wouldn't be surprised by him showing his amateur skills to shine here. Lee is dangerous, but Tomomatsu will be favoured. One other interesting bout between fighters from the two countries will see Do Jin Lee (6-1-3) take on Mirai Naito (7-1, 3), the brother of OPBF Light Welterweight champion Rikki Naito. On paper this looks like a really competitive bout, and although we don't expect thrilling fireworks this should still be a very compelling match up. |
Categories
All
Archives
May 2025
|
RSS Feed
