Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday we get an interesting card at Korakuen Hall promoted by Hideki Todaka, who has regularly put together really good bouts at a low level. The main event here will be a really interesting Flyweight bout, as Josuke Nagata (5-2) takes on Ryuto Oho (16-6-2, 7) in an excellent looking 8 rounder. Nagata is a former Japanese Flyweight champion, having won the title in april 2023, but his reign was short, lasting just 3 months, and he has lost his last 2. Although talented, Nagata lacks power and struggles to get respect from opponents who will feel comfortable taking his shots. Oho on the other hand has never reached the highs of Nagata, but is coming into this with some form, having won 4 of his last 5 bouts. Oho has mixed at a good level, fighting Masamichi Yabuki in 2019, but he does lack a signature win, and will see this as a chance to change that. A really interesting match up, and good domestic level main event on a card like this. The chief support bout for this card will be a 6 rounder, and will see the aggressive Shido Arai (5-4-1, 3) take on talented teenager Shiryu Kamata (1-1), who’s a counter puncher. Stylewise this could be the best bout of the show, with styles that should gel well and make for some really interesting back and forth action. Arai Arai has failed to win his last 3 bouts, having won the previous 5, and unfortunately for him lacks the power to go with his aggressive output, output that could struggle over 6 rounds. As for Kamata he lost on debut, last August, but bounced back with a wide decision win in December, and that win should give him the confidence needed to pick up another victory here. In one of the supporting bouts we’ll see Norris Yano (6-4-1) clash with Ryota Shibuya (7-2-2, 1) in a scheduled 8 rounder, that seems almost certain to go the distance given that neither man has much power. Another scheduled 8 rounder will see veterans collide as Isao Aoyama (13-12-1, 4) takes on Taisei Higashi (10-12-1, 6). Both of these bouts are perhaps not the best looking on paper but, as mentioned, Hideki Todaka shows tend to put on great low level bouts, with styles that gel and fights that give really good value, and we suspect that will be the case in both of these bouts, which provide a lot more excitement than fans suspect when the see the match ups.This is part of what Hideki Todaka promoted shows so great to watch, and so much fun.
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Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Thursday we get two Japanese shows in Tokyo, albeit in different venues, with the Shinjuku FACE putting on a third show in as many days and the Korakuen Hall also hosting a card, a more notable card in fact, promoted by Hideki Todaka. The most notable bout on the card is an 8 round Super Flyweight bout between JBC and WBO Asia Pacific ranked fighters, as Mirai Imagawa (12-5, 4) and Ryuto Oho (13-5-2, 5) clash. Of the two men Imagawa enters as the higher ranked man, by both the JBC and the WBO regional body, though he also enters the bout having been out of the ring since July 2021. Imagawa has shown a lot to like, and has won his last 4 include good wins over Kento Yabusaki and Yuji Okinori, however he has only fought once since the start of 2020, and his inactivity is a major issue coming in to this bout. Another JBC ranked fighter on this card is Shinnosuke Hasegawa (13-4-1, 9), who will be facing off with Daichi Matsuura (7-6-3, 3). The 30 year old Hasegawa was on the very of a Japanese title fight last year, on the back of a 12 fight winning streak, but has unfortunately lost his last 2 bouts, and another loss here will essentially end any hopes of him getting a title fight. In the ring Hasegawa is a decent boxer, with heavy hands, and wins over the likes of Kazuma Sanpei and Shota Suito show he can fight, but a 2nd round TKO loss to Tsubasa Narai does leave some questions about whether he's on the slide or not. As for Matsuura, his career once promises a lot, but those days are well in his past, and he has lost 3 of his last 5 by stoppage. Given that recent form we expect another early loss for Matsuura here. A third Japanese ranked fighter on the show is Ryohei Arakawa (8-4-1, 4), who takes on Shisui Kawabata (2-4, 2). On paper this is a total mismatch, however Kawabata might well be the best 2-4 fighter in the sport. Arakawa is best known for reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018, losing in the final to Yoshiki Minato, and despite losing to Aran Dipaen in 2019 he has won his last 2 bouts and built some momentum. Kawabata on the other hand turned professional following a solid amateur career, and has sparred with some of the top domestic talent in Japan. As a professional things haven't clicked for him, but he has been matched hard, and has lost two bouts against Rikito Shiba, with other losses coming to Yuki Nakajima and Akira Hoshuyama. This might look like a mismatch but we genuinely expect this one to be hotly contested. Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, Japan For a third day in a row we get East Japan Rookie of the Year action at the Shinjuku FACE. One of the bouts worthy of note on this show will be at Lightweight, where we're not expecting to hear the final as Shota Mitani (1-3, 1) and Takara Kawaguchi (2-0, 2) face off. Through 6 combined fights these two men have competed in a combined 12 rounds, and have never seen the final bell. Mitani is the more experience man in terms of fights, but has proven to be a glass cannon, and all 3 of his losses have come in the first round. As for Kawaguchi, who will be the favourite, his wins have come in 2 and 4 rounds, and he will feel confident of picking up a win here to move to 3-0 (3). Another bout we want to flag will be at Minimumweight, where 26 year old Masaki Shinotsuka (2-3-1, 2) will be taking on unbeaten 20 year old hopeful Kenta Kawakami (2-0). Shinotsuka debuted in 2020 and has had very mixed results since then, but does have experience on his side coming into this one. Kawakami on the other hand debuted late last year and was forced to answer some questions last time out, when he narrowly squeaked past Takato Fukuda back in March. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Over in Tokyo on Friday we get a small card, but one certainly worthy of some attention, even if the match ups on it don't immediately make people sit up and take note. On paper the main event is certainly not one which will grab the attention of Western fans, with Jin Minamide (4-2, 3) taking on Kiyohei Endo (3-4, 3), in a bout that, on paper, should be buried deep down a card. Paper however doesn't do these two men justice. Both were very solid amateur fighters and both are very capable boxers, with Minamide being a brute in need of a win, after back to back TKO losses, whilst Endo is a real talent, who has been matched incredibly hard. Minamide is certainly the more proven fighters as a professional, but the 26 year old has to have questions about his confidence, and also questions about where his mind is after changing gyms earlier this year. Endo has been out of the ring for well over a year, but he's a very technical fighter and of the two he is the more polished, but also the one with the more questionable chin. High skills and high drama expected here. In a solid support bout we'll see Sho Omote (9-2, 3) face off with JBC ranked Light Flyweight Ryuto Oho (12-5-2, 4). Coming in to this Omote is 7-1 in his last 8 bouts, including a good win over Kosuke Ando, and he has been testing the water as a Flyweight at times, including his 2020 loss to Shota Asami. He's in form but will be up against his most notable opponent to date. Oho on the other hand is a fighter with mixed results, though he has fought at a very good level, facing the likes of Masamichi Yabuki and Seigo Yuri Akui. Sadly for Oho he is 3-3-1 in his last 7, but given the level he's been competing at, it is hard to read too much into those numbers. Regardless, this should be a well contested and evenly fought bout, and is likely to make for a compelling 8 rounder. 801 Event Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA As well as the action in Japan we'll also be getting a small bit of Asian interest in Salt Lake City as 37 year old US based Uzbekistani fighter Ravshan Hudaynazarov (19-4, 14) takes on limited American fighter Jeremy Ramos (11-11, 4) in an 8 rounder at 154lbs. The once touted Hudaynazarov won his first 15 bouts before losing 4 in a row between 2018 and 2020, but he has since bounced back with 2 wins earlier this year, and despite being well past his physical best he is very much a fighter who seems to be happy fighting at a lower level and taking home wins. Ramos on the other hand has lost his 5, including losses to Yuri Foreman and Shane Mosley Jr, and has double digit losses, but he has been fighting at a decent level through much of his career, and he will be there looking to score an upset. This is certainly not the gimmie that looks on paper. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday Korakuen Hall plays host to a small show from Hideki Todaka. Whilst the card is certainly not a huge one, it does have 3 bouts worthy of some attention. The main event will be pitting two JBC ranked fighters against each other as the once beaten Yuki Nakajima (4-1-1, 4) takes on Ryuto Oho (12-5-1, 4) in what essentially a Japanese title eliminator, albeit not a final eliminator at 112lbs. Nakajima, the brother of Kazuki Nakajima, has seen his brother win a regional title in recent months and will be looking to replicate his success whilst Oho will be returning to the ring after more than 2 years out of action, with his last bout coming in May 2019 against Masamichi Yabuki. We have to favour Nakajima, but he certainly didn't look his best last time out, fighting to a draw with Toma Kondo at the end of 2020. In the chief support bout we'll see Hiroshi Takaki (6-8-1, 2) take on JBC ranked Bantamweight contender Naoto Mizutani (7-7-2, 2) in an 8 rounder. On paper this doesn't look too much to get excited about but Mizutani has notched solid domestic wins over Joe Tanooka and Naoya Okamoto in 2 of his last 3 and and a win here would move him towards a potential Japanese title fight. As for Takaki he'll be back in the ring for the first time since April 2018 and it's going to be very interesting to see how much hunger he has for this return. One other but on this card worthy of attention is the third professional bout of Issei Ochiai (2-0, 1), who is a highly regarded former Japanese amateur that some regard as one to watch over the coming decade. The 20 year Ochiai will be up against Rui Ikari (5-2-2-, 1), in what is a solid step up bout for the youngster. Interestingly neither of these young men have fought since 2019, and so we are expecting some rust to show from both, but the class and amateur pedigree from Ochiai should be too much here. ![]() Tokyo, Japan This coming Thursday we see the next Diamond Glove card from Korakuen Hall, in what looks like being an excellent show. The card will feature two title fights, including one of the most mouth watering OPBF title bouts we've had in a very, very long time, as well as a big step up for a promising prospect and a very interesting lower key bout. The main event will see OPBF Super Bantamweight champion Hiroaki Teshigawara (19-2-2, 12) defending his title against former world title challenger Shohei Omori (20-2, 15). The hard hitting Teshigawara will be seeking his second defense of the belt, and built on an 8th round TKO win over Yuki Iriguchi. Coming in to this bout he has won his last 7, with 6 wins by stoppages, and has looked super destructive since moving to 122lbs earlier this year. Interestingly Omori has moved up recently and has also on two bouts at Super Bantamweight by stoppage. Omori has looked brilliant since moving up in weight, and totally dismantled both Brian Lobetania and Takahiro Yamamoto. Of the two men Teshigawara appears to be the tougher, more rugged fighter, however Omori is the more smooth fighter and the more powerful one, so this is going to be a wonderful match to watch, and should be something very special. A full preview of this bout is available here - Teshigawara and Omori set for OPBF war! The other title fight on this card will see veteran Kenichi Horikawa (40-15-1, 13) seek his second defense of the Japanese Light Flyweight title. In the opposite corner to the 56 fight veteran will be rising youngster Ryuto Oho (12-5-1, 4), in an interesting match up. At 39 years old Horikawa is a true veteran, who debuted more than 19 years ago and has run off 8 wins in a row since losing in a national title fight back in April 2017. The 24 year old Oho showed real promise early in his career, winning the 2013 Rookie of the Year, but since then has had some mixed success, winning the Japanese Youth title in 2018 but losing to Masamichi Yabuki earlier this year. At Light Flyweight Oho is a solid fighter, and could pose a genuine test to the highly experienced champion. Our preview of this bout can be read here Veteran champion Horikawa faces Oho in upcoming defense In a really good supporting bout we'll see the unbeaten Masahiro Suzuki (2-0, 1) continue his rapid climb up the ranks as he takes on the heavy handed Kosuke Arioka (9-3-1, 8). The 24 year old Suzuki turned professional last year, and really impressed on his debut win over Antonio Siesmundo, before adding a win over Kelvin Tenorio this past March and he does look like he is going to be a big player on both the domestic and regional scene. Arioka is no world beater, but has gone 6 bouts without a loss, going 5-0-1 (4), and is certainly a dangerous fighter as Yui Oikawa and Mirai Naito found out. Not only is Arioka dangerous but he is talented, and actually won the Rookie of the Year in 2017. This should be a real test for the highly touted Suzuki. One other potentially exciting fighter here will see Daiki Wakamatsu (6-1, 4) taking on the heavy handed Riki Hamada (7-2, 6), who has lost his last 2 by stoppage, losing to Arashi Iimi and Xiao Tao Su. Hamada can bang, but is almost 2 years removed from his last win. Interestingly Wakamatsu hasn't fought in over 2 years, since stopping Pathon Aiemyod last time out in July 2017, so neither man has much momentum coming into this bout, but both will feel this is a great chance to pick up a win and get back in to the swing of things. ![]() Tokyo, Japan This coming Wednesday is not only the 1st of May but it is also a day with a stacked card as we begin a busy, and potentially brilliant month of Asian boxing. And if we're being honest we begin the month with a genuinely brilliant card courtesy of Dangan, who put on not only a brilliant title bout, but 3 other bouts worthy of note. This is a good a domestic card, on paper, that we've seen in 2019. The main event is a Japanese Featherweight title bout, which will pit national champion Taiki Minamoto (16-5, 13) against mandatory challenger Reiya Abe (19-2, 9), The hard hitting champion really impressed us in his title win, dominating Takenori Ohashi in April 2018, but looked very beatable in his first defense, scoring a late stoppage in a nip and tuck bout against Tatsuya Otsubo. Abe on the other hand has been in impressive through the last few years with 11 straight wins, including victories over Tsuyoshi Tameda, Joe Noynay and Satoshi Hosono. This will be a fantastic match up between a boxer-puncher and a brilliant slick boxer and we're really, really looking forward to this. It could be very special. Our full preview of this bout can be read heere Minamoto and Abe clash in mouth watering Featherweight title bout! In the chief support bout we'll see Hinata Maruta (8-1-1, 7) look to build on his December win over Tsuyoshi Tameda as he takes on Coach Hiroto (13-2-2, 4). For Hiroto this will be his first bout since fighting to a draw with Ryo Hino in January 2018, during which time he has been kicked out of the Kadoebi Gym for failing to make weight for a bout with Shohei Omori. Hiroto certainly has a point to prove, fighting under the Dangan banner for the first time, but will be the clear under-dog against Maruta, who is a super talent despite the two marks on his record. Our full preview of this bout is available here Maruta and Hiroto clash at Korakuen Hall! Another brilliant bout on this show will see the hard hitting Masamichi Yabuki (8-3, 8) take on skilled youngster Ryuto Oho (12-4-1, 4), in a bout rearranged from March. The bout had to be delayed due to Oho suffering an injury but he now seems to be healthy in what is regarded as being a Japanese title eliminator. This promises high quality boxing, exciting exchanges and real action. A potential classic, and a bout that may have been helped in it's delay, by being added to such a stacked card, getting more eyeballs on the fighters. One other bout worthy of note will see former amateur standout out Motoki Osanai (3-2, 1) look to record his third straight win, as he takes on Naoto Fujimoto (11-9-1, 5). Osanai turned professional with big expectations but hasn't yet found his groove in the pro ranks and has been fighting between Super Flyweight and Super Bantamweight. If he can find his place he has the ability to really put this poor start behind him. On paper Fujimoto looks like a bit of a nothing opponent, but the reality is that he's a nightmare to fight and we're expecting him to make this bout ultra-competitive and there could just be a round or 2 separating the men at the end of the scheduled 8. ![]() The Hiranaka Boxing school, headed by Akinobu Hiranaka, are putting on a stacked event this coming Thursday with 2 different shows at the City Gym in Tomigusuku. The first card is a Rookie show, as part of the Rookie of the Year, whilst the second is a much more serious shows with more notable fighters involved. Okinawa, Japan The first card is set to begin at mid-day with 6 bouts set for it, including a number of Rookie of the Year bouts. Among the Rookie of the Year bouts is a contest between Hikaru Fukunaga (1-0, 1) and the debuting Shinya Saito (0-0), who will be fighting at Featherweight. Fukunaga made his debut over a year ago, but has spent a lot of time out of the ring, as for Saito this will be his debut, and is a chance to progress through the Rookie of the Year. Another interesting Rookie of the Yeah bout will see the hard hitting Ryuku Nagamine (3-0, 3) take on Takanobu Fujinami (1-2-1). Nagamine scored 3 stoppage wins last year, including two at this venue in Tomigusuku, whilst Fujinami went 1-1-1 last year he could well have gone 3-0 and this shouldn't be the mismatch it looks on paper. It's also worth noting that Fujinami's debut came against the very under-rated Taiga Higashi. Okinawa, Japan The second show is set to begin at 4PM local time and feature 7 bouts, involving fighters with much more notable names. The main event of the card is a mouth watering showdown between Ryuto Oho (12-4-1, 4) and Masamichi Yabuki (8-3, 8), in what really could be something very special. Oho has had an up and down career, but has won the Rookie of the Year, in 2013, and the Japanese Youth title, in 2018, and is coming into this bout on the back of 3 straight wins. Yabuki has gone 2-2 in his last 4, but has stopped a former world title challenger and made his international debut during that run, and will be full of confidence here. It's not only the main event that is tasty, and another will see talented youngster Shuma Nakazato (7-1-2, 6) face off with Filipino fighter Lorence Rosas (9-3-2, 3). This looks a fantastic and well matched bout, and should be a tough but winnable test for Nakazato, who is much better than his recent form of 2-1-2 suggests. Rosas is no world beater but should make for an interesting assignment for the 22 year old Nakazato, who's only loss came to Hironori Mishiro. Another international bout will see Tatsuro Nakashima (8-1-1, 6) battle Indonesian foe Hengky Elleuw (5-7, 5). This should be little more than an easy win for Nakashima, especially when you consider that Elleuw has been stopped in all 7 of his defeats. One other man on this show is Seita Ogido (12-4-3, 3), though at the time of writing his opponent hasn't been announced. He has only won 1 of his last 5 bouts and despite once being a touted hopeful he is now a fighter needing a win to keep alive any hope of having a meaningful career. California, USA Also in action will be popular Filipino fighter Mercito Gesta (32-2-2, 17) who will be facing off with Mexican foe Juan Antonio Rodriguez (29-7, 25) in a 10 round bout. This will be Gesta's second contest since he lost to Jorge Linares in January 2018 and he will be looking to build on a June 2018 win over Robert Manzanarez. Rodriguez hasn't fought since June 2017, when he was beaten by Pedro Campa, and has lost 2 of his last 3 and 3 of his last 6, including defeats Javier Fortuna and Jezzrel Corralas ![]() Tokyo, Japan Action returns to the Korakuen Hall this coming Monday as we get the next show in the A Sign Bee series of cards. The show isn't the best, in fact it's main event looks to be a huge mismatch between a 2-time world title challenger and a limited domestic fighter, but it does have a well matched Japanese Youth title fight, and a well matched domestic support bout. As mentioned the main event will feature a 2-time world title challenger, that's Ryo Akaho (32-2-2, 21) who really is being matched softly here, as he takes on Naoto Mizutani (5-4-1, 2). On one hand Akaho has had a frustrating year, giving up the Japanese title in December and then blowing out Robert Udtohan inside a round when he returned to the ring. On the other hand he really should be wanting to shake some ring rust before a bit 2019. Mizutani has no right being in the ring with Akaho, and has already been stopped 3 times in his career. Not only has Mizutani been stopped a number of times but he brings nothing to the table to really test Akaho, who should have been matched against someone much more testing here. The main supporting bout here will see Japanese Youth Light Flyweight champion Ryuto Oho (11-4-1, 3) defending his title against Yuta Nakayama (6-1-1, 3). The 23 year old champion has had a weird career so far. He was tipped for big things when he won the Rookie of the Year back in 2013 but numerous set backs since then have hampered his rise. He dropped down in weight, from Flyweight to Light Flyweight for the Youth title earlier this year and stopped Tetsuya Tomioka for the title. Nakayama went 1-1-1 to begin his career, but has impressive gone 5-0 since then, and done so with a notable win over Tatsuhiro Toguchi. This should be very hotly contest and very exciting, with both men starting to believe in their power in recent bouts. A full preview of this bout can be read here Oho seeks first defense, takes on tricky Nakayama Lower down the card we'll see Japanese ranked Welterweight Makoto Kawasaki (9-7-1, 2) take on the limited but hard hitting Kentaro Endo (7-8-1, 6), in what looks like a surprisingly competitive contest on paper. Kawasaki is certainly the more skilled fighter, but has lost her last 3 bouts, and has taken punishment in recent bouts. Endo is limited, but he is very heavy handed and we suspect he'll be looking to use that power here, and he will be dangerous early on. Sadly for Endo the longer this bout goes the less chance he has of making the most of his power. One other under-card bout of note is a contest between Japanese ranked Heavyweight Ryu Ueda (6-1-1, 3) and unbeaten Korean Jong Kook Kim (3-0, 2). Interestingly these two men both stopped Sang Ho Kim in their last bout, with Ueda doing it last year and Jong Kook Kim doing it more than 2 years ago. Sadly the inactivity for Kim could be the difference here, but the Korean southpaw will not have travelled to lose his unbeaten record. The Japanese fighter is also a southpaw, but he is notably 1-1-1 in his last 3, and doesn't have much momentum coming into this, despite his win over Sang Ho Kim last time out. ![]() New Jersey, USA Our attention will mostly be on New Jersey this coming Saturday as one Central Asian fighter defends a world title, and two others look to progress there careers. The champion in question is the extremely talented and really exciting WBA Light Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (13-0, 11), who defends his title against Malawi born challenger Isaac Chilemba (25-5-2, 10). The heavy handed and exciting Bivol comes into this bout on the back of his excellent victory over Sullivan Barrera this past March, in what was Bivol's 5th straight stoppage win. The Kyrgyzstan born fighter is making a name for himself and a win over Chilemba will help him there. Sadly for Chilemba it does feel like his career is coming to an en and he has lost 3 of his last 4, including a stoppage loss in November 2016 to Oleksandr Gvozdyk. At his best Chilemba was a handful for anyone but he's now a very old 31 who has been in a lot of wars during his career. One of the guys looking to move forward with their career is unbeaten Kazakh Madiyar Ashkeyev (9-0, 5), who is set for a notable step up in class to take on Cleotis Pendarvis (21-4-2, 9). The Kazakh has looked close to flawless in recent bouts and has been impressing on US soil through his career. American southpaw Pendarvis has had a stop-start career, and his last 4 bouts really haven't been great to know what he has left, but at his best he was a solid fighter who managed to stop Michael Clark, though that was almost 6 years ago now. A prime Pendarvis would have made for an interesting test, but we now expect Ashkeyev to step up and put on a showcase performance against his more experienced foe. Another Kazakh on this card is Middleweight prospect Meiirim Nursultanov (7-0, 6), who will be looking for this third win of 2018. His opponent for this bout hasn't been announced but we're not expecting anyone too testing for the 24 year old, who we think will be stepping up in class at this end of this year, or early next year. Heavy handed, talented and exciting Nursultanov has a lot going for him, but we wouldn't be surprised if he team just waited a year or two before throwing him in with notable names. Okinawa, Japan In Japan fans only get a single show from Okinawa, and even that show isn't massively great with two low key title fights and some small fights on the under-card. One of those title fights is a WBO Asia Pacific female Bantamweight title fight, which will see Yuko Henzan (6-6-4, 2) take on unbeaten Chinese fighter Fan Yin (3-0, 1). The Japanese fighter started her career 0-3-1 but has managed to turn things and had gone 4-0-2 in her last 6 bouts, and claimed the OPBF female Bantamweight title, so a win here for Henzan would see her become a unified champion. The Chinese fighter made her professional debut last December, and scored 2 wins in the space of 2 weeks, but her activity has slowed significantly and she has only fought once since the turn of the year. The other title fight will see Japanese Youth Light Flyweight champion Ryuto Oho (11-4-1, 3) defending his belt against the promising Hiroki Inamine (2-1, 2). The 23 year old champion won the 2013 Rookie of the Year at Flyweight but has since struggled, going 5-4-1 (1). To help rectify things Oho has dropped to Light Flyweight which appears to be a more suitable weight class for him, given his relative lack of power. Inamine's record suggest he's a heavy handed fighter but he's only stopped two Thai's since making his debut, though he was a well regarded domestic amateur. Inamine was beaten last time out, by the ultra promising Rikito Shiba, but will feel he has the power to take care of Ono, in what could be the fight of the day. In a supporting bout fans will see once touted youngster Seita Ogido (11-3-3, 3) look to get his career back on track after going 0-1-2 in his last 3. Ogido hasn't been softly matched but he has failed to win any of his last 3 bouts, which were all title contest, and is clearly being matched softly here to get some confidence back. He'll be up against Takayuki Teraji (9-15-1, 4) who has won just 3 of his last 10 and should manage to give Ogido rounds with out really coming close to winning them. One other fighter on this card worthy of note is American born Japanese fighter Marcus Smith (5-0-1, 5), who looks to secure his second win of 2018 as he takes on Koji Igarashi (4-2, 3). It's hard to see Igarashi coming out on top here, given both of his losses have been by stoppage, but he does have power of his own and could well chin check Smith here. ![]() Tokyo, Japan Fight fans in Japan really do get to see the title action action flow through this month, and for a fourth day in a row those fans are set to get title action, as well as an under-card with some pretty notable names on it. The first of three notable under-card bouts will see the hard hitting Tetsuya Tomioka (5-2, 5) battle against Ryuto Oho (10-4-1, 2) in a bout to crown the first ever Japanese Youth Light Flyweight champion. The hard hitting Tomioka was involved in a thriller almost a year ago with Katsunori Nagamine, and proved he was one to keep an eye on there, but has been stopped twice in 7 and may well find himself burning out quickly given he has a very exciting and aggressive style. With 15 fights under his belt Oho is more experienced than Tomioka, but has lost 2 of his last 3, including an opening round defeat to Seigo Yuri Akui. This should be a really entertaining mid-card bout, and could well be a bit of a show stealer. A second under-card bout of note will see former WBC female Minimumweight champion Yuko Kuroki (17-5-1, 8) takes on Momoko Kanda (10-9-2, 4), in what will be Kuroki's first bout since losing the WBC title to the now retired Momo Koseki. At her best Kuroki is a genuine talent, in fact she defended the WBC title 5 times between her May 2014 coronation and her December 2017 loss to Koseki. Though against Koseki she was second best, by quite some margin. As for Kanda she has challenged for world and OPBF honours herself, but looks some way from being class. Kanda will be there to win, but Kuroki shouldn't struggle to get back to winning ways here. The chief support bout, and probably the biggest mismatch on the card sadly, will see former world title challenger Shingo Wake (23-5-2, 15) take on Filipino visitor Roman Canto (12-10-3, 7). Wake is expected to be moved into a Japanese title fight with Yusaku Kuga later in the year and this bout looks little more than a stay busy contest, just to keep the ring rust off before that fight takes place. Canto is a naturally bigger man, having fought a fair bit at Super Featherweight, but really shouldn't be much of a test for the talented Wake. The main event of the card will see OPBF Minimumweight champion Tsubasa Koura (12-0, 8) making the second defense of his title, as he takes on Norihito Tanaka (16-6, 9) and looks to take a huge step towards getting a world title fight. The exciting champion saw his 5 fight stoppage run come to an end last time out, as he struggled to over-come Masataka Taniguchi in a thrilling and hotly contested bout, but will be looking to impose his power again here. For the 33 year old Tanaka, this will be a second shot at a title, following a 2011 loss to Akira Yaegashi and although he will be the under-dog he is experienced and tough, and has never been stopped. On paper this could be a tough test for Koura, but one we expect him to pass. |
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