Rajadamnern Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
The day after Christmas is called “boxing day” in some parts of the world, and this year we certainly have a boxing day fight to be excited about in Bangkok, as we’re set to see a new world champion being crowned.

The match up in question will see former WBC Minimumweight champion Panya Pradabsri (43-2, 27) look to become a 2-weight world champion as he takes on the criminally under-rated Carlos Canizales (27-2-1, 19) for the vacant WBC Light Flyweight title, with Canizales looking to end the year on a higher. The 33 year old Pradabsri is best known for his short but notable reign as the WBC Minimumweight champion. That reign began when he dethroned the then 54-0 Wanheng Menayothin, saw him record 4 defenses, including one over Wanheng and two over Norihito Tanaka, before losing the belt in Japan to Yudai Shigeoka. He has long been one of the best fighters at 105lbs, but also someone who seemed big at the weight and as if he was boiling down hard to mark 105lbs, as opposed to letting his body fight at a more natural weight of Light Flyweight or even Flyweight. As for Canizales, he is perhaps the best active fighter to have never won outright recognition as a "world" champion, having only held the WBA "regular" title when Hiroto Kyoguchi was the "Super" champion. He is legitimate world class, with the only marks on his record being a draw against Ryoichi Taguchi, and losses to Esteban Bermudez, in a 2021 Upset of the Year contender, and Kenshiro Teraji, in a razor thin bout in January of this year. Canizales is tough, heavy handed, highly skilled, has a great engine, applies constant pressure, and is a complete nightmare to fight. Unlike many fighters from Venezuela, who pad their record but come undone against fighters on their travels, Canizales has proven his skills on the road, not just with the bouts against Taguchi and Kenshiro, but also wins against Reiya Konishi, Lu Bin, Sho Kimura, Ganigan Lopez and Daniel Matellon.

Given the styles of the two men, who are both, strong, come to fight and like to enforce their wills, we are expecting a very, very special bout here, to give us a late Christmas treat.

Spaceplus Bangkok RCA, Bangkok, Thailand
We have a second show in Bangkok, albeit a much smaller one, at the Spaceplus Bangkok RCA.

One of the best match ups on the card will see unbeaten Filipino Arvin Jhon Paciones (9-0, 5) take on under-rated Chinese fighter Xiang Li (9-2-2, 4) in a scheduled 12 rounder. The 19 year old Paciones has had a pretty notable 18 months come into this, stopping Jonatan Refugio, taking a good 12 round win over Kitidech Hirunsuk and beating former world champion Rene Mark Cuarto. He is a real prospect, with skill, power, speed and a willingness to take tests, both at home and on the road. The 26 year old Li is no push over, with his losses coming to Miel Fajardo and Jonathan Almacen, with that one coming in the Philippines, and notable results against Raymond Poon KaiChing, who he beat in Hong Kong, and a Ryu Horikawa, who he fought to a 10 round draw This is a genuinely good match up, and the winner should be in the mix for a recognised regional title sooner rather than later.

Having just mentioned Raymond Poon KaiChing (10-3, 6) it’s worth noting he is on this card, as he takes on former world title challenger Komgrich Nantapech (37-13, 27). Nantapech was once a very solid fighter, who gave Donnie Nietes a competitive bout in 2017, and also gave a good account of himself, albeit in a wide loss, against Juan Carlos Reveco. Since however he has gone a very mixed 15-8. Whilst some of those losses are at a good level some aren’t and he has been stopped 5 times in his last 11, going 6-5 over those bouts, suggesting a fighter who has either taken too much punishment, or is happy to go down softly nowadays. As for KaiChing the 28 year old from Hong Kong is 3-2 in his last 5 and whilst he hasn’t scored a notable win, he will likely come into this seeing it as a huge chance to get a career best win.

Unbeaten American Jermaine Hardison (4-0, 3) looks to score his latest win, and claim a minor regional title, as he takes on Thai local Thuwanan Tumninlakan (4-2-1, 4). Hardison has required 14 rounds for his first 4 wins, and whilst the opposition hasn't been tough the 21 year old is getting on with things and, for the most part, seeing off his opponents the way he and his team would have been hoping. The 19 year old Tumninlakan however has been matched very softly, and failed to win other of his last 2 bouts, fighting to a draw with Supakorn Boonmak and a loss to Nattawut Kaewkhanchum. In fact he is 1-2-1 in his last 4, and it would be a real surprise to see him beat Hardison

Another unbeaten hopeful on this card is Matvei Lagerev (6-0, 5), a Thai based Russian, who will be expecting to pick up another win as he takes on Phatiphan Krungklang (20-9-1-1, 12). In just 15 rounds Lagerev has discord 6 wins, including one over forms world title challenger Pigmy Kokietgym, albeit a faded and undersized Pigmy. On paper Krungklang is a step up for the Russian, but in reality it's not a notably step up, especially when you realise Krungklang has been stopped in 8 of his 9 losses and his wins have come at a very poor level.

Sangyo Shinko Center, Akashi, Hyogo, Japan 
This Sunday Hyogo plays host to an easy to overlook card that has 3 noteworthy bouts on it.

The main event will see the promising Kaishu Harada (5-0, 2) get a real test, as he takes on the hungry Renan Portes (13-17, 6), in a bout that looks like a mismatch but is expected to be a genuine test for Harada. The 24 year old Harada made his debut in 2023 and has been moved excellently by his team, scoring good wins over Claudevan Sese and Pete Apolinar in his first 5 bouts to help him break into the JBC and OPBF rankings. Harada was last seen in the ring in October, when he beat Harada, and whilst this is a quick turn around it is a case of making up for lost time, with that bout being his only other one in 2024. As for Portes, the Filipino looks very limited on paper, and he is 3-12 in his last 15. Notably however he has often been fighting much, much, bigger fighters picking up losses at Lightweight and Super Featherweight. When fighting at Super Bantamweight and Featherweight he has looked a much better fighter, picking up a win against Jason Canoy last year, and being robbed against Keita Kurihara back in July, in a bout where even Kurihara thought the judges got it wrong. Harada should be favoured, but Portes isn’t as bad as his record, and recent form, suggests and will be there looking to make a statement after the Kurihara bout.

In the chief support bout we’ll see JBC and OPBF ranked Super Bantamweight Mugicha Nakagawa (28-11-3, 18) take on Thai visitor Chatpayak Srisuwa (5-1, 5). Nakagawa will be trying to end the year on a high after losses to Kazuki Nakajima and Kyonsuke Kameda. After those two losses, in February and July, he is 1-2-1 in his last 4 and almost 15 months removed from his last win. Now aged 35 he can ill afford another setback if he’s to land another title shot, having lost in bouts for both Japanese and OPBF titles. As for Srisuwa the 29 year old Thai has never beaten a fighter with a win, and his sole bout outside of Thailand saw him being stopped in 5 rounds, in Japan, by Shinsei Otani, back in May. This pretty much viewed as an easy bout for Nakagawa, which is hard to complain about given his recent losses.

Potentially the best bout on this card will see the once beaten Japanese based Korean Young Doo Choi (6-1, 5) take on unbeaten Filipino David Santisima (6-0, 5), in a bout that looks great on paper. Choi’s only loss in 7 bouts was a competitive one, in 2023 against Seira Kishida in Kishida's home of Kobe, and since then he has bounced back with a quick win over Kohei Hamamoto. He has an exciting and aggressive style and win, or lose, he should make for fun bouts when matched correctly. As for Santisima, he is a 22 year old who is making his international debut here. To date he has needed just 15 rounds to score his 6 wins, including a solid one against Ryan Rey Ponteras. This is a step up for him, against a fellow hungry fighter, but he will know a win in Japan, against Choi, should help secure him more notable bouts going forward. We’re expecting this one to be a very exciting and violent bout, for as long as it lasts.

Sumiyoshi Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan event
We also get a noteworthy card in Osaka, which like the Hyogo show won’t get much attention from fans outside of Japan, despite featuring three notable prospects, with each trying to add one more win before the year is out.

The more notable of the two prospects is former amateur stand out Ryang Ho Han (2-0, 1), who is quickly getting a reputation as one of the best prospects in Japan. The unbeaten 27 year old will be up against Toma Kondo (8-9-3, 1) as he looks for his third win in just over 8 months. Stood at around 5’8” Han is huge for a Super Flyweight, he’s a heavy handed southpaw, with solid amateur fundamentals and has already shown that he has both power, skills and stamina, having gone 8 rounds with highly experienced Thai Jakrawut Majungoen back in August, in just his second pro bout. He appears to have it all. In Kondo we have a fighter whose record is poor, but he is a lot better than the numbers suggest. He has only been stopped twice whilst facing a lot of top domestic prospects since his 2016 debut, with losses against the likes of Kantaro Juri Tsubasa Murachi and Hayate Hanada, and draws against very capable fighters like Yuki Nakajima, Ryutaro Nakajima and Ryo Miyazaki. This looks like a mismatch on paper, but Han should have to work for a win. If he blows Kondo out, expect to see Han fighting for a title, of some kind, early next year.

Talking about title fights, the chief support will see Takeru Inoue (4-1, 2) look to rebuild after a recent loss in a regional title fight, to Jayson Vayson, as he takes on Hyogo Kimura (9-5-1, 3). Against Vayson it seemed Inoue’s lack of experience was an issue, and despite doing 8 rounds twice, he was still lacking in some areas against the talented Vayson. We expected this fight, and one or two more, to be used to develop the experience needed for Inoeu to prepare for another title bout. The 26 year old is talented, but a work in progress who needs some seasoning and some quality ring time. His issue, so far, is that his ring time hasn’t been the best, and his toughest opponents, Vayson aside, haven’t really been able to push him. Kimura The 24 year old hasn't got the best looking record, but has been mixing in and around the top of the domestic scene, with recent losses to Ryota Karimata, Goki Kobayashi, Katsuki Mori and Kenshi Noda, all very solid domestic level, or better, fighters. Kimura should offer Inoue the tough rounds he needs and be the type of test Inoue needs as he continues his professional development.

A third bout of note here will see former Japanese Youth title contender Kyosuke Okamoto (8-1-1, 5), who lost to Towa Tsuji in a Japanese Youth Featherweight title fight last December, look to score is third straight win, as he takes on Satoru Hoshiba (7-9, 2). The promising Okamoto is still only 20 years old, won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2022 and scored a solid domestic win over Yuya Hirosa back in September, a win he is hoping to build on here. He is currently JBC and WBO Asia Pacific ranked, and at just 20 has a lot of promise to develop on, and is already showing signs of being a future fixture among the top domestic fighters. As for Hoshiba he’s a limited, but fan friendly and aggressive fighter who looks to make wars. He’s expected to struggle to get close to Okamoto, but if he can get inside this could be a real test for the much fancied Okamoto.

Twin Messe, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
With Christmas just around the corner it seems the boxing gods are giving us early Christmas presents this year, and this coming Saturday they come thick and fast with 2 noteworthy shows in Japan. Notaly it’s a show in Shizuoka that stands out, for a number of reasons. 

Rather oddly the main event here, as least nominally, is an 8 rounders as former amateur stand out turn red hot prospect Aoi Yokoyama (1-0, 1) kicks off his 3150 x LUSHBOMU contract with a bout against OPBF ranked Filipino Denmark Quibido (13-3-2, 7). Yokoyama went 44-12 in the amateurs, won the 2022 All Japan Championships, and in his professional debut he stopped Hao Wang, in a scheduled 6 rounder. Now jumping up to an 8 rounder to take on an OPBF ranked fighter shows the confidence Watanabe and 3150 x LUSHBOMU have in him, and a win over Quibido would really see him in the mix for a regional title fight in early 2024. As for the Filipino he has never been stopped and is gaining valuable experience on the road, with 3 of his last 5 fights on the road, including losses to Sikho Nqothole and Landile Ngxeke and a technical draw in October with Hayate Hanada. Although he has only 1 win in his last 4 bouts, that was a win over the very solid Danrick Sumabong, and he recently went 12 rounds with former world title challenger Giemel Magramo. Quibido is no push over, and this ia case of sink or swim for Yokoyama.

Although Yokoyama is technically the main event, the most notable bout on the card is actually an all-Mexican bout as Willibaldo Garcia Perez (22-5-1-1, 13) takes on Rene Calixto Bibiano (23-0, 9) in a bout for the vacant IBF Super Flyweight title, which was given up by Fernando Daniel Martinez so that he could rematch Kazuto Ioka at the end of the year. Perez is somewhat known in and around the world stage, having lost a close fight to Alexandro Santiago in 2020, and pushed Paul Butler all the way in 2021. He is currently riding a 10-0 (7) run since his loss to Butler, and whilst his competition hasn’t been great during that run it’s not been awful and does include a very solid win over Victor Mendez. Bibiano on the other hand is an unknown at world level, but a very close friend of Tomoki Kameda who has helped establish him in Japan, with this being his third bout there in 22 months, where he has scored a notable win over fancied prospect Hayate Hanada. There is little in terms of known quality on his record, though he did beat Sikho Nqothole last time out, in what should serve as a good warm up for this match up. We’re expecting this to be a brilliant mix of skills and machismo and it really could be a very special bout for the fans tuning in on Abema and those in attendance.

Yokoyama isn’t the only touted unbeaten prospect on this show as Ryusei Moriwaki (2-0, 2) also steps up in class as he seeks a third pro win, taking on Salvador Juarez (19-9-2, 4). To date both Moriwaki's bouts have been scheduled 6 rounders, though he has ended both early and only has 5 combined rounds as a professional. Despite his professional inexperience Moriwaki went 26-9 in the amateurs, won the Under 15 and Under Junior Championships twice, each, as well as the National Athletic Meet, so was an accomplished young amateur before making his debut in March. This bout will be expected to get him some good seasoning, as he competes in his first 8 rounder and takes on a 30 fight Mexican veteran who has only been stopped once, by former world title challenger Argi Cortes. This is a monstrous step up for Moriwaki, with Juarez being a a very capable fighter. During his 30 bout career he has pushed the likes of Rodrigo Guerrero, Aaron Alameda and Victor Reyes Bernabe close in losses, and taken wins against Leosdan Nunez, Geraldo Valdez and Keyvin Lara, with those 3 wins all coming on the road. This is a very serious test for the 20 year old Moriwaki but if he passes it in impressive fashion, the rocket will be strapped firmly to his back.

Japan’s Matcha Nakagawa (16-2-2, 6) will be seeking to build on July’s win over former OPBF champion Pete Apolinar as he takes on once-beaten Filipino Rocky Ogden (7-1, 5). Nakagawa, who is now 30, made his debut way back in 2013, with a draw against future world title challenger Ryohei Takahashi and would go on to win the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2015. Since then he has failed to really kick on, losing in a rematch with Takahashi, later losing a bout with Kai Chiba, in 2019. He is 3-0-1 since that loss to Chiba, but the win over Apolinar is his most notable win since his Rookie of the Year triumph. As for Ogden, the Australian is seeking a second straight win following a big upset loss to Chengcheng Yang back in April, a loss he avenged in July. This is Ogden’s first bout away from home, and whilst it is certainly a winnable one, he will be the under-dog. 

Another Filipino Vs Japanese bout will see Filipino fighter Angelo Beltran (10-2, 8) take on Kyonosuke Kameda (14-3-2, 8), in what will be Beltran’s Japanese debut. The 24 year old “Axe Boy” debuted in 2018 and whilst his career has almost all been fought at home, he has shown plenty of power and his last 4 wins have seen him beating the likes of Jeny Boy Boca and Chrstian Jude Capuno. Sadly however a 7th round KO loss last year to Dana Coolwell is hard to over-look. We like Coolwell, but that is Beltran’s only bout so far outside of his homeland, and a big indicator that he may struggle with the power of Kameda. The 26 year old Kameda is the cousin of the fighting Kameda brothers, and despite losing in his debut, back in 2018, he has gone on to have a very good career since, reaching the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2019, claiming the Japanese Youth Featherweight title with a win over Tsubasa Narai which has aged really well and is unbeaten in his last 8, with notable wins against Jon Jon Estrada, Karoon Jarupianlerd, Mugicha Nakagawa and Suriyan Sor Rungvisai. This is a step for Beltran, it’s his second fight away from home, and it’s hard, really hard, to see him having much to test Kameda, who is looking likely to move into the regional title picture next year.

On paper a clash between Thailand’s Nattapong Jankaew (13-4, 9) and Japanese promoted Mexican Kenbun Torres (15-5, 10) really doesn’t look like anything special, but this could end up being one of the best bouts on the show. Jankaew was once regarded as a really promising Thai, with some very nice technical skills, unfortunately he's not had the durability to go with the skills, and has lost 4 of his last 7, 3 by stoppage, to Adrian Lerasan, Hiroto Yashiro, Sathaporn Saart and Marlon Tapales. Those wins have essentially undone a good start to his professional career, which had seen him win his first 10 including wins against Wittawas Basapean, Karoon Jarupianlerd and Wicha Phulaikhao. He now needs a notable win to get his career back on track. As for Torres his career looked all but over just a few fights ago, but now, aged 37, he’s in the form of his career scoring 3 straight wins, including an opening round TKO of Reymart Gaballo and a Split Decision over the previously unbeaten, and much fancied, KJ Cataraja. Those two wins have put the 37 year old into the world rankings, at Super Flyweight, of all 4 title bodies, however with this bout being fought at a contracted 53.2KG (around 117.3lbs) he may well find himself up against a naturally bigger man.

Also on this card is the fast handed Mitsuro Brandon Tajima (10-1, 8), who looks to bounce back from an upset loss to Alexandru Jur as he takes on once beaten Venezuelan Rosmen Brito (11-1, 9), in what looks like a very even bout, at least on paper. The 30 year old Tajima, is short for a Heavyweight, standing at less than 6’, but is explosive, fast handed and exciting to watch. Sadly he was around 280lbs last year, and whilst his weight has come down there are question marks about how seriously he is taking the sport, and how much he has gotten by, so far, on natural talent. Given the loss to Jur, back in March, he can ill afford another one, and the hope is that loss will have served as a wake up call for someone with clear areas to work on. As for Brito the 34 year old was stopped in a round last time out, by Lenar Perez, in his only fight outside of Venezuela. On paper his record looks good, but only 2 of his victories have come against fighters with wins, and it’s hard to read anything into those wins. This is clearly a bit of a smoke and mirrors bout for Tajima, who needs a win, and needs to show some serious improvements from his recent loss.

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Over in Tokyo Korakuen Hall plays host to this year’s All Japan Rookie of the Year finals, which, as always, gives us some really intriguing matchups, and could potentially unearth some talented young talent and future world champions.

One of the many interesting match ups here will be at Welterweight, a division that Japan doesn’t shine at globally but does tend to have some compelling domestic bouts. The fight in question here will see the once beaten Takumi Fukunaga (5-1) take on the unbeaten Ryuto Sumida (6-0, 3). The 24 year old Fukunaka lost early in his career, against Yoshiki Kaneko, but avenged that loss in November in the West Japan Rookie of the Year final and comes in on the back of 4 straight wins. He's a talented outside boxer, with good footwork and a good jab, but will be facing the hungry Sumida. Aged 21 and standing at 6'0 Sumida will tower over his foe, and looks to be really showing what he can do, stopping 3 of his last 4. On paper his competition has been less impressive than Fukunaga’s, but he’ll know this is a huge chance to make a statement, and do so at a very young age.

At 140lbs Xiaoling Koji (2-0, 1), a 33 year old former kick boxer with a very aggressive style, will be up against 23 year old Shota Tashita (4-0, 2), who’s much more technically sound and has good counter punching. Although not a standout kickboxer, by any stretch, Koji is much more experienced than his 2-0 record suggests, and when he’s in the ring his aggression shows that he’s not worried about taking a shot to land one, which makes him a very fan friendly fighter. His aggression, however, could prove to be his undoing here, against the quick handed Tashita, who has shown some lovely counter punching in the early stages of his professional career.

At Super Featherweight we have unbeaten youngsters facing off, with 19 year olds Shota Kajino (3-0-1, 2) and Otaro Segawa (5-0-1, 2) clashing. Not only are both 19, but both actually drew on debut, and have reeled off a nice, though short, winning run since. Kajino has fought all 4 of his bouts this year, all at Korakuen Hall, and scored stoppages in his last 2. Interestingly all 3 of his wins have come against unbeaten fighters. As for Segawa, a very physical fighter, he debuted in 2022, aged 17, and has won his 5 subsequent bouts, with 3 wins coming this year, the most recent of which was a split decision over Koki Nitta. This will only be his second bout outside of Osaka, and the win over Nitta was his most notable win to date, by far. With both being so young we’re interested to see how composed both can be in such a major bout.

At Super Flyweight the Shuta Takahashi (6-2-1, 4) takes on the unbeaten Aoi Murata (6-0, 4), in a bout that could be the most explosive bout on the show. The 23 year old Takahashi was stopped early in his career, and was 3-2-1 (3) at the end of 2023, but has developed well, picking up 3 wins this year, all again unbeaten fighters. In fact Takahashi's last 5 opponents have been unbeaten with a combined 19-0-2 record. To date he has only faced a single with a loss, not a losing record by a single loss, and all 9 of his bouts have been at Korakuen Hall. Murata, representing West Japan, is proving to be a well travelled fighter, with bouts in Aichi, Kanazawa, Shizuoka, Nakatsu and Osaka. After going the distance in his first 2 bouts he has scored 4 straight stoppage, including one over Junta Shiraki last time out, who had an identical record to Takahashi's current one. Aged 20 Murata is one of the few fighters out of Aichi who looks more than capable of becoming a force on the national scene, if he can get the developmental fights, a win here will help him secure solid domestic fights down the line. Of the two Takahashi is the more aggressive but Murata sticks to basics really well, and has got very good pop in his shots.

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday action returns to Korakuen Hall for a pretty interesting card under the Dangan banner. The card isn’t one of the strongest Dangan cards, but is interesting featuring a recent national champion, a notable prospect, an intriguing international bout and the retirement ceremony of a popular fighter.

The retirement ceremony is for former JBC and OPBF Super Bantamweight champion Shingo Wake (31-9-2, 22), who called time on his career earlier this year, following a loss to Kazuki Nakajima. The popular sharpshooter managed to have a successful career, scoring notable wins against the likes of Yukinori Oguni, Jhunriel Ramonal, Jae Sung Lee, Yusaku Kuga and Jose Velasquez, but in recent years his body has been falling apart, and in many ways he was never quite the same fighter after his 2016 loss to Yonatan Guzman Pena, in an IBF title fight that saw Wake being dropped numerous times before finally being stopped in the 11th round. Given his popularity with fans at Korakuen Hall it’s great to see him being given a send off like this, and we would like to wish him all the best in his post boxing career.

As for the actual fights, the main event will see recent Japanese Bantamweight champion Fumiya Fuse (14-4, 3) look to bounce back from losing his title to Riku Masuda in July, as he takes on Filipino visitor Carlo Demecillo (18-9-2, 10). At his best Fuse is a really talented boxer, but sadly a lack of power has held him back, Despite that he has achieved a lot, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2017, capturing the Japanese Youth title in 2021 when he beat Takahiro Tai, and the actual Japanese title back in April, when he stopped Taichi Sugimoto. Sadly he has been found short against Masuda, twice, Toshiya Ishii and Sam Goodman, though he did score a knockdown against Goodman. As for Demecillo, the Filipino he has has very mixed success overall, but is notable in Japan where this will be his fifth bout. So far he is winless in the Land of the Rising Sun, having come up short against Hisashi Amagasa, Satoshi Shimizu, Kaito Yamasaki and Sho Ishida . Despite those setbacks he is known for always putting in a fair effort, and we suspect he will give Fuse a good 8 round test, rather than just some easy rounds here.

Former Demecillo foe Bryl Bayogos (7-2-1, 2) will interestingly feature on this card, though he’s up against it as he faces touted unbeaten hopeful Reo Nishioka (4-0, 1). Bayogos lost a technical decision to Demecillo, back in August, in what was his second straight loss, having been stopped by TJ Doheny on the under-card of Naoya Inoue's bout with Luis Nery in May. Prior to those losses Bayogos was unbeaten but also rather untested, with his only win of any note was a decision against veteran Ryan Rey Ponteras. As for Nishioka, he is regarded as one of the best prospects in Japan having already climbed into the Japanese rankings after just 4 bouts he was pushed hard last time out, by Kento Uchigamae, but the win there showed there was a lot to like about Nishioka who will be looking to end the year with his 3rd win of the year.

Also on this card is a pretty interesting match up between Daisuke Sugita (8-5, 4) and Lite Dawuxi (7-1, 5). Sugita was a former highly experienced amateur, who also served as a police office, when he made his debut there was some hope he’d be a major player on the domestic scene. Whilst he has failed to live up to those expectations he has proven to be a fun, exciting fighter with heavy hands and a questionable chin. He's never shied away from a top domestic fighters, with losses to Reiya Abe, Ryo Akaho and Ryuto Owan, and has also travelled with 6 of his bouts taking place away from home, including a recent loss in Thailand to Wira Mikham. As for Dawuxi this will be his third straight fight in Japan, where he beat Eikichi Ueno in May before being beaten by the highly touted Yuichiro Taka. Dawuxi is certainly not in Japan to just make up the numbers, and will be looking to score a second notable win at Korakuen Hall, and given the style and mentality of Sugita this really could be a very fun fight. Sadly though we can’t help but think Sugita’s career is pretty much over, given he’s now 36, however at 23 Dawuxi could well be one to watch over the coming years.

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday we get the next card under the Fighting Bee banner, and it’s a really small, almost under-whelming, card, with only two bouts of note on it, one being a regional female title bout, and the other being the next step for a domestically ranked fighter.

The main event will see the once beaten Hoju Maeda (5-1-2, 1) take on Ai Sugimoto (4-5-1, 2) - in a bout for the vacant OPBF Female Light Flyweight weight title. Maeda, who’s 21 and debuted when she was just 17, is a rapid fire fighter, with quick combinations and fast feet, but she did come up short in 2 previous title bouts, fighting to a draw with Marina Sayama and losing to Nanae Yamaka, both in bouts for the Japanese Flyweight title. Notably she is dropping down in weight for this bout, and could find herself better suited to 108lbs. As for Sugimoto, the 40 year old, who has fought as high as Super Bantamweight, will be fighting at the lowest weight of her career. Notably she won her first 2 bouts, but since then is 2-5-1 and has never beaten a fighter with a winning record, though did score a notable draw with popular model-boxer Tomomi Takano in 2022, in what would be Takano’s final bout.

In the main supporting bout JBC ranked Lightweight Naoya Nishihata (8-1, 5) seeks his 9th straight win, as he takes on Bakuto Nakahara (6-5, 3). Nishinata is ranked around the top 10 by the JBC, but sadly that seems more about how weak the division is outside of the top handful, with the 25 year old really failing to build on his Rookie of the Year triumph last December. This will be his fight of the year, and his first 8 rounder, but his previous two haven't come against the most testing of foes, in the form of Takahiro Hamazaki and Vageta Ishikawa. Going into 2025 Nishihata really needs to step up and start facing much more challenging fighters than he is so far. As for Nakahara, who's having his 12th fight despite only being 20 years old, this is a really interesting contest for him. Despite winning his first 2 bouts, back in 2021, he suffered 3 losses and then struggled to get any momentum going, before picking up back to back wins, in upsets, earlier this year. A win here, in his Korakuen Hall debut against a ranked fighter, would be huge for him. Nishihata is the clear the favourite, but in some ways this looks like being his toughest bout of the year, against someone who is young, hungry and will know this is a massive opportunity. 

Sumiyoshi SportsCenter, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
In Osaka we get a huge show, stacked with some of the best fighters in West Japan. In total the show has 7 genuinely noteworthy bouts, headlined by a world title bout and featuring former world champions, farmer world title challengers, former national champions and very highly regarded prospects, in what could be the best card in Osaka this year.

The main event will see IBF Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1) make his first defense, as he takes on unbeaten Thai challenger Anuchai Donsua (16-0, 7), in what appears to be something of a step back for the talented Nishida. The unbeaten Japanese fighter won the title back in back in May, as he took a well earned decision over Emmanuel Rodriguez, adding Rodriguez to a resume that also contains wins over Diago Higa, Shohei Omori and Christian Medina Jimenez. There was talk after that win of unification bouts, but they failed to materialise and instead Nishida is taking on an opponent without much of a profile, in what is certainly an underwhelming first defense for someone who showed he belonged at the top table of the division. Despite Donsua being underwhelming he’ll know all the pressure is on Nishida to not just win, but make a statement, and lay down his claim as being worthy of the attention of the other champions. The Thai, who made his debut in 2022, has never fought outside of Thailand, and has a mix of poor to decent wins on his record. The pick of the 16 are wins over Sukpraserd Ponpitak, Ricardo Sueno and Komgrich Nantapech, none of whom really serve as much of a measuring stick to world level. His other 13 wins have 17 recorded wins between. He’s taking a leap up, and will likely know that whilst the pressure isn’t on him to win, it is on him to have a good performance, as the odds are he won’t get another shot at this level, if he simply folds. A mismatch, at least from the resumes of the two men, but we are glad Nishida will fit in a first defense before the year is over.

In the chief support bout we have an excellent clash at 108lbs as OPBF champion Thanongsak Simsri (36-1, 33) takes on former WBO Minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi (19-4, 13), to decide the #2 IBF contender, and potentially land a shot at IBF champion Masamichi Yabuki. The once beaten Thai, who's only loss actually came to Yabuki back in 2022, has rebuilt his career brilliantly, scoring 12 wins in a row including winning the OPBF title earlier this year with a win over Miel Fajardo, and defending it against John Paul Gabunilas. His competition hasn't always been great, but he's stayed busy, rebuilt his confidence, and showed real maturity to overcome the dangerous Fajardo. Unlike most Thai’s Simsri has made a name for himself on the road, as well as at home, and is a regular to Japanese rings, with this being his 8th bout in Japan. As for Taniguchi, the 30 year old turned professional with a lot of expectations on his shoulders following a very good amateur career, however his career has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Close losses to Reiya Konishi and Tsubasa Koura left him sporting an 8-2 record with losses at both Japanese and OPBF title level. A third career loss, to Vic Saludar, in a WBO title fight left him 11-3, but since then he has gone 8-1 claimed the Japanese and WBO Minimumweight titles and bounced back from an upset loss in 2023 against Melvin Jerusalem, to become a notable contender at 108lbs, with a win here potentially securing him a chance to become a 2-weight world champion. Stylistically both are heavy handed, both can box and whilst Simsri is the faster man with better movement, we expect he’ll be dragged into a war here to give us a very exciting bout, especially in the second half of the contest.

In an interesting all-Japanese match up we’ll see unified WBO Asia Pacific and Japanese national Middleweight champion Riku Kunimoto (12-1, 6) defending his Regional, but not national, title against the hard hitting Kazuto Takesako (17-2-1, 15), in a rematch of what is Kunimoto’s only loss. The bout, which was originally scheduled as part of the now cancelled Prizefighter Japan tournament, where it would have been a semi-final bout, but the teams of the two men and the fighters themselves decided to go ahead with the bout, despite the tournament collapsing. Kunimoto is currently riding a 8 fight winning run, which has seen him winning the Japanese title, which he has defended numerous times since 2022, and unifying it with the WBO Asia Pacific title, which he won in March. He is skilled, but a long, long way below the top international fighters in the division. As for Takesako, he’s actually had mixed fortunes since stopping Kunimoto, inside a round back in 2021, going 4-2 since then. Takesako has suffered when he's faced international opponents, losing to both Meiirim Nursultanov and Tej Pratap Singh, with both losses coming in South Korea. It should be noted that he did beat Mark Dickinson in July, in the ill fated Prizefighter, but that bout seemed to say more about Dickinson’s lack of professional seasoning rather than anything about Takesako. Kunimoto is the better pure boxer, Kunimoto the bigger puncher, and with the history between the two men, this is expected to be a very intriguing contest, and winner will be the clear #1 in Japan at 160lbs.

Another title bout will see unbeaten Filipino Kenneth Llover (12-0, 7) face off with Japan’s Tulio Dekanarudo (8-2-2, 4) in a bout for the Interim OPBF Bantamweight title, with the full version of the belt having not been defended since Keita Kurihara reclaimed the title back in January. Llover has been quietly making a name for himself back at home, scoring solid wins against the likes of Chengcheng Yang, Edward Heno, James Pagaling and Benny Canete, however this will be his first bout outside of the Philippines, and we don't know how he will travel. Aged just 21 “The Lover Boy”, could be one of the best prospects in his Pearl of the Orient, but until we know he can do it on the road, it’s hard to get too excited. As for Dekanarudo the 28 year old Japanese fighter was tipped highly when he debuted in 2018, but a 2019 upset less to Ken Jordan show some of his flaws being shown, and he is 5-1-2 since then, with his second loss coming to Toshiki Shimomachi. He is good, but we’re not sure he has the durability at title level.

In a Japanese Youth title fight, also at Bantamweight, we’ll see Shunpei Kaneshiro (3-0, 2) seek his first defense of the title, as he takes on fellow unbeaten youngster Hyuga Gushiken (4-0, 3) in a mouth watering bout, and the sort of bout that has made the Japanese Youth title such a great title to follow. Kaneshiro won the title in July, when he stopped Daichi Hirai in 8 rounds. Despite only having 3 bouts, and 2 stoppages, to his name Kaneshiro has a surprising number of pro rounds, at 20, and has seen all 3 of his bouts enter the final round, allowing him to get extra ring time and test his stamina. As for Gushiken the 22 year old made his debut way back in 2021 and has just 11 rounds from his 4 bouts, with none going beyond the 4th round, so whilst he is technically more experienced, in terms of fights, he has significantly less ring time. Both of these fighters are southpaws though have different styles, with Kaneshiro being a very talented all rounder, particularly well suited at mid range, and Gushiken being a counter puncher. This will be really interesting to see how the styles of the two men gel, though it does feel like Gushiken is stepping up, for what will be his first bout outside of Okinawa.

In a really intriguing bout former Japanese Super Featherweight champion Yuna Hara (14-3-1, 8), who lost the national title earlier this year to Tsubasa Narai, will take on unbeaten, and fast rising, prospect Ryusuke Sunagawa (3-0, 2), who take sa huge leap up in class, in a Strongest Challenger bout. Prior to losing to Narai, in April, Hara had been riding an 8 fight winning streak including notable wins against Yamato Hata and Kosuke Saka, with 6 of the 8 wins coming inside the distance. He was dethroned in his second defense, and will be desperate to get back to winning ways here. As for Sunagawa, the former amateur standout made his debut in late 2022 and has been matched hard, with his last two wins coming against Seira Kishida and Narumi Yukawa. Despite those two wins coming against good domestic fighters, this is a huge leap up in class, but also a chance to announce himself on the domestic rankings, in a huge way. The winner of this will secure a shot at the Japanese title in next year’s Champion Carnival.

One other bout of some note will see former world title challenger Jeo Santisima (24-7, 20) take on 39 year old Japanese puncher Hiro Ichimichi (8-2-1, 6), in a bout that’s the least interesting of 7 bouts on the event. Santisima is best known for losing in 2020 against Emanuel Navarrete in a bout for the WBO Super Bantamweight title. Since that loss he has gone 5-4, but fought some very notable names, with losses to Joet Gonzalez, Toshiki Shimomachi, Hatato Tsutsumi and Kenji Fujita, and a notable win over Hiroshige Osawa. He is 1-3 in Japan, but has never been stopped and will be looking to score a stoppage of his own against Ichimichi. As for the local he is a natural Super Featherweight, who has proven to be dangerous on the domestic scene, but has fallen short against his best opponents so far, with Tsubasa Narai and Yudai Murakami both taking competitive decisions over him. Given his age Ichimichi will know he can’t afford another loss here if he wants to land a title fight, of any kind, and will also know this is a huge opportunity, against a former world title challenger on a really big show.

West Japan General Exhibition Center, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Staying in Japan we also have a card in Fukuoka, albeit a much, much smaller and less notable one with only really one bout of any note set for it. That bout, the main event of the show, will see Shido Arai (7-5-1, 3) take on the JBC ranked, and heavy handed, Yoshiki Shimomura (7-1-1, 7). Arai, is a local to Kitakyushu, and will be hoping to draw a fan given his local links, however he has lost his only fight in the area which came in his debut back in 2009. Although no world beater he will almost certainly feel encouraged by the local fan base and is expected to make the most as he competes against a JBC ranked fighter for the second time in his career. Shimomura on the other hand is a destructive 25 year old, who won the All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2023, and will be seeking to get back to winning ways after a loss in South Korea in August, against Tae Sun Kim. Given that Arai has been stopped twice and Shimomura is heavy handed, it does feel like the match up isn’t a good one for Arai.

General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines
Over in the Philippines, we get an interesting card in General Santos City.

The show is headlined by the once beaten Ali Canega (11-1-1, 7), who will be looking to record his second win since losing to Mikyo Watarai in February in Japan. In August he had an easy comeback fight, beating Pressl Tupas in 3 rounds, and now takes the logical step up as he takes on a better level of domestic foe in the form of Rimar Metuda (17-9-1, 11). Canega is a good fighter and someone we expect to see in and around the regional title scene over the next few years. As for Metuda the 30 year old is rugged, knows how to go rounds and survive even if he’s under-sized at 140lbs, but is a far cry from the Featherweight who started his career 10-0, going 7-9-1 since that original unbeaten run. Despite picking up a lot of losses recently he has been matched hard, with losses really coming on the road. He has lost in Russia to Mirzhan Zhaxylykov, Isa Chaniev and Ravshanbek Umurzakov, in China, to Aketelieke Jieensi and Ju Wu, and Thailand, to Phoobadin Yoohanngoh. At home however he has proven to be very good losing just to Gabby Simpo and Al Toyogon. On paper this looks like a bit of a one sided bout, but in reality Metuda will be up for this and could make life very tough for Canega.

Also in action on this show is the unbeaten Kevin Villanueva (5-0. 3), with “The Spider” seeking his 6th win as he takes on Carl Jeffrey Basil (6-2-1, 4). Villanueva has been moved smartly since making his debut in August 2023, with each bout being a step up in some way, from the previous one. This will be his second 8 rounder and on paper Basil looks to be his toughest test. Not only have his opponents been improving but he's also been busy and this will be his 4th bout of 2024. Basil, known as the "Ibaloi Warrior", was matched hard early in his career, losing 2 of his first 5 to Elmar Zamora and Lorenz Dumam-ag, both of whom are still unbeaten prospects, but has won his last 2, beating the unbeaten pairing of Kasty Flores and George Sedillo earlier this year, and he'll be wanting to take a third straight 0. Villanueva will understandably be favoured, but Basil is a live under-dog.

Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines
A second, less notable, Filipino show will be held in IIlagan, and is very much a small card, with only really one bout worthy of attention, and even that is one that looks like it a one sided mismatch, at least on paper.

That bout will see 30 year old Claudevan Sese (10-6-3, 4) seek his second win of the year, as he takes on the win some-lose some Alvin Medura (11-10, 7), who will be looking to avoid falling to an 11-11 record. Sese was unbeaten in his first 10, going 7-0-3, but had struggled since then, going 3-6-3, with 5 of the 6 losses coming on the road. Whilst he has mixed at a good level, he hasn't really been competitive in his step up bouts. As for Medura he has gone 1-5 in his last 6, and whilst he, like Sese, as come up short again his better foes, he does have some notable wins to name, including one over Mugcha Nakagawa, one over Ardin Diale and one from earlier this year against the previously unbeaten Bryan Ascano. On paper this is a mismatch, but Medura is better than his record suggests and is a live fighter here, as we’ve seen in his upsets in the past.

Itaewon Primary School, Seoul, South Korea
We also get a show in South Korea, which is small, but does have several noteworthy bouts on it.

The main event local veteran Joo Young Kim (17-2-3, 10) will face once beaten Korean based Uzbekistani fighter Dovrugbek Ibragimov (4-1, 2). The 34 year old Kim has had a frustrating career. He debuted in 2013, and drew 3 of his first 5 bouts, and was 6-3-2 after 11, but is now unbeaten since a 2017 loss to Ma Roo Jung, who also give Kim his first loss the previous year. He has now won 11 in a row, with solid wins against Joo Hun Kim and Doniyorbek Khaitaliev, but at 34 it feels his career, which has been stop-start at times, is going to be one that could, and probably should, have been better. As for Ibragimov, he’s unbeaten since being stopped by Obboskhon Yuldashev on debut, but has reeled off 4 low quality wins, the most notable of which being a 6 round decision over the 42 year old Mark Sales. Sadly his wins say little about him, and this should be regarded as a clear leap up in class for him

Also on this card is a brilliant matchup between unbeaten fighters, as Chinese fighter Tuohatasen Sailibieke (3-0, 2) takes on Uzbekistan’s Faryozbek Dustmatov (3-0, 2). Unbeaten 21 year old Sailibieke made his debut in China last year, with his last two bouts taking place on the road including a win in South Korea against Khusniddin Maraimov, who like Dustmatov was an unbeaten Korean based Uzbekistani fighter. Notably the win over Maraimov was the only time Sailibieke has had to go more than 3 rounds, and he only narrowly took the win there, with a split decision. Dustmatov, the younger brother of Hasanboy Dusmatov, Dustmatov is quickly making his mark on the Korean seen, and a win over Sang Heon Oh back in October showed that he has genuine potential, potential that we expect the 20 year old to prove again here.

Salle des Étoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco
The most significant bout of the day, featuring an Asian, comes from Monaco, where former unified Super Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9) takes on Ricardo Espinoza Franco (30-4, 25) for the, frankly ridiculous, honour of becoming the WBA interim Super Bantamweight champion, and the more notable honour of becoming Naoya Inoue’s first mandatory of 2025. The talented, yet frustrating, Akhmadaliev has only fought once since losing the WBA and IBF titles to Marlon Tapales, back in April 2013, and that was one bout was almost a year ago, when he beat Kevin Gonzalez. He has killed any momentum his career once had and accumulated some serious ring rust whilst sitting on the side, waiting for a fight to come to him, rather than chase the fights. He’s talented, heavy handed, and has a solid record, with wins against Daniel Roman, Ryosuke Iwasa and Ronny Rios, among others, but it does feel like he’s wasted the last 18 months. As for Franco, the Mexican is somewhat unheralded, dangerous and could be a banana skin if "MJ" overlooks him. He's not a world beater, but wins over Brandon Valdes and Yeison Vargas show he's not against upsetting fighters, and losses to John Riel Casimero and Daniel Roman showed he was a capable fighter, despite losses in both of those bouts. Akhmadaliev should win, but this might be a good work out for him, before a potential showdown with the Monster next year.

Real questions do, however, need to be asked of the WBA who have brought their “interim” titles roading back, in ridiculous fashion, given the WBA’s main title will have been fought for 4 times between December 26th 2023 and December 24th 2024. A simply ridiculous move by the World Boxing Association. 

EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
At the EDION Arena Osaka we get one of two very good Japanese shows, with this one being streamed on Youtube courtesy of Television OSAKA NEWS.

The main event of the shows sees one of the brightest talents in Osaka looks to unify titles against an unbeaten Filipino looking to make a name for himself. The local youngster in is WBC Youth Light Flyweight champion Yuga Ozaki (7-0-1, 5), who looks to add the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title to his collection as he takes on Filipino Archiel Villamor (8-0, 4). Ozaki really does look like one of the future stars of Japan, with incredible speed, nasty power and great selection, with notable wins already over Clyde Azarcon, Sitthisak Simsri, Kenshi Noda and Kitidech Hirunsuk. Not only is he a fast rising fighter at 108lbs, who could well land a world title fight next year, but he also impressed when he moved up in weight and dominated Shota Asami in September. He might not be quite ready for a world title fight, but it really feels like it’s only a matter of time. As for Villamor, the unbeaten Filipino should not be viewed as an easy target. In just 8 fights he has beaten opponents with a combined 32-13-4 record, including 6 fighters with winning records. Whilst his opponents aren’t as well known as Ozaki’s they do include Helario Genanda, then 6-0, and 3 wins over Harry Omac. He’ll be there to win and could end up asking questions of Ozaki, but is unlikely to be a real threat to the Japanese star.

Sadly the other notable bouts on this card, which all feature talented Japanese fighters, appear to be mismatches against limited Thais. The worst of this will see the once beaten Takahiro Tai (7-1, 7) take on Marudet Chinsukeeporn (3-4, 3), with Tai expected to smash through Marudet in quick fashion, and give him his 4th stoppage loss. Tai This is Tai's 4th straight bout against a Thai opponent, and in reality his team needs to start matching him with better opponents, and perhaps even some domestic tests, something they've avoided since his 2021 loss to Fumiya Fuse.

Following his first loss Shunpei Odagiri (4-1, 2) has got an easy confidence builder, as he faces Anantachai Duanyai (3-2, 2), in what really should be an easy win for the talented Odagiri. Likewise Shinsei Otani (9-2, 6) shouldn’t be tested by Surasak Chumkaew (4-2, 3), who has never scored a win against a fighter with a win, being stopped the two times he faced fighters of any quality. Otani has scored 2 wins this year, following a loss in March, and should be taking on stiffer tests than this, especially given his performance last year against Kai Watanabe.

International Conference Hall, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
As well as the show in Osaka, there is also a pretty notable one in Aichi, as we see one of the region's most promising fighters look to bounce from his fist loss, as well as two JBC ranked fighters on the under-card.

The main event features second generation fighter Kento Hatanaka (15-1, 10), the son of former world champion Kiyoshi Hatanaka, take on Thai visitor Weerawat Noolae (6-2, 3), with Hatanaka looking to rebuild following a loss to Thananchai Charunphak, back in August. The talented Hatanaka was looking to record his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight title, and whilst the loss to Thananchai was a set back, we all saw that it was no fluke when Thananchai pushed WBA world champion Seigo Yuri Akui all the way back in October. Thananchai’s performance against Akui should give Hatanaka the feeling that he’s pretty much fringe world level, at worst, and he should take home a win here. Noolae on the other hand is somewhat a popular fighter with Japanese promoters as he always gives an honest effort, though has lost in his previous visits to the county, losing a decision to Reo Nishioka and then being stopped in 4 rounds by Seiya Tsutusmi, prior to Tsutusmi's recent WBA Bantamweight title win. Noolae is expected to go rounds, give a fair account, but come up short as Hatanaka gets back to winning ways.

On the under-card we’ll see JBC ranked Flyweight Ryo Sakai (7-1, 3) look to continue his current winning run, which includes winning the 2023 All Japan Rookie of the Year and beating Shunpei Kubo, as he takes on Daichi Morino (5-5, 3) . Agd just 21 Sakai has had a remarkable couple of years, following a loss in 2022 to Jin Nikaido. He has won his last 5, with the wins over Kubo and Ryunosuke Takaguma being particularly notable ones, and appears to be developing into a real talent, who builds everything off the basics. This will however be his first bout against a southpaw, something Morino will look to make the most of, with the 31 year old Morino looking to end a 4 fight losing run, though he has fought at a good level during that run with losses to Yoshiki Minato and Akira Hosuyama during that stretch. Sadly for Morino his losing streak has really killed the momentum he had been building, when he had reeled off 5 straight wins. This appears to be more about getting Sakai some ring time with a southpaw than giving him a real test.

Potentially the standout bout on the show will see JBC ranked Super Flyweight Yasuhiro Kanzaki (10-3-1, 2) take on the unbeaten Otoya Inuzuka (8-0-1, 4) in a very god looking 8 rounder. The 24 year old Kanzaki can feel aggrieved to have 2 of his losses, both by razor thin split decision including on in the All Japan Rookie of the Year final, whilst his most recent loss came to the hard hitting Ryota Yamauchi in June, and Yamamuchi is very dangerous at this level. That loss ended a 4 fight winning run for Kanzaki who had claimed the JBC Youth title in June 2022. Aged 22 Inuzuka, an Aichi native, has been slowly putting together a decent record, taking good wins over Riku Yamashita and Yuto Oki this year, and will know that whilst he is the under-dog here a win would give his career a massive shot in the arm, and move him into the rankings. Although not a pure puncher he is maturing and his last two wins, his best two to date, both came early, suggesting he is, possibly, maturing into his power.

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
At Korakuen Hall we get a stacked Ohashi Gym card, with 3 title fights and the second outing of a potential future star, following their excellent amateur career.

The main event of the card will see OPBF super Bantamweight champion Kazuki Nakajima (16-2-1, 13) defending his title against second generation fighter Juiki Tatsuyoshi (16-0-1, 10), who is fighting in his first professional bout. The hard hitting Nakajima now enjoying his second reign as an OPBF champion and third reign as a champion of any kind, will be seeking his second defense and is looking to build on a good year which has included wins over Mugicha Nakagawa and Shingo Wake. Although he lost last year to TJ Doheny he has rebuilt well and will be looking to continue his climb to a world title fight, potentially picking up a strap when Naoya Inoue inevitably leaves the division. As for Tatsuyoshi, the son of former world champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, the bout is his long overdue sink or swim fight. He made his debut in 2015 and has been moved very slowly, by Japanese standards, and this appears to be a much anticipated chance for him to show what he’s capable of. He is flawed but heavy handed and will hope he has the power to give Nakajima his third stoppage loss.

In a major support bout we’ll see Japanese Welterweight champion David Ssemujju (6-1, 4) defending his title, for the first time, as he takes on former interim champion Takeru Kobata (14-6-1, 6), in what could be a very fun fight. The Japanese based, Ugandan born, Ssemujju is a 32 year old who has been fast tracked to title success on the back of a notable amateur career that included competing at the Tokyo Olympics. He began fighting in Japan this year, after professional 4 bouts in Uganda, and has won two bouts in Japan this year, along with suffering a controversial loss in China to Kamronbek Eshmatov, The most recent of those wins, against Aso Ishiwaki, saw "De Animal", claim the Japanese title with a 7th round TKO. He’s got solid power, surprisingly hand speed and the technical abilities expected of a former Olympian. As for Kobata he's a very basic, but strong fighter, who likes to press and try to break fighters down, as we've seen in his wins against the likes of Rikuto Adachi and Yuki Nagano. He is basic, but is a strong, aggressive 26 year old who makes for fun fights due to his style and limitations.

Potentially the best of the title bouts comes at the Japanese Youth level, as Yusei Yamazaki (4-0, 4) and Ryota Muto (6-1-1, 4) fight for the vacant JBC Youth Super Bantamweight title. The hard hitting Yamazaki is a 23 year old who debuted in June 2023 and has needed just 8 rounds to take out his first 4 opponents, who have all been from Thailand. He is clearly an explosive puncher, with nasty power, a very good jab and spiteful left hands to the body, but the fact this is the first time he has faced a fellow Japanese fighter does suggest he could be in for a tougher time of things here. As for Muto, the 19 year old won the All Japan Rookie of the Year last December, stopping Tawa Sudo in the final in 116 seconds, but was beaten last time out, by Tulio Dekanarudo, an it'll be interesting to see how he bounces back from his first loss. He is definitely the more proven, as a professional, and returns to Korakuen Hall for this first bout there since his Rookie of the Year win. Given that both are confident in their power, we’re expecting this one to be something of a thriller

Another youngster on this card with a lot of promise is former amateur standout Shogo Tanaka (1-0), who will be looking for his second win as he takes on Thailand’s Natsaphon Manonom (3-1, 3). Tanaka was given a genuine test on debut, as he had to climb off the canvas to beat Ryunosuke Takaguma, and will be expecting a much more straightforward win here against a 19 year old Thai who was beaten, in 2 rounds, by Yuta Hayashi the last time he fought in Japan.

Grand Elysée, Rotherbaum, Hamburg, Germany
In a bit of a weird one we travel over to Germany for a rematch between unbeaten Mexican Esneidy Rodriguez Olmos (8-0-1) and Japan’s Sana Hazuki (12-9-1, 6), who face off just over 3 months after they fought in Mexico. When the two met for the first time Olmos took a clear decision in her home of Veracruz, to claim the WBC Silver title that Hazuki had won a year earlier. The 25 year old Olmos will be fighting outside of Mexico for the second time, having previously fought a bout in Belize, her win over Hazuki is the most meaningful on her record and she’ll be looking to show that she didn’t need home advantage in their first bout. As for Hazuki, who’s now 40, this will be her 5th bout on the road, and the feeling seems to be that this is one last roll of the decide, and if she loses here, here career will wind down as she heads into retirement. Saying that however she was on a 4 fight winning run until the loss to Olmos, and will be desperate to avenge that defeat. Whilst Germany seems an odd place for this bout, it seems like the winner of this could be in line for the eventual winner of Tina Rupprecht Vs Sumire Yamanaka, who are expected to unify the 4 Atomweight titles in the new year.

Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Wednesday we get the next show from Flash Akabane, and while it’s a relatively weak one, it does have two bouts worthy of some note.

The main event of the show is a battle fo Riku’s as Jirolian Riku (14-4, 13) takes on Riku Nagahama (13-6-1, 4), at a contracted 68KG’s (149.9lbs) in a very peculiar one that we couldn’t have imagined taking place before it was made. Jirolian is a former domestic Lightweight contender, who was a very heavy handed fighter at 135lbs. Aged 36 he hasn't fought in over 2 years, since being stopped in 3 rounds by the then Japanese Lightweight champion Shu Utsuki, yet appears to have spent all that time bulking up, moving from 135lb up to Welterweight. As for Nagahama he's a former OPBF Welterweight champion, who has fought as high as Middleweight, before settling at 147lbs. Notably Nagahama has lost his last 3, and 4 of his last 5, and was stopped in just 99 seconds last time out. Nagahama is the naturally bigger, heavier, stronger fighter though with the recent losses and Jirolian’s power, this is a very, very intriguing match up, and it’s really hard to see where the loser goes after it.

The chief support bout could end up being one of those Korakuen Hall specials, where the match-making provides us a very special 8 rounder. The match up in question will see Tomonori Nagao (8-2-2, 5) take on Yuta Nakayama (8-6-3, 5) in a Flyweight bout, and it’s a match up where the styles and mentalities of the two men should gel to give us a high tempo war. Nagao, who has been stopped in both of his losses, is riding a 3 fight unbeaten run, though was held to a draw by Temple Kamihara back in June and he will be desperate to get back to winning ways. As for Nakayama, he's 29 and is winless in his last 5, drawing his last 2. Notably he hasn't won since December 2019, when he beat Yuki Uchida, and like Nagao he has a questionable chin, with 4 of his 6 losses coming early. Both men will be desperate for a win, and we suspect that whilst this one could start slowly it’ll warm up into something of a thriller.

ProBox TV Events Center, Plant City, Florida, USA
Over in Florida ProBox give us a bout that can genuinely be described as intriguing, as the unbeaten, and criminally under-rated, Katsuma Akitsugi (11-0, 2) takes on former multi-time world title contender Aston Palicte (28-6-1, 23) in a truly brilliant match up. Akitsugi, an unbeaten US based Japanese fighter, has slowly been building a cult following, originally as an upset minded B-side, taking the unbeaten records of Arnold Dinong, Eros Correa, Rasheen Brown and Gregory Morales, before linking up with ProBox who have done the obvious, and actually backed him, with him beating Jesus Ramirez Rubio on a Probox show in July. Now being matched with Palicte it seems obvious ProBox feel a win over a former world title challenger would boost Akitsugi and move him towards a title shot of his own. As for Palicte the hard hitting Filipino, who fought both Donnie Nietes and Kazuto Ioka for the WBO Flyweight title, has struggled in recent years, losing his last 2 bouts by stoppage, but has some name value, which will help boost Akitsugi. Of course this isn’t a gimmie, as Palicte does have genuine power, and if he lands this could get hairy for Akitsugi and his unbeaten record.

Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia
Down under unbeaten Australian prospect Tyler Blizzard (8-0, 4), which we need to say is a great name, will be up against Chinese visitor Chengcheng Yang (7-6, 4). Blizzard has been slowly stepping up the quality of his opponents, and will be looking to squeeze in a 4th win of the year here. He's still fighting at a low level but "The Wizard" does look like a talented Aussie prospect to keep an eye on going forward. Sadly Yang is very much under-sized here, being a natural Flyweight to Super Flyweight and fighting this bout at closer to Featherweight This will be his third bout down under, where he notably took a major upset in April against Rocky Ogden, but lost the rematch. He shouldn't be overlooked and written off here, and his wins over Ogden and Hiroki Ogawa show him to be dangerous, but he is likely to be too small to be a real threat for Blizzard. Still, he is much better than his record suggests and is a step up for Blizzard.​