Yamato Arena, Suita, Osaka, Japan
The main show this coming Monday will be Matchrooms long awaited Japanese debut, as they put on the quarter final show of the Middleweight Prize Fighter tournament, which was originally supposed to take place in March before being cancelled at short notice. The card is set to only feature 4 bouts, all of which are tournament bouts, and unlike previous Prize Fighter tournaments, this is not set to be a 1 night tournament. Notably Matchroom have linked up with Tokashiki Promotions, run by former world champion Katsuo Tokahsiki, who will be acting as the local promoter for the event. The first of the 4 bouts on the card will see the world ranked Englishman Kieron Conway (20-3-1, 5) take on hard hitting Chinese fighter Ainiwaer Yilixiati (19-1, 14). Conway, who has faced a number of notable fighters, including Souleymane Cissokho, Austin Williams, comes into this on the back of a solid win over Linus Udofia. He can be a frustrating fighter at times, and he lacks power, but he shouldn’t be over-looked here, especially against Yilixiati. Aged 31 Yilixiati has proven himself to be a crude, but powerful fighter with his sole loss coming almost 7 years ago, against Jayde Mitchell. Since then he has gone 9-0, though sadly his best wins have come against Ryosuke Tenyu Maruki and Betuel Ushona. It will be the power of the Chinese fighter against the skills of Conway, in what should be a fun fight. The second bout is a match up between unbeaten fighters, as the fun to watch Irishman Aaron McKenna (18-0, 9) takes on American Jeovanny Estela (14-0, 5). The baby faced McKenna started his career in the US but has spent the last few years fighting in the UK, and slowly stepping up his competition, though it’s still not been particularly great and he’ll know the tournament really is a great chance for him to build on his record, his profile, and move towards some huge fights. As for Estela he debuted in 2020 and has been busy, with this also serving as a step up for him. So far he has fought entirely in the US. Although not a puncher, it is worth noting 2 of his 5 stoppages have come in his last 2 bouts, both in the opening round, and it could be that he has started to find confidence in his power. Given McKenna’s style, and the bonus for scoring stoppages, this could end up being much more explosive than the records of the men, with just a combined 14 stoppages in 32 fights, suggests. The third of the 4 quarter finals will see Englishman Mark Dickinson (6-0, 2) take on popular Japanese puncher Kazuto Takesako (16-2-1, 15). Dickinson is 24 years old, and the least experienced professional on the card, and the only participant who was meant to face someone else on the original show before seeing his opponent change. He is tipped by many as the favourite, despite his inexperience, and really impressed in his last bout, a win over Grant Dennis back in November. Although not a proven fighter, by any means, he is regarded as a man with a lot of potential, and this should serve as a potential chin check. As for Takesako, he was a replacement after not being in the original line up for the competition. He’s a huge puncher, but also a man who is technically very flawed, with poor footwork, limited defense and at 5’9 is very small for a Middleweight. He comes into this on the back of 2 losses in his last 3, including an upset loss last time out against Tej Pratap Singh. The final bout on the card is, rather interestingly, a rematch between Riku Kunimoto (11-1, 5) and Eiki Kani (8-4-3, 4). These two clashed on the original date, as part of this year’s Champion Carnival, with Kunimoto stopping Kani in the 6th round. At his best Kunimoto is a solid boxer who's only loss came in his 5th bout, to the aforementioned Kazuto Takesako who simply had too much experience and too much power. Since then he has reeled off 6 wins, proven himself as one of the best at 160lbs in Japan, at the weight and unified the Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific titles. Kani on the other hand is an exciting fighter, but a limited one, with very limited defense, and not the fight changing power he needs at the top of the domestic scene, never mind at the level of this tournament. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan Staying in Osaka, though moving to the far less prestigious and much smaller, Sangyo Shinko Center, we have Rookie of the Year action, with two shows, back to back, at the venue. These two shows are the West Japan Rookie of the Year Semi finals. From the first set of semi finals one of the most interesting bouts is the Featherweight clash between Ruito Tomora (3-0-1, 2) and Taito Nakamura (4-1, 2). The 22 year old Tomora is one of the youngest fighters on the show, and rather interestingly made his debut way back in 2022, in South Korea, where he fought to a draw with Yoo Min Jin. Since then he has notched 3 wins back home. We mentioned Tomora was one of the youngest fighters on the show, one of the very few younger is the 21 year old Nakamura, who also began his career in 2022, when he went 2-1 for the year, who has won his last 2 bouts, and showed a bit of power in April, when he stopped Hiiro Murakami in 2 rounds. Given Rookie of the Year is at it’s best when it allows young talent to emerge, this looks like one of the best bouts from this stage of the West Japan semi-finals. The card also features the debuting pair of Yusei Yoshida (0-0), who takes on Hiroki Yamamichi (1-0, 1) at 140lbs, and Shosei Yoshida (0-0), who faces Haruka Fujikawa (4-5, 3) in a bout at Lightweight. We believe the Yoshida’s are brothers, though couldn’t verify this at the time of writing, with both 21 year old fighters being born in Kurashiki and both fighting out of the same gym. Interestingly both Yamamichi and Fujikawa are both in their 30’s, both more than a decade older than the Yoshida that they are facing. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan For the other semi-final show, we get a few unbeaten fighters facing off in what looks, at least on a brief over-look, the better card, though both will contain a lot of great action with novices fighters each fighting to move towards the West Japan final later in the year. One of the bouts pitting unbeaten men against each other will see Kirito Saito (1-0-1) take on Riku Hashimoto (1-0) at Flyweight. Aged 18 Saito is the youngest man on the show, and he debuted in December, scoring a draw with Yoshimume Yagyu, before overcoming Hyuga Tsukiyama in April. As for Hashimoto, he’s almost twice as old as Saito, at the age of 34, and made his debut in December. We’re not expecting explosive action here, but the bout is, quite literally, a boy against a man. Another all unbeaten clash will see youngsters colliding, as 21 year old Yuan Takemoto (2-0, 2) faces 20 year old Nagi Maeda (3-0-1, 1). Takemoto looks like a real dangerman at Super Flyweight, scoring his 2 wins in a combined 3 rounds, both against more experienced and older fighters. Maeda on the other hand has 15 professional rounds to his name, since his debut in June 2023, and has won his last 3 bouts. He’ll be hoping to use his experience here, while Takemoto will be hoping his power is the key.
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This coming Sunday is set to be a very busy day for Japanese fight fans, with 4 shows taking place across the country. Despite there being a lot of events, they really aren’t very big events, and most of the shows are low level cards, albeit with them all having at least one interesting bout on them
Aioi Hall, Kariya, Aichi, Japan On paper the most interesting card will be in Aichi, where we get a title bout and a pretty solid supporting bout. The title bout will be an all Japanese bout for the WBC Youth Light Flyweight title as Hyuga Oki (1-0-1, 1) takes on Shuri Oka (3-0, 2) in a really good looking matchup, and a great example of what makes Japanese prospect worth following from very early on, the fact they take on other unbeaten fighters, rather than protecting their records. The 21 year old Oki, who debuted in 2022, was last seen in December, when he stopped the then 3-0 Charukit Rungsamrit and it’s great to see him taking on another unbeaten fighter. As for Oka the 19 year old debuted last year, and despite stopping two low level Thai fighters he has also scored a notable domestic win over Masatora Okada last September. Both of these are youngsters, who have shown a bit of pop, and should make for a great bout. In a supporting bout Thai fighter Apisit Sangmuang (19-7-1, 15) will take on Japanese fighter Ryosuke Tenyu Maruki (18-8-2, 13), in what is a really interesting, low level regional type bout. The 21 year old Sangmuang, who debuted aged 17, has a good looking record, but scratching beneath the surface he has been stopped 6 times in 7 losses, and hasn't beaten anyone of any note, in fact he has lost every time he has faced anyone with any real sense of ambition. Maruki is past his best, and has been out of the ring since losing to Takeshi Inoue in 2022, but has always been a fun, aggressive fighter who makes for entertaining bouts. Given his style we’re glad to see Maruki back in action, even if he is facing a limited opponent. Nakagusuku Gym, Nakagami, Okinawa, Japan Over in Okinawa we get another title fight, this time a regional female title bout, as well as the next bout for an unbeaten and fast rising prospect. The title bout will see the light punching Yumemi Ikemoto (8-2) return to the ring after 13 months of inactivity, as she takes on Thai visitor Niratchaporn Tanomsaksree (5-1, 2) in a bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight title. Ikemoto is a former Japanese Flyweight champion, who came up short in a previous regional title bout, being stopped by Chaoz Minowa in later 2021, but since then she has bounced back with a win over Shione Ogata. For Tanomsaksree the bout sees he return to Japan for the first time in over 7 years, with her suffering her only loss back in 2017 against Marina Sayama in Tokyo. She has won her last 5, which seems great, but those opponents have come into the bouts with her with a combined 5-32 record. The other bout on this card of note will see Hyuga Gushiken (3-0, 2) take on Phongthep Bunchari (5-5, 4). Gushiken began his career in 2021, but has had a frustrating start to his career, with just a single fight in 2022 and 2023, and whilst each fight has been a step up his progress has been frustratingly slow, so far. He’s talented, sharp, hard hitting and clearly has a lot of promise but does need to be kept active, and given a lot more bouts, and more notable steps up, than he’s had so far. As for Bunchari he made his debut in June 2022, and has already had 10 fights, though 5 of those have been losses, including 4 in Japan. He has shown some resilience, but has been stopped in 3 of his 5 losses. We expect some sort of a fight from Bunchari, but we’d be very surprised to see him last 8 rounds here. Gateaux Kingdom Sapporo, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan On paper the most interesting none title bout of the day takes place in Hokkaido, as Tatsuro Nakashima (11-5-1, 7) and Shunsuke Isa (13-6-1, 2) battle in what is essentially a Japanese title eliminator, as the #4 and #6 ranked JBC ranked Minimumweights clash to try and secure another domestic title fight. The 29 year old Nakashima began his career 11-1-1, with the loss coming to Kai Ishizawa and the draw to Yuga Inoue. Sadly though he has been beaten in his last 4 bouts, with those losses coming to Masataka Taniguchi, Ginjiro Shigeoka, Yudai Shigeoka and Yuni Takada, all in Japanese Minimumweight title fights. He has been unfortunate to meet some of the very best at 105lbs, and is one of just 2 fighters to hear the final bell with Ginjiro Shigeoka. As for Isa his record has been inconsistent, but 3 of his 6 losses have come to Yuni Takada, with two of those being razor thin losses. Thai really should be a great bout between two men with poor looking records, but plenty of ability. A really solid domestic bout, than could be easily over-looked but is likely to deliver some great in ring action. Big Palette Fukushima, Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan Staying with under-rated bouts, Fukushima will be headlined by a card between Wataru Ikegami (10-9-1, 6) and Aoba Mori (7-5-2, 1). Like the bout in Hokkaido, this isn’t a bout which will get people expecting much from the records, but again features two fighters who are far, far better than the numbers suggest. The 34 year old Ikegami has scored notable domestic wins against the likes of Shiona Tamada, Hibiki Jogo and Shin Hirano, and has a fun, aggressive style. Sadly though he has also also picked up a lot of losses in close bouts and is unlucky to have 9 defeats in his 20 bouts. Mori on the other hand started his career, once being 7-2-1, but is now without a win in over 3 years and will be desperate to get his career on track. Despite his recent results he has shown plenty of promise, and in 2021 he lost a razor thin decision to Yuga Inoue, sadly though it appears that loss has started something of a downfall for him. This coming Saturday is a busy day for fans who follow the Asian scene, with a number of shows in Asia and a very notable bout featuring Asian fighter outside of Asia.
Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA The most notable bout for us this Saturday is from Las Vegas, where unbeaten Kazakh Middleweight Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10) defends his WBO and IBF Middleweight titles against unbeaten challenger Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13), from New Zealand. Alimkhanuly has unified titles at Middleweight, and arguably become the division’s bogey man, without really scoring a signature win. He’s a fighter who is talented, accurate, heavy handed and has adapted to the professional ranks, after some early issues after he turned pro. Sadly his best wins are over Rob Brant, Hassan N'DamN'Jikam, Steven Butler and Vincenzo Gualtieri, not exactly murderer's row. Despite the limited competition it’s hard to think of many active Middleweights who would be favoured against him. The 26 year old Mikhailovich is certainly not a well known challenger, with his best wins coming against the likes of Ernesto Espana, King Davidson. Alex Walters and Les Sherrington. It appears he has gotten the fight due to being willing to face Alimkhanuly, rather than his profile or achievement, however he knows this is a big opportunity, and if he puts on a good showing, even in a loss, he could open doors for more big fights in the future. Paranaque Sports Complex, Brgy. San Antonio Paranaque City, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines Over in the Philippines we have a small, but notable, card in Paranaque City, featuring several hopefuls all looking to make their mark on the future. One of the bouts, scheduled for 10 rounds, will see Ariel Antimaro (7-2-1, 2) battle against Jhunrille Castino (14-5, 4), in what should be a really interesting match up. The 22 year old Antimaro has won his last 3, but has fought at a very low level and needs a solid win to put his name on the map. Sadly the 25 year old Castino doesn’t give Antimaro a chance to score a big win, but is a decent opponent all the same, with the 25 year old “Rambo” being someone who is battled tested, and has come up short against the likes of Kota Kaneko, Ryuya Tsugawa, Vegas Larfield and Jess Rhey Waminal. Antimaro should win, but we wouldn’t be surprised by him really needing to work for a win. The once beaten Jonniel Laurente (9-1-1, 5) will be in a 10 rounder of his own, as he takes on the 24 year old Jestine Tesoro (9-6, 5). Laurente will be looking for his second win since a 2023 loss to Wensong Liu, and whilst it’s hard to complain about him wanting a confidence boosting win, it does feel like this level of bout won’t help him develop his skills, and instead essentially keeps him treading water again lower level domestic fighters. Tesoro has shown he’s a capable fighter, and did recently go into round 5 with talented Japanese fighter Yoshimitsu Kimura, though maybe the most notable thing about him is his power, which is under-rated and he is certainly more dangerous than a typical fighter with 5 stoppages in 15 bouts. One other bout will see Arvin Magramo (17-2-1, 11) look to bounce back from an 1st round TKO, as he takes on Chinese fighter Jin Ping Yang (5-3-1, 1). Magramo, once tipped as one to watch among fans in the Philippines, was once 8-0-1, before being upset by Garen Diagan in 2018, and whilst he did bounce back well from that loss, winning 9 in a row including a win over Joel Lino, he was stopped in just 110 seconds last time by Cristian Araneta and it’s understandable as to why his team have given him an easy bout here. As for Yang, who has only scored wins at a very low level and is 0-3 outside of China, with all 3 losses coming in Thailand. Yang’s lack of power is likely to be a problem here, though he has shown plenty of toughness and hasn’t been stopped in any of his 3 losses. IS FCC Pattaya, Pattaya, Thailand We also get action in Thailand, in fact we have two shows in the land of smiles, with the most notable coming from Pattaya, where we have a former world champion in action, in a regional title bout. That regional title bout will see unbeaten Turk Ege Arin Konuk (9-0, 5) defending his WBC Asian Continental title at 140lbs, against former 2-time WBO Bantamweight champion Panya Uthok (58-16, 39), aka Pungluang Sor Singyu. At one point in time Pungluang was among the best in Thailand, with an aggressive style that, although limited, worked for him, and saw him notch wins against the likes of Ryo Akaho, AJ Banal and Jetro Pabustan. Sadly though he is now facing much bigger, heavier, and stronger men. This has resulted in him going 6-12 in his last 18 bouts, dating back more than half a decade. As for Konuk, this will be his first defense and sees him really stepping up in class, though given his natural size advantage it shouldn’t be that much of a test for him. Interesting Konuk has fought his last 6 fights in Thailand and does appear to be building his profile in the country. A second title bout on this card will see Alessio Bisutti (6-0, 5) defending the WBC Asian Continental Bridgerweight title against Panya Chomphoophuang (18-14-1, 13). Bisutti is a 47 year old Thai based Italian fighter, who began his career last year, and has scored his 6 wins in a combined 17 rounds, though all have come against very limited opponents, in Thailand, and he is, understandably, being matched softly. That soft approach to matchmaking continues here against a 33 year old who has been stopped 10 times, and has no wins of note on his record. In fact Chomphoophuang’s most notable achievement in his 33 fight career was dropping the then touted Damien Hooper back in 2013, before being stopped the next round. Singmanassak Muaythai School, Pathum Thani, Thailand The other Thai show also features two title bouts, with the Thai Featherweight and Super Middleweight titles up for grabs. The more notable of the two bouts is the Featherweight title bout, as 44 year old Soh Ohba (6-0-1-1, 6) takes on 40 year old Weera Sabaibang (7-10, 3). What makes this particularly notable is that Ohba is the nephew of Japanese legend Masao Ohba, and he has been making the most of his links to Thailand over the years, winning several minor titles in the country. Sadly at 44 and with just 1 fight in the previous 4 years, it's hard to know why he is still fighting, and what he intends to achieve in the sport. Sabaibang on the other hand has been stopped in 8 of his 10 losses and is unlikely to put up any sort of competition to Ohba. The other title bout on this show will see 22 year old Channarong Injampa (16-16, 11) take on 37 year old Uthit Punsen (24-16, 13). Notably Injampa was fighting at 154lbs just a few months ago, losing to Tommy Browne, and is needing to put on quite a bit of weight for this bout. Punsen on the other hand has been a professional since 2005 and fought as low as Super Flyweight early in his career, leaving us to wonder just how necessary a Thai title at 168lbs really is. Buheungro, Yangju, South Korea Staying in Asia, there is also a very, very low level Korean card in Yangju, with the show set to be headlined by a 6 rounder between Chul Woo Yoon (7-11-2, 2) and Yoo Jin Kang (3-2, 2). Sadly it’s hard to say much about this show, other than it really is a very, very low level card, but like most Korean shows, the action and excitement should outweigh the quality, and the potential of the fighters involved. Serpukhov, Russia
For once the most notable bout featuring an Asian fighter will actually take place in Russia, with this Friday’s highlight, if you will, being an historical bout to crown a new world champion, and perhaps help to establish a new division. A new division that few care about, and even fewer really seem to want, but a new division all the same. The bout in question will see unbeaten Russian fighter Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (3-0, 2) take on Chinese fighter Zhaoxin Zhang (12-2-1, 7) in the inaugural WBA Bridgerweight world title fight. The 27 year old Gadzhimagomedov was a former amateur standout winning Silver at the Tokyo Olympics as well as being a 2-time World Amateur Champion, a for 2-time European Champion and a European Games gold medal winner. It’s due to that amateur success that he has been raced to a title fight, even in the unestablished Bridgerweight division, having beaten fighters with a combined 50-13 record, including the then 20-3 Artur Mann. As for Zhang, the bout is something of a reward for his remarkable come from behind KO win against Evgeny Romanov back in February, where Zhang was dropped in the opening round, on the verge of being stopped, before taking out Romanov in a sensational turn around. For Zhang the bout is a second world title shot, after previously being stopped by Ryad Merhy in a Cruiserweight title fight. Given the styles of the two men, this could be a really fun fight, but still, it’s a shame to see the WBA following the WBC into recognising yet another weight class. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan As well as the show in Russia we are also set to have a show in Tokyo, on a show that also features a title bout, and several interesting domestic clashes. The title bout will see the criminally under-rated, and hugely entertaining, Yuni Takada (14-8-3, 6) defending his Japanese Minimumweight title against Yuri Kanaya (5-2, 1). Takada, who won the title in 2023, will be looking for his fourth title defense in just 15 months of winning the title. Although not a big puncher, or a real threat to the divisional elite, Takada is a very solid fighter, who has turned things around following an 8-8-3 start to his career. He isn’t likely to win a world title, but at the rate he’s going he could very well secure a shot at world honours in the coming years. As for Kanaya this is his second title fight, following a loss in a WBO Asia Pacific title fight, and he’ll know that another loss here will see him with a huge hole to dig himself out of if he intends to carve out a successful career. With his back against the wall we’re expecting to see the best of Kanaya in what should be a very, very fun and high tempo bout. One of the best supporting bouts on the show will be an 8 rounder between 28 year old Ryota Ishida (12-4, 7) take on 23 year old Ryosuke Koyama (1-0, 1), in what is a notable step up in class for Koyama. Ishida has shown himself to be a bit chinny recently, with quick losses to Kai Watanabe and Keisuke Matsumoto, but he has shown plenty of promise over the years and shouldn't be written off as he has mixed with dangerous punchers, and is an experienced fighter. As for Koyama the former amateur standout announced himself as one to watch with a cameo debut, in which he stopped Kyota Shinya in just 57 seconds in March, and a win over Ishida this early on would boost his standing and move him to being just a fight or two away from a title fight. Another under-rated bout will see Hyogo Kimura (9-4-1, 3) take on the criminally under-rated Kenshi Noda (4-3, 3) in what should be a great fighter. The 23 year old Kimura has a poor looking record but the numbers belie the fact he’s had a mix of close losses, and one to a very talented fighter. Of his 4 losses 3 could have gone either way, including a loss in the Rookie of the Year final to Ryota Karimata and a loss to Katsuki Mori a year ago, with the only clear loss coming to Goki Kobayashi. As for Noda he has also got a poor looking record, but that includes losses to Toshiki Kawamitsu and Yuga Ozaki, two really talented fighters. In the ring Noda is hard hitting, aggressive and a very fun fighter to watch, and given that style, he is likely to drag Kimura into what could be a hidden gem of a bout. Another really interesting fight here will see the talented, but very light punching, Mikio Sakai (5-2-1) take on hard hitting veteran Shinobu Charlie Hosokawa (12-7-1, 11) in a really compelling bout. Sakai is 1-2-1 in his last 4, but both of his losses have come in Japanese Middleweight title fights against Riku Kunimoto, and both by decision, with Sakai really being un-done by his lack of power. As for Hosokawa he is a teak tough, crude and hard hitting fighter, but one who is now 39 and and he hasn't scored a win since October 2019, when he stopped Tyson Koki, with 3 losses in a row and a break of almost 3 years since his last bout. It will be interesting to see what Hosokawa looks like after his break, but he certainly has the power and aggression to make like tricky for Sakai, with the real question being about his age and inactivity. Sunken Arena Covered Ground, Barangay Poblacion, Malungon, Saragani, Philippines
This coming Thursday Sanman promotions will be putting on a card in Malungon. That card isn’t a stacked one but does have several really interesting bouts on it. The main event of the card will see the once beaten Jayson Mama (19-1, 10) seek his 4th win since his 2021 loss to Sunny Edwards, in an IBF Flyweight title bout. The talented Mama was widely beaten by Edwards, who has enhanced his own reputation since that bout, but has shown that he’s no push over and picked up a very notable victory last time out Robert Paradero. In the opposite corner to Mama is domestic veteran Carlo Demecillo (17-8-2, 10), a naturally bigger fighter who has faced a regional who’s who, including Hisashi Amagasa, Satoshi Shimizu, Arthur Villanueva, Sho Ishida and Jun Ikegawa. Sadly Demecillo has struggled in recent bouts, with just 2 wins in his last 5. It’s hard to see anything but a Mama win here, but Demecillo is durable, and should take Mama the distance in this bout, for the lightly regarded WBF International Super Flyweight title. In a really interesting under-card bout we’ll see unbeaten youngster David Santisima (4-0, 3) risk his unbeaten record in a huge step up as he takes on veteran Ryan Rey Ponteras (23-24-3, 12). The 21 year old Santisima has never faced anyone with any real experience, and his first 4 bouts have come against opponents with a combined record of 7-17-3. On paper this is a great step up for Santisima, but in many ways this looks more like a leap up in class, rather than a step up. Ponteras is a 34 year old veteran who has legitimately faced a who’s who of the Filipino and regional scene during his 15 year career, and has scored a number of notable wins. During his 50 bouts Ponteras has proven himself as a rugged fighter, but sadly has started to show signs of his career winding down with 10 straight losses, and 11 losses in his last 12, including 4 stoppages. Sadly for him his career began to fall apart after being stopped in a round by Seiya Tsutsumi in 2019 and it appears Santisima’s team are hoping he’s no longer got the fight in him he once had. This coming Wednesday is an interesting day for Asian fighters, with 3 unbeaten Asian men in action, though none actually fighting in Asia.
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia The most notable fight featuring an Asian fighter will see unbeaten Australian Sam Goodman (18-0, 8) take on unbeaten Thai Thatchtana Luangphon (25-0-1, 15), in what is a really disappointing fight to write about, yet also a pretty solid match up. The reason it’s disappointing is that it seemed like Goodman was the expected September opponent for Naoya Inoue, with Inoue inviting Goodman into the ring back when Inoue stopped Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome. It seemed the clear choice for Inoue and his team given Goodman was one of the mandatory challengers for Inoue and his titles. Sadly Goodman chose to decline the legacy defining fight and instead looked elsewhere, for now, and landed on Luangphon, an unbeaten, and credible, Thai. The talented Goodman lacks real fire power, but is a solid fighter, with good work rate and exciting style, and a solid record with wins over TJ Doheny, Ra’eese Aleem, Zhong Liu and Fumiya Fuse. Those wins have made him one of the top contenders at 122lbs, but his willingness to turn down Inoue is genuinely disappointing. As for the Thai, who’s also known as Chanoi Worawut and the “Rock Man”, this is a huge opportunity. Luangphon is 27 years old and will be making his international debut, though he has scored notable regional level wins, beating the likes of Pungluang Sor Singyu, Suriyan Satorn, Jess Rhey Waminal, Brian Lobetania. On paper Luangphon has a good looking record, but in the eyes of many he is little more than a stay busy fight for Goodman, who looks to be waiting either for a December shown with Inoue, or for Inoue to move up in weight and to leave the titles vacant with Goodman able to pick up a belt afterwards. ProBox TV Events Center, Plant City, Florida, USA The other two unbeaten Asian men in action are fighting in the US in two really peculiar looking bouts, on a ProBox TV show, who again make it clear that they are putting on some of the most interesting lower level bouts in world boxing, despite a limited budget. One will see American based Japanese born fighter Katsuma Akitsugi (10-0, 1) look to continue his unbeaten run as he steps up and takes on Jesus Ramirez Rubio (22-3-3, 16) in a really good match up. Akitsugi, who has fought his entire career in the US, is very much part of the “who needs him?” club. He’s a talented southpaw who has impressed through his first 10 fights, but also proven to be a nightmare to match and this will be his first bout in over 2 years. In his first 10 bouts he has beaten more fancied fighters who were 7-0, 10-0, 11-0 and 13-0, and has clearly become someone to keep prospects away from. In Rubio we have a Mexican fighter who has lost 2 of his last 3, by stoppage, including a bout with current world champion Nick Ball, who stopped him in a round. It’ll be interesting to see what Akitsugi looks like after such a long break, and if he wins here hopefully his team can secure bouts without another lengthy lay off. In a genuine “WTF?” fight unbeaten Filipino Middleweight puncher Weljon Mindoro (11-0-1, 11) will make his US debut, as he takes on Englishman Tyler Goodjohn (13-5, 4), who is returning to the ring after almost 7 years out of the ring and was previously campaigning between 140lbs and 154lbs, with most of his career spent at 140. Mindoro has been a wrecking ball on the Filipino domestic scene with his 11 wins coming in just 24 combined rounds, and he proved he has a tank last year when he went 12 rounds with former world title challenger Takeshi Inoue, in a 12 round Split Decision draw. At his best Goodjohn was a fan friendly, British level fighter at 140lbs, but that was a decade ago and it’s really hard to have any idea what he’s got left in the tank. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get a really interesting, but easy to over-look, card from Korakuen Hall. The show isn’t stacked with huge bouts, but has several good bouts, and if we’re being honest we’d rather have good match ups rather than squash fights. The main event will see WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight champion Katsuya Yasuda (13-1, 8) defending his title against Filipino challenger Presco Carcosia (12-3-1, 9). The bout is set to be Yasuda’s third defense of the title, and whilst he’d not be fancied against any of the top Lightweights he is very much a rising contender, who will be hoping he can parlay the WBO regional title into a world title fight before he ends his career. As times he has been a frustrating fighter to watch, a bit too defensively minded at times, but in recent years he has been stepping up his competition and putting on better performances, beating the likes of Apichet Petchmanee, Min Ho Jun and Ruito Saeki in his last 3. He’s highly skilled, carries good power, and although not one of the stars of the Ohashi Gym he is certainly a talent. Carcosia on the other hand is someone who has fought at a good level, but has come up short, losing to Jai Alexander, Musashi Mori and Albert Bell. He’s capable, and short serve as a test for Yasuda, but a test that Yasuda should pass, as he continues to move towards big international fights. In a really well matched, on paper, supporting bout we’ll see Yuya Tanaka (2-1, 1) take on Thai visitor Anantachai Duanyai (2-1, 2). Tanaka is looking to bounce back from a June 2023 loss to Hiroki Ogawa, and whilst the 25 year old has lost one of his first 3 bouts, he really shouldn’t be written off, as he has already shown a lot of promise. As for the Thai visitor he will be fighting in Japan for the second time, looking to bounce back from his first loss, which came against the brilliant Sho Nogami in October. On paper this is well matched, and in the ring we are expecting a really competitive content. Another bout that should be really competitive will see Toshiya Ishii (6-1-2, 4) take on former world title challenger Edward Heno (16-4-6, 6), from the Philippines. Ishii has a legitimate argument to feel like he should be 9-0, following a controversial loss to Sho Ishida in 2020, and majority draws with Junj Ikegawa and Toshiki Shimomachi in his last 2 bouts. He's heavy handed, talented, powerful, and is perhaps doing himself a disservice by fighting at Super Bantamweight, given he’s only 5’4” and typically the shorter man. As for Heno, who’s best known for his 2019 bout with Elwin Soto, things have been very mixed through his career. At his best he is a very hard man to beat, who seems to be able to do enough to not lose, rather enough to win at times. He’s talented, yet frustrating, but tough, has under-rated power, and should give Ishii a really interesting bout, where is certainly a live under-dog. Much like Ishii his record is a weird one, and a lot of his losses have been very close, which is likely why he has managed 6 draws in 24 bouts. The styles here should gel to give us an excellent bout. Another Ishii on this card is Takeshi Ishii (7-1, 6), who is expected to pick up an easy win as he takes on Thai visitor Prachanon Mingpracha (3-1, 3). Ishii is matched softly here, though in fairness he was matched hard last time out, losing a split decision to the criminally under-rated Lito Dante and this bout is likely being used to help boost his confidence after that set back. He’s heavy handed, explosive and will be looking to blow out his foe here. As for Mingpracha the bout sees him return to Japan, where he suffered a 2023 loss to the then debuting Yuma Saeki. Since that loss he has scored 2 wins, including a notable one against a very, very faded Pigmy Kokietgym earlier this year. One other Japan Vs Thailand bout on this card, possibly the best of them, will see the light punching Katsuki Mori (11-3, 2) take on the heavier hitting Parinya Khaikanha (6-3, 6), in a bout between two men who are out of form. Mori has fallen from 8-0 to 11-3, with a 3-3 record since January 2022, with 2 stoppage losses to his name. He’s a talented fighter, but one who lacks the power to get respect, and lacks the toughness needed to make a major impact on the sport. There is no doubting his ability, but he is missing other facets of his game and at 24 it does feel like his early potential won’t be realised in the way many had hoped. As for Khaikanha, the younger brother of Suriyan and Nawaphon, it seemed he was going places, going but like Mori he is 3-3 in his last 6, notably losing the 3 times he has fought outside of Thailand. Incidentally all 3 of those losses came in Japan, and came in the first 2 rounds, and at Flyweight. Given Khaikanha is the naturally bigger man and the bigger puncher whilst Mori is the more technically skilled this should be a very interesting match up. Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Sunday we will get a very notable show at the Kokugikan in Tokyo, headlined by the second huge Super Flyweight title bout in just over a week, as well as a bout viewed as a warm up for a potential world title fight for an unbeaten Bantamweight, and a notable prospect taking on a man who seemed on the verge of a world title fight a few years ago. The main event of the show will see WBA “super” champion Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16) take on IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez (16-0, 9) in a Super Flyweight unification bout, with the winner expected to pursue a bout with WBC champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in the near future. Ioka, now enjoying a world title reign in his 4th division, has been one of the major faces of Japanese boxing for over a decade now, though at 35 is starting to get to the point where father time will be picking a fight with him. He’s still a technical genius, and comes into this on the back of his first stoppage in over 3 years, but he is up against a very good fellow champion. In Martinez we have a whirling dervish of a fighter, with a very high output and a very aggressive style. The Argentinian first announced himself as one to watch back in 2019, when he stopped Athenkosi Dumezweni, but had to wait until February 2022 to really show what he could do, when he dethroned Jerwin Ancajas. Since winning the title he has fought just twice, but now has the chance to unify titles after more than a year of inactivity. This is expected to be a bout pitting the technical brilliance and counter punching, of Ioka, against the aggression and bloody mindedness of Martinez, in what should be a stylistically thrilling contest. In the main supporting bout Seiya Tsutsumi (10-0-2, 7) is expected to get some rounds under his belt as he tunes up for a world title fight. The talented and heavy handed Tsutusumi will be up against Thai visitor Weerawat Noolae (4-1, 2), who is expected to put up something of a fight but not really be a test. The Thai, who gave the fast rising Reo Nishioka 8 rounds back in April, is supposed to give some resistance to Tsutusmi, who has been out of the ring since December. The unbeaten Japanese fighter has eyes on a potential world title fight at the end of the year, and has stated he wants to face Takuma Inoue, so will likely want to make a statement here to land a shot at the WBA champion. Another unbeaten on this card is Kantaro Juri (6-0-1, 2), who takes on Thai veteran Phai Pharob (37-4, 28). Juri was last seen out in December, when he beat former world title challenger Danai Ngiabphukhiaw, and will be looking to get some good rounds here. As for Pharob, who was once the WBO #1 ranked Minimumweight contender and had looked like he was on the verge for a world title fight, this will see him look to avoid a 4th defeat in less than a year. At his best Pharob was a top contender, but is now a faded force, fighting not just above his best weight, but also well beyond his prime and his is 5-4 since 2016. In a good looking supporting bout Yudai Murakami (4-2) will face Hiro Ichimichi (8-1-1, 6), in what should be a very solid domestic bout, but one where Ichimichi will feel his power should be the difference. Despite the lack of power Murakami has shown himself to be a very capable fighter, with an upset minded mentality. He has scored notable upsets over Junki Shirasaki and Narumi Yukawa, and gave the then Japanese Lightweight champion Shuma Nakazato a real test back in December. Ichimichi went the distance with current Japanese Super Featherweight champion Tsubasa Narai last year, but his best win to date is a win over Ryuto Araya, and at 39 it is hard to know just how much he has left in the tank. This coming Saturday isn’t a huge one for boxing, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one, and in fact it has one of the best looking Who’s Next Dynamic Glove cards of the year so far, with 4 excellent international match ups which should push the winners on to bigger and better bouts.
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan This coming Saturday isn’t a huge one for boxing, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one, and in fact it has one of the best looking Who’s Next Dynamic Glove cards of the year so far, with 4 excellent international match ups which should push the winners on to bigger and better bouts. The main event of the show will see former world title challenger Shokichi Iwata (12-1, 9) take on unbeaten Filipino Jahzeel Trinidad (11-0, 6), with both men knowing a win here could help set them up for a world title fight towards the end of the year. Iwata, who perhaps should have won the WBO Light Flyweight title in 2022 when he was unfortunate against Jonathan Gonzalez, has won his last 3, all against Filipino fighters, by stoppage, with a very notable win against Rene Mark Cuarto in that run. He’s proven to be an excellent boxer-puncher and someone who seems to have “future world champion” written all over him. Trinidad began his career fighting between Flyweight and Super Flyweight, and was 9-0 (4), but now appears to have settled at Light Flyweight, where he has stopped both Roslan Eco and Eldin Guinahon, to claim and defend the PBF Flyweight title. Although his record doesn't suggest he's a big puncher he has stopped his last 4 in a combined 8 rounds and will know if he can upset Iwata he will be very much in the mix for a world title fight. The chief support bout is another Japan Vs Philippines bout, as the very highly regarded Subaru Murata (6-0, 6) risks his perfect KO streak to take on unbeaten Filipino Bryan James Wild (12-0-1, 6). Murata was an elite amateur who made his debut back in 2021, doing so in the US where he has fought 3 of his 6 bouts so far, and has been stepping up the level of competition with every fight so far, with a win over Alex Santisima Jr in March began his best so far. This is, on paper, the next step in that same direction while he also moves onwards towards a potential regional title fight. As for Wild the 23 year old Filipino hasn't been matched too softly, facing some of the more notable Filipino domestic level fighters in and around Super Bantamweight, including Carlo Demecillo, Jess Rhey Waminal and Ryan Rey Ponteras. Wild will be the first fellow southpaw that Murata will face, and it’ll be interesting to see how he copes with that, but Murata should have too much for the visitor. A third bout matching a Japanese hopeful with a Filipino will see the unbeaten Kota Kaneko (5-0, 4) take on the hard hitting Michael Casama (9-2-1, 9). The 26 year old Kaneko looks to be a great fighter with a lot of potential, but also a lot of questions still to answer, and he's stepping up nicely here after seeing off Jhunrille Castino in March. He's quick, sharp, has a lovely jab, good footwork and solid power, but we've not really seen him being chin checked or facing any adversity. That could change here. Casama is a 23 year old Pinoy, who has proven to be incredibly dangerous early on, with 7 wins in the first 2 rounds. He has however stumbled in recent bouts, going 1-2-1 in his last 4, and been stopped twice, including his only previous bout outside of the Philippines, when he was stopped by Junya Shimada in September. If Kaneko can see off the early danger he should be able to move to 6-0 here. Whilst 3 bouts are Japan Vs Philippines, there is a Japan Vs China bout, and this might be the pick of the bunch, as the fast rising Kyosuke Takami (6-0, 5) takes on former world title challenger Wulan Tuolehazi (15-6-2, 7). The talented 22 year old Takami, has looked a star in the making in recent bouts, with stellar wins over Lito Dante and Kenichi Horikawa in his last 2 bouts. He looks to be one of the genuine rising stars of Japanese boxing, with skills, power and speed, and we wouldn’t be surprised by him fighting for his first professional title later this year. As for Tuolehazi, the Chinese fighter, who is now 31, has lot his last 2, but has mixed as a high level, beating Jayr Raquinel and Ryota Yamauchi, earning a draw with Sho Kimura and coming up short against Kosei Tanaka, Taku Kuwahara and Olimjon Nazarov. Despite Tuolehazi’s experience he is seen as the under-dog here against someone who looks like a nailed on future world champion. Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand As well as the show in Japan there is also a show in Thailand, though a smaller, less interesting card than the one at Korakuen Hall. One of the main bouts here will see former world title challenger Komgrich Nantapech (35-11, 25) look for his third win of the year, and bounce back from a loss to Jayr Raquinel, as he takes on limited novice Natthaphong Nuchaiyaphum (3-3, 3), who has won his last 2, but has lost every time he’s faced someone with some ambition and fight in them, The other bout of note here will see unbeaten men clash, as Sangkaphong Chomyong (7-0) takes on Ammarit Yaodam (1-0). On paper this looks like a mismatch in favour of Chmyong, but in reality it’s one that neither man has done enough to really be favoured in and should be an interesting 6 rounder especially given the fact neither man has scored a stoppage in a combined 8 bouts. It’s a bout that looks like it could be interesting, but we don’t imagine it’ll be the most exciting. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Tuesday we get a small card at Korakuen Hall, thanks to Ichiriki Promotions. The event isn’t a huge one, but it does feature several interesting and notable match ups. The main event of the show will see the unbeaten Eikichi Kawamura (4-0, 2) look to continue his climb through the rankings as he takes on Takahiko Kobayashi (9-4, 7). Currently ranked #10 by the JBC Kawamura has been impressive since turning professional, with an exciting style, heavy left hooks. In just 4 bouts he has already taken 3 unbeaten records, though this is set to be a step up in class for him. As for Kobayashi, the 6'0" fighter is returning to the ring for his first bout since November 2020, when he was stopped by Seiryu Toshikawa, and it’ll be interesting to see how he looks here after such a lengthy break from the ring. In a main support the enigmatic and popular Vageta Ishikawa (4-18-3, 2) , who is well known for dressing in a Vegeta outfit when he fights, will be taking on JBC ranked Lightweight Naoya Nishihata (7-1, 5). Although not a successful fighter in terms of results, Ishikawa has remained a very popular fighter in Japan, and has got a really good connection with the fans who respect him not only for his unique style, essentially cosplaying, but also his to watch style, and his willingness to fight pretty much all the emerging fights in, and around, the Super Featherweight limit. He has shared the ring with the likes of Jin Sasaki, Keisuke Matsumoto, and Hiroki Fukushige, just to name a few. In Nishihata we have a fighter who lost on debut, but has rebuilt well, with 7 wins, including winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2023, and this is a good step up for him in a 6 rounder. One other bout worthy of note will be a clash between Megumi Watanabe (2-0-5, 1) and Yurie Kishi (3-1-1, 2). On paper this is certainly not a huge bout, however coming into this Watanabe is on a 5 fight run… of draws. It’ll be a massive surprise if she can make it 6 in a row. This should be competitive, and interesting, with neither fighter ever likely to make a mark above domestic level, but the run of draws does make this an intriguing one, worth paying attention to. This card also features 3 Rookie of the Year bouts, which should make for some interesting and competitive action |
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