April 5th-Alimkhanuly looks to defend, Yamanaka looks to unify against Rupprecht and a lot more!4/1/2025  This coming Saturday is a really hectic day of action across Asia, with numerous shows, and some very big fights featuring Asian fighters.
Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan The biggest show, by some margin, is in Kazakhstan where we get a unified world champion defending his titles, and several strong supporting bouts as Kazakhstan put on their biggest show of the year, The main event will see IBF and WBO Middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11) defending his title against unbeaten challenger Anauel Ngamissengue (14-0, 9), a French based Congolese born fighter who has really got this shot by virtue of the division being hilariously weak. Coming into this the Middleweight division is a legitimate mess, with no one really standing out, and despite holding two world titles Alimkhanuly really hasn’t had a statement win, and in fairness there really isn’t many fighters at 160lbs who would allow him to change that. Sadly for the champion a win over Ngamissengue won’t change that, despite the unbeaten record. Ngamissengue has fought just 3 bouts scheduled for more than 6 rounds, his most notable win is an 8 round win over Fiodor Czerkaszyn in Poland, and he has done nothing to merit a world title fight. Despite the bout really being a mismatch, it does give Kazakh fans a world title bout, something they don’t get many of, and it allows Alimkhnauly his first bout at home in almost 8 years. In a much better bout, at least on paper, the unbeaten Sultan Zaurbek (19-0, 13) is set for a genuine test as he takes on former world title challenger Azinga Fuzile (18-2, 12) in a really good bout. Zaurbek, who is now 28, has long promised to be a star, but has had frustrating performance and lacks a clear standout win, beating lots of solid fighters but no one that pushed him towards a world title. A win here, however, would set him up for a world level bout, and legitimately be a breakout win for him. As for Fuzile, the talented, slippery and accurate South African is a real handful who has only been beaten by Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov and Kenichi Ogawa, in a world title eliminator and world title bout respectively. He is no push over, and has a lot of tricks in the locker, tricks that Zaurbek will need to answer if he’s to come out on top. Other bouts of note on this card include Batyrzhan Jukembayev (23-1-0-2, 17) facing off with Kane Gardner (17-4, 7) and Otabek Kholmatov (12-1, 11) taking on Jason Canoy Manigos (30-12-2, 20). Both Jukembayev and Kholmatov have only been beaten at world level, and both of them will be hoping to secure another world title bout in the near future. For Jukembayev he was broken down by Subriel Matias in 2021 and has reeled off 5 wins since then, and knows if he keeps that winning streak going he will land another title bout, and he will be expected to pick up an easy win here. As for Kholamtov, he’s in with a durable Filipino fighter, who will take him rounds, but should be looking to shake some ring rust before moving towards a second world title fight following his late TKO loss to Raymond Ford in early 2024. Canoy is the perfect foe for him here, and we’d expect Kholmatov to be right back in the title mix by the end of the year. MBS Arena, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany On the subject of world level bouts, it’s not just Alimkhanuly fighting at the highest level, but also Germany’s triple champion Tina Rupprecht (14-1-1, 3) and Japan’s Sumire Yamanaka (8-0, 3), who fight to crown and undisputed Atomweight champion. Coming into the the once beaten Rupprecht is the WBA, WBC and WBO champion having unified the 3 titles with a win last year over Eri Matsuda, whilst Yamanaka holds the IBF title, which she won over a year ago and has yet to defend. This is expected to be a high level, high tempo bout between two of the best in the division, in what will almost certainly be over-looked by those who don’t make an effort to follow female boxing, but really should. Sadly for Yamanaka this will be her first bout outside of Japan, her first bout in over a year, and a notable step up in class, which doesn’t bode well for her chances, especially not in Germany against someone as good as Rupprecht. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan We get more title action in Tokyo, as we get a brilliant OPBF title fight and several other bouts of note. The main event will see the heavy handed Yamato Hata (16-2, 15) defending his OPBF Super Featherweight title against rugged veteran Takuya Watanabe (41-13-2, 22), in a really good looking bout. Hata, who is looking for his first defense, enters this bout on the back of 4 straight wins, all inside the distance, and has stopped 5 of his last 6. He’s heavy handed, but naturally heavy handed, and his power works well behind his decent boxing, as opposed to him fighting like a crude slugger. Watanabe, despite 13 losses, is a true veteran, who belongs at this level, and has long been something of a regional level gatekeeper, with high toughness, desire and work rate always making him a fun fighter to watch, just as we saw last year when he lost to Mickey Roman in a real burner. This is Hata’s power against Watanabe’s toughness in what should make for a great fight. Other bouts on this card include a bout between former IBF Super Featherweight world champion Kenichi Ogawa (29-2-1-1, 20) take on Melchor Roda (9-4, 6), in what looks like little more than a stay busy fight for Ogawa, who should be facing better opponents than Roda, even in a stay busy or tune up contest. Ogawa, despite being stopped in his first world title defense, is a very solid boxer-puncher, and should be facing good regional level fighters, not someone as limited as Roda. Other bouts on this card include Kento Uchigamae (4-2, 1) taking on Korean Dong Hoon Jang (7-0, 3) and the unbeaten Junya Shimada (7-0-1, 2) clashing with Taison Mukaiyama (9-5, 5) in what should be very solid match ups, unlike the Ogawa bout. Showa Sports Center, Nagoya, Japan Over in Nagoya we get a card with a second generation fighter looking to get his career back on track after a recent loss, and that is Kento Hatanaka (15-1, 10) who looks to bounce back from his August 2024 loss to Thananchai Charunphak, who showed how good he was in a very close WBA world title bout against Seigo Yuri Akui. Hatanaka, the son of former world champion Kiyoshi Hatanaka, will be up against experienced Filipino traveller Wilbert Berondo (17-8-2, 6) in what should be a good bout for Hatanaka’s development. “Prince” Hatanaka has long been a notable prospect, but has shown lots of flaws that haven’t yet been ironed out. Berondo, although no world beater, has the tools to give a guy like Hatanaka tough rounds, ask questions and take the best he has to offer. This should be, a good 10 rounder with Hatanaka forced to dig to win. He should win, but we expect he’ll have to work hard for the win. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan Another Japanese card with some solid looking action comes from Sakai City, where we get 4 bouts of some note, featuring some very promising young fighters. The main event of this show will see the hard hitting Ryuya Tsugawa (13-2, 9) take on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (18-10-2, 10). This will be Tsugawa's first bout since losing in a very competitive Japanese title bout against Toshiki Shimomachi in September, and it’s hard to imagine anything other than a one sided bout here, given the way Tsugawa lost to Shimomachi and his power, aggression and skills. Demecillo is rugged, tough, and knows how to survive, but has typically been fighting at Super Flyweight and Bantamweight and is now up against a very dangerous Super Bantamweight. Demecillo will be required to show his toughness here, but it’s hard to see how he can make the bout competitive. The chief support bout on this card is another Japan Vs Philippines bout, as the unbeaten Kaishu Harada (6-0, 2) faces Alfred Deano (13-1-1, 10). The 24 year old Harada is ranked by both the JBC and OPBF and looks to be someone going places, despite a relative lack of power. He is skilled, accurate, has a very accurate straight left and throws some lovely combinations. Deano on the other hand is a power puncher, with real danger in his hands. Dubbed the "Destroyer" Deano has stopped 10 opponents in 13 fights, with 7 wins in the first 2 rounds. He did lose last time out, but it was a very close split decision in China to ZhiGang Zhang, and many felt he was unlucky to lose that. Thai really could be something very special, between two men with very different styles Another noteworthy bout on this card will see former WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight champion Daiki Tomita (18-2-1, 6) climbs all the way up to Bantamweight to take on Daichi Hirai (9-5, 1). Tomita, who won the WBO AP title title way back in 2019 before losing it in his first defense against Kenichi Horikawa, is unbeaten since 2020, though has been out of the ring since a draw in 2022 with Rikito Shiba, and it'll be interesting to see what he's like after a long break, and with the move up in weight. As for Hirai he has had really mixed results going 4-4 in his last 8, dating back to 2022, and whilst he can score upsets, as he did against Riku Yamashita and Seong Yeong Tang, he has also come up short against Ryosuke Nasu and Taichi Sugimoto, and for an opponent at Bantamweight he might well have the perfect style for Tomita to over-come in a high tempo, though technical, contest. One final bout of interest here will see the limited but very fun to watch Shunsuke Hamada (6-6-1, 3) face off with unbeaten South Korean Ro Jun Seo (7-0, 2). The 26 year old Hamada is aggressive, and comes to fight, though is limited, has defensive flaws, and has been stopped in 2 of his last 4 bouts. He's not a world beater, but he is fan friendly, and makes for good action bouts. Seo on the other hand is 27, and started hsi career more than 7 years ago, before taking a 6 year break. He returned to the ring last year, took a narrow win over Su Jin Bang, and is looking to build on that victory here. He’s lacking power, with his last stoppage coming way back in 2018 in his third bout, but that should lead to a very fun fight given Hamada’s aggressiveness. City Plaza Yayoinokaze Hall, Izumi, Osaka, Japan We also get another small show in Izumi, with Senboku Promotions putting on a show that has a few interesting lower level domestic bouts. The card doesn’t have a stand out bout, but does have some good domestic clashes. The most notable of those Super Featherweights bouts between Taketo Yamahara (4-2, 2) and Kenta Maki (6-4-1,4), and Shido Arai (8-5-1, 4) and Kazuki Iwasaki (2-2, 1). None of the 4 men are expected to go far, but both of these are well matched 8 rounders, likely to go the distance, and likely to be very well contested. Of the 4 Maki is probably the best, and the most dangerous, but his potential certainly seems to be a long, long away from a domestic title.
0 Comments
 This coming Saturday is a weird one in Asia, with Japan hosting 3 shows, which makes it seem busy, but on the whole only really one show is worth any major attention, with that being a show in Tokyo. There’s also 2 shows in Osaka, but of which was low level domestic shows, without a major bout on either.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan The Korakuen Hall show, the latest in the Dynamic Glove series, is a really interesting one, with a Japanese title fight, a stay busy bout for a regional champion and then two international bouts featuring touted local prospects. The main event will see Japanese Bantamweight champion Riku Masuda (5-1, 5) make his first defense, as he takes on Yoshihiro Utsumi (17-11-6, 10), with his eyes likely on a rematch with the recently crowned WBA champion Seiya Tsutusmi, who dethroned Takuma Inoue in October. Masuda debuted in 2022, raced through the ranks before losing a hotly contested Japanese title bout in 2023 with Tsutsumi, before winning the Japanese title earlier this year in his second shot at the belt, along with also stopping Jonas Sultan this year, and will definitely look to become the next Japanese force at Bantamweight. As for Utsumi he’s a veteran who’s now 40, has been a professional since 2004 and appears to be getting a title fight almost as a career achievement reward, rather than having earned it. He has a single win since 2020, going 1-2-3 in that time, and isn’t regarded as a genuine threat to Masuda, but on the other hand it is nice to see him getting a major fight before his career winds down. In the main support bout OPBF Super Featherweight champion Yamato Hata (15-2, 14) will be facing off with Presco Carcosia (12-4-1, 9) in a non-title bout, being fought at a contracted 132lbs. The hard hitting Hata won the OPBF title in June, when he stopped Kosuke Saka, and it seems odd that he’s not defending the title now, though perhaps making the 130lb limit is something he’s not fond of and a move to 135lbs might not be far off for him. As for Carcosia the Filipino will be fighting in Japan for the third time, though has been beaten in both prior fights being beaten in 2022 by Musashi Mori and 2024 by Katsuya Yasuda. Notably the Yasuda fight was fought for a regional Lightweight title, so that result will give Hata to beat. Back in July Kota Kaneko (5-1, 4) was upset, as he lost his unbeaten record in just 125 seconds at the hands of Filipino Michael Casama. Rather than wasting time pondering what could have been he's back in the ring just 4 months later as he takes on Chinese visitor ShunCai Hou (3-3-1, 1), Kaneko is heavy handed, fun to watch and the loss to Casama shows he can be hurt, which will make his fights even more must watch. As for Hou the Chinese visitor lacks power but has proven to be tough and recent went the distance with Yuichiro Taka, a top touted Japanese prospect and showed enough in that bout to suggest he should take Kaneko some rounds. The best of the under-card bouts will see the fact rising Kyosuke Takami (7-0, 5) take on Jomar Caindog (12-4-1, 5) in what is being seen as a tune up bout for Takami ahead of a Japanese title bout next year. He has been hugely impressive in recent bouts, stopping opponents, showing great fire power, solid boxing and has the potential to make a real splash on the world scene in the next few years. Caindog is no world beater, but is tough and awkward and has proven to be an awkward out for Jing Xiang and Samuel Salva, though was easily beaten by Ian Abne and Ryuseo Matsumoto in recent bouts. He should definitely ask some questions of Takami, but will clearly be the under-dog and has been picked to get Takami rounds, rather than give him a real test. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan As well as the show at Korakuen Hall we have two shows at the EDION Arena Osaka, one being an afternoon show and one an evening show. The first of the shows is an Apollo promoted card, which features the most notable bout from the two cards. The main event here will see Ryo Suwa (13-6, 2) take on Thai visitor Somsak Noolae (5-3-1, 3), in what will be Suwa’s first bout since December 2023, when he was stopped by Masaki Hirano. Suwa was once touted as a future domestic title challenger but has now lost 5 of his last 7 and fallen completely off the map of the Japanese title picture. With the losses piling up, and the lengthy break it’s fair that he’s not getting too stiff of a treat here. As for Noolae he is proving himself to be a favourite of Japanese prospects, with this being his 4th bout in Japan in less than a year, with the Thai known to come to win, though not doing enough to take the victories. He's not a push over and should give Suwa some good work, without the risk of beating the local fighter. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan The other card, the evening card promoted by Harada Boxing, has a competitive looking main event, and a bout featuring one of the more popular characters in Japanese boxing. The competitive looking match up will see Shota Yukawa (12-7-3, 5) take on professional glass cannon Takuya Hashimoto (7-7, 7). The 36 year old Yukawa has been semi-retired in recent years, with just 2 bouts since 2020, going 1-1 in those bouts, and is clearly winding down his career since a loss to Xiao Tao Su in China in 2019. Hashimoto on the other hand is known for scoring stoppages or being stopped with his 14 career bouts going just a combined 28 rounds, and 7 of his bouts ending in the first round. This isn’t likely to go long, and is, we suspect, an exciting bout for as long as it lasts. The card also features the very popular and charismatic Vageta Ishikawa (4-19-3, 2) who takes on the much more accomplished Naoto Komatsu (8-2, 3). Ishikawa, who is essentially the Dragon Ball Z fighter coming out in Vegeta cosplay, is popular and well liked despite his limitations in the ring. He is unlikely to pose many, if any, questions of Komatsu who reached the All Japan Rookie of the Year final last year. The main event on this card isn’t the best of match ups as Shiki Kawamura (4-2, 1) takes on 36 year old Beverly Tsukada (5-5-2, 3). Whilst Tsukada has won his last 2, whilst Kawamura lost last time out, it’d be a surprise to see Tsukada pick up the win, but we suspect Kawamura will have to work out for a victory in what is, if we’re being honest, a weak main event.  Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The main card for the day in terms of global boxing comes from Saudi Arabia, where we get the 5 Vs 5 show, pitting 5 Matchroom fighters against 5 Queensberry fighters. Some how one of of the bouts on that card will see Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42), representing Matchroom for some reason, taking on Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21), who has fought under Queensbury a few times but is hardly regarded as a fighter who broke through under Queensbury. Despite the faulty gimmick around the fight, it is undeniably an interesting match up, between two awfully flawed, but in sanely powerful fighters. Wilder, a former WBC champion, is vicious with his power, and although he never really learned how to box, he has had undeniable success as one of the true punchers of his generation. Zhang is the better boxer, and hits just as hard, but at 41 his work and stamina are almost non-existent. This bout could either be a really crazy battle of power, with both men hitting the canvas multiple times. Or it could be one of the worst bouts we see this year, as both stand off, waiting for an opening, until one man lands a bomb and finishes the show early. It is a hard one to predict, other than to say we do not imagine this one going the distance. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Asia the most interesting card comes from the legendary Korakuen Hall, where we get a real mix of bouts, including 2 regional title bouts and two supporting bouts featuring unbeaten prospects. One of the title bouts in Japan is, like the aforementioned bout in Saudi Arabia, not expected to go the distance. That is the OPBF Super Featherweight title bout, as Kosuke Saka (23-7, 20) defends the title against Yamato Hata (14-2, 13). In total the men have only seen the final bell 7 times in 46 bouts, and once 4 times in their combined 37 wings. Both are huge punchers, with Saka being the more proven but also the more flawed whilst Hata is the more intelligent boxer puncher but also the less battle tested. Both have been stopped before, and both make for extremely fun fights. This one, like Zhang Vs Wilder, is going to be one where you can’t really blink, for fear of missing something, and another we expect could end at any time. The other title bout will see former amateur standout Kenji Fujita (6-0, 3) make his first title defense, as he defends the WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title against unbeaten Filipino Rodex Piala (10-0, 1). Fujita won the title in January, when he beat Joseph Ambo over 12 rounds, and is expected to do something similar against Piala, who is stepping up massively for this bout. Unlike the Super Featherweight bout, we’re not expecting bombs from both men, but instead we’re expecting a much more technical bout here between two talented, but light punching fighters. As for prospects on this card, we’ll see the highly skilled, though somewhat frustrating, Junya Shimada (6-0, 2) take on Yuya Hirose (9-3-1, 4), in what should be a very solid 8 rounder. Shimada took some time to find his footing in the pro ranks, going the distance in his first 4 bouts, but does appear to have settled into the professional at last and has stopped his last 2, including a 2nd round KO win over Jetro Pabustan in February. As for Hirose this will be his second 8 rounder, and comes on the back of a career best win over Chihiro Iwashita in February, though this is a very clear step up in class from that bout. The other prospect of real note on this card is WBO world ranked Flyweight Yoali Mejia Mosqueda (10-0, 7), a Mexican making his international debut as he takes on hard hitting Filipino Eldin Guinahon (9-2, 8). Mosqueda’s world ranking does seem a stretch, given his competition so far has been novices, but he’s an undeniable talent and this is a solid step up for him against a Filipino looking to make a name for himself. Sadly whilst Guinahon does have power, there is real question marks about his own durability, given he has been stopped in his last 2. Regardless, this should be a very fun fight, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the winner landed a WBO world title fight in the next 18 months. Minami Gymnasium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan A second Filipino card takes place in Fukuoka. This is a much smaller card, packed with 4 rounders, many of which are Western Japan Rookie of the Year bouts. The one bout that isn’t set for 4 rounds is an intriguing Middleweight bout between Kazuki Kyohara (7-2-3, 3) and Katsuhiro Nakata (9-5-1, 5). Coming into this Kyohara just scored the second best win of his career, beating Rei Nakajima in January, with only his 2022 upset win of Tyson Koki being a more important win. As for Nakata he is without a win in his last 3, and was stopped recently by Riku Kunimoto. Given the styles of the two men, who are limited, but both come to fight, throw plenty and lack 1-punch power, this could end up being the opposite of the Wilder Vs Zhang fight, and could end up being a very, very fun, high tempo, brawl, with both letting their hands go and trying to out work the other. Antipas, Cotabato (del Norte), Philippines We also get two shows in the Philippines. On paper the more interesting of those is in Cotabato, with several bouts of note, even if none are hugely significant outside of the Filipino domestic scene.. One of the two 10 rounders on the show will see 23 year old puncher Angelo Beltran (9-2, 7) take on 23 year old Christian Jude Capuno (6-1, 2). Beltran has lost 2 of his last 5, but scored a good domestic win over Jeny Boy Boca last time out, in March. His most notable bout to date is a 7th round KO loss to Coolwell, with the Boca bout being his only one since then. Capuno on the other hand has won his last 4, though 3 of them have come against fighters with double digit losses and the other was a close bout against the 2-0 Justine Digamo. The other 10 rounder will see the pretty solid Richard Garde (9-2, 8) take on the once promising but not badly struggling Clyde Azarcon (17-10-1, 6). Garde is a 27 year old who lost once early in his career and has lost more recently to the very good DianXing Zhu, being the only fighter so far to last 10 complete with Zhu. Garde might not be a world beater, but he certainly seems like he could compete on the regional title scene in the coming years. Azarcon was once 13-1, but has since gone 4-9-1, and has been stopped in his last 7 bouts as his career has completely imploded. It’s very hard to imagine anything but a Garde win here. In an 8 rounder we'll see the unbeaten Nathaniel Dorona (4-0, 2) take on light punching journeyman Ramel Antaran (6-25-3), in what should be an easy win for Dorona. Another 8 rounder will see Crisalito Beltran (5-0, 4) take on the limited Rey Ramos (8-15-3, 3), who has proven himself as a durable fighter, but now aged 34 he has started to see the miles catch up with him and has been stopped in 3 of his last 5 bouts. Fingers crossed both Dorona and Beltran get to show what they can do here and move on to bigger and better things. Midas Hotel and Casino, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines The other Filipino card is in Pasay City, and in terms of quality, this has a better main event, but doesn’t have much to support a very good bill topper. The main event here will see the once beaten John Vincent Pangga (10-1, 7) take on fellow Filipino Danrick Sumabong (13-3-1, 9) in a bout for the lightly regarded WBF Super Flyweight title. Pangga suffered his sole loss to Alvin Camique in March 2023, and has bounced back with two stoppage wins since then, and looks to have quickly rebuilt his confidence following his loss. As for Sumabong he is 1-1-1 in his last 3, and whilst he did score a win last time out, against Anferne Palarca, it does appear that the stoppages that he had earlier in his career, with 8 of his first 9 wins coming earlier, have dried up with only 1 of his last 4 coming inside the distance. As for prospects on this card there is the promising Kevin Villanueva (3-0, 2), who faces Ernie Samoyag (2-1, 2). Coming into this Villanueva has stopped his last two inside a round, following a decision win on debut. Samoyag stopped his first 2, both debutants, before being stopped byu John Dave Villamor in December. Given that both have power and both like to throw shots earlier, this might be something of a "blink and you miss" affair. Uijeongbu Gymnasium, Uijeongbu, South Korea We have title action in South Korea, as the unbeaten Sung Chul Kang (5-0-1) defends the South Korean Lightweight title against Dong Young Lee (3-6-2, 1). Kang has won his last 4 bouts, beating Juanito Paredes for the title in March, and despite being the champion he really lacks any sort of quality on his record, which does say a lot about the Korean scene still. As for Lee he's not won any of his last 5, going 0-4-1, though did notably hold Min Jang to an unexpected draw in March. The draw with Jang shows there is something about Lee, but he’s going to be the very clear under-dog here. Nehru Centre, Mumbai, India Over in India we also have a small card, this show is all 4 rounders, and at the time of writing, almost half of the fighters on the show haven’t been announced, and from the ones that have they are all single digit fight novices. It’s a shame that we’re not seeing cards in India fully announced with much notice, but we do like the fact these cards are taking place, and are laying down the foundations in the most populated country in the world. It’s not a historical boxing country, but, a bit like China, it’s a potential sleeping giant in boxing, and one that has had success in the amateurs ranks, suggesting their is talent there, and eventually some of that talent will break out in the pros.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Attention turns to Korakuen Hall this coming Saturday for the next Teiken show, and it's a really interesting one packed with prospects all looking to secure their next wins, along with a Japanese title eliminator. The main event of the card will see the hard hitting Yamato Hata (12-1, 11) take on Yuna Hara (11-2-1, 6), in a bout to secure a place at the Champion Carnival next year, as the mandatory challenger for the Japanese title at 130lbs. Of the two men Hata will be regarded as the favourite, and he's not just the bigger puncher but also the man in form, having won his last 9 including notable wins over Shingo Kusano, Konshin Takeshima and Yoji Saito, who he stopped in March in a brilliant performance. As for Hara he had won his last 5, 4 of which he has won by stoppage, but this will be his first bout in Tokyo, and his most notable bout since a 2018 loss in the Rookie of the Year. Hara is talented, but this is very much a big step up for him, in enemy territory. The most notable of the prospects on the card is JBC and OPBF ranked hopeful Mikito Nakano (6-0, 5), who has looked sensational since his debut and is expected to secure his first title fighter sooner rather than later. The talented Nakano will be seeking his second win of the year as he takes on Filipino visitor Lorenz Ladrada (11-3-1, 3) , who has lost 2 of his last 3 including a 4th round KO loss to Dana Coolwell in July. That bout will Coolwell will likely be seen as the target for Nakano who will be wanting to take Ladrada out quicker than the popular Australian fighter. This is scheduled for 8, but if it goes the distance we'd be very, very surprised. The under-card on this show is packed with the next wave of emerging Teiken prospects. We won't go into details on the bouts individually, as every under-card bout features a notable prospect, but the card really does show the depth of talent at the Teiken gym. These under-card bouts are Kenji Fujita (2-0, 1) facing Ronnie Campos (9-4-3, 6), in a scheduled 8 rounder, and Subaru Murata (2-0, 2) against Marvilo Aballe (8-2-2, 3), Kota Kaneko (1-0, 1) battling Sugary Montales (3-1, 1), Reo Saito (1-0, 1) clashing with Jufel Salina (5-4-1, 4), Kyosuke Takami (1-0, 1) up against In Cheol Hwang (3-0-1, 1) and a battle of debutants as Keito Tanaka (0-0) and Hyuga Oki (0-0) face off, all over the 6 round distance. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok Whilst the card in Japan is about the next generation of Japanese stars, there is also a card in Thailand, which features both a touted prospects and a veteran, who is certainly moving into the end years of his career. The main bout here will see the unbeaten men collide, as touted Thai hopeful Yuttapong Tongdee (8-0, 4) faces Filipino visitor Herlan Gomez (5-0, 2) , in a bout for Yuttapong's WBA Asia Bantamweight title. The 29 year old Yuttapong is touted as one of Thailand's hottest prospects, and his win over Ryan Rey Pontmeras earlier this year for the WBA title is a big step towards him getting a notable international bout. Sadly he's in one of the toughest divisions in the sport, but if he's patient he will likely land a major fight Naoya Inoue eventually moves up to Super Bantamweight. As for Gomez this will be his third bout in Thailand, and comes on the back of two wins, over previously unbeaten Thai's earlier this year. He will, rightfully, be seen as the under-dog, but he will certainly have plenty of self belief thanks to his recent results. The veteran on the card is former world title contender Tewa Kiram (47-1, 33), who famously fought Lucas Matthysse back in 2018. Since losing to Matthysse he has gone unbeaten, racking up 9 wins, but has fought as high as 175lb and his most notable bout during this stretch was against former Bantamweight and Super Featherweight world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha. His career certainly feels like it's petering out, and at the time of writing his opponent for this bout is un-named, suggesting he won't be facing someone able to put up any kind of a test. Saigon Sports Club, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam As well as the notable action in Japan and Thailand we also get a mall card in Vietnam, featuring some of Vietnam's top prospects taking on international opposition. One of the more notable prospects on this card is Super Middleweight hopeful Dinh Hoang Truong (2-0, 2), who looked set for big things in early 2020, after dominating Yuttana Wongda in the Philippines, but has now been out of the ring for close to 32 months and will be looking to shake some ring rust here. In the opposite corner to Truong will be Indonesian veteran Robert Kopa (14-11-3, 4), who is not expected to put up much, if anything, of a test for Truong. Now aged 38 Kopa has lost his last 5, with 3 losses coming by stoppage and is without a win in 5 years. He i also the naturally much, much, much smaller man. Another prospect with some hope on their shoulders is 29 year old Huu Toan Le (4-0, 2), who takes on the highly experienced Silem Serang (18-23-3, 2). Le has managed to fit in a fight earlier this year, taking a competitive decision over Kitidech Hirunsuk in March to claim the WBA Asia title, and he'll be looking to build on that win, whilst also getting some valuable experience here. Whilst Serang does have a terrible looking record, he has shown some desire to change things in recent years, and has won 3 of his last 4, though was beaten last time out by Frengky Rohi, albeit in a well contested and competitive bout.  Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Saturday we get the next Dynamic Glove show. Sadly it's not the best looking, with only really two bouts of note. One of those is a Japanese title bout, between two men who fought last year, and the other has the potential to be a thrilling firefight. The main even will see Japanese Light Flyweight champion Shokichi Iwata (7-0, 5) face off with Toshimasa Ouchi (22-11-3, 8), in what will be Iwata's first defense of the title and comes just 9 months after he easily defeated Ouchi in an 8 rounder. It's fair to say that Iwata is getting better with every fight, and the first one with Ouchi was a good test, at that time, for him and allowed him to get some rounds with a capable fighter. Sadly though this feels like going over old ground for a man who has just won the national title in a division where Japan has a number of elite fighters, such as Hiroto Kyoguchi and Masamichi Yabuki. A bout will someone like Riku Kano could have made for an excellent world title eliminator,. As for Ouchi the 36 year old has come up short at title level before and given his age is certainly on the slide, especially for a fighter in the lower weights. It should be a good test of Iwata's stamina over 10 rounds, but not a huge test of his ability, sadly. Our full, in depth preview, of this bout can be read here Iwata hunts first defense as he takes on veteran Ouchi Thankfully we are set for a something special in the chief support bout, as Yamato Hata (11-1, 10) takes on Yoji Saito (3-2-2, 3). Both of these men are flawed, neither is going to make a mark on the global stage and neither is really expected to get beyond Japanese level. However, both guys can bang, both are exciting, aggressive and should be looking to prove their power and toughness in what should be a show stealing war...for as long as it lasts. Vladimir, Russia As well as the action in Japan there is also a show in Russia featuring several fighters from Central Asia. The most notable of two Uzbekistani fighters is Eldor Abdukodirov (8-1, 6), who seeks his 7th straight win as he takes on the limited Pavel Mamontov (12-14-3, 1). Coming in to this Abdukodirov has gone on a good looking run since a 2019 loss to Ivan Nikonov, but his competition during that run has been absolutely awful, with a number of win-less fighters. Amazingly this is actually a step up for Abdukodirov, but should be regarded as a very easy one, with Mamontov having gone 0-10-1 in his last 11 bouts. Another Uzbekistani fighter on this show is Shodilbek Sharobiddinov (3-3, 2), who will be expected to be pick up his first win of the year, as he takes on Russian veteran Aleksandr Saltykov (12-68-3, 7). On paper Sharobiddinov is clearly not a fighter going places, however Saltykov has gone 0-20 in his last 20 bouts dating back to 2018 and we suspect this will be his 21st straight loss for the now 42 year old. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday in Tokyo we get a card from Teiken that was originally supposed to take place around a month ago. The show was originally delayed due to the Teiken gym needing to close due to Jorge Linares having a positive PCR test, and despite a few minor changes the card still looks like a real good one. The main event here will see former Japanese champions colliding as Kenichi Ogawa (24-1-1, 18) and Kazuhiro Nishitani (21-4-1, 12) face off. Not only are both former Japanese champions but both men are also taking world rankings into this one, giving it extra meaning. On paper this looks really interesting and may actually end up being even better when the two men get in the ring. Ogawa, at his best, is a boxer-puncher who likes to get full extension on his shots and let combinations go at mid-range. Nishitani on the other hand likes the action up close, leaning on an opponent and working with smart counters. Stylistically they are pretty much opposites, but they should make for a very entertaining clash here, with the winner taking a huge step towards a world title fight. Highly touted youngster Shokichi Iwata (4-0, 3) looks to continue his climb through the rankings as he takes on domestic foe Ryo Narizuka (9-9-1) in an 8 rounder. In all honest we don't see Iwata struggling at all with Narizuka here, but it'll be a good chance for the unbeaten 24 year old to shake off some ring rust, with his last bout being around 11 months ago. Iwata would have had big plans for 2020 and whilst those plans have failed to materialise it's better for him to be busy than sit out the entire year. Another fighter who would have had big plans for this year is the once touted Super Flyweight Hayate Kaji (14-0, 9). The hard hitting Kaji once seemed like the future star of the Teiken gym, but recent performances have been underwhelming. He'll be up against Hiroki Yajima (9-8-3, 4) here and if he puts in another poor performance, after an 11 month break from the ring, it may well be time to write him off. The reality is that Yajima is no push over, but shouldn't be a real test for a prospect as highly regarded as Kaji once was. In a very interesting under-card bout we'll see Japanese Youth Super Featherweight champion Yamato Hata (10-1, 10) take on the unbeaten Koshin Takeshima (4-0-1, 3) in a very good looking match up. Hata has won his last 7, including bouts against Shingo Kusano and Ryusei Ishii, and at 23 years old looks like a future domestic title contender. On the other hand Takeshima was a solid amateur who debuted as a pro in 2018, and looked good in his first 4 bouts. Sadly Takeshima's rise through the ranks faltered in his last bout, when he had a technical draw with Daisuke Watanabe in the Hajime No Ippo 30th Anniversary tournament. Interestingly Takeshima will be moving up in weight for this one, and it'll be interesting to see how the extra few pounds suits him. Potentially this is the best bout on the card. In a battle of once beaten men Hikari Mineta (8-1, 5) will clash with Ryuya Tsugawa (7-1, 3). The 24 year old Mineta is best known for his run in the 2018 Rookie of the Year, losing to Yuri Takemoto in the final, and since then he has reeled off 3 wins. Interestingly Tsugawa went a step further and won Rookie of the Year in 2019. These two are both talented young fighters who have the potential to go places, but will need time to full develop, and this bout should serve as a great test for both me. The winner will take big strides towards a domestic title fight, but don't write off the loser as they have plenty of time to come again. February 1st-Title bouts in Japan, world title fight in Mexico and the Uzbek rising continues!1/27/2020  This coming Saturday is an exciting and busy day with multiple shows featuring Asian fighters, in bouts of varying significance.
Tokyo, Japan For us the main card of the day will be in Japan as Teiken put on a Dynamic Glove at Korakuen Hall. This G+ televised card will feature two title bouts and a number of interesting hopefuls. The main event of the show will see Japanese Welterweight champion Yuki Nagano (17-2, 13) defending his title against mandatory challenger Keita Obara (22-4-1, 20) in the first of the 2020 Champion Carnival bouts. This should be a really explosive bout and both men can hurt, and be hurt. Coming in Nagano will be seeking his second defense of the title and has scored 7 stoppages in his last 8 bouts. For Obara the bout is a chance to claim a second Japanese title, and a chance to give his career a shot in the arm after some recent set backs. Our in depth preview of this bout can be read here Champion Nagano faces Obara in Japanese title defense The second title fight on this card will be a Japanese Youth Super Featherweight bout between Ryusei Ishii (8-5-1, 5) and Yamato Hata (9-1, 9), who face off for the vacant title. Of the two Ishii is the more experienced man, and has faced the better competition, but Hata is a rising puncher, and will enter this bout with momentum on his side, with 6 straight TKO wins. Ishii on the other hand has struggled with just 1 win in his last 4. Our preview of this bout can be read here Hard hitting Hata takes on Ishii for Japanese Youth title In an interesting match up between Japanese ranked fighter's we'll see JBC ranked Welterweight Junpei Tsujimoto (6-1-3, 4) move up to 154lbs to face ranked Middleweight Nath Nwachukwu (5-0-2, 2), who drops down 6 lbs. This is interesting to see both men changing weight for the bout, which will be scheduled for 6 rounds. Interestingly both of these men won the Rookie of the Year in 2018, and each have picked up 2 wins since then. Maybe not a big bout but an interesting one. At 14olbs we see another Japanese ranked fighter, with the hard hitting Kenta Endo (5-0-1, 4), who also won the 2018 Rookie of the Year, taking on Shun Akaiwa (4-1-1, 2). Aged 35 Endo's potentially to is limited by his age, but he's a fun, exciting and hard hitting fighter. Someone who can make very TV friendly bouts. Akaiwa on the other hand is not someone we can recall watching but he's yet to be stopped and should make for an interesting opponent for Endo. Further down the card we see two notable Japanese prospects taking on Indonesian novices. One of those prospects is Kenshi Noda (1-0, 1), who is expected to pick up a quick win against Thomas Tope Hurek (2-4-1, 1) in a Light Flyweight bout, whilst the other is Super Flyweight Hiroto Yahsiro (1-0, 1), who takes takes on Abdul Rauf (1-2). Expect these to be little more than showcase wins for the local prospects. Nuevo León, Mexico Whilst the biggest show is the one in Japan the biggest single bout is actually in Mexico where IBF Minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran (14-2, 11) defends his belt against talented Mexican challenger Daniel Valladares (22-1, 13). Taduran won his title in a brilliant little war with Samuel Salva last September and at 23 is still just getting stronger. It is however always a big ask to pick up a win on the road in Mexico. Valladares on the other hand had an under-rated 2019 where he scored 4 wins including stoppages over Filipino fighters Melito Sabillo and Christian Araneta. This could be a very, very exciting match up! Our preview of this bout is available here Taduran defends IBF title against Valladares in Mexico! Metro Manila, Philippines Back in Asia we get an interesting double header in Metro Manbila, where we see two Filipino title fights. One of those will see Roldan Aldea (14-8-1, 8) defending his title as he takes on veteran Monico Laurente (30-16, 7) in a Lightweight clash. Although not a star Aldea has proven to be a rugged and durable fighter who is better than his record suggests, and his upset KO win last year over Mikhail Alexeev shows he can bang, when he lands clean. At 34 years old Laurente is certainly coming to the end of his career, and he will be the under-dog here, but will be a live under-dog. We expect this to be an interesting match up, even if it's the less intriguing of the two title bouts on the show. The other title bout on this card will be a Flyweight bout as the under-rated Alphoe Dagayloan (14-3-5, 5) takes on Carlo Caesar Penalosa (14-2, 7). Although not well known outside of Asia Dagayloan has built a reputation for himself as a horror to face off with, he's aggressive, tough, strong and not an easy man to look good against. Penalosa on the other hand is a third generation fighter from the Penalosa family and is looking to bounce back from a loss last time out to Maximino Flores. This could be the hidden gem of the weekend. Mumbai, India There is also a card in India, where we get some low key action on a card in Mumbai. One of the more notable bouts here will see Rahul Kumar (6-3-1, 4) take on novice Rakesh Bawa (0-1), in a bout scheduled for 8 rounds. It's hard to see Bawa winning, but the reality is that Kumar is no world beater himself and has lost 3 of his last 6 coming into this. An even bugger mismatch will see the once beaten Sagar Narwat (9-1-1, 3) take on Harish Harish (0-0) in a 4 round bout. Narwat was beaten back in October, by Troy O'Meley, but this should be an easy comeback win for the 25 year old from Faridabad Khonobod, Uzbekistan In Uzbekistan we'll see a number of promising novices in action, in what will be a card where fighters will get a chance to show case their skills. At the moment none of the promising fighters on the card have had their opponents name, but we're expecting to see Dostonbek Turdiev (7-0, 3), Abdulazizbek Najmiddinov (4-0, 4), Jasurbek Latipov (0-0) and Obidjon Tokhirov (0-0) all in action. From those involved it's Latipov, who was a brilliant amateur, that stands out as the most interesting of those on the card and the one with the biggest upside. Kaliningrad, Russia There are more Uzbeks in action in Russia where a trio of Uzbeks will be looking to make their mark. Thge most notable bout here will see Rustam Tulaganov (2-0, 1) take on the much more experienced Norbert Dabrowski (23-8-2, 10). The talented Tulaganov is expected to have a huge 2020 after having had a stop-start career so far, and a win here would be a massive statement for him. The 31 year old Dabrowski, from Poland, is talented, experienced and a big step up for Tulaganov, however the Uzbek will be regarded as the favourite here. Another of the Uzbek's on this show is Odiljon Aslonov (1-0, 1) who will be up against South African foe Snamiso Ntuli (4-3, 2) in a 6 round bout whilst the third is the debuting Ulugbek Mubinov (0-0), who takes on the 30 year old Srdan Govedarica (7-8, 6). These bouts are less interesting than Tulaganov's but we're expecting dominant and impressive wins for the Uzbek pair.  Tokyo, Japan
Teiken are surprisingly busy in early September, with 2 shows in the space of just a few days. The first of those is a relatively small card at the Korakun Hall. The main event sees the rising Yamato Hata (8-1, 8) headline against Ryukyu Oho (6-2, 3) in a Japanese Youth Super Featherweight title eliminator. The hard hitting Hata has stopped his last 5, since losing to Takuya Hashimoto in early 2017, including Shingo Kusano in what is a career best win. Whilst Hata is on a good run Oho is looking to secure his second win since losing in the 2018 Rookie of the Year to Hikari Mineta, and he will be the clear under-dog. The chief support bout will see Daiki Funayama (9-3-1, 2) hunt a 7th straight win, as he takes on Sophon Klachun (5-3, 1). Although no world beater Funayama recently moved into 8 round bouts and is on a good run, which should continue here. The Thai visitor on the other hand has lost in his 3 bouts in Japan, including a very competitive bout with Dynamic Kenji earlier this year. Although win-less in Japan Sophon did manage a win last time out in China, his first outside of Thailand. The 2018 All Japan Rookie of the Year winner at Welterweight, Junpei Tsujimoto (5-1-3, 3), will look for his second win of the year as he battles Korean visitor Jin Soo Kim (4-3, 3) in what will be the local man's first 8 round bout. Tsujimoto was stopped on debut but has gone 8 unbeaten since then, and won his last 3. Kim on the other hand has lost 3 of his last 4 and it's hard to imagine he has much of a chance here. Also on this card will be debuts for Hiroto Yashiro (0-0) and Kenshi Noda (0-0), who are two recent Teiken signings. Both men will be in 6 rounds bouts against limited Thai's. The 22 year old Yashiro, who fights at Bantamweight, will be up against Adundet Khonwong (3-6, 2), who has lost in 6 previous visits to Japan, including a stoppage loss in 2017 to Shingo Wake, and he shouldn't post many questions to Yashiro. Noda on the other hand is a 24 year old Flyweight who will take on Somphon Banyaem (3-3, 3), who has been stopped every time he has left Thailand.  This coming Saturday is a really interesting day for Asian fight fans, with a notable show in Japan and the Philippines, and then fighters from those two countries colliding in California at the end of the day. As well as the major shows there is also a small card in Singapore.
California, USA The biggest bout of the day is, obviously, the US bout, which will see IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (30-1-2, 20) defending his title against mandatory challenger Ryuichi Funai (31-7, 22). For Ancajas the bout will serve as his 7th defense of the title, which he won back in September 2016, and will be his third mandatory. The champion really under-performed last time out, narrowly holding on to the belt against Alejandro Santiago Barrios, and would be expected to put on a better showing here. Funai on the other hand is an unknown outside of Japan, though is a former Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific champion who has mixed in good company, with bouts against the likes of Shinsuke Yamanaka, Rolly Lunas, Sho Ishida and Warlito Parrenas. The challenger has earned this shot, winning an eliminator last year, but will be regarded as a clear under-dog. A full preview of this bout is available here - Ancajas takes on mandatory challenger Funai Tokyo, Japan In Tokyo fans will get the chance to attend a Teiken promoted card at Korakuen Hall. Sadly this will only be shown on tape delay, meaning those not in the venue will have to wait to see the bouts. The main event here will see Japanese Super Featherweight champion Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1-1, 11) defending his title in a mandatory bout against Ken Osato (15-2-1, 4), in what is their second meeting. These two fought in February 2018, when Sueyoshi had to recover from a knockdown to stop Osato in the 8th round. Since then Sueyoshi has gone 1-0-1, fighting to a draw over 12 rounds with Hironori Mishiro, and will be looking for bigger bouts later in the year. Osato on the other has scored back to back decision wins since losing to Sueyoshi, but this is a step up from those wins. A full preview of this bout is available here Sueyoshi looks to over-come Osato again! The chief support bout here will see the once beaten Shuya Masaki (11-1, 5) take on Korean visitor Nam Jun Lee (10-5-3, 4). For Masaki the bout is the first since his narrow win over Izuki Tomioka last year, in what was his third bout of 2018. It's notable Lee's first bout since June 2017. Notably the 35 year old Korean has had a very stop start Korea, but does hold notable wins over Sa Myung Noh and Jelbirt Gomera, so could be a better test than his record suggests. Another very notable bout on this card is the Japanese debut of Shokichi Iwata (1-0, 1), who debuted last year in the US. The talented and touted Iwata will face 2018 Rookie of the Year winner Daiki Kameyama (7-2-1, 2), in a very, very interesting match up. Iwata won his debut but didn't look sensational, and this could prove to be too much too soon for the former amateur standout, and a huge chance for the 22 year old Kameyama to build on his Rookie success. Other interesting bouts on this card include Junpei Tsujimoto (4-1-3, 2) battling against Tetsuya Yoshimura (5-3-1, 4) and Hiroki Yajima (9-7-3, 4) facing off with Mirai Imagawa (9-5, 3), with both Imagawa and Tsujimoto having won Rookie of the Year in recent years. There will also be a chance for the hard hitting Yamato Hata (7-1, 7) to pick up another win, as he takes on Indonesian Alvius Maufani (6-2-2, 3), in what should be a straight forward bout for the local. Metro Manila, Philippines Of course it's not just Japan that has a great show but also the Philippines, with ESPN5 set to show a title fest from Metro Manila, with this show being aired live. The pick of the bouts here is another Philippines Vs Japan clash, as Al Toyogon (10-2-1, 6) looks to defense his WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Super Featherweight title against in form Japanese fighter Ryo Sagawa (6-1, 4). The 21 year old Toyogon will be seeking his second defense here, and will be looking to record a 6th straight win as he continues to develop into a very solid fighter. Sagawa on the other hand gets his first title shot, and he clearly deserves it on the back of wins against Junki Sasaki, Ryo Matsumoto and Shingo Kawamura. This is probably the more intriguing bout of the day, even more saw than the world title bout. A full preview of this bout is available here Toyogon and Sagawa battle for regional title! A second WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver title fight takes place at Bantamweight and will see the heavy handed Jun Blazo (11-6-3, 8) take on Benezer Alolod (19-11-5, 7). Blazo has lost 4 of his last 7, but has spun off 3 straight wins coming into this bout and will be confident of extending that run. Alolod is very much Mr Inconsistent with a 6-6 record in his last 12. Hard to get a read on this, but if both are up for it we could get a very good fight. In a GAB Lightweight title fight Roldan Aldea (12-7-1, 7) will be seeking his first defense, as he takes on Rey Ramos (8-11-2, 3), in what looks like a mismatch whilst 5lbs north we'll see Jheritz Chavez (8-3-2, 6) seek his second defense of the GAB Light Welterweight title, facing off with Junar Adante (7-11-1, 4). Sadly neither of these domestic title bouts look particularly competitive. Singapore, Singapore In Singapore local hopeful Nurshahidah Roslie (12-2, 9) will be seeking a 5th straight win as she takes on Thai novice Suphansa Phooong (1-0), in what looks like a mismatch, over 6 rounds. Roslie isn't the huge star that Singaporean boxing needs to really kick-start something but the Thai is an inexperienced teenager, and will be making her international debut.  Tokyo, Japan
In recent weeks we've seen action pick up with a series of great bouts taking place last weekend. We expect to see that trend continue this weekend with a notable show in Japan. The main event of the card is the first of the 2017 Champion Carnival bouts and sees Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Yasutaka Ishimoto (29-8, 8) defending his title against big punching Watanabe gym fighter Yusaku Kuga (13-2-1, 9), who is looking to avenge one of his defeats. These two fought back at the end of 2015 with Ishimoto just doing enough to take a decision over the younger and bigger punching Kuga, and claim the Japanese title. Kuga has since impressed and earned this rematch by stopping Jonathan Baat in 4 rounds. Ishimoto has impressed recently, and stopped Gakuya Furuhashi last time out, but at 35 one wonders how long he has left in the sport. In the chief support bout we'll see OPBF Flyweight champion Daigo Higa (11-0, 11) fight in a non-title fight with one beaten Filipino Diomel Diocos (10-1-3, 3), who was a late replacement for journeyman Jayar Estremos (11-12, 4). Although Higa will be strongly favoured against Diocos the bout should be a good warm up for Higa ahead of a potential world title fight later this year. Whilst Higa will be expected to steam roll Diocos this should still tell us a lot about both fighters, and their potential. Another Japan Vs Philippines bout will see Teiken promoted Super Featherweight Masaru Sueyoshi (13-1, 8) take on the unbeaten, and heavy handed, Allan Vallespin (9-0, 8). Sueyoshi comes into this bout having won his last 10 bouts, with notable wins against Yuta Nagai, Shingo Eto and Kazuma Sanpei, but will be up against an unbeaten banger here. For Vallespin, the GAB champion at 130lbs, this will be his first taste of international action and potentially a chance to make a statement. Although it seems like he's a puncher this will be the first real test of Vallespin's power and a real acid test for the 22 year old Pinoy puncher. In a possible shoot out we'll see 20 year old Yamato Hata (3-0, 3) battle against Takuya Hashimoto (5-5, 5). To date neither of these men has heard the final bell, with Hata having never been past round 3 and Hashimoto only going into the 4th round once. Hata will be favoured, given he's unbeaten, but he's up against a fellow puncher and this could be genuinely explosive. Gauteng, South Africa In South Africa we'll see Filipino fighter Joey Canoy (12-2-1, 6) fighting for the IBO Light Flyweight title. The 23 year old Filipino will be in deep as he takes on former WBA Minimumweight champion Hekkie Budler (30-2, 9),who is looking to rebuild his career at 108lbs. The South African lost his Minimumweight crown last March to Byron Rojas and has since moved up in weight, scoring a big domestic win over Siyabonga Siyo, and will now be looking to become a 2-time IBO Light Flyweight champion, reclaiming a title he held from 2010-2011. Quintana Roo, Mexico In Mexico we'll see Japan's Hajime Nagai (14-7-2, 4) take on former unified Minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez Jr (20-4-1, 13). The bout is a massive step up in class for Nagai, but wins over Gakuya Furuhashi and Naoya Okamoto show he has got some ability. For Rodriguez the bout will be his first against a Japanese fighter since his incredible 2014 bout against Katsunari Takayama. London, United Kingdom In the UK we see Filipino veteran Ardin Diale (32-10-4, 15) battle against fast rising Welshman Andrew Selby (7-0, 5). The bout is a huge step up for Selby, in regards to his professional competition, but his amateur credentials speak for themselves and he will be heavily favoured here. Diale, who has been in with a who's who of boxing, is only 7 months removed from his 4th round TKO loss to Daigo Higa, but has fought twice since that loss and appears to have avoided lasting damage from that loss. |
Categories
All
Archives
May 2025
|
RSS Feed
