 Tech Port Arena, San Antonio, Texas, USA
The main show this coming Saturday takes place in Texas, where we see one of the best looking shows of the year thanks to Matchroom, which give us a genuinely stacked card, including two world title bouts involving Asian fighters. One of those bouts, arguably the more interesting, will see WBC Super Flyweight champion Jesse Rodriguez Franco (15-0, 10) make his first defense, as he takes on former 2-time champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43), in a mouth watering bout. The bout has come about after "Bam" Rodriguez was a late replacement for Srisaket earlier this year, when Srisaket was forced to pull out of a bout with Carlos Cuadras on medical grounds, with Rodriguez making the most of his opportunity and beating Cuadras. A win here over Rungvisai would put Rodrgiuez as the front runner for the 2022 Fighter of the Year. As for Srisaket the hard hitting Thai will be looking to become a 3-time champion, though sadly he has looked like a man on the slide the last few years, and at 35 he is certainly on the older side for a Super Flyweight. Our preview of this bout can be read here Rodriguez faces Srisaket in first world title defense The other world title bout featuring an Asian fighter will see Uzbekistani fighter Murodjon Akhmadaliev (10-0, 7) look to defend his IBF and WBA Super Bantamweight titles as he takes on exciting American challenger Ronny Rios (33-3, 16). The bout, which was planned for last year, though fell through with Rios suffering Covid on the week of the fight and being replaced by Jose Velasquez. In the end Akhmadaliev took and easy win over Velasquez but Rios was left looming and finally gets his shot here. The talent Uzbekistani fighter will know that a 4 title unification bout is out there for him, with Stephen Fulton, but he will need to get past Rios here and score his third defense for that bout to stay alive. As for Rios this is his second world title fight and comes 16 months after his most recent bout, a win over Oscar Negrete. In fact Rios has fought just once since the pandemic started and we wonder whether that lack of activity will be an issue for the 32 year old. Our in depth preview of ths bout can be read here Unified champion Akhmadaliev faces Rios! Sale Memorial Hall, Sale, Victoria, Australia As well as the action in the US we also get some Asian interest down under in Victoria. The most notable of the Asian fighters on this card is highly experienced Filipino fighter Czar Amonsot (35-6-3-1, 22), who looks set to pick up an easy win as he takes on Thai visitor Surachet Tongmala (9-16, 6) in a 12 round Welterweight bout. Notably for Amonsot he has lost 3 of his last 4, and it's fair to assume his career is coming to an end, with that in mind it's hard to complain too much about this bout, and hopefully a win here will allow the 36 year old Amonsot to retire into the sunset with a win. As for Tongmala, also known as Fonluang Sor Singyu, he has been stopped in 14 of his 16 losses, including a loss in May against Miles Zalewski, making it a bit of a worry that he's back in the ring only around 6 weeks after that loss. Another bout of note on this card featuring an Asian fighter will see limited Australian fighter Jake Gathercole (7-7-1, 2) take on unbeaten Thai visitor Banpot Khaoiam (4-0-1, 4), in a bout for the lightly regarded WBF Australian Cruiserweight title. On paper this looks like a mismatch, but it's actually set to be an interesting one. Gathercole is certainly limited, but has competed at a much, much higher level than Banpot, who has scored all his wins over total novices. We do not expect this one to go the distance or to be a show case of what pure boxing is, but it should be entertaining.
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This coming Saturday isn't a stacked day with huge fights, but there is a lot going on, including bouts with a number of solid names and some that look genuinely interesting in what could be a bit of an interesting day even if it's not one which will get a lot of attention.
Peubla, Mexico Arguably the best bout of the day with an Asian interest takes place in Mexico, as former Japanese 154lb champion Hironobu Matsunaga (18-1, 11) takes on Mexican veteran Jhony Navarrete (34-17-2, 15), in what is a huge good opportunity for Matsunaga to build his profile internationally, and potentially begin to make a move towards a bout in the US in the next year or two. He's a fun guy to watch and Navarrete should have the style to push Matsunaga and give him some exciting rounds here, unlike some of Matsunaga's other international opponents who have at times been very poor. Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand Whilst the best single bout will likely be in Mexico, the best show overall for fans of Asian fighters will be in Thailand. This card features a notably, the likely very one sided bout, between two former world champions as 2-time WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43) takes on former WBC Light Flyweight champion Kompayak Porpramook (61-13-1, 41). The talented Srisaket will be fighting for the first time since medical issues forced him to pull out of a scheduled bout with Carlos Cuadras, and this bout is likely to be a case of him shaking some ring rust than anything else. In recent years the 39 year old Kompayak has been picking up a lot of losses, and this will be another, though he does make an honest account of himself. Fingers crossed, in some ways, that Srisaket doesn't set out to make a statement, as this could get very ugly very quickly if he looks to blast out Kompayak. Another bout on this card will recent world title challenger Danai Ngiabphukhiaw (10-3, 5) take on unbeaten 19 year old Vijes Oak (3-0, 2) in a very interesting match up for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Light Flyweight title. Danai challenged for the WBA Minimumweight title last year, and gave Panya Pradabsri a really solid test, much more so than the scores cards suggest, and is certainly better than his 10-3 record suggests. Oak on the other hand is a Thai based Cambodian who will know this is a great chance for him to make a name for himself, and move towards bigger and better fights himself, though he will go in a very clear under-dog. Dangcagan, Bukidnon, Philippines In the Philippines we get two notable fighters in action, though sadly both of the notable men are in what appear to be stay busy bouts rather than real tests. One of the notable names is recent world title challenger Samuel Salva (18-1, 11), who takes on fellow former world title challenger Jeffrey Galero (17-7, 8). On paper this isn't a great match up to begin with, and it should be a straight forward win for Salva, though beneath the hood we can under-stand Salva having an easy bout here. He's been out of the ring since January 2020 and clearly needs to shake some ring rust and get back in the ring. Galero on the other hand hasn't fought in over 3 years and has lost 4 of his last 5. The other really notable fighter on this card is veteran Lito Dante (17-11-4, 9), who returns for his first fight in over 2 years as he takes on 31 year old professional loser Ryan Ralozo (11-36-2, 2). Dante, one of the most under-rated fighters in the sport right now, is a real danger man over 10 and 12 rounds, but he can be shown up in these short length bouts. Saying that however Ralozo has lost his last 6 and is 1-9 in his last 10. 225 Joo Chiat road , Singapore, Singapore Over in Singapore fans will see Malaysian fighter Adli Hafidz (9-0, 5) defending his UBO Middleweight world title for the first time, as he takes on Thai visitor Theerawat Yoohanngoh (21-12, 15). Although no world beater Hafidz is, by far, the biggest name in the Malaysian and Singaporean region, and despite not being anywhere near world class he is someone who could inspire the area to develop a domestic boxing scene before he hangs up the gloves. As for Theerawat the 34 year old was once a decent fighter, for a regional level Thai, but has been out of the ring since the end of 2019 and has been picking up more and more losses, including losing twice in Singapore in 2019, this will likely extend that run without much debate. Yodogawa Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan In Osaka fight fans will get a low level Japanese show with novices and debutants. The only bout that really seems even slightly notable is a bout at Welterweight between the unbeaten Kazutoshi Adachi (3-0-1, 2) and the relatively limited Yusa Toyonaka (3-3-1, 1). This should be a very entertaining 4 rounder, but nothing too notable, and certainly not one where the winner will be racing towards a title fight or anything similar. Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, Jaipur, India We also have a small card scheduled for Jaipur in India, and sadly this is a very, very low key card, with novices, and debutants all over the show, much like the Japanese show. It's hard to say much about this one, due to the level of the fighters involved, but it's another example of what's going on in Indian boxing, with plenty of shows, giving fighters a chance to be active, and build their records at an early stage. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The only Asian action this coming Saturday is Japanese card and it's a pretty interesting one, as well as their first live televised show of the new year. The main event of the show will see Kyosuke Sawada (14-2-2, 6) and Kenshin Oshima (7-1-1, 3) battle for the vacant Japanese Bantamweight title, the cursed title. The title was made vacant when Yusuke Suzuki vacated due to injury, and continued a rather long line of events which plagued the title in recent years, including Sawada fighting to a technical draw for the title last year. Both Sawada and Oshima are looking to win their first title, and this is a meaningful bout, despite the recent history of the Japanese Bantamweight title. It is also a match up that looks likely to be really interesting, with both of the men involved in this being talented boxers, with Sawada being the more polished and aggressive, but Oshima being a smart counter boxer. This might not being a thrilling all action bout, but it should be a really, really interesting technical chess match. Our preview of this bout can be read here Sawada and Oshima battle for Japanese national title! For those wanting action, we should get some explosive action in the main support bout, as Kaiki Yuba (7-1-2, 5) take on Tetsuya Kondo (6-4, 4). For Yuba this will be his first bout since a dramatic loss last year year to Jin Sasaki in a Japanese Youth title fight. We suspect Yuba will be seeking to make a statement following that loss. Kondo on the other hand has lost his last two, but shouldn't be written off, and has the power to take Yuba out if he connects. This should be a dramatic bout, even if the action isn't the most intense. Other bouts on this card include a very interesting match up between the touted Yuki Nakajima (4-1-2, 4), who comes into this on the back of two disappointing draws, and former Rookie of the Year winner Daiki Kameyama (8-5-1, 2). This bout is one where both will feel it's a must win. Neither has been having good results recently, with Kameyama losing 3 of his last 4, and we expect this one to be a really good little war between two men each looking to advance their career with a much needed win. One other bout worthy of some attention is a 6 rounder between the once beaten Ren Kobayashi (4-1-1, 2) and the unbeaten Shinba Yamaguchi (1-0-1, 1). Yamaguchi, a second generation fighter, is the son of former WBA Light Flyweight world champion Keiji Yamaguchi, and looked really explosive on his debut, before being held to a draw in his second pro bout. Sadly he's been out of the ring for close to 2 years due to the ongoing pandemic. Kobayashi on the other hand started his career with 3 straight wins but is 1-1-1 in his last 3, and has struggled for form, though did fight twice last year and will be hoping his recent activity will prove vital for him here.  This coming Saturday is set to be a great day for fight fans, some major bouts taking place around the globe, some with and some without Asian fighters involved. For fight fans who have been starved of big fights this month, things really do step up a gear this weekend.
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, USA The biggest show of the day, by far, is from Texas where we see the long awaited rematch between Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada as well as the massive female rematch between Jessica McCaskill and Cecilia Braekhus. The show will also feature the US debut of Japanese star Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0, 9), as he looked to defend his Ring Magazine and WBA "super" Light Flyweight titles against Mexican youngster Axel Aragon Vega (14-3-1, 8). Kyoguchi turned professional in 2016 and raced away to his first world title, the IBF Minimumweight title, before moving up in weight in 2018, and winning the WBA Light Flyweight title in Macau, by stopping Hekkie Budler. Since winning the title he has defended the belt twice, and had planned to defend the title in 2020, before he had one bout cancelled due to Covid19 in May and then had to cancel a second bout when he himself tested positive. For the 20 year old Vega, who also debuted in 2016, this will be his second shot at a title, following a 2019 loss to WBO Minimumweight champion Wilfredo Mendez. Despite putting in a good performance against Mendez, and running him close, it's assumed this will be too much, too soon, for the Mexican youngster as he takes on one of the best Light Flyweights out there. Our in depth preview of this world title fight can be read here Kyoguchi makes his US debut, takes on Vega! Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand Before the Texas card DAZN we get the chance to see an interesting Thai card, featuring a man who holds a win over both Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada, and two very promising Thai prospects. The man who has beaten both Estrada and Gonzalez is, of course, former 2-time WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvidai (49-5-1, 42), who looks to kick his 2021 campaign off with a tune up bout. In the opposite corner to the destructive southpaw will be former world WBA Minimumweight world champion Kwanthai Sithmorseng (50-7-1, 27). The hard hitting Srisaket is expected to face the winner of the Gonzalez Vs Estrada rematch later in the year, and is the WBC mandatory challenger for the winner. Rather than risking that title shot he'll be up against someone who has been stopped in 4 of his last 7, and scored his last major win more than a decade ago. Thankfully NKL and Work Point, in Thailand, are not dressing this up as a serious match up, and neither will we. This should be a regarded as a tune up for Srisaket before a big fight later in the year, and nothing else. In a really good supporting bout WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Flyweight champion Phongsaphon Panyakum (11-1, 6) will be defending his title against former Naoya Inoue opponent Karoon Jarupianlerd (44-10, 20), also known as Petchbarngborn Kokietgym. The once beaten Phongsaphon has reeled off 11 straight wins since a loss, on debut, to Kai Ishizawa, and has looked like a genuinely promising young prospect in recent bouts. Despite now having 10 losses to his name Karoon is certainly no push over, and he gave talented youngster Nattapong Jankaew genuine fits last November, and could end up being a very game challenger here. Aged 35 now Karoon has seen better days but mixing with the likes of Inoue, Akira Yaegashi, Kohei Kono and Sho Ishida has seen him pick up some tricks and he's a good domestic gatekeeper for the Thai scene. In another good supporting bout the unbeaten Chainoi Worawut (13-0-1, 12) will be defending his WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title, as he takes on former 2-time WBO Bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (54-9, 36). The hard hitting Chainoi has been really exciting and destructive since beginning his professional career back in 2018, and despite an early draw he has looked like one of the most promising young Thai's in the sport. Despite looking promising he has been matched relatively softly and this is a genuine step up in class for him. Pungluang is very much a faded force from what he once was, but he's still a handful and his pressure and work rate should guarantee a really fun fight here. He might be past his best but Pungluang doesn't really understand how to take a step backwards and even got a fun and exciting fight out of Amnat Ruenroeng. We expect this to be a bit of a sleeper hit.  This coming Saturday is an exciting day in Asian boxing with bouts taking place across Asia, and a promising Filipino getting a great chance to shine on US TV, just a week after we saw what John Riel Casimero can do when given an opportunity to shine.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The biggest show of the day, for us at least, comes from the Japanese Holy Land of boxing, Korakuen Hall, and will will be shown live on G+. This is a pretty deep an interesting card and will be headlined by a Japanese title fight, whilst featuring plenty of young hopefuls making up the noteworthy under-card. The main event here will see Japanese Light Middleweight champion Hironobu Matsunaga (16-1, 10) make his second defense as he takes on mandatory challenger Yuto Shimizu (14-4-2, 5) in a delayed Champion Carnival bout. Matsunaga won the belt last year, stopping Nobuyuki Shindo, and successfully defended it with a win over Koki Koshikawa, in what was a short but thrilling little bout. As for Shimizu he comes into this bout on the back of noteworthy wins over Charles Bellamy and the aforementioned Shindo. Coming into this we expect a really interesting match up, with the champion giving up notable size to the challenger, and but having the power and work rate to neutralise the size difference. Given the styles of the two men we are expecting a genuine tear up here. Our full preview of this one can be read here Matsunaga faces mandatory challenger Shimizu! In the chief support bout former world title challenger Ryohei Takahashi (18-4-1, 8) will take on Kiyohei Endo (3-3, 3). We all saw Takahashi have his limitations exposed in 2019, when he was stopped by TJ Doheny, but since then he has resumed his career at a lower level and picked up two low key wins as he looks to build towards another fight of note. When he turned profession there was real expectations on Endo but he has shown poor durability, and very unpredictable form. Another loss for Endo here could end up spelling the end of his career. In a mouth watering battle between unbeaten 25 year old Kenshi Noda (2-0, 2) will face off with Toshiki Kawamitsu (4-0, 1). As an amateur Noda went 45-16 (10) and is regarded as one of the more promising young fighters at the Teiken Gym, who have signed a lot of talented youngster in recent years. Since beginning his career Noda has looked sharp, aggressive and like the type of fighter who can be fast tracked. Although Noda was a very solid amateur Kawamitsu was a pretty decent one himself, going 35-15 in his amateur career. Kawamitsu has looked a lot more limited than Noda since turning professional, but has racked up rounds, and has 18 of them compared to Noda's 2. Of the two Kawamitsu has faced stiffer competition, got more rounds and shown more as a professional, though is likely to still be the under-dog here. Another notable prospect on this show is Shigetoshi Kotari (1-0, 1), who notched an impressive 50-23 record in the amateurs. Kotari is tipped for very big things and looked decent in his debut, a year ago. Sadly Kotari has failed to build on his debut, in part due to what has gone on in the world in 2020, and looks to be easing himself back into the ring with a bout against 33 domestic fighter Motosuke Kimura (3-4-2, 1). Whilst Kimura has never been stopped he has lost his last 3 and with that in mind it's hard to see this being anything but an easy one for the talented Kotari. Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand As well as the Japanese show there is also a pretty notable one in Thailand, thanks to Nakornluang and Work Point. The main event here will see former 2-time WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (48-5-1, 41) taking part in a stay busy bout as he faces Filipino foe Jomar Fajardo (17-17-2, 9). This will be Srisaket's first bout since he disappointing performance against Amnat Ruenroeng earlier in the year and it's clear that his team will be looking to keep him busy and prevent ring rust before a potentially huge fight in 2021. Fajardo was once a good test down at Light Flyweight, but he's been picking up a lot of losses recently and we expect him to be taken out early on by Srisaket here. In a solid supporting bout we'll see unbeaten Thai hopeful Apichet Petchmanee (6-0, 2) [อภิเชษฐ เพชรมณี] defending the WBC Asian Boxing Council Lightweight title against Thai based Russian challenger Musheg Adoian (7-1, 7). The unbeaten Apichet has faced some stiff tests since tunring professional, but recent bouts have seen some question his potential, and there does seem to have been some worries in Thailand that he's not as good as he first looked. In Adoian we have a man who's on a 7 fight T/KO run, but is stepping up massively here. Despite stepping up Adoian looks destructive and he could ask questions of Apichet and his chin. 100-day yuan shopping mall, Zhuzhou, China At the wonderfully named 100-day yuan shopping mall we'll be getting a small Chinese card. The bouts here are, on paper, nothing to get too excited about, but there is an interesting hopeful in one of the 6 rounders. That interesting hopeful is the once beaten Dacong Wang (6-1-1, 1), who is seeking a 6th straight win as he takes on the debuting Hairula Maimaitiaili (0-0). Wang was 1-1-1 after 3 bouts but has scored 5 wins in a row, including one in Korea against Do Hyuk Kim, and will be hoping to continue building his momentum here. Unfortunately not much is known about Maimaitiaili, though it is reported that he is 20 years old, and will be hoping to kick his career off with a win. Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA Outside of Asia we have some of our attention on the US with unbeaten Filipino Mark Magsayo (20-0, 14) taking on Rigoberto Hermosillo (11-2-1, 8) in a 10 round bout. Magsayo is one of the most highly regarded hopefuls in the Philippines and fingers crossed we see him shine now he's linked up with MP Promotions and PBC. We had hoped to see him face Jose Haro in September but that date slipped, before Haro decided to retire. As a replacement Hermosillo is a poor one, and comes into this with back to back losses. We really don't see this as being much more than a showcase for the talented Filipino.  Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand
Our attention returns to Thailand this coming Saturday as we get the next WP Boxing event from the Workpoint Studios for one of the channels biggest ever fights. The main event of the show will see two former world champions colliding in a bout that has been delayed several times due to the on going global situation, but is still very highly anticipated by fans who follow the Thai scene. The match up in question will see former 2-time WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41) battle against former IBF Flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng (20-3, 6) in what looks like a compelling match up. On paper it seems like it will be an easy win for the heavy handed and frighteningly strong Srisaket, but we all know that Amnat is a slippery and tricky customer who will be looking to make this a very awkward and messy bout. We can't see past a Srisaket win, though we do wonder what he has left in the tank after a number of wars with the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez. It's worth noting that if he wins here Srisaket is eyeing a major bout for later in the year, and that could be a rubber match with Estrada or a third fight with Gonzalez, so a lot is on the line for him and his career. A second bout of note on this card will see talented Thai hopeful Chainoi Worawut (10-0-1, 9) going up against Filipino visitor Jomar Fajardo (17-16-2, 9). The unbeaten Thai is regarded as one of the nation's brightest hopes and will be strongly favoured here to pick up his next win and continue his climb towards a world title fight. Although not a big name Fajardo on the other is possibly a name that is in the back of your mind if you follow the lower weights. That's because Fajardo twice went to war with Francisco Rodriguez Jr, and even held for the former unified Minimumweight champion to a draw in their first bout. Sadly we don't think Fajardo if going to have the size or tools to be competitive with Worawut here.  California, USA
The most interesting card, by far, for the weekend comes from California, where we see several brilliant match ups, including a unification bout in the Super Bantamweight division where several Asian fighters lie in wake, including Ryosuke Iwasa and Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Despite the Super Bantamweight bout the focus for us is a Super Flyweight rematch, as WBC and Ring Magazine, champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-4-1, 41) takes on Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada (38-3, 26) in a mandatory rematch. These two fought in an excellent contest last year, with Srisaket taking a narrow decision over Estrada, and fans have clamoured for a rematch ever since. Both men have stayed busy since their first bout, but this is the first really meaningful bout either had since their clash. Sriskaet, regarded by many as a top pound for pound fighter, will be kicking off a new DAZN deal, whilst Estrada will be seeking a second divisional throne. A full a preview of this bout can be read here Srisaket and Estrada go again in rematch of 2018 war! On the supporting card we'll see rising unbeaten Uzbek contender Shakhram Giyasov (7-0, 6) take a step up in class to face off with Emmanuel Taylor (20-5, 14). Giyasov impressed last year picking up 6 wins, and this will be his second bout of 2019, following a win over former world title challenger Edgar Puerta in February. Taylor, known as Tranzformer is a step up in theory, but hasn't fought in almost 2 years, and has just 3 wins in the last 6 years, against 4 losses. Taylor was a capable fighter, as wins over Karim Mayfield and Victor Manuel Cayo show, but we really don't know what he has left to offer at this point in time. Also on this card is the aforementioned Murodjon Akhmadaliev (5-0, 4) who will be up against former WBC Bantamweight challenger Carlos Carlson (23-5, 14). In theory this is a tune up for the WBA #1 ranked Super Bantamweight title challenger, but in reality this should be a straight forward win for the unbeaten hopeful. Pennsylvania, USA Staying in the US we'll also see Chinese Light Heavyweight hopeful Fanlong Meng (14-0, 9) take on Daniel Najera (8-3-1, 4). This will be Meng's first bout since stopping Frank Buglioni in in November, when he scored a career best win, and it feels like a lot of the momentum he had from that bout has now been lost. Mexican fighter Najera has gone 1-3-1 in his last 5, and isn't expected to put up much of a test for Meng, who really should be taking on better opposition than this at this stage of his career. London, United Kingdom In the UK we'll see a MTK Global card featuring a pair of Kazakh prospects. The more notable of the two is Viktor Kotochigov (8-0, 4), who fights for the first time as an MTK fighter. The unbeaten Kotochigov, who shone in Poland earlier this year when he stopped Piotr Gudel, will be up against Latvian journeyman Andrejs Podusovs (16-10-1, 5). The Latvian is riding an 8 fight winning run into this bout, but has had mixed results outside of Latvia, going 8-10-1 in the UK. The other Kazakh on this card is Nurtas Azhbenov (4-0, 1), who has shown some touches of class but appears to be a bit on the feather fisted side. He will be up against an opponent who hadn't been named at the time of writing.  Pak Kret, Thailand
The main action this coming Saturday is from Thailand of all places, as ONE Championship put on a card that will feature a major boxing world title fight. That bout will see WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (46-4-1, 41) defending his belt against Mexican challenger Iran Diaz (14-2-3, 6). The champion, who is now a sporting hero in Thailand, will be making his third defense of the title that he won in March 2017 when he upset Roman Gonzalez. Since then he has beaten Gonzalez in a second bout, Juan Franisco Estarada and fought a stay busy bout against Young Gil Bae, this is however a serious chance to impress on a show that isn't aimed specifically at a boxing audience. Diaz is taking a huge step up in class, though has scored notable wins over Hernan Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Sadly the Mexican has suffered notable stoppage losses and given Srisaket's power the odds are he will suffer another stoppage defeat here. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Srisaket and Diaz clash at Kingdom of Heroes Tokyo, Japan As well as the big show in Thailand there is also a notable card at the Korakuen Hall, including a title unification bout, a Japanese title eliminator and the debut of a stand out amateur fighter. The title unification bout will see OPBF Super Featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro (6-0, 2) battle against Japanese champion Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1, 11) to unify those two titles. Of the two men it's Sueyoshi, the national champion, that has the more distinguished reign, having held his title since October 2017 and has already made a couple of defenses of the belt. Although a talented fighter Sueyoshi can be frustrating to watch and has a rather unique tempo in the ring. Mishiro on the other hand only won his regional title this past June, defeating Carlo Magali with a split decision. He knows he's up against a more experienced professional fighter, but did have a very accomplished amateur background. This could be the best bout of the day in terms of skills, even if the action probably won't be the most intense. A full preview this bout can be read here - Mishiro and Sueyoshi battle to unify crowns! The chief support bout will see the unbeaten Junto Nakatani (16-0, 12) face off with recent OPBF title challenger Shun Kosaka (15-4, 4) with the winner getting a Japanese Flyweight title fight next year. Of the two Nakatani is clearly the favourite. He's a Rookie of the Year winner, a Japanese Youth Champion and a fighter who has broken into the world rankings. Kosaka on the other hand has come up short in most of his biggest bouts, with stoppage losses to Tetsuya Hisada and Jayr Raquinel, with the loss to Raquinel coming in an OPBF title bout. Given Nakatani's power we suspect Kosaka suffer his third stoppage defeat. A full preview of this bout can be read here - Nakatani and Kosaka fight for the right to challenge for Flyweight title! This show will also feature the debut of of the very highly regarded Mikito Nakano (0-0), who ran up an excellent 75-9 in the amateurs and has been sparring with Hiroaki Teshigawara to prepare for his debut. The Japanese fighter will be taking on a relatively straight forward first assignment as he battles Thai foe Thanawat Yancharoen (1-3), in what should be a straight forward debut win for a genuine talent and a great addition to the Japanese professional ranks. Benguet, Philippines In the Philippines we get a card rescheduled from September 22nd, a pretty notable card taking place in Benguet. The main event will see former OPBF title challenger Cris Paulino (18-3, 7) facing off with the upset minded Jomar Fajardo (16-11-2, 7) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Super. Flyweight title. Paulino has been stopped in all 3 of hos defeats, to Ardin Diale, Koki Eto and Vic Darchinyan, but is a very capable fighter who is riding a 4 fight winning run into this fight. “Wallopman” Fajardo is best known for his two fights with Francisco Rodriguez Jr, earning a draw in the first of those bouts. Despite being upset minded Fajardo is 1-7-1 in his last 9 and and a win here would be one of his very best. A bout that should be better than the records of those involved suggests will see Ryan Rey Ponteras (22-13-2, 11) take on Cris Alfante (14-7-1, 6). Neither of these men are world beaters, by any stretch of the imagination, but they should make for a very good contest between each other. Ponteras, on his day, can hold his own with fringe OPBF level opponents but is very inconsistent and can end up losing to opponents he should be. Alfante is the naturally smaller man, but also the younger man, and the fighter who will be looking to build on recent wins over Reymark Taday and Roilo Golez. This could be a pretty interesting match up, if we get the best from both guys. Also on this card is promising youngster Jayson Vayson (7-0, 4), who looks to continue his unbeaten start to professional boxing as he takes on Ronald Alapormina (3-2-1). We like the 20 year old Vayson, a lot, and are looking forward to seeing him let off the leash in the near future. On paper this isn't a step up in class, but it will be his first 10 round contest. As for Alapormina he has gone 0-2-1 in his last 3 and will be wanting to end that win-less run. We expect a win for Vayson, but do hope to see him getting tested in the near future. Gurgaon, India There's another small card taking place in India, which has also been rescheduled from September 15th and feature a youth title bout. The title bout will see unbeaten Indian Rajesh Kumar (9-0-1, 2) take on Bright Ayala (16-1, 11), with Kumar defending the WBC Youth Lightweight title for the first time. The unbeaten local won the title back in April, when he defeated Glenn Enterina, and will not be wanting to relinquish that title just 5 months after winning it. Ayala, from Ghana, hasn't fought anyone of real note though was beaten last time he faced an unbeaten opponent, losing a decision to Oluwaseun Joshua Wahab. This bout should let us know how good both men are, or aren't. The lead supporting bout is a female contest which will see 20 year old local Kirti (4-1, 2) take on Kiwi visitor Cherneka Johnson (10-0, 5). Coming into this Kirti is looking to build on a big win over Noemi Bosques but she will be regarded as the underdog against the in-form Johnson, who has stopped 3 of her last 4. Baja California, Mexico Out side of Asia we have a number of notable bouts, including a very interesting contest in Mexico between Jason Canoy (27-8-2, 19) and Luis Nery (26-0, 20), who battle for the WBC Silver Bantamweight title. The rugged Canoy is best known for losing in his biggest fights, including a loss to a then debuting Hinata Maruta and a thrilling loss to Hiroaki Teshigawa, and is expected to come up short again here. However the Filipino is tough, heavy handed and has never been stopped, he will also know this is a massive opportunity. Nery on the other hand is known for being a controversial figure, who has two tainted wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka. Nery is talented, heavy handed and highly capable, though there are serious doubts as to whether he can make Bantamweight and he will always have dark clouds hanging over his head for the wins over Yamanaka. Baja California, Mexico Staying in Mexico there will also be a contest featuring Mark Magsayo (18-0, 13), though his opponent has yet to be named. This will be Magsayo's first bout of 2018, and his first contest since seemingly leaving ALA Promotions earlier this year. He's a talented fighter but the long break, change in management and the lack of named opponent will not serve him well as he continues looking to build towards a potential world title fight. Quebec, Canada In Canada fans will be able to see Kazakh prospect Batyrzhan Jukembayev (13-0-0-2, 11) continue his rise as he faces off with Mexican southpaw Patricio Moreno (20-2, 14). This will be Jukembayev's third bout of the year and he is tipped to go on to big things, this however is a perfect step up in class with Moreno being a tough but limited opponent capable of genuinely testing Jukembayev. A really interesting and solid match up.  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.  California, USA
The most notable card card this weekend really is a big one, despite it's focus being on the lower weights. The card in question is the highly anticipated, little men super show “Superfly 2”. The main event of the card is one of the most mouth watering bouts the little men can throw at us, with WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (44-4-1, 40) defending his title against mandatory challenger Juan Francisco Estrada (36-2, 25). The champion announced himself to the Western boxing fan base last year, when he twice beat Roman Gonzalez to claim and defend the WBC title. Estrada has been known about by the hard core fans for a long time, and will be looking to become a 2-weight champion, following a reign as a unified WBA and WBO Flyweight champion. The bout will likely be a case of Srisaket's power, size and strength against Estrada's brain, movement and technique and we're in for an absolute treat. Another interesting match up pits two veterans against each other in what should be a cerebral match up. The bout will see IBF Flyweight champion Donnie Nietes (40-1-4, 22) take on mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Reveco (39-3, 19), himself a former multi-weight world champion. Nietes has won titles at Minimumweight, Light Flyweight and Flyweight, with this being his first defense of the Flyweight title. The champion is one the sports smartest fighters, and with over a decade at the top he is one of the all time great Filipino's. Reveco was an outstanding fighter in his prime, with wins against the likes of Nethra Sasiprapa, Karim Guerfi, Masayuki Kuroda, Ricardo Nunez, Felix Alvarado and Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep. Despite those good wins Reveco has lost 2 of his last 6, and looked like a shot fighter in the most recent of those losses, a stoppage loss to Kazuto Ioka more than 2 years ago. A third world title bout on this show will see Filipino-American Brian Viloria (38-5-0-2, 23) face off with unbeaten Ukrainian Artem Dalakian (15-0, 11) for the vacant WBA Flyweight title, which was vacated last year by Kazuto Ioka. For the 37 year old Viloria this is likely to be one final chance to climb back up to the top, after having had 3 previous world title reigns, however this will not be a gimme and Dalakian is a very credible foe. The Ukrainian, originally from Azerbaijan, Dalakian mae his debut in 2011 and althouigh he's he's only got one win of real note, an 8th round TKO win over stubborn veteran Silvio Olteanu, he is a very legitimate fighter and will not be a push over. Osaka, Japan Out side of the big US show there's also a notable card in Osaka, as the Ioka gym put on a card with several notable fighters involved, including a current OPBF title defense. That OPBF title fight will see Lightweight champion Masayoshi Nakatani (15-0, 9) defending his title, for the 9th time, against Thai puncher Pharanpetch Tor Buamas (22-2, 18). The unbeaten champion is a real talent, but a frustrating fighter who has looked ready to step up for several years and already holds wins of note against fighters like Shuhei Tsuchiya, Yositaka Kato, Ricky Sismundo and Kaewfah Tor Buamas. tall, lanky and skilled Natani has the potential to claim a world title, but does need to start facing better opponents than he has been. On the other hand the Thai is a dangerous fighter and can't be over-looked. Pharanpetch is riding a 4 fight winning run since a loss to Brandon Ogilvie and although he is no world beater he does have the power to give a fighter like Nakatani a genuine chin check. If Nakatani uses his skills he should come out of this without too many problems, but if he switches he could be in some trouble. The chief support bout for this show will see former world title challenger Sho Ishida (24-1, 13) return to the ring for the first time since he was beat by WBA Super Flyweight champion Kal Yafai. The talented Osakan will be up against the heavy handed Lucky Tor Buamas (12-1, 12), with the Thai looking to scored a 6th straight win. Ishida failed to make the most of shit chance against Yafai, though seems like to improve following that loss and will almost certainly come again. Despite the potential of the Japanese fighter he will have to be careful here against the heavy handed visitor. Lucky was stopped in his only bout of note, losing in 9 rounds to Rene Dacquel, but is a dangerman and will clearly be looking to prove his power against Ishida here. Another notable member of the Ioka gym in action will be Masayoshi Hashizume (14-0-1, 10). The unbeaten Hashizume, who was the 2014 Super Flyweight Rookie of the Year, suffered a draw last time out, as he had to pick himself off the canvas to score a draw against Kota Fujimoto. He'll be hoping to have an easier out here as he takes on the limited, but experienced, Takahiro Murai (15-7-2, 5). Hashizume is a genuine talent but there are questions to be asked about his toughness and what he's like when he's in there with decent competition, and Murai is certainly a credible foe given that he beat Fujimoto last year. Hashizume should be favoured, but this is a genuine test for the youngster. Another supporting bout on this card will see Futa Akizuki (10-1, 8) take on Takuya Fujioka (7-8-1, 1). The talented Akizuki will be looking to bounce back from his November loss to Kenji Kihisa, and despite that loss the 19 year old does have a lot of upside. The bout will be a test to see how Akizuki is mentally after a stoppage loss but shouldn't be much more of a confidence booster. Fujioka lacks power and really shouldn't be any sort of a test for the talented teen. Victoria, Australia We also get title action in Australia, with OPBF Super Flyweight champion Rene Dacquel (20-6-1, 6) taking on the unbeaten Andrew Moloney (15-0, 10). The bout will serve not only as an OPBF title defense from Dacquel but also as a defense of the WBA Oceania title by Moloney, meaning both fighters are risking something. Dacquel is on a nice run of recent results, following his 2015 loss to Takuma Inoue, and has scored decent wins over Go Onaga, Shota Kawaguchi and Hayato Kimura in his last 3 bouts, all on the road. Moloney is in good form himself but in many ways it's him stepping up in class here and this is his toughest match on paper. The Australian has been very impressive so far, but this is likely to be a real test for the 27 year old. New South Wales, Australia Also in Australia fans will be able to see the debuting Daniel Keating (0-0) take on Thai “loser” Aphichat Koedchatturat (2-20-2). The Thai is win-less in 13, with 11 losses and 2 draws during that run, and although better than his record suggests it's hard to imagine he'll really try to upset the debutant. |
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