 Bang Phun, Thailand
The main card this coming Saturday is in Thailand, with Workpoint showing casing a hugely popular world champion, albeit in a non-title fight, and two former world title challenger. The world champion in action is Thai superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (45-4-1, 40), who won't be defending the WBC Super Flyweight title, as he takes on Korean foe Young Gil Bae (28-6-2, 22), but will be fighting in front of a Thai crowd for the first time since December 2016. Sriskaet is expected to see off Bae with ease, especially given that Bae came up very short in a WBC Minimumweight title bout against Wanheng Menayothin. This really should be little more than a showcase for Srisaket who has another bout set for October 6th in Pak Kret as part of a ONE Championship card. A second bout of note on this card will see former WBC Flyweight title challenger Nawaphon Kaikanha (41-1, 33) take on Japanese visitor Shota Kawaguchi (21-10-1, 9) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Bantamweight title. Nawaphoin is best known for his 2017 loss to Juan Hernandez for the WBC Flyweight title, but he has since bounced back with 5 straight wins, all by stoppage, including a thrilling win over Amnat Ruenroeng back in April. As for Kawaguchi he has struggled in recent bouts, going 3-5 in his last 8, and suffered losses to the likes of Sonny Boy Jaro, Rene Dacquel and Ryuichi Funai. Given the form of the Japanese fighter it's hard to see him coming out on top here, even if Nawaphon hasn't always impressed. Hyogo, Japan A card in Hyogo is also worth noting due to the main event, which will see WBC Youth Super Bantamweight champion Tenta Kiyose (14-2-1, 6) facing off with former WBC Minimumweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai (68-1-1, 28). The Thai is currently riding a 33 fight winning run since losing the WBC world title to Kazuto Ioka back in February 2011, but has mostly fought limited opponents, with his best wins during that run coming over the likes of Mark Anthony Geraldo, Jason Canoy and Hiroyuki Kudaka, all of which were years ago. The 21 year old Kiyose is stepping up in a huge way, but a win here could help put him on the boxing map and move him into the world rankings. Sadly the main event aside this card is really not worthy of a mention. Cavite, Philippines There's also a card in the Philippines. Sadly this is a card that features two talented Filipino's facing very limited Indonesian visitors. One of the local men is Ernesto Saulong (21-3-1, 8), who will be returning to the ring for the first time his loss to IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa back in March. The talented, and tough, Filipino will be going up again journey Waldo Sabu (12-12, 2), who has lost his last 2 by stoppage and was taken out inside a round by Takuma Inoue in May. Given recent outings it's hard to see anything but a Saulong win, likely inside the distance. The other bout will see former OPBF champion Al Rivera (19-3, 17) take on Heri Andriyanto (23-26-2, 11). Rivera has been out of the ring since last October, when he stopped Rodel Wenceslao, but we don't expect the ring rust to be a problem here s he takes on a man was was banned from fighting in Japan back in 2016, when he give a poor effort against Koki Inoue. Since the loss to Inoue Andriyanto has gone 1-3 and it's hard to see what he has to test the very hard hitting Rivera. Connecticut, USA In the US fans will be able to see promising Uzbek hopeful Hurshidbek Normatov (6-0, 2) risk his unbeaten record against fellow unbeaten Alexis Gaytan (4-0, 2). The Uzbek fighter hasn't set the world on fire yet, but has looked competent against decent opponents, beating the much more experienced Ronald Montes last time out. Interestingly Gaytan will be up against his 3rd successive unbeaten opponent here, and will have the confidence of an upset win over Kendrick Ball Jr as he comes into this fight. We suspect Normatov will be too good, but we do hope to see him answering some new questions here.
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 Okinawa, Japan
This coming Sunday fight fans in Japan get 3 different shows across the country. On paper the most notable of those is from Okinawa, where fans will get three title fights and several notable fighters from recent Rookie of the Year competitions. The main event of the card will see hard hitting Ryoya Ikema (12-4, 11) take on fellow puncher Mongkol Kamsommat (6-2, 5) in a bout for the WBC Youth Light Flyweight title. The 20 year old Ikema had a 2017 to forget, with losses to Koki Ono and Ryoki Hirai, but will feel confident of claiming his first title here as he takes on an opponent who has been stopped in both of his losses. The Thai however will fancy his chances to make a name for himself and will be coming in to this on the back of 4 straight wins. A second title fight on this card will see Yuko Henzan (5-6-4, 2) battle Phannaluk Kongsang (3-4-1, 2) for the OPBF female Bantamweight title, in a less than great looking bout which will actually be a rematch from a bout back in November. When these two first fought, in the Philippines, they fought to an 8 round draw, and given how competitive that bout was we're expecting another close one here, but it's unlikely to be a high quality match up. A really mouth watering bout will see Tatsuro Nakashima (7-0-1, 5) face off with Kai Ishizawa (3-0, 3) in a bout for the Japanese Youth Minimumweight title. Nakashima got all the way to the 2017 Rookie of the Year West final, where he fought to a draw with Yuga Inoue, and certainly looks like a talented youngster with power and ambition. As for Ishizawa he was a pretty solid amateur, going 28-14, and turning professional with a B class license. Since turning professional last June Ishizawa has looked sensational, and the 21 year old will be looking to continue to demonstrate his brutal power, which has seen him stop his first 3 foes in a combined 5 rounds. This could be a very explosive and exciting match up. Other fighters of note on this card are 2016 Light Welterweight Rookie of year winner Ukyo Yoshigai (5-2, 4) and 2017 winner Marcus Smith (4-0-1, 4), though both men are up against relatively weak opponents and not each other, in what would have been a genuinely notable bout. Okayama, Japan In Okyama we'll be able to see two really interesting match ups on the Japanese domestic scene, despite neither fight being a hugely significant one, for now. The more interesting of those two bouts will see talented 22 year old Seigo Yuri Akui (11-1-1, 7) return to the ring since his first loss, to Junto Nakatani, and battle against the heavy handed Masamichi Yabuki (6-1, 6). The promising Akui was looking like a star in the making before running into the naturally bigger Nakatani last August and simply being out power by his foe. As for Yabuki he's a big puncher who lost in the 2016 Rookie of the year final, with that loss also coming to Junto Nakatani. It's clear both men will be looking for a statement win here, and a chance to work their way towards a rematch with Nakatani. This could be very exciting with both men having hands, and both looking to push themselves to a bigger and better fight. The other bout of note on this card will see Kota Fujimoto (7-2-1, 2) battle against Shunji Nagata (11-16-2, 3). Coming in to this Fujimoto is ranked by the OPBF, and will be favoured here, but Nagata could be a banana skin, and certainly not be there to roll over though will be giving away significant size to Fujimoto. Osaka, Japan At the L-Theatre in Osaka fans will get a relatively notable card featuring several fighters with some form of ranking, and 3 bouts worthy of some note. The main event will see OPBF ranked Super Flyweight Kenji Kihisa (8-3, 5) take on WBO Asia Pacific ranked fighter Shota Kawaguchi (21-9-1, 9). Coming in to this Kihisa is on a 3 fight stoppage run, including a career best win over Futa Akizuki which pushed him into the OPBF rankings. If we remove the run from Kihisa he doesn't have much else on his record, but the 27 year old does look like he is hitting his stride now. Kawaguchi is a former WBO Asia Pacific “Interim” champion, but has gone 4-5 in his last 9, including a stoppage last time out to Ryuichu Funai in a Japanese title fight. Kawaguchi needs a win to remain relevant whilst a victory for Kihisa will put him into the title mix, a really key bout at this regional level. In a supporting bout fans will see OPBF ranked Super Flyweight Tatsuya Ikemizu (17-2, 7) take on Naoto Fujimoto (9-8-1, 4). The 25 year old Ikemizu has rebuilt well from losses to Mark John Yap and Jonas Sultan, scoring 4 straight wins, but this bout is a step up from the 4 Thai's he has faced over the last 18 months. Although a step up for Ikemizu from recent bouts, it's hard to imagine Fujimoto providing any sort of real test for the 2013 Rookie of the Year winner. One other bout of note on this card will see Noboru Osato (8-6-4, 1) take on Takuya Yamamoto (8-8, 4) in a bout that both men really need to win. Osata has gone 3-3-1 in his last 7, including a close loss to Yuki String Kobayashi last time out, and really needs a win to give his career any sort of momentum. As for Yamamoto he has lost his last 2, including a 109 second blow out loss to Satoshi Shimizu, and has gone 2-5 in his last 7, showing just how much he needs another win. December 11th- Funai and Kawaguchi headline, Onaga and Kudaka support in Super Flyweight double!12/5/2017  Tokyo, Japan
This Monday sees a pretty decent card coming from the Korakuen Hall, thanks to Dangan who will be putting on a Japanese title fight, a Japanese title eliminator and the return of a former national and OPBF champion. The returning champion is the always to watch Takuya Kogawa (28-5, 13), who was last seen earlier this year losing his title in a rematch to Masayuki Kuroda. That bout seemed to show that Kogawa was on the slide, but he has had such a hard career, and his bouts against the likes of Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Suguru Muranaka, Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep, Hiroyuki Kudaka and the aforementioned Kuroda were all very entertaining and pretty damaging to the Tokyo man. Given the big bouts Kogawa has been in we can't begrudge him an easy one, and it does look like he has a very easy one here, as he takes on Naoto Fujimoto (9-7-1, 4), who is 2-4 in his last 6, and shouldn't pose any threat to Kogawa, unless the wars have really caught up with the former champion. The chief support bout of the card will be a Japanese title eliminator, as the experienced pairing of Go Onaga (28-3-3, 19) and Hiroyuki Kudaka (25-17-1, 11) face off, in what really has the potential to be the Japanese fight of the year. Onaga is 1-1-1 in his last 3, and at 37 knows it really is now or never. He's seemingly obsessed with winning some sort of title before he ends his career and with the end coming fast he really needs a win here to remain relevant. Kudaka on the other hand is one of the rare fighters you watch just because of how entertaining he is. Kudaka is a 4-time world title challenger, and he has racked up a lot of losses, but rarely has he been in bouts that weren't thoroughly entertaining and well worth the price of admission. On paper this looks like a mismatch, but with youth on side we wouldn't be surprised if Kudaka managed to win a genuinely brilliant and action packed bout, and earn a shot at the Japanese title in 2018. Talking about a title fight the main event of the card is a Japanese Super Flyweight title fight, and the winner is likely to face the winner of the Onaga Vs Kudaka bout. This contest will see defending champion Ryuichi Funai (28-7, 19) take on Shota Kawaguchi (21-8-1, 9). For the champion this will be his second defense, and he will likely be hoping to move towards a world title fight in 2018. For Kawaguchi this is a second title fight, following a loss in an OPBF title fight to Rene Dacquel earlier this year. Kawaguchi is a good challenger at this level, but is likely to look a level below Funai, who is a very capable fighter, with the potential to mix at a much higher level than just domestic title level.  This coming Sunday is set to be a very busy day in Japanese boxing circles
Osaka, Japan The most interesting card of the day comes from the EDION Arena Osaka where Green Tsuda put on what looks like a really interesting show. The main event of the card will see Japanese and OPBF ranked Takayuki Okumoto (18-7-2, 8) battle against Filipino visitor Eranio Semillano (13-7-2, 4), with the Filipino himself holding a top 10 OPBF ranking. Both fighters will be entering this bout with the knowledge that a good performance could move them to an OPBF title fight, and both will also know that their opponent can be beaten, and can be stopped. Interestingly this is an southpaw bout with both men being 25 years old, but it's the visitor who will be the taller man. In the chief support bout we'll see the hotly tipped Kazuki Tanaka (6-0, 5) take on world ranked Thai Sukkasem Kietyongyuth (16-6, 11). Although inexperienced Tanaka is tipped for the top and is a former stand out amateur who has long been viewed as a future world champion in the making. On paper this could be a step up, given that Sukkasem has a #15 ranking with the IBF, but the Thai has lost every time he's faced a notable fighter, and was stopped in 5 rounds last year by Japanese champion Yusaku Kuga, with that likely being the marker that Tanaka will be looking to beat. Another Japan Vs Philippines bout will see exciting local Ryuto Kyoguchi (14-1-1, 10) takes on former world title challenger Silvester Lopez (27-12-2, 9). For Kyoguchi this is a real gut check with the youngster, the older brother of Hiroto Kyoguchi, having only had 1 round of in ring action in almost 2 years. At his best Kyoguchi is a real talent, but this is a genuinely tough test. Lopez, who fought for the WBC Super Flyweight title in Japan back in 2012, has picked up a lot of losses recently but is still a test at this level and did drop Sho Nakazawa back in 2015. Sylvester has power and could well be a banana skin if Kyoguchi over-looks him. Also on this card will be former OPBF champion Yu Kawaguchi (25-8, 12) and rising female star Fuka Komura (2-0, 1), who will both be up against low key Thai foes. Osaka, Japan Staying at the EDION Arena in Osaka there will also be a Dangan card. Originally it was set to be headlined by Ken Shiro defending the Japanese Light Flyweight title against Tetsuya Hisada but Ken Shiro chose to vacate the title, with a rumoured WBC title fight set to be announced, forcing that bout to be cancelled. Despite that the show will still go ahead and Hisada will get a shot at the Japanese title on April 21st. As a result of Ken Shiro vacating the Japanese title we now see the main event as a bout between defending OPBF Super Flyweight champion Rene Dacquel (18-6-1, 6) and Japanese challenger Shota Kawaguchi (20-7-1, 8). The bout is a pretty good one on paper, but one where Dacquel will be favoured and one that feels like a disappointing main event given that Ken Shiro was supposed to be headlining. In supporting bouts we'll see former world title challenger Atsushi Kakutani (18-5-1, 11) and unbeaten teenager Daiki Tomita (8-0, 2), both of whom will be battling against limited Thai visitors. Okinawa, Japan We also get a small card in Okinawa. The card really doesn't have much of note on it, but does feature one man who we suspect will be one to watch over the coming decade or so. The fighter is Lightweight puncher, and 2016 Rookie of the Year, Shawn Oda (5-0, 5). The teenager really impressed last year, debuting in May and winning the Rookie of the Year in December, and will be looking to kick off 2017 with a bout against Thai visitor Tienchai Sor Kanitsorn (2-8, 1). Tienchai is a regular in Japan, fighting his 10th bout in the country, and although he's there to be beaten by Oda we suspect the local will still be looking to give the fans a show before stopping the Thai. Shizuoka, Japan There will also be a low key card in Shizuoka. In the main event of this card we get a really good match up as former Japanese title challenger Cristiano Aoqui (11-5-2, 7) takes on the under-rated Noriaki Sato (4-1-1) in a bout at Welterweight. Aoqui's best success has been at 140lbs, where he fought the then Japanese champion Hiroki Okada last year, but it looks like he's moving up to continue his career. Sato on the other hand was forced up in weight after failing to make weight for last year's Strongest Korakuen, when he was unable to make 140lbs to face Koichi Aso. The bout should be an exciting one and a real crowd pleaser. In a supporting bout on this card the 21 year old Daiki Ichikawa (8-2, 6) will be risking his OPBF ranking against Takaki Sakurai (7-7-1, 3). Coming in Ichikawa is ranked in the top 15 by the OPBF at Lightweight and may well feel like he is just a few fights away from getting a title shot, something he is ill prepared for at the moment. As for Sakurai he's lost his last 5, but could still be a problem for the heavy handed Ishikawa, if the youngster is over-looking Sakurai. Daejeon, South Korea There is also set to be a very low profile card in South Korea. This card doesn't have anyone of any note on it , with the main event being a 6 rounder between Hyun Min Yang (4-1, 4) and Heuk San Lee (1-0-1). Misamis Oriental, Philippines
Filipino fans in Misamis Oriental get a real treat this Friday with a title triple header featuring some really interesting match ups. Arguably the most notable of the bouts will see former world title challenger Vic Saludar (12-2, 9) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title against fellow Filipino Jimboy Haya (9-2-2, 6). Saludar came up short in December against Kosei Tanaka, despite dropping Tanaka, and bounced back with a win over Lito Dante in April. This is a tougher bout than the one over Dante and if he wins he will likely be looking for a second shot at a world title next year. For Haya the bout is a massive step up, but a win will put him in the mix for more significant bouts in the near future. At Super Flyweight we'll see WBO Asia Pacific Super Flyweight “interim” champion Rakniran Muadransarakam (12-0, 8) defending the title and his unbeaten record as he takes on Japan's Shota Kawaguchi (19-7-1, 8) in an intriguing bout on neutral soil. On paper the Japanese fighter is the more experienced, and more proven, fighter but with 3 losses in his last 6, and a hard career behind him he may well be on the back end of his career. Rakniran has impressed in Thailand but this is a huge step up and a wonderful chance for him to prove himself. In the third title bout we'll see the unbeaten Robert Paradero (12-0, 8) battle Ronie Tanallon (9-2-1, 2) for the WBO Asia Pacific Youth Minimumweight title. On paper this is Paradero's toughest bout but he does look like one to keep an eye on with power and youth. Saying that however we can't see this as a foregone conclusion as Tanallon is certainly no pushover and could ruin Paradero's unbeaten record.  April 29th is an incredibly busy day through Asia with fights all over the continent.
Chongqing, China In Chongqing Chinese fans get an interesting card courtesy of Zowi boxing. The card isn't the biggest but it is an interesting one with several notable bouts. The main event will see the unbeaten Bai Shan Bo (7-0-1, 4) battle against Filipino Nelson Tinampay (9-2-1, 4) for the WBC youth 140lb title. This will be Bo's first defense of the title, that he won in February when he stopped Tackie Annan inside a round. If Bo is as good as touted he should win this one, but it is a step up in class for him and Tinampay is no push over. In an under-card bout fans will see unbeaten Venezuelan Omrri Bolivar (4-0, 2) continue his tour of Asia as he faces the highly experienced Indonesian Ricky Manufoe (24-24-3, 10). Bolivar will be fighting in his fourth Asian bout and should over-come the Indonesian journeyman, who has struggled for wins in recent years and suffered losses regularly on the road. Another under-card bout on this card will see Xing Xin Yang (10-4-2, 7) battle against Takamori Akita (10-5-1, 8) in a bout for the PABA and WBC ABC Continental Welterweight titles. On paper this looks a brilliantly matched bout, and whilst neither is likely to go far in the sport we are glad to see an even looking match up. Shanghai, China Staying in China their will also be a Fists of Fury card promoted by SECA and Top Rank. The card, like the other Fists of Fury, will feature novices each looking to become the latest Chinese fighter to catch the attention of Top Rank who could bring put them on to higher profile cards in the future. Yesan, South Korea In South Korea fight fans will see a WIBA Light Flyweight title bout as Su-Yun Hong (13-1-1, 7) faces experienced Filipino Jujeath Nagaowa (13-16-1, 8). This will be Hong's 4th defense of the title and looks to be her most difficult assignment since her 2014 loss to Mako Yamada, in a bout that saw Hong lose the WBO female Minimumweight title. Metro Manila, Philippines Fans in Metro Manila get a title double-header. In a bout for the PBF Bantamweight title fans will see the very talented Michael Dasmarinas (23-2, 15) battle against Jecker Buhawe (16-11-1, 10). We rate Dasmarinas very highly and see him easily over-coming Buhawe here, especially given that Buhawe is 2-4 in his last 6 and hasn't fought in the last 12 months. The other bout is a PBF Super Featherweight title fight which will see the under-rated Vergil Puton (15-7, 7) battle the puncher Marbon Bodiongan (12-4-2, 10). Puton has lost 4 of his last 5 but has been competitive in all 4 losses and he really is a credible opponent. For Bodiongan, who has lost 3 of his last 4, this is a very tricky match up and it's be a surprise if he was to win. Osaka, Japan In Osaka Japanese fans get a small but notable card. In the main event fans will see Shota Kawaguchi (18-7-1, 8) battle Filipino visitor Jonathan Francisco (8-5-1, 2). This will be Kawaguchi's third successive bout against a Filipino, following back to back losses to Sonny Boy Jaro, and he has actually lost 3 of his last 4. For Francisco this bout sees him return to Japan for his second bout in the country, following a technical draw last year against Toshiyuki Igarashi. In a supporting bout fans will see former world title challenger Nana Yoshikawa (5-1, 3) battle against a Thai opponent. This is thought to be a title prelude for Yoshikawa who will be getting a title fight later in the year. Jakarta, Indonesia There is also action in Jakarta where the vacant Indonesia Boxing Association (IBA) Super Bantamweight title will be on the line as the unbeaten Semly Mau (3-0) faces off against Celvin Joe (2-3-1). Mau is thought to have debuted in 2013, though of course Indonesian records are known to be regularly incomplete, and scored a notable win over Erick Deztroyer back in 2014. As for Joe we believe he comes into this on the back of back-to-back defeats, including a loss Mike Tawatchai, though those losses were back in 2012 and 2013.  This coming Sunday Japanese fans get the choice of two shows
Fukuoka, Japan In Fukuoka Japanese fans get an interesting card with a trio of unbeaten fighters all looking to extend their perfect runs. The most well known of those three is the world ranked Takumi Sakae (12-0, 8) who puts his perfect record and rankings on the line against little known domestic rival Munehito Kijima (6-7-1). This should be a clear win for Sakae however we're unsure if he's really deserving of his world rankings and we really can't wait to see him really tested. Saying that though he is a fun to watch fighter with a lot of potential. Another man showing real potential, and genuine excitement, is Yuki Beppu (9-0, 9) who puts his perfect KO run on the line against Indonesian fighter Yasmet Star (3-4, 3). On paper this looks like an easy win for Beppu, and it really should be a blow out for the power puncher given that Star has been stopped in 3 of his 4 losses. If Beppu, as expected, blows away Star here we're hoping to see him move onto Japanese ranked foes in 2016 ahead of potential domestic title fights in the next 12-18 months. The other unbeaten fighter on this card worth making a note of is Kotaro Ishibashi (3-0-2, 3) who faces Shota Aikawa (4-4-2, 1) in a 6 rounder. At 36 years old Ishibashi cannot waste much time so a win here could see him being moved quickly towards the 8 round distance. As well as the three unbeaten fighters we're also genuinely excited to see the professional debut of Yuki Koha (0-0) who is tipped as one to watch at 140lbs. Koha makes his debut against Indonesian visitor Rian Cobra (2-1, 1). On paper this isn't a terrible debut for the Japanese fighter who is facing a man who's only loss was a 4-round TKO loss to Yusuke Yamanouchi back in May, and if Koha can impress then there's a good chance he'll be put on a fast track. Osaka, Japan A second Japanese show, which also features a number of interesting bouts, comes from Osaka. The first of two main events here is a rematch between former world champion Sonny Boy Jaro (41-13-5, 29), of the Philippines, and Shota Kawaguchi (18-6-1, 8). These two men met earlier this year, with Jaro claiming a close decision win, but Kawaguchi will be looking for revenge in what will almost certainly be a brilliant and competitive contest. Interestingly Jaro's win Kawaguchi last time out was Jaro's first win in Japan having lost in 3 previous bouts in the country. The co-main on this show will see Shingo Kawamura (10-2-1, 5) battle Shun Ishibashi (10-17-1, 4) in an all southpaw match up. On paper this should be a straight forward win for Kawamura though he has gone 1-1-1 in his last 3 bouts whilst Ishibashi is certainly better than his record suggests. This could be a very good test for Kawamura if he's to move on to title level in the next 12 months. |
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