 EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Attention this coming Saturday in Asia will be mostly on Japan, specifically Osaka, where we get a really interesting world title bout, in one of the sports most interesting, yet overlooked, divisions. The bout in question will see IBF Bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-2, 13) defending his title in a mandatory defense against unbeaten Japanese challenger Ryosuke Nishida (8-0, 1). On paper this is a huge step up in class for Nishida, who has had just 8 bouts. Despite the lack of experience he has already scored notable wins over Shohei Omori, Daigo Higa, Tatsuro Ohashi and Christian Medina Jimenez, going 12-rounds 4 times already, and has had 73 career rounds. In the ring he’s an excellent pure boxer, fighting outside of a southpaw stance, with a huge frame for a Bantamweight, but he lacks real power which could be an issue here. As for Rodriguez, he’s a slippery boxer, who had been a top amateur winning Silver at the 2010 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships and a gold at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, before making his mark on the pros. As a professional he has had 25 fights, for a total of 139 rounds, including wins over the likes of Alberto Guevara, Paul Butler, Jason Moloney, Gary Antonio Russell and Melving Lopez. He is currently enjoying his second reign as the IBF champion, with his first reign being ended in 2019 when he was taken out in 2 rounds by Naoya Inoue. Despite having almost 3 times more fights, and being regarded as the much more experienced man, it is interesting to note that he has also only gone 12 rounds on 4 occasions, the same as Nishida. The champion will go into this as the favourite, though he will, notably, be fighting in Asia for the first time. Sadly the world title bout aside, there is very, very little of note on this show. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Tokyo we also get a notable show, and whilst the main event isn’t as good as the one in Osaka, the overall card is stronger, by some margin, with two good looking Japanese title bouts and a notable debutant. The show will be overshadowed by the Osaka card, and rightfully so, but is likely to be the much better overall event. The main event of the card will be a much anticipated rematch as Japanese Welterweight champion Shoki Sakai (29-13-3, 15) takes on Ryota Toyoshima (18-3-1, 11), in a Champion Carnival bout. These two met back in 2021, with Toyoshima taking a decision win over Sakai, however since then Sakai has gone 3-0-1, won the Japanese title and recorded 2 defenses of the belt as he's gone through the best run of his career. Toyoshima on the other hand has gone 3-1, losing to Jin Sasaki, and struggling past Aso Ishiwaki last year. These styles of these two men are made for each other, with Sakai being a hard nosed pressure fighter, forcing the action and Toyoshima being a boxer-puncher who can be dragged into a war. This really should be a brilliant fight, much like their first one. The other title fight on this show will see Japanese Light Flyweight champion Toshiki Kawamitsu (9-1, 5) defending his title against Kosuke Ando (13-4, 6), in another Champion Carnival bout. Kawamitsu won the title last time out, when he stopped Toshimasa Ouchi, and seemed to show how good he really was with what was his third win since being stopped by Ginjiro Shigeoka, but there is still a lot for him to do before he gets to follow in Nishida’s footsteps and challenger at world level. Ando on the other hand is getting his second shot at a title, having fallen short in a regional title fight against Ryuya Yamanaka, and he’ll know he can’t afford another set back here if he’s wanting to be a fixture on the title scene. Sadly for Ando he was stopped by Kawamitsu back in 2021, and whilst he is 5-1 since then none of the fighters he's beat have been comparable to Kawamitsu. We also get the debut of former amateur fighter Yuichiro Taka (0-0), who is 22 years old and had been making a name for himself as far back as his days in the Under 15’s. Although certainly not an elite amateur, and he didn’t win medals in major international tournaments, he is an experienced fighter who is said to carry solid power, and is regarded as one to watch by those in the know in Japan. He’s being matched against Chinese fighter Yuqi Wang (1-1) in a 6 rounder, which should give us a chance to see what Taka can do in the ring, before moving on to bigger and better things down the line. Opal Paint Stadium, Bang Pakong, Thailand As well as the action in Japan we’re also a very small show in Thailand. The most notable bout announced for this card will see once beaten Pakistani fighter Moin Khan (6-1-1-1, 4) face limited Thai local Pornchai Srithong (11-10, 5). Khan has gone 4-0-1 since his sold loss, back in 2020, including win on Thai soil last year, and will be full of confidence. Despite his poor record Pornchai is something of a streaky fighter, and has also won his last 5 so will have confidence, though this is the equal longest winning run of his career and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it come to an end now he’s facing someone with some ambition.
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 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The main show for us this coming Saturday is the latest in the long line of Dynamic glove cards from Korakuen Hall, and it's a real show case for the future of Japanese boxing thanks to Teiken. The card is headlined by a WBO Asia Pacific title bout, and is then packed with talented novices all looking to take big strides forward with their careers. The main event will see 26 year old Japanese warrior Ryota Toyoshima (15-2-1, 9) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight title against Filipino challenger Adam Diu Abdulhamid (17-10, 9). For the talented Toyoshima, who is enjoying the best run of his career, this will be his second defense of the title, and a chance for him to not just tighten his grip on the regional scene but also take a step towards a potential world title fight. This bout is very much one that he should look great in, but he can't over-looked Abdulhamid. The Filipino is an aggressive fighter, who will be in the ring looking to force the action and drag Toyoshima into a war, which could give us a genuinely excellent battle. The skills are with the champion, but the challenger does have heart and desire and could well play his part in a bit of an action packed war. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Asian Pacific champion Toyoshima battles Abdulhamid! From the prospects on the card, the hardest matched is former amateur standout Gonte Lee (3-0-1, 1), who takes on Korean visitor Moo Hyun Kim (9-2, 5). Lee was tipped for huge things when he turned professional, but the pandemic has slowed his rise and he'll know that if he's going to deliver on the promise he showed as an amateur he's going to have to shine here. As for Kim he returns to Japan for his third bout in the country, where he currently holds a 2-0 record, but Lee is, by far, the most talented fighter and polished fighter he will have faced. Another former amateur standing out looking to pick up a win against a foreign import is the wonderfully gifted Hiroto Yashiro (2-0, 2) , who takes on Thai visitor Suphaphon Hanvichachay (3-0, 2), in what we are expecting will be an explosive, and short bout. Both men can punch, and only one of their 5 combined bouts has gone beyond 3 rounds. Don't blink when these two are in there together. Another battle of unbeaten men will see Junya Shimada (1-0, 1) battle Rechel Calo (3-0, 1). Shimada made his debut last year, and eked out a narrow win over Shigetoshi Kotari, and will be hoping to put in a more commanding effort here. As for Calo this is his first bout away from home and a huge step up, given Shimada's amateur exploits. Other under-card bouts will include Kenshi Noda (2-1, 2), looking to bounce back from his loss, taking on Thailand's Kitidech Hirunsuk (9-2, 5), former Rookie of the year winner, Hiromasa Urakawa (7-1, 4) battling Thailand's Perapan Judkan (8-1, 7), in what could be a very explosive bout, and the debut of Hiroki Ogawa (0-0), who takes on unbeaten Thai novice Phongthep Bunchari (1-0, 1). Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand As well as the action in Japan, featuring notable hopefuls and prospects, we get the chance to see some top Thai hopefuls taking on some dangerous Filipino fighters in WBA Asia title fights. The more notable the two major bouts will see Tanes Ongjunta (10-1, 5) look to make his third defense of the WBA Asia Flyweight title as he takes on the very dangerous Jeny Boy Boca (14-7, 12). The talented Ongjunta has rebuilt well since being stopped in 2020, by Adrian Lerasan in a forgotten but thrilling 8 round war, and has scored 6 wins since then to get his career back on track. On paper Boca doesn't look like a test, but the visitor is dangerous, as he showed last time he was in Thailand, when he stopped Sarawut Thawornkham. Sadly though he has been inactive since a December 2020 loss to Muhammad Waseem The other bout will see Yuttapong Tongdee (7-0, 4) battle Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-15-3, 12) with the two men trading blows for the WBA Asia Bantamweight title. Tongdee looks to be among the most talented of the emerging Thai hopefuls, but this is a genuine step up for him and we could see him being given a genuine chin check by Ponteras. As his best Ponteras was a tough, stubborn guy with solid power, and he showed that stubbornness late last year when he gave Seong Yeong Yang a tough test, however he was taken out in a round in 2019 by Seiya Tsutsumi, who has since gone on to win the Japanese Bantamweight crown and shown his potential. This should be a real work out for the unbeaten local fighter. China Staying in Asia, we also get a show in China, with a former world title challenger, who's fighting for only the second time since losing in a world title fight in 2019, and an unbeaten hopeful. The former world title challenger is Wulan Tuolehazi (14-4-1, 7), who famously challenged Kosei Tanaka for the WBO Flyweight title on the final day of 2019 and was stopped by the KO Dream Boy. Since then Tuolehazi has scored a single win, in early 2020, and will be fighting for the first time in over 2 years here, as he takes on DianXing Zhu (6-1, 5). Zhu is a 25 year old with heavy hands but he is also a naturally smaller man than Tuolehazi, and is unlikely to have the power to get the respect of the veteran. The other bout of note on this card will see the unbeaten 22 year old LeQuan Wang (6-0, 4) look to continue his winning streak as he takes on Zixiang Wang (4-2, 2), who's only losses have been by razor thin split decisions. The unbeaten Wang began his career in 2019 and has looked heavy handed through out his career, but has faced a string of very limited foes, with 4 wins against debutants and 5 wins against fighters without a win. As for Zixiang Wang he began his career in 2017 and has, overall, faced better opponents, but was beaten just 2 fights ago, and hasn't shown much in terms of power. For both men this is their most notable bout to date, and should provide a genuine chance to see if either man has what it takes to make a mark on the regional scene. Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas, USA Over in the US we'll see hard hitting Uzbekistani hopeful Bektemir Melikuziev (9-1, 7) continue his rebuilding process as he takes on the experienced Sladan Janjanin (32-11, 24), from Bosnia And Herzegovina. The hard hitting Melikuziev will be looking for his third win since his shock 2021 loss to Gabe Rosado, and he shouldn't have any problems here. Janjanin is experience, and does have plenty of wins to his name, but his wins have come at a very, very low level and he has consistently lost when he has faced name fighters, including a 7th round TKO loss to Nathan Heaney last year and a 3rd round TKO loss in 2016 to Steven Butler.  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.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
For a second day running we're at Korakuen Hall for title action in what is a very easy to over-look event, but one that has several very interesting match ups on it including a huge regional title unification bout, and a bout between two talented novices each looking to take huge strides forward with their careers. That novice bout will see former amateur standouts clash as Junya Shimada (0-0) makes his debut and takes on Shigetoshi Kotari (2-0, 1). Although it's his professional debut there are huge things expected from Shimada, who is tipped as a future face of the Teiken Gym and a future world title contender. Kotari turned professional with a decent amount of hype himself, but a disappointing performance against Motosuke Kimura last time out did see some of that hype die down. Here we're expecting a highly skilled and very competitive bout, and the winner will almost certainly be pushed quickly towards a title fight. As for the loser, it's early days and they will not be written off. The bout on this show will see the once touted Junpei Tsujimoto (7-2-3, 5) take on Hideo Mikan (9-13-2, 2) in what looks like a total mismatch, but could be a very dramatic bout. The talented Tsujimoto is very much a man who has a questionable chin and he was stopped 2 fights ago, and was almost stopped last year as well, in a remarkable bout with Daiki Ogura. Despite having won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018 his career really has not kicked on. Mikan on the other hand is a limited fighter, but comes into this unbeaten in his last 3 and will be looking to build a little bit more momentum with his career. Sadly for Mikan he had lost 6 in a row before his current unbeaten run. In the chief support we'll see a very interesting match up as Japanese ranked Welterweight Masaya Tamayama (13-2, 7) takes on WBO Asia Pacific ranked Light Middleweight Hisashi Kato (10-9-2, 6). On paper this looks like a one sided bout, with Tamayama the clear favourite, and he certainly has momentum on his side going 9-1 (4) in his last 10. Kato however isn't the push over his record suggests and he can spring the upset and has faced a string of very good domestic fighters. This could be genuinely well contested, though obviously Tamayama will go in as the favourite. The main event is a potential Japanese fight of the Year contender as Ryota Toyoshima (13-2-1, 8) the OPBF Welterweight champion takes on WBO Asia Pacific champion Yuki Beppu (21-1-1, 20) in a regional unification bout that promises so much. Toyoshima won his title earlier this year and showed himself to be a tough, aggressive fighter with clear technical limitations but a good work rate, good power and a good chin. Beppu on the other hand is a monstrous puncher, with very heavy hands, under-rated boxing skills and a shaky chin, but incredible powers of recover, as we saw against Ryota Yada in 2019. Given the styles of the two men this should be an all out war, and one that really could see both men being dropped, multiple times. If you can tune in to this one live, on G+, you're in for a genuine treat. The only real shame is that Beppu has been inactive for over a year coming in to this. Our full, in depth, preview of this one can be read here Beppu and Toyoshima clash to unify regional titles! Lokomotiv Arena, Novosibirsk, Russia As well as the Japanese show we also have an event in Russia featuring some Central Asian hopefuls. One of the notable hopefuls on this show is talented Kazakh Bek Nurmaganbet (3-0, 2), who takes on Tazania's Twaha Kassim (17-7-1, 8), in what looks like a very nice test for the unbeaten Kazakh. The unbeaten Nurmaganbet was a sensational amateur and it's going to be very interesting to see how he developes in the professional ranks. Kassim is certainly not a bad fighter, but he has gone 5-5 in his last 10 and has struggled when fighting outside of Tanzania. On paper a very decent test for the Kazakh, but one he should pass with fly colours. Nurmaganbet isn't the only Kazakh on this card as compatriots Yevgeniy Pavlov (3-0, 2) and Danila Semenov (2-0, 1) are also in action on this card, looking to build on their own fledgling careers. Sadly at the time of writing they don't have their opponents confirmed for this show. Another unbeaten Asian fighter on this show is Indian fighter Gurpreet Singh (2-0-1, 1), who battles fellow novice Nachyn Chambaldoo (0-0-1) in a 6 rounder. Singh will be fighting for the first time in almost 2 years, though his last performance suggested there was something to him, fighting to a draw with the then 6-0 Rakesh Lohchab. The 27 year old Chambaldoo also had a draw last time, but to a professional loser, suggesting he's not a hugely promising fighter himself. Another Indian fighter on this card is 22 year old Suraj (2-2, 1) who will be taking on the unbeaten Shahriyor Akhmedov (1-0, 1), originally from Tajikistan. Akhmedov looked decent on debut, winning his first bout by TKO due to cuts, though it's hard to read into that debut too much. As for Suraj he's not impressed since turning professional and both of his wins came against debutants. This is likely a bout to make Akhmedov look good, but it's still way too early to get too excited about him.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
We get the first live televised Japanese card of the year this coming Saturday, though it's a relatively small show from Kadoebi with the focus more on debutants than established names, with one very clear exception. The one exception on the card will see OPBF Welterweight champion Riku Nagahama (12-2-1, 4) make his first defense of the title he won back in February 2020, as he takes on Ryota Toyoshima (12-2-1, 8) in a very interesting looking match up. The talented Nagahama has bounced back well from stoppage losses to Takeshi Inoue and Yuki Nagano, and is currently riding a 4 fight winning streak, including his title winning bout against Kudura Kaneko last year. Despite that run he still has question marks over his toughness and his chin. Toyoshima on the other hand is unbeaten since a 2017 loss to Masaharu Kaito, who also gave him his first loss way back in 2015. The challenger has won his last 5 and certainly enters the bout as the puncher, but a win here would be his most meaningful by far. Our preview of this bout can be read here Potential thriller as OPBF champion Nagahama takes on Toyoshima! In the middle of the card is another bout between two men with some experience as Japanese ranked Super Flyweights Chikato Sumida (9-3, 1) and Ken Achiwa (12-15-5, 4) clash in an 8 rounder at Bantamweight. Coming into this the 27 year old Shumida has won 5 of his last 6, and will know another win will continue to move him towards a title bout. On the other hand the 34 year old Achiwa has only scored a single win in his last 6, though he is much better than his record suggests and should give Sumida a bit of a test here. Most of the card here is based around introducing some Kadoebi promoted novices, who will make their debuts. One of those is Flyweight hopeful Jukiya Iimura (0-0), who went an excellent 68-13 in the amateurs. He’s being matched in a 6 rounder against 36 year old Daisuke Yamada (6-5, 1), who reached the East Japan Rookie of the Year final, back in 2016 when he was then blasted out in a round by Junto Nakatani. We suspect Iimura will have too much for Yamada, though it’s nice to see him making his debut in a 6 rounder. Another of the debutants, this time at Super Bantamweight, will be Jun Ikegawa (0-0) who takes on Kakeru Yoshikawa (4-1-2) in a tough looking debut. As an amateur Ikegawa went 51-15 and was a very solid amateur in the Kansai League, where he made his name as a talented southpaw. The 23 year old Yoshikawa has gone unbeaten in his last 4, and is unbeaten since July 2017. Notably he enters this bout following back to back draws in 6 rounders, and may well have the stamina and experience to ask real questions of Ikegawa. Another of the debutants is 21 year old Yugo Kon (0-0), who notched a 23-11 amateur record during his relatively short career in the unpaid ranks. He’s been matched with Koji Tsurumi (4-3-1, 1) in a 6 round bout at a contracted 54.5KG’s (just over 120lbs). Kon wasn’t the deeply experienced amateur that some of the others on this card were, but he seems to be incredibly hungry to prove a point and we suspect he could end up being moved relatively quickly over the next few years. Although his record might not show it, Tsurumi is going to be in a confident mood here, having taken the unbeaten record of Shion Yokoyama 2 bouts ago, and scoring a draw with the aforementioned Kakeru Yoshikawa. In an all debutant bout Kadoebi fighter Yudai Murakami (0-0) will be taking on Naoki Shimizu (0-0) from the MT Gym, in a 4 rounder at Lightweight. Murakami went 29-6 in the amateurs, and does have some hype behind him as he begins his career. Reportedly Shimizu went 14-7 in the amateurs, and will be regarded as the under-dog here in what will be the opening bout of the show.  Metro Manila, Philippines
The biggest show this coming Saturday is in the Philippines, where we get a world title fight and a world title eliminator. The world title fight is a rare all-Filipino title bout, as the unbeaten Samuel Salva (17-0, 10) takes on Pedro Taduran (13-2, 10) for the IBF Minimumweight title. Salva was originally expected to face Deejay Kriel for the title, before Kriel chose to vacate setting up this all Filipino title bout which looks like it could be a very interesting match up. The unbeaten is a 22 year old who is getting his first shot at the big time, and has lived up to his name of being the "Silent Assassin" pretty well whilst climbing up the rankings without making too much noise. Taduran on the other hand will be getting his second world title fight, after running Wanheng Menayothin close in a WBC world title fight last year. This isn't going to get a lot of attention, but should be a lot more interesting than some of the other all-Filipino world title bouts we've had recently. A full preview of this bout is available here Salva and Taduran face off for IBF title In another notable bout on this card the once beaten Giemel Magramo (23-1, 19) will take on Thailand's Eaktwan BTU Ruaviking (25-5,16) in an IBF Flyweight world title eliminator. For both men this is a huge opportunity to set up a big fight down the line, and a shot at Moruti Mthalane, whilst from a fans point of view this could be some truly fantastic. The 24 year old Magramo has reeled off 6 straight wins since a close loss to Muhammad Waseem in 2016 and looks to be on an excellent run of form with notable wins against the likes of Petchchorhae Kokietgym and Wenfeng Ge. The Thai on the other hand is looking to notch his 4th straight win, and secure his second world title bout, though he failed to shine in bouts away from Thailand, with just a single win on the road. Style wise this should be a war, and it could easily end up being an instant classic. A preview of this bout can be read here Magramo and Nantapech set for Flyweight eliminator thriller! Davao del Sur, Philippines A second Filipino card this Saturday will be a much lower profile one in Davao del Sur, and will feature a number of unbeaten fighters, mostly in bouts that look stacked in their favour. The main event of the card will see the unbeaten Jenel Lausa (9-0-1, 5) take on Indonesian foe Carlos Lopez (28-9, 9) in a fight for a minor title. On paper this looks like a big step up for the 31 year old Lausa, however Lopez has been out of the ring since March 2013. Interestingly Lopez was pencilled in to fight Billy Dib a few months ago, before Dib fought Amir Khan, so he should be in good condition, but will likely be an under-dog here. In an interesting supporting bout the unbeaten Richard Bulacan (6-0, 4) will battle against Vergel Deguma (9-5, 4), in a battle of young southpaws. Bulacan has shown some real promise at this early stage but this should still be a solid test for the 20 year old. Tokyo, Japan The second Teiken card of the month is a much higher profile one than their first, and features not only a Japanese title fight but also a former 3 weight world champion and some notable prospects, in what looks like a very solid card. The main event of the show will see Japanese Welterweight champion Yuki Nagano (16-2, 12) make his first defense as he battle against Makoto Kawasaki (11-7-1, 2). Nagano won the title back in April, when he stopped Ryota Yada and recorded a 14th straight win. The 30 year old, who went 2-2 in his first 4 has been in great form and beaten really good domestic fighters in recent years. At 35 years old Kawasaki is likely to be getting his last chance to win a title, but he will enter as a very clear under-dog, and will need a career best performance to over-come Nagano. Our preview of this bout is here Nagano to defend Japanese title against Kawasaki Former multi-weight world champion Jorge Linares (45-5, 28) fights in the chief support bout of the card. The former 3 weight world champion has lost 2 of his last 3, by stoppage, but is still incredibly popular, especially in Japan, where he hasn't fought in over 4 years. Linares will be up against Filipino foe Al Toyogon (10-4-1, 6), who has lost his last 2, but will be looking to bounce back from those losses, and show what he can do in the biggest profile bout of his career. Another notable name on this card is Welterweight hopeful Ryota Toyoshima (11-2-1, 8), who will be be seeking a 5th straight win as he takes on Masafumi Ando (6-8-2, 3). The in form Toyoshima will be the favourite, and will be looking to build on wins over the likes of Moon Hyon Yun and Woo Min Won, however Ando did score a big win last time out against former Japanese national champion Toshio Arikawa. This could be a lot more interesting than it looks on paper. The lower end of the card here is pretty interesting as well. In a really interesting look bout the 2018 Rookie of the Year runner up Hikari Mineta (6-1, 3) takes on Yuji Oba (6-4, 4), in what looks like a good test for Mineta, Rookie of the year winner Kenta Endo (4-0-1, 3) battles Korean foe Gi Won Shin (3-2-3) and the debuting Katsuya Fukui (0-0) faces off with Sang Hoon Kim (4-1-2, 3). Jeju, South Korea Talking about Korean fighters it's worth noting there will be a Korean card as well, albeit at a very low level, with an international theme as locals take on a mix of Japanese and Chinese opponents. The most notable bout on this card will see unbeaten Korean teenager Min Jang (8-0-2, 2) take on Japanese visitor Wataru Ikegami (7-4-1, 4). The talent Jang should be took good for Ikegami, who's lost to Fumiya Fuse and Tsubasa Murachi in recent bouts, but it is still a step up in class for the Korean youngster. Another Korean Vs Japan bout on this card will see 21 year old Korean local Yong In Jo (7-3-2, 2) take on Japanese veteran Yuichi Ideta (13-14-1, 7). This will be Jo's first bout since a November 2017 loss to Daishi Nagata whilst IDeta will be looking to end a 10 fight losing streak. Paju, South Korea A second Korean card will take place in Paju and, on paper at least, it is a more notable card. One of the most notable bout on this card will see In Duck Seo (12-1-2, 7) attempt to build on his KO win against Tysinn Best, as he faces off with Uzbek foe Khusniddin Pulatov (7-3, 5) in a contest for the WBA Asia Welterweight title. This could be a very explosive and action packed fight between two relatively limited, but fun to watch fighters, who will both believe in their toughness and power. In a female bout we'll see Bo Mi Re Shin (7-0-3, 3) take on Jinyan Gao (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten fighters. According to the KBA this will actually be the show's main event, though in reality this bout is less significant, and less interesting, than the co-feature bout. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand we have a small, yet very notable, card featuring two bouts worthy of some attention. The more significant of the two bouts will be a Light Middleweight bout between former world title contender Teerachai Kratingdaenggym (41-1, 30) taking on Filipino southpaw Junjesie Ibgos (13-4, 11), in a bout for the WBA Asia title at 154lbs. Teerachai is riding a 3 fight winning run since losing to Lucas Matthysse in 2018 and will be strongly favoured here against Ibgos, who fought as a Featherweight earlier in his career. The other bout is less significant, but arguably more intriguing. This bout will see novice professional Theeraphan Polsongkarm (1-0) take on former world title challenger Inthanon Sithchamuang (31-12-1, 19), in a 10 round bout. We often see Thai's being fast tracked but this is a huge step up for Theeraphan, and a win here would be a huge statement, even if Inthanon is a long, long, way from being the fighter who went 12 rounds with Kohei Kono back in 2016. Singapore, Singapore We get yet another Asian show, with one taking place in Singapore. The main event here is a really, really good looking one, with Ongen Saknosiwi (6-0, 6) taking on Nanthawat Maolichat (6-0, 6) for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Featherweight title. Saknosiwi is the IBPC champion and is regarded as a real hopeful for Indonesian boxing, though this will be his first bout outside of Indonesia and should be seen as a credible test. Nanthawat is a Thai teenager who debuted in November, and will be taking a big step up in class himself, in what will be his first title fight. This looks like it could be very, very explosive. As well as the good looking main event this card will also feature local hopefuls Hamzah Farouk (8-0, 5) and Abdelelah Karroum (5-0, 4), who will both be taking on limited Indonesian visitors. Ekaterinburg, Russia In Russia we get a small card, though a card with an excellent all-Asian main event. The match up will see unbeaten Uzbek fighter Ravshanbek Umurzakov (9-0, 7) take on the upset minded Roldan Aldea (14-7-1, 8), from the Philippines. Umurzakov has shown touches of real promise, and is clearly a prospect to make a note of, but there is a lot of questions for him to still answer. On the other hand Aldea will be looking to build on July's upset win over Mikhail Alexeev, a win that came thanks to a huge KO over the previously unbeaten Russian. Macao S.A.R., China
The biggest Asian show this coming Saturday comes from Macao, where we get several bouts of note thanks to the IBF, who are holding a convention and having boxing take place around that event. On paper the best bout is an all-south Light Heavyweight clash between Fanlong Meng (14-0, 9) and Adam Deines (17-0-1, 8), who battle in what is an IBF final world title eliminator. Unbeaten fighters, with ambition, clashing is always a good thing, and whilst neither will be given a chance against IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev this should still be a worth while clash. With a world title fight up for grabs for the winner this is a really important contest, and potentially the hidden gem of the weekend. Another unbeaten fighter on this card is Australian Steve Gago (10-0, 4), who takes on criminally under-rated Filipino Adam Diu Abdulhamid (14-7, 6), in what should be a much, much tougher test than it appears on paper. Although Abdulhamid has 7 losses to his name he is a very talented fighter and a real potential banana skin for the unbeaten Gago. A third bout will see China's Sen Chen (11-1, 2) battle against Filipino veteran Richie Mepranum (33-7-1, 9), for a minor regional title. This is a big step up for Chen, but a win would help him out his name out there. At his best Mepranum is a solid fighter, but in recent years he has just been picking up more losses than wins, and has lost 3 of his last 5. A good test for Chen, but it should be a winnable one. Tokyo, Japan From the Korakuen Hall we'll get the next Dynamic Glove card, and unfortunately it won't be shown live, and instead it's going to be put on tape delay the following Wednesday. The main event of the card was supposed to be the first defense of the Japanese Flyweight title by Junto Nakatani (18-0, 13), who was pencilled in to face Wolf Nakano (6-7-4, 2). That was a disappointing bout and was cancelled when Nakano suffered an injury in training, and he has now been replaced by Filipino foe Philip Luis Cuerdo (11-6-1, 4). On paper this is a better bout than the original match up, but should be little more than the next step forward for Nakatani, who is looking like one of the brightest prospects in Japan. On paper the bout of the show looks likely to be the rematch between Charles Bellamy (28-3-2, 18) and Yuto Shimizu (12-4-2, 5), who had a cracking bout last September. The Bellamy, a popular Japanese based American, took a narrow win over Shimizu last year, and will be favoured here. Shimizu however is no push over, as he showed in their first bout, and this could be a very, very good bout. Another really good looking match up here will see Japan's Ryota Toyoshima (10-2-1, 7) look to build on a big 208 as he takes on Korean visitor Woo Min Won (10-1, 6). Toyoshima went 3-0 (2) last year, with a very notable win over Moon Hyun Yun, and will be looking to continue that run here. The Korean fight will be fighting on Japanese soil for the second time, having beaten Daiki Koide in Nagoya in 2016. Interestingly this will be Kim's 4th straight bout against a Japanese foe, and so far he has a 3-0 (2) record against Japanese fighters. Hard hitting Minimumweight prospect Kai Ishizawa (5-0, 5) might not be one of the most rounded prospects in Japan but he is a very heavy handed fighter with a lot of promise, and he's very, very young. On this show he will take on Indonesian journeyman Silem Serang (13-19-2, 1), in what should be little more than a show case for the very exciting Ishizawa. One other bout of note will see Rookie of the Year runner up Hikari Mineta (5-1, 3) kick off his 2019 with a bout against 32 year old Motosuke Kimura (3-1-2, 1). We were impressed by Mineta in the Rookie of the Year, though he did have a nightmare in the early stages of the final, and it's going to be great to see what the Teiken man can go on to achieve over the coming years. Berne, Switzerland On the subject of Japanese fighters it's worth noting that Swiss based Japanese born veteran Aniya Seki (34-4-3, 5) will be up against journey woman Ivanka Ivanova (1-10-2) in Berne. Seki, now aged 40, is unlikely to achieve her dream of becoming a world champion, but she should pick up an easy win here against her Bulgarian foe who hasn't won in her last 9. California, USA We turn to the US for much more notable action towards the end of the day, with a number of Filipino fighters in action. Sadly whilst there are some talented fighters on the card, the most notable of the Filipino fighters looks to be, on paper at least, in a stay busy fight. That is former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (32-2, 15), the criminally under-rated southpaw, taking on Mexican foe Roberto Castaneda (23-11-2, 16). On paper this is a mismatch, though Castaneda has had some interesting performances in recent years coming close to upsetting Jose Lopez in 2014 and securing a draw Tyler McCreary last time out. Another highly regarded Filipino on this card is the hard hitting Jhack Tepora (22-0, 17), who returns to the ring following a weight mishap earlier in the year. He'll be up against fellow puncher Jose Luis Gallegos (16-6, 12) and should manage to secure a pretty straight forward win, though has clearly lost some of his career moment after a huge 2018. Filipino-America John Leo Dato (10-0-1, 7) looks to extend his unbeaten record, as he takes on tough veteran German Meraz (62-55-2, 39). The Mexican veteran has 120 bouts to his name, and although his losses are stacking up he has only 8 stoppage defeats with the latest coming more than 2 years ago to Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Meraz will test Dato, but isn't likely to score the upset.  Astana, Kazakhstan
The most notable action takes place in Kazakhstan, as a former world champion returns to action and fans also get the chance to see a number of local prospects take their next towards stardom. The main event of the bout will see former WBA Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion Beibut Shumenov (17-2, 11) return to face the once beaten Hizni Altunkaya (30-1, 17) for a version of the WBA Cruiserweight title, one of 4 “world” titles the WBA has at the weight. The Kazakh hasn't fought in over 2 years, since beating Junior Anthony Wright for the WBA “regular” title, due to an eye injury but has shown a new hunger for this return at the age of 34. Altunkaya on the other hand has been active but is one of the biggest bottom feeders in the sport and is totally without a win of note. The German based Turk has lost his only bout of note, suffering a 5th round loss to Krzysztof Glowacki, and this is a significant step up from his other competition. If Shumenov is half the fighter he once was, he shouldn't struggle to come out on top here. One of the most notable prospects is Bobirzhan Mominov (6-0, 5), who will be looking to make a mark on his first bout on Kazakh soil, as he takes on Georgian teenager Giorgi Bliadze (7-6, 2). The unbeaten Kazakh has fought in the US and in Argentina so far, and has looked good in his wins to date, but this should be a great chance for him to shine against the relatively limited Georgian fighter. Among the other fighters on this card is Aidos Yerbossynuly (7-0, 6), who has looked fun in his first 7 bouts. His opponent hasn't been named at the time of writing, but we don't imagine it will be anyone too testing. Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Kazakhstan there is also a notable card in Tokyo, which will be broadcast on tape delay in the coming week. The card isn't a stacked one in terms of quality match ups, but it does feature a good main event and several notable names. The main event will see the unbeaten Junto Nakatani (15-0, 11), who is now a world ranked fighter, taking on talented Filipino Dexter Alimento (13-3, 9). On paper this is a great match up, with Nakatani looking to build on a strong run of wins against the likes of Seigo Yuri Akui, Jeronil Borres and Mario Andrade and Alimento looking to give his own career a big boost. The Japanese fighter looks to be one of the countries fastest rising hopefuls and at just 20 the future is very bright for Nakatani. The 22 year old Alimento scored a huge win in January 2016, when he stopped Chanachai CP Freshmart, but has since gone 3-3, including a razor thin loss to Masataka Taniguchi, A move up to Flyweight isn't likely to help the Filipino, but we can't write him off give his energy and style, and he could be a real banana skin here. Another Japan Vs Philippines bout looks to be thoroughly one-sided, as Matcha Nakagawa (12-1-1, 5), the 2015 Bantamweight Rookie of the Year, takes on Marzon Cabilla (16-16-1, 5). The talented Nakagawa is riding a 3 fight winning run coming in to this but hasn't fought since December. The Filipino the other hand has been active, with two fighters already this year, and whilst he has won 7 of his last 8 he was stopped last time out, and has been stopped in 12 of his 16 defeats. Also on this card fans will be able to see Yuichi Yokoyama (17-4, 15), Ryota Toyoshima (8-2-1, 6) and Masaya Tamayama (10-1, 5) all in action, with all 3 men taking on Thai visitors. Bohol, Philippines There's also two cards in the Philippines, one of which will take place in Bohel and be promoter by former world champion Gerry Penalosa. The main event of the card will see the unbeaten Dave Penalosa (12-0, 8) make his ring return, after almost 2 years away from the ring, as he takes on Indonesian veteran Ricky Manufoe (27-34-3, 10). The talented Penalosa had looked like a promising talent early in his career but a few stumbles in his activity has slowed his progress and he's now been out of the ring since September 2016. Despite the inactivity the the Filipino will be strongly favoured against an opponent who has been racking up a lot of losses on the road in recent years. A second Philippines Vs Indonesia bout will see Carlo Caesar Penalosa (11-1, 4) battle against Iwan Key (11-21-3, 1), in an equally mismatched contest. Penalosa was upset in February 2017, by Reymark Taday, but has since bounced back with 4 wins and will be expecting another easy one here. Key has scored 1 win in his last 11 and won't be expected to get a win on the road here. Metro Manila, Philippines The bets of the Filipino bouts, on paper at least, comes from Metro Manila, as WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Flyweight champion Cris Alfante (14-6-1, 6) makes his second defense, battling against veteran Ardin Diale (33-12-4, 16). Alfante won the title in 20116, with a win over Rolio Golez, and made his first defense last September. He will go in as the champion, but as the under-dog with less experience than the battle hardened Diale, who is a proven fighter at the regional level and will be looking to bounce back from a 2017 loss to Moruti Mthalane.  This coming Saturday is set to be a busy, yet thrilling, day with a show of note in each Japan and Hong Kong. Not only do both countries get a card of note, but both cards are genuinely significant as we go forward.
Hong Kong S.A.R, China The Hong Kong card, put on by DEF HK and Watanabe as they continue to work together, has a trio of title bouts and potentially a fight of the year contender. That fight of the year contender will see local star Rex Tso (21-0, 13) take on former 2-time world champion Kohei Kono (33-10-1, 14), in a bout for Tso's WBO International Super Flyweight title. The local is one of the sports most exciting fighters, and although he has improved markedly in recent years he is still, at heart, a fighter there for the fans, and a man who enjoys a thrilling tear up at every opportunity. Kono on the other hand is a bit of a faded force, and has lost 2 of his last 3, but has a style that is very fan friendly, and should gel with Tso's here. Do not be surprised by this one being a little bit special. In a second title bout we'll see Kono's stable mate Ayumi Goto (7-0, 5) battle with Indian teenager Kirti (3-0, 2). Reports have stated that this will either be a female OPBF Super Bantamweight title fight, with Goto defending her title, or a WBO Asia Pacific title bout, for a vacant title. On paper this should be an easy win for the Japanese fighter, but it is fair to say that Kirti is an unknown, and could be a surprise package of sorts. The third title bout on this card will see the always fun to watch Takuya Watanabe (32-7-1, 17) battle against Chinese foe Leshan Li (13-2-1, 8) for the WBO Oriental Super Featherweight title. Watanabe is one of the many under-the-radar Japanese fighters who is guaranteed to put on good fight, no matter who he is facing, and we're expecting another fun one here. As for Li he's a bit of an unknown but is a heavy handed fighter and has won his last 7 bouts, suggesting good form and good confidence coming into this one. One other bout on this card, which looks set to be explosive, will see Thai based Dutchman Nick Frese (6-0, 5) take on heavy handed Filipino Prabhjot Singh (7-1-1, 7). Given that these two have 12 stoppages in 13 wins we're expecting to see bombs away, though it's hard to see anything but a win for Frese, who looks like a genuine prospect. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we'll be getting a card that will be aired live on G+ and will be promoted by Teiken. The main event of this card will see the in-form Masaru Sueyoshi (15-1, 10) take on Ribo Takahata (13-7-1, 5) for the vacant Japanese Super Featherweight title, in what will be the first title fight either man has been in. The bout, for the title vacated by Kenichi Ogawa, will see Sueyoshi coming in to it with a 12 fight winning run dating back more than 5 years, whilst Takahata has been inconsistent, alternating between wins and losses over his last 15 bouts. It's hard not to favour Sueyoshi but it is his most meaningful bout to date. In a supporting bout we'll see the unbeaten Shuya Masaki (8-0, 4) take on Filipino foe Ciso Morales (19-4-1, 12). It's fair to say that Masaki has shown touches of brilliance through his early career, but he has been inconsistent and it always seems like there is just something missing from his performances so far. We expect to see him show his maturity here against a visiting foe who shouldn't be over-looked and will be a very live under-dog. Morales might not be a sensational fighter, but he's a good enough fight to test someone like Masaki at this level. In a really interesting under-card bout we'll see the once beaten Ryo Matsubara (7-1, 7) take on the unbeaten Kai Chiba (6-0, 5), in a bout between punchers. Coming in to this one Matsubara has won his last 6 bouts in a combined 7 rounds, and has well and truly put his sole defeat behind him, with that loss coming back in his second professional bout. Chiba on the other hand went 6 rounds last time out, ending his own stoppage run. Both of these men like to throw heavy leather, and this could be a very explosive contest. Japanese ranked Welterweight Yuki Nagano (11-2, 8) will be risking a 9 fight winning run as he takes on Thai foe Kriengkrai Tor Silachai (3-0*) in what could be a potential banana skin for the local. Although ranked by the JBC it's hard to know how good Nagano really is, whilst the Thai is a bit of an unknown, and it's unclear really whether we even have his complete record here. A second Japanese ranked Welterweight on this card is Ryota Toyoshima (7-1-1, 5), who risks his ranking against domestic rival Masaharu Kaito (5-2, 2). Coming in to this bout the 21 year old Toyoshima has won his last 5, though he did suffer a decision defeat to Kaito back in 2015, and it's obvious he is seeking to avenge that set back. Sadly for Kaito he has lost 2 of his last 3, including one to the previously mentioned Nagano and seems to be struggling for form coming in to this bout. *-Record reported as being differed to the 3-0 figuire. |
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