 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we'll get the next card from Misako gym, and it's an interesting one, with out being a huge one. It's got a female world title fight in the main event, and two decent looking supporting bouts, with one featuring a recent Japanese champion looking to bounce back from their title loss. The main event of the card will see WBO Female Super Flyweight champion Miyo Yoshida (15-2) seek her first of her second reign as she takes on veteran challenger Tamao Ozawa (16-5, 6), who gets her third world title shot. The popular Yoshida managed to reclaim the title last year, winning a rematch against Tomoko Okuda, and we suspect she'll be desperate to keep the title here and extend her profile in the sport, which has grown since she first won the Japanese Female Bantamweight title in 2017. As for Ozawa the 37 year old challenger will know this is her last shot at a world title, and sadly for her it comes after more than 3 years of inactivity, and more than 4 years fighting at a different weight. Ozawa will be the under-dog, but we suspect she will be driven to make the most of this chance, and will give Yoshida real trouble at times here. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Yoshida takes on Ozawa in WBO title defense In one of the main supporting bouts former Japanese 140lb champion Daishi Nagata (15-3-2, 6) will be looking to bounce back from his title loss, last June, as he takes on the limited Tetsuya Kondo (6-5, 4). Nagata, who famously beat Koki Inoue for the Japanese title in 2020, has failed to pick up a win since winning the title, and it's hard to know what he has to offer right. He was out boxed and stopped by Masahiro Suzuki and in some ways it seems his title win was the worst thing for his career. Thankfully for him however Kondo shouldn't be much of a test at least on paper, as he's a natural Lightweight who has lost his last 3. However Kondo is upset minded and did give tough tests to Takeru Kobata, Rikuto Adachi and Kaiki Yuba, so he is no push over and is better than his record, and recent form, suggests. In another major supporting bout we'll see two Japanese ranked 147lb fighters face off as Yuichi Ideta (15-15-1, 8) and Hironori Shigeta (7-2-1, 4) clash in an 8 rounder, which will also serve as a Japanese title eliminator. Despite his record Ideta is fighting like a man who knows he can't afford any more setbacks, and his 2020 win over Ryota Yada stands out as an excellent domestic level win, which has seen him earn a high Japanese rankings. As for Shigeta he's a former Rookie of the Year winner who is 2-1-1 in his last 4, but has shown his ability and gave Shoki Sakai a decent test in 2020. This should be a very competitive and very exciting bout, with a Japanese title fight almost certainly in touch distance for the winner.
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 This coming Sunday is an incredibly hectic day in Japan with 4 different shows across the country, and when we talk about them being across the country we do mean that with hundreds of miles separating some of the shows.
Kunamoto, Japan The most notable card, in many ways, is in Kumamoto in the South West of Japan, where Yakushiji Promotions will be putting on a very significant card. The main event of this show will be a rematch between Musashi Mori (8-0, 5) and Richard Pumicpic (21-9-2, 6). These two fought last November, when Mori took a technical decision over Pumicpic to claim the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title, and he will be looking to make his first defense of that national title here. Pumicpic, a real under-rated Filipino warrior, will be hungry to avenge his loss. This is set to be a very, very tough bout and will be shown live on local TV channel TKU. Sadly for those outside of Kunamoto this appears to be a bout we won't be getting. A full preview of this bout can be read here Mori and Pumicpic battle again! Whilst the main event is brilliant it's not the only bout of note and the show features a number of notable prospects. Among those is the very highly regarded Ginjiro Shigeoka (2-0, 2) who steps into his first 8 round bout, and takes on once beaten Filipino Joel Lino (10-1-1, 3). Lino's only loss came to Shigeoka's stablemate, and recent world title challenger, Masataka Taniguchi. This is a very serious test for Shigeoka, but also a bit that gives him a chance to gain immediate comparisons to Taniguchi, whilst Lino gets the chance to perform in front of a notable Japanese crowd. Another Japan Vs Philippines bout will see the aggressive Seiya Tsutsumi (4-0, 3) take on the tough Ryan Rey Ponteras (22-13-3, 11), in what could be a really fun war. Tsutsumi has one of the most fan friendly, aggressive and exciting styles out there whilst Ponteras is a criminally under-rated veteran, who has never been stopped and can be a banana skin for better known fighters. Thhis could be a very, very exciting bout. Another notable fighter on this card was 2018 Rookie of the Year winner Sora Takeda (4-1, 1), who will be up against Sanchai Yotboon (4-2, 4), the man the aforementioned Shigeoka made his debut against. We suspect Takeda will have the skills to over-come the Thai visitor, but this could be a good test of Takeda's metal. Hyogo, Japan Another of the more notable Japanese cards comes form Hyogo, in a female orientated card. The biggest match up here here will see former WBC female Minimumweight champion Yuko Kuroki (17-6-1, 8) take on former WBO Atomweight champion Nao Ikeyama (18-5-3, 5) in what is a must win bout for both fighters, who both have suffered 2 recent losses. Kuroki is the younger fighter, and certainly the one with more upside, though at 49 Ikeyama has proven that age really is just a number and she will be looking to extend her career in to her 50's with a win. This should be a very interesting bout, though Kuroki should enter as the clear favourite. A full preview of this bout can be read here Kuroki and Ikeyama battle in must win bout! As well as the Kuroki Vs Ikeyama bout, there will be two title bouts on this show. One of those bouts will see Japan's in form Shione Ogata (10-6, 2) face once beaten Filipino foe Charimae Salvador (4-1, 1) for the vacant OPBF female Light Flyweight title. Ogata has won her last 3, claiming a WBA Asia and WBO Asia Pacific title in her last 2 bouts, As for Salvador she was beaten last time out, at Atomweight, but will be fighting at her natural weight here. We're expecting Ogata to pick up another win, but this isn't going to be a walk in the park. The other title bout on this card will be a bizarre KBM and JBC female title bout, the first since a new OPBF rule was brought into play. The bout will pit Japan's Tamao Ozawa (15-5, 6) up against Korean Hye Soo Park (5-7-1, 1). The winner will become a unified 2-nation champion, albeit temporarily, with the winner likely to immediately vacate the other nation's title. The idea to this is to create depth to thinner divisions, but leads to some odd situations like this. Osaka, Japan At the L-Theatre in Osaka fans will see a small card with a few notable names involved. The main event of this card will see OPBF, JBC and WBO Asia Pacific ranked fighter Dynamic Kenji (10-3, 7) take on a Thai foe, who we believe will be Sophon Klachun (4-2, 1). We don't see this being much of a test for Kenji, who is edging his way towards a title fight, and will look to take the visitor out as he advances his march towards a career defining bout. In an 8 round supporting bout fans will see Noboru Osato (10-7-4, 2) and the once beaten Ryotaro Motohashi (8-1, 2) battle in a very interesting match up. Neither of these men are big names, but they should make for a very competitive contest, much more saw the than records suggest. Another 8 round supporting bout on this card will see Daijiro Yuki (8-5-1, 4) battle against Japanese ranked Welterweight Kazuyasu Okamoto (14-6, 4). This will be Okumoto's first bout since losing to Japanese champion Ryota Yada, and he will be looking to end a 2 fight losing run. Yuki on the other hand will be seeking a career best win. Tsu, Japan The least notable of the Japanese cards takes place in Tsu and will be headlined by a Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title bout, with Yuto Nakamura (9-5, 7) defending his title against Toma Kondo (7-4, 1). This should be a hotly contested bout, though it's hard to doubt Nakamura and his edge in power. A full preview of this bout is available here Nakamura seeks first defense of youth crown, faces Kondo. A notable supporting bout here will see former OPBF Super Bantamweight champion Roli Gasca (24-8-1, 8), who recently signed with Osaka Teiken, take on the once beaten Shuma Sugawara (6-1, 4). This looks like a huge step up for Sugawara, but a win puts him on the title hunt, whilst Gasca will be fighting for the first time in well over a year.  Aichi, Japan
This biggest of the Asian shows this coming Sunday comes from Aichi, where we see a really good main event, and two notable support bouts. The really interesting main event will see Filipino Richard Pumicpic (21-8-2, 6) seek his second defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title, as he goes up against Japanese teenager Musashi Mori (7-0, 5). On paper it's hard to go against the champion, who won the title in Japan by beating Hisashi Amagasa and then defended it against Yoshimitsu Kimura. The Filipino has regularly been a thorn in the side of Japanese boxing, and is expected to strike again here. Mori on the other hand is a talented and heavy handed youngster, who won the Rookie of the Year last year, and feel like he's the stronger man given he's coming down in weight. We're really excited about this one, and it could either solidify Pumicpic as a fringe contender, or launch Mori's career. A full preview of this fight can be read here Pumicpic faces Mori in next WBO regional title defense! In a supporting bout we'll see Toshiya Yokogawa (9-11-1, 8) take on the OPBF ranked Super Bantamweight hopeful Takashi Igarashi (13-3, 5). Coming into this Igarashi is riding a 6 fight winning streak, but the reality is that his competition has been awful during that run, and it's hard to really say how good he actually is. The 33 year old Yokogawa doesn't have an impressive record, but an opening round win in September against Glenn Medura was impressive and will boost his confidence ahead of this bout. Another supporting bouts on this card will see 25 year old Shin Tomita (9-5-2) take on Fire Ikkyu (6-1-1, 4). Although not a mouth watering bout on paper Tomita has mixed with good company, and has thrice fought recent Japanese title challenger Akihiro Toya. Ikkyu on the other hand is heavy handed, but was stopped himself last time out, by Masashi Tada. This is a well matched bout, but not the most exciting contest on the card. Kyoto, Japan As well as the show in Aichi, we also get a card in Kyoto. One of the main bouts here will see former world title challengers clash, as Tamao Ozawa (14-5, 5) takes on Filipino foe Aisah Alico (7-9, 5). Despite both of these fighters coming up short in world title shots it does seem like Ozawa is the more likely to reach the top, and both of her defeats at world level were competitive, something that can't be said for Alico, who was stopped by Momo Koseki at Atomweight. Ozawa should have all the advantages here in what we suspect will be an easy win for the popular local. The only other bout of note on this card will see Yusuke Hiranuma (8-3, 2) face off with Takaaki Kanai (9-8, 4), in what will technically be the show's headline bout. Hiranuma hasn't fought in over 18 months, though has won his last 3 bouts and has got promise if he decides to hit the ground running in 2019. Kanai on the other hand is a domestic journeyman, who is 2-5 in his last 7, but did upset Hideo Sakamoto earlier this year and can cause an upset when he's over-looked.  This coming Sunday is set to be a hectic day for fight fans in Japan with 5 different shows across the country. They include 4 different title fights, ranging from Japanese youth to female world title fights, and a number of other notable fighters in action in what is genuinely a crazy day.
Osaka, Japan The most notable show in Japan is in Osaka, where we get an OPBF title fight along with two bouts featuring former world title challengers and several prospects. The main event of the card will see OPBF Lightweight champion Masayoshi Nakatani (16-0, 10) seek his next defence, as he faces off with Japanese Youth champion Izuki Tomioka (5-0-1, 1). The challenger has shown a lot of skill, but his lack of power has been a problem, and he has struggled to get the respect of fighters so far, notably Yuichiro Kasuya and Kaiki Yuba. Nakatani on the other hand has been the OPBF champion for more than 4 years, and has already recorded 9 defenses, though sadly the quality of those defenses has gone down hill and there is clearly frustration with Nakatani who has long looked like he is ready for a world title fight, before he out grows the division. One of the former world title challengers on this show is Shohei Omori (18-2, 13), who will be fighting for the first time since April 2017, when he was stopped in 11 rounds by Marlon Tapales. The once touted Omori was supposed to return earlier this year, but saw that bout being cancelled when his opponent for it failed to make weight. Omori will be up against recent OPBF title challenger Brian Lobetania (13-5-3, 11) in what is a really tough match up. The heavy handed Filipino announced himself to Japanese fans when he stopped Kai Chiba in January but came up short in March against Hidenori Otake. Chiba is limited but is a serious puncher and could give Omori real issues if he can land. Another bout actually pits two former world title challengers against each other, as former Super Flyweight title challenger Sho Ishida (25-1, 14) faces former Light Flyweight title challenger Richard Claveras (18-4-2, 15). For Ishida this will be his second bout since a 2017 loss to Kal Yafai in the UK, in what was a genuinely forgettable contest. As for Claveras ,who was stopped by Pedro Guevara back in 2015, this bout comes after his loss to Andrew Moloney back in May. This should be a good match up, but it's hard to imagine Calaveras being big enough or strong enough to stop Ishida. Also on this card are two pretty lower level fights. One of those will see the once touted Tatsuya Ikemizu (18-2, 7) take on once beaten Filipino Conrado Tanamor (10-1, 4), who was stopped last time out. The other will see the unbeaten Masayoshi Hashizume (15-0-1, 10) risk his unbeaten record against Marjun Pantilgan (18-4, 14), who was beaten last time out, losing an 8 round decision to Ryusei Kawaura. Aichi, Japan The Japanese youth fight will be held in Aichi and see Japanese Youth Super Bantamweight champion Takuya Mizuno (14-1-1, 12) defending his title against fellow youngster Jinya Ito (7-3-1, 2). The hard hitting Mizuno will be seeking his third defense of the title and looking to build on recent wins over Ryota Ishida, Yuki Iriguchi and Daiki Maniwa. This will be a huge step up in class for Ito, but he has won his last 3 and does have a little bit of momentum coming into this, it should however be noted that he had lost his 3 previous bouts and does lack of win of note. Also on this card is the debut of Koshin Takeshima (0-0), who went 82-19 in the amateurs and shined in the unpaid ranks. He'll be battling against Indonesian Yohanis Tatul (3-1, 2), who appears to have been a relatively late replacement for Jundullah M Fauzan (5-1, 2). Given the expectation on Takeshima's shoulders anything barring a dominant win would be considered a disappointment for the new Matsuda gym fighter. Kyoto, Japan One of those female world title bouts comes from Kyoto, where WBO Atomwieght champion Nao Ikeyama (18-3-3, 5) defends he belt in a rematch against Mika Iwakawa (7-5-1, 3). The 48 year old champion has made 6 defenses already, and has really shone since defeating Iwakawa way back in December 2013. Despite the good run for the champion there is always a question as to how much longer she can continue at the highest level. As for Iwakawa her form has been pretty poor, going 4-3 in her last 7, though she did run Yunoka Furukawa incredibly close in a WBA title fight back in 2016. Kumamoto, Japan In Kumamoto fans will see former WBO Minimumweight champion Tatsuya Fukuhara (20-6-6, 7) taking on domestic foe Naoya Haruguchi (15-8, 6). Originally this bout was announced as a world title prelude for Fukuhara, who is looking to have another reign as a world champion, but it's unclear which champion he is looking to fight. Coming in to this it's also worth noting that Fukuhara has lost 2 of his last 3, losing the WBO title to Ryuya Yamanaka and losing in a WBC world title fight to Wanheng Menayothin. As for Haruguchi he will be seen as a straight forward for for Fukuhara but Haruguchi has shown he can upset fighters, as he did against Norihito Tanaka and Jeffrey Galero. This could be much better than the records suggest. Also on this card, in much lesser bouts, will be Ryotaro Motohashi (7-1, 2) and Tamao Ozawa (13-5, 5), who both take on limited foreign visitors. Okinawa, Japan The other female world title fight will see WBO female Light Flyweight champion Tenkai Tsunami (25-12, 14), who makes her first defense as she takes on Filipino challenger Gretchen Abaniel (18-9, 6). The talented Tsunami won the belt earlier this year, when she wore down Chaoz Minowa, but will be up against a very different challenge here. Unlike Minowa, who is an aggressive and wild fighter, Abaniel is a skilled and experience boxer who will look to keep Tsunami at range and out manoeuvre her in what could be a very interesting stylistic clash. The only other bout of any interest on this card will see OPBF #1 ranked female Flyweight Yumemi Ikemoto (5-1) take on the #4 ranked Carleans Rivas (6-5-3) in what should be a much better fighter than it looks on paper. Cotabato del Sur, Philippines In the Philippines there will also be a pretty notable card, featuring two fast rising Uzbek stars, some unbeaten Filipino prospects and a former world title challenger. One of the Uzbek prospects is Jasur Akhmadjonov (5-0, 3) who will be looking to secure his 5th win of 2018 as he takes on Filipino foe Rodel Wenceslao (12-16-1, 5). The Uzbek has impressed so far and looks to be having a very busy 2018. As for the Filipino he's very limited and with 7 stoppage losses it's hard to imagine him lasting the 10 round distance here. The other Uzbek is teenager Ulugbek Sobirov (5-0, 3), who faced 34 year old Dennis Padua (11-14-2, 6). The 19 year old Sobirov debuted in January and looks like a real prospect to keep an eye on. Sadly however this bout won't really help Sobirov build his reputation, though should help him secure his 6th win as a professional. As for Padua he has been stopped in 11 of his 27 professional bouts, and we expect to see him being stopped again here. In terms of local prospects the card will feature Jade Bornea (11-0, 7), Jerven Mama (5-0-1, 3) and Jerry Francisco (4-0, 1). Sadly from those 3 only Mama is the only one set to face a notable foe, as he takes on Rey Tagulaylay (6-1, 2). Also on this show will be former world title challenger Richie Mepranum (32-7-1, 9), who faces Jetly Purisima (21-2-4, 6) in what will be a rematch of a 2015 clash between the two men. Seoul, South Korea There is also a triple title show in Seoul. The most notable bout on the card will see WBA Asia Welterweight champion Ma Roo Jung (8-4-1, 2) defending his title against the unbeaten Heuk San Lee (6-0-1, 3). Of the two fighters it's Lee who has the more interesting story, having been a refugee from Cameroon who has since gone on to claim the Boxing M Light Middleweight title. Although Lee has impressed this looks set to be his toughest fight so far. Jung impressed us last time out, in what was his title winning effort, as he out pointed the very capable Moon Hyun Yun. We're expecting this to be a genuinely exciting bout for the fans in Korea. At Super Middleweight fans will be able to see Joon Yong Lee (6-4-4, 3) take on Tae San Kil (4-0, 2) for the vacant Boxing M title. Lee is best known for his 2016 draw against Koki Tyson and showed there was something about him in that loss. Kil on the other hand is another Cameroon born fighter based in Korea. His competition so far has been very unremarkable but this should be a good step up and we should be in for a very decent bout here. The remaining title bout on this card will see O Gon Kwon (6-2-2, 4) battle against Tae Seung Kim (7-3-1, 5) for the Boxing M Lightweight title. Kwon is unbeaten in his last 3, but was stopped back in March 2017 by Beom Kyu Lee. Kim has been stopped in all 3 of his losses, and is now 43, but has got power. We're not expecting this one to go the distance but we are expecting this to be very fun.  Texas, USA
The biggest fight for us this coming Saturday will see IBF Light Welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets (13-0, 10) risk his title against the outstanding Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30), with Garcia looking to become a 4-weight champion. The American based Kazakh born champion won the title late last year following a competitive win over teak tough Japanese fighter Akihiro Kondo and will be looking to prove he's world class as he takes on Garcia. For Garcia the bout will see him looking to further prove himself as a pound for pound elite. On paper Garcia will be the heavily fancied man here,and the better pure boxer, but Lipinets is the naturally bigger and stronger fighter and could prove a tougher than expected test for Garcia. Baden-Württemberg, Germany Another world title bout will take place in Germany, with Tamao Ozawa (13-4, 5) taking on Raja Amasheh (20-1-1-1, 4) for the vacant WBO female Super Flyweight title. On paper the 35 year old Amasheh will be heavily favoured, given she has the home advantages and the much better record, though she has been out of the ring for almost a year and has just a single win in the last 24 months. For Ozawa the bout will be her second world title bout, following a loss to Su Yun Hong last year in a bout for the WBO Female Light Flyweight title. Despite losing to Hong Ozawa may feel more comfortable here, given she is naturally a Super Flyweight, and had to really boil down to make the Light Flyweight limit. This could be much better than it looks on paper. Metro Manila, Philippines Fans in Asia will also get the chance to see a small card in Metro Manila thanks to the promotional outfit of the legendary Gerry Penalosa. The main event will feature the once beaten Carlo Caesar Penalosa (10-1, 3) battling against Tanzania's Adam Yahaya (18-2-1, 7) in a very good looking match up. Coming into this Penalosa has won his last 3 following a surprise defeat to Reymark Taday early last year. The visitor lost 2 of his first 5 bouts but has since gone 15-0-1. On paper that sounds impressive but Yahaya has fought some dire opposition and this is his toughest bout on paper, by some margin. Another bout of note will see Malaysian prospect Muhamad Farkhan (5-0, 5) take on Indonesian veteran Jamed Jalarante (23-22-1, 11). The unbeaten Farkhan is arguably the most promising Malaysian fighter currently coming through the ranks, though how far he can go is yet to be seen. The 33 year old Jalarante was once a promising fighter, but over the last 8 years he has racked up losses, many by stoppage, and struggled to score any wins of note. Farkhan should win, and continue his rise, and hopefully he'll move on to a real test later this year. Another unbeaten puncher on this card is teenager Dave Apolinario (5-0, 4), who looks to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on the limited Dexter Dimaculangan (3-15-5, 1). Aged 19 Apolinario looks like one of the most exciting young Filipino fighters rising through the ranks, and whilst he is clearly some way from getting fights his rise is going to be a fun one to follow, and this will just be the next chapter in that rise. Laguna, Philippines Another Filipino card is set to take place in Laguna, with two title bouts. One of those title bouts will see Jheritz Chavez (7-2-2, 5) take on a the hard hitting Reymond Yanong (9-3-1, 8) for the GAB title at 140lbs. This should be a really interesting test and will test Yanong's power against Chavez's toughness in what could be a very good contest for the fans in attendance, even if neither fighter is a world beater in the making. The other title bout will see the once beaten Umi Ishikawa (5-1, 3) face off with local southpaw Norj Guro (9-7-1, 4) for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Female Minimumweight title. Neither of those fighters have looked that impressive but they should make for a compelling contest together, with neither really able to take another defeat at this stage, if they are wanting to go on to bigger and better things. Queensland, Australia In Australia fight fans will get the chance to see Australian based Filipino veteran Jack Asis (38-20-5, 19) take on Rivan Cesaire (15-5-1, 3). The 34 year old Asis has been one of the feel good stories of the last 6 or 7 years, as he turned his record around from 21-19-4 to actually being in the world rankings. He has however suffered a couple of recent defeats which has lead him to fighting low key bouts, like this one. Cesair is himself an Australian based import, originally from Cameroon, and at 33 years old he will be looking to avoid another defeat, and scored his 5th straight win. This should be an interesting bout between two men who will both be hungry for the victory.  Kyoto, Japan
There isn't much action this coming Sunday but what there is is pretty important as fans in Kyoto get the chance to see a female world title fight. The bout in question will see former WBO female Minimumweight champion Su-Yun Hong (14-1-1, 7) battle against former OPBF female Super Flyweight champion Tamao Ozawa (12-3, 4). The two women will be battling for the vacant WBO female Light Flyweight, which was vacated earlier this year by Louisa Hawton. Sadly other than the main event, the rest of the card is very, very poor. Kagoshima, Japan A second show from Japan is again a low key affair but it does have a notable main event as Japanese ranked Minimumweight contender Naoyo Haruguchi (12-7, 6) takes on Norihito Tanaka (15-5, 8). Haruguchi, who has won his last 4, will be risking his JBC ranking here and will know that a loss will set back his dreams of fighting for a Japanese title. As for Tanaka the bout will see him fight for just the second time in 5 years, following a successful ring return in February. In the lead support bout fans will see female fighter Miyo Yoshida (6-1) battle against Filipino visitor Kim Actub (4-7-1, 3) in an 8 rounder. This should be an interesting test for Yoshida, especially given the fact Actub did give Ayumi Goto a good test earlier this year. |
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