Aktau, Kazakhstan
The most notable Asian action this coming Saturday comes from Kazakhstan where we'll get the chance to see some of the top Kazakh hopefuls in action. In one of the main bouts the unbeaten Meiirim Nursultanov (16-0, 9) will be looking to defend his WBO International Middleweight title, as he takes on Argentina's Sebastian Horacio Papeschi (18-3, 6). The talented Nursultanov is now 28 and will be looking to move towards a more serious title fight in the near future, but will have to work his way there and the WBO International title will be his key to climbing up the WBO rankings towards a shot. As for Papeschi this bout will be only his second outside of Argentina, following a 2021 win in Panama. Notably the Argentinian does hold a win of note over over former world title challenger Marcelo Esteban Coceres, but a win here would be regarded as an upset by him. In another leading bout the once beaten Bekman Soylybayev (13-1, 5) will be up against former world champion Tomas Rojas (52-20-1, 34). The 31 year old Soylybayev suffered his first loss last year, losing a close decision in Dubai against Ramiro Cesena, and has picked up a low key win since then though if we're being honest the jury is still out on how far he can go, especially as a 31 year old in the talent laden Super Featherweight division. If he can come close to a world title fight we would be very surprised. As for Rojas the Mexican veteran, who had his biggest success at 115lbs more than a decade ago, is now 41 and is still, surprisingly, having some success with recent wins coming against Jhonny Gonzalez, Jairo Lopez and Ranfis Javier Encarnacion. It's easy to pick against Rojas here, especially with 4 losses in his last 5, but he is upset minded and will not be there to just roll over for the local. Arguably the most notable hopeful on this card is former amateur standout Bekzad Nurdauletov (4-0, 2), who is looking to score his 5th win as he takes on Argentinian Durval Elias Palacio (9-2, 6). The talented Nurdauletov is one of the best talents in Kazakhstan and we suspect over the next 12-18 months we'll see him face progressively better opponents with a potential bout against a notable name in late 2023 or early 2024. He is a genuine talent, though his opponents so far really haven't asked many questions of his ability so far. Palacio on the other hand won his first 9 bouts, but has lost his last 2, and will come into this fight with no real confidence or momentum. This should be a good chance for Nurdauletov to get some more rounds under his belt, but we don't imagine Palacio really testing him here. One other bout of note will see former Kazakh amateur Berik Jedibayev (0-0) make his professional debut, taking on Uzbek fighter Burgut Hodjiboyev (8-4, 3) in a 6 rounder. We can't find much about Jedibayev's amateur days, but he does pop up in a few reports of amateur shows, and when a fighter begins their career in a 6 rounder it is a good sign that they will be moved quickly. As for Hodjiboyev he comes into this on the back of 3 straight losses, but all of his losses so far have come to unbeaten fighters, and he'll be there looking to upset the local hopeful Rumours International, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia In Queensland we'll see former world title challenger Apinun Khongsong (18-1, 15) take on Steve Spark (14-2, 13). The heavy handed Apinun, also known Downua Ruavaiking, is best known for his 2020 loss to Josh Taylor, in which he was stopped in a round. Since then he has bounced back with two low wins but will be looking to give his career a big shot in the arm here as he takes on Steve Spark, a gutsy and exciting Australian fighter who has plenty of power his own. Although Spark, like Apinun, lost his most notable bout, a 2021 clash with Tim Tszyu, he showed his toughness and fire in that bout, and we'd expect this one to be a genuinely tense, yet exciting bout that could end at any moment. Hobart Netball and Sports Centre, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Staying in Australia we'll also see Indonesian veteran in action, as Arief Blader (27-33-3, 11) takes on Luke Jackson (19-2, 8), in what looks like an horrendous mismatch against Blader. The 36 year old Blader, dubbed "The Ice" has got some rare momentum coming in to this, having won his last 4 bouts, but that momentum is unlikely to help when you consider those wins came against very poor domestic foes, and he has never scored a win on his travels. As for Jackson a win is expected as he looks to bounce back from a 2020 loss to Tyson Lantry. A bit of a confidence builder for Jackson and little else.
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Borgata Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
This coming Saturday attention turns to New Jersey for an interesting card from PBC. The show isn't a massive one, but it does feature two very notable bouts with Asian fighters involved, one a world title fight and one a major crossroads fight for two men who can't afford another loss to begin this year. The world title fight sees WBC Featherweight champion Gary Allen Russell Jr (31-1, 18) end 2 years of inactivity as he takes on his latest mandatory challenger, Filipino fighter Mark Magsayo (23-0, 16). Russell Jr is one of the most talented fighters in the sport, and there is no denying his ability, but there is major question marks as to how the WBC haven't yet stripped him, and a massive question mark about his hunger for the sport. Hunger that doesn't appear to be there, and that's a shame as his career could have been something very special. As for Magsayo this is a huge opportunity for a Filipino fighter who was tipped for huge things right from the off, but has struggled in recent bouts and whilst this is the right time to fight Russell, we do feel Magsayo could have done with a few more tough fights. Especially given how bad he looked against Rigoberto Hermosillo. This is a massive opportunity for Magsayo but also a major ask for him. Our preview of this bout can be read here Unbeaten Magsayo gets shot at WBC king Russell Jr In an excellent supporting match up former Russell foe Tugstsogt Nyambayar (12-2, 9) takes on Vic Pasillas (16-1, 9), in what could be a show stealer. The talented Nyambayar lost to Russell Jr in 2020 and lost last time out, when he moved up in weight and was out pointed by Chris Colbert. He now needs a win to remain relevant after those two losses. Thankfully for him this bout is at his natural Featherweight and he is very dangerous at 126lbs. Pasillas, who is great fun to watch, has been out of the ring for almost a year, and was last seen losing in a brilliant action bout with Ra'eese Aleem, for the interim WBA Super Bantamweight. Notably it is Pasillas moving up in weight for this bout, and that should help Nyambayar out. Regardless, expect fireworks with this one. Halyk arena sport complex, Aktau, Kazakhstan As well as the US action there is also a show in Kazakhstan. In the main event of the card unbeaten Kazakh Middleweight hopeful Meiirim Nursultanov (15-0, 8) will be up against Russian fighter Andrey Sirotkin (19-1-1, 7), with the men battling for the WBO International Middleweight title. Coming in to this Nursultanov will be looking to show what he can do, and to prove himself after really treading water in recent years. He has long shown potential, but that potentially really hasn't been delivered on, yet, but a win over Sirotkin would help him move towards a world title fight. As for Sirotkin, he will be looking to bounce back from a draw last time out with Danny Dignum, but he will know he's the away fighter and the crowd will be backing Nursultanov. Also on this card will be Bekzad Nurdauletov (3-0, 1) and Bekman Soylybayev (12-1, 4), who are both looking to kick off 2022 and move their careers forward. Although neither are major names Nurdauletov is certainly a prospect to keep an eye on and someone we tend to think has the potential to go all the way, though him reaching those hieghts is, admittedly, still some years away from happening. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
The most noteworthy action this coming Saturday is a Japanese national title fight at Korakuen Hall, which will headline this month's Dynamic Glove. That title bout is the rescheduled bout between Rikito Shiba (5-1, 3) and Shokichi Iwata (6-0, 4), for the Japanese Light Flyweight title. This was supposed to take place back in September, before Iwata tested positive for Covid at the weigh in forcing the bout to be scrapped at the 11th hour. Given how we've seen Covid effecting fighters this could be a case of Iwata rushing back to soon, given his illness. Ignoring the Covid situation the bout is a mouth watering one, between two young fighters each looking to boost their careers and really move on to the next level. Our in depth preview of this one can be read here Iwata and Shiba clash for Japanese title! In a really good supporting bout we'll see novice professional Goki Kobayashi (1-0, 1) take on Hayato Aoki (4-1, 3), in what could be a really interesting match up. Kobayashi was a solid amateur, and looked very good in his debut in June, but we suspect that Aoki will look to drag him into a fire fight here, and we could get something a big explosive if Aoki can start fast. Workpoint Studio, Bang Phun, Thailand Over in thailand we get the next show under the WP Boxing series of shows, and it's headlined by one of Thailand best young prospects, taking on someone who has long been a gatekeeper to the regional scene. The prospect in question is Thattana Luangphon (14-0-1, 12), aka Chainoi Worawut, who will be looking to defend his WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title. In the opposite corner to the unbeaten puncher will be Sukpraserd Ponpitak (27-12, 19), , who also fights as Sukkasem Kietyongyuth. Chainoi is regarded as one of the best prospects in Thailand, with nasty power, good skills, and a developing boxing brain, which could see him landing regional level fights in 2022, when Covid restrictions are finally lifted. Sukkasem on the other hand is known for once being a decent fighter, but is now a tune for many in Asia, including future Naoya Inoue opponent Aran Dipaen and current OPBF champion Keita Kurihara among others. Halyk arena sport complex, Aktau, Kazakhstan In Aktau we'll see a number of Kazakh hopefuls in action, though sadly the opponents really aren't the most testing and the match ups seem rather predictable, though it's better to see the hopefuls fighter rather than sat, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for interesting opponents to be available. One of the prospects is Light Heavyweight Bekzad Nurdauletov (2-0, 1), an amateur standout tipped for really big things. He'll be up against Russian based Uzbekistani fighter Farrukh Juraev (6-4-1, 2). Notably Juraev has has never been stopped, and should take Nurdaletov the scheduled 8 rounds, but he is a natural Middleweight and he hasn't really shown much in terms of a being a threat against novices so far, and that includes novices without the amateur pedigree of the Kazakh. Another notable unbeaten on this card is Meiirim Nursultanov (14-0, 8), who has been in an around the fringes of a world rankings for a whilst. The unbeaten Nursultanov is a 28 year old who looked set to break out after a very strong 2019, but has lost a lot of momentum here. Thankfully for him he shouldn't be tested too much here as he takes on the very limited Dzmitry Atrokhau (16-11, 7), from Belarus. Atrokhau is a 33 year old Southpaw who has been a professional since 2013 and despite picking up a lot of loses he is very much a survival expert, with his sole stoppage loss coming when his team threw in the towel against Andrii Velikovskyi. This should be a great chance for Nursultanov to get some ring time and shake some ring rust, but it would be a huge shock if the bout was at all competitive. TMMA San-Chong Gym, Taipei, Taiwan We also get a small card in Taiwan, with a few local fighters facing off. The most notable of which will see the unbeaten Ching Hsin Wang (2-0-1) face off with Chian Huei Chin (0-1-1), in a second bout between the two ladies. These two fought to a draw in 2019, and Wang hasn't fought since then, so will be coming in with more than 2 years of inactivity. Chin has fought since that draw, but has been inactive since November 2019, and has almost 2 years of inactivity herself. Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Attention turns to Kazakhstan this coming Wednesday for the next show from Suleimen promotions. Although certainly not a huge card it's a very interesting one with some very highly regarded prospects taking on real tests. As well as the prospects we'll also get a clash between two unbeaten fighters looking to move towards a big fight in 2021. Arguably the most interesting of the prospects on this card is 22 year old former Kazakh amateur stand out Bek Nurmaganbet (2-0, 1), who won the 2019 Asian Amateur Championships. He's set to take a huge step up to take on the dangerous Emmanuel Danso (32-5, 26), from Ghana. The talented Kazakh youngster has shown a lot to like in his first two professional bouts but there is still a lot to prove and we might see him prove some of those things here. In reality however Danso has been stopped in 4 of his losses and is unlikely to pose too many threats to the talented Kazakh. Although likely a mismatch it is worth noting that Danso has gone 10 rounds with Fanlong Meng, 4 with Ruslan Fayfer and 3 with Umar Salamov. With Nurmaganbet taking him on this early it seems like a real sign of his ambition to get into the world rankings as quickly as possible. The exceptionally talented Bekzad Nurdauletov (1, 0, 1), who has already booked his place at the Tokyo Olympics and won gold at the World Amateur Championships, looks to tick over with a bout against 40 year old Nigerian puncher Kabiru Towolawi (13-2, 10). The 22 year old Nurdauletov has gone to the professional ranks to stay busy until the Olympics and a bout like this seems to be the perfect type of bout for him. Towolawi is a fairly limited fighter with decent power and a solid chin, going 10 rounds with Olanrewaju Durodola just over a year ago. This should be a decent insight into what the Kazakh can offer the pros, when he finally commits fully to the professional ranks. In a very ambitious bit of match making we'll see Kazakh novice Yevgeniy Pavlov (2-0, 2) take on under-rated Pinoy puncher Alie Laurel (18-4-1, 11), in arguably the most interesting of the under-card bouts. The 21 year old Pavlov looked impressive last time out, but was up against someone with little ambition. Here he's in with a very, very capable fighter in Laurel, albeit a naturally smaller man. Although Laurel has fought as high as Super Featherweight he has had his best success at Bantamweight, where he beat the likes of Tiger Tor Buamas and Nobuhisa Coronita Doi. On paper a genuinely tough one for Pavlov, who will be asked questions by a live under-dog. Another under-card bout will see Danila Semenov (1-0, 1) seek win #2 as he takes on Ghana's Abraham Tabul (17-4-1, 14) in a Heavyweight clash. We weren't blown away by Semenov on his debut, which saw him stop Mussa Ajibu in 4 rounds, but we do expect him to walk through Tabul here, given the man from Ghana has been stopped in 3 of his last 4. This might be over very, very quickly and leave us still wondering about how good Semenov is. The real highlight of this show is the main event, which will pit world ranked Kazakh Super Middleweight Aidos Yerbossynuly (14-0, 9) against unbeaten Issah Samir (19-0, 16). The 29 year old Yerbossynuly is world ranked by all 4 world title bodies and holds minor titles from across the bodies, including the WBO Global and WBA International titles, which he'll be defending here. Although talented he has been down several times and is certainly not the most comfortable fighter under pressure. Samir on the other hand is a 31 year old from Ghana who sports a very nice looking record, but will be fighting outside of Ghana for the first time. Samir will the under-dog, but comes into the bout with a punchers and the confidence of being unbeaten. This could be a genuine test for Yerbossynuly and his questionable chin. Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA In the US we'll see the highly anticipated professional debut of Filipino amateur star Eumir Marcial (0-0), who is hotly tipped to take a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The talented Pinoy will be tested against a foe with a winning record, as he battles Andrew Whitfield (3-1, 2) over 4 rounds. Guided by MP Promotions Marcial is regarded as one of the potential stars of the future for the Philippines and we are expecting a very impressive performance here on his debut. It's fair to say this coming Saturday is mostly about one contest in the US, though surprisingly there is an incredible amount of action involving Asian fighters here, with bouts all over Asia. This is probably the busiest day we've had since boxing restarted back in the summer.
The Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA It goes without saying that our attention this coming Saturday is in Las Vegas, where we get two Japanese fighters on action on a Top Rank show. The main event here will see WBA "Super" and IBF Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16) make his Las Vegas debut, as he takes on Australian challenger Jason Moloney (21-1, 18) in a much anticipated bout. For Inoue this will be his first bout since his World Boxing Super Series win against Nonito Donaire last year, and he has some questions hanging over him for once, such as whether or not his right eye is anything close to 100% following that Donaire bout. He also has questions hanging over him in regards rust and potentially being over-trained, given he was supposed to fight in March. As for Moloney he's the clear under-dog and this is a huge chance for him, though he will know that if he wins his career will change massively. Interesting Moloney was close to facing Inoue last year, and would have done so had he got the decision in the WBSS quarter final bout against Emanuel Rodriguez. Since his loss to Rodriguez, Moloney has racked up 4 wins and comes into this with momentum, despite being the big under-dog. Our full, in depth, previous of this bout can be read here The Monster takes on Moloney in Las Vegas! The other Japanese fighter on this show is Andy Hiraoka (15-0, 10), who will be looking to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on Rickey Edwards (12-4, 3). For Hiraoka this will be his second bout in Las Vegas, where he fought last November. The Japanese Light Welterweight is being groomed for big things and he's expected to pick up an easy win here and more a step closer to a title fight, of some kind. Edwards on the other hand is struggling for form and has gone 1-4 in his last 5, and it unlikely to post any real questions to the talented Hiraoka. If you're tuning in for Inoue make sure to keep an eye out for Hiraoka, he's a genuine talent. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Staying with Japanese boxing for a moment it's worth noting that we are getting some East Japan Rookie of the Year bouts on the same day, as Korakuen Hall plays host to the first set of semi-finals bouts. In total there are 6 bouts set for this show, but due to all the action taking place through Asia we'll only really look at one of them. The most notable is the Super Flyweight bout between unbeaten puncher Yota Sato (2-0, 2) and the very, very highly regarded Kosuke Tomioka (3-0, 2). This is the stand bout from this round of East Japan Rookie of the Year bouts, and will see Tomioka getting his first serious test against someone who looked devastating last time out. We are expecting big things here in a potentially explosive match up. If you've got tickets to this one, it's the one that you need to be in your seat for! If you're not in Tokyo, the bout is the one to watch when it becomes available online. As well as the Sato Vs Tomioka bout, the show also pits unbeaten Flyweights against each other, with Teppei Saito (3-0, 2) facing Shugo Namura (3-0, 3), and Light Flyweights, and Light Flyweight, with Yota Mihara (3-0, 3) battling against Hayato Aoki (3-0, 2). Yes this is gonna be a good one! Suamlum Night Bazaar, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand We also get a show of real note from Bangkok, where TL Promotions continue to make their mark on the sport, and bring through their range of talented and promising fighters. The main event here will see Nonthasith Petchnamthong (1-0) drop down to Bantamweight to take on former Light Flyweight world champion Kompayak Porpramook (60-9, 41). We were impressed by Nonthasith on his debut, where he Arnon Yupang, where he won a WBA Asia title, and now appears to be dropping into a weight that is much, much more natural for him. Kompayak isn't the fighter he once was, not even close, but he does come to win, press, and is still a very good test for prospects. We expect to Kompayak trying to win, but be out boxed, out punched, and out muscled by the novice. Kompayaka, with his experience, is a live under-dog here, but he is clearly an under-dog. Another bout on this show will see Anurak Thisa (24-2, 9), aka Nop Kratingdaenggym, take on Artid Bamrungauea (26-31, 24) in what looks like little more than a stay busy fight, and an easy win for talented Thisa. Also on this card bouts between Tanes Ongjunta (4-1, 2) and Decha Puttaluksa (1-4), and a contest pitting the unbeaten Yuttapong Tongdee (3-0, 2) against the limited Kan Hamongkol (4-14, 1). Sadly these both look like formalities. Singmanassak Muaythai School, Pathum Thani, Thailand A second Thai show will come from Pathum thani and this really does look a lot less significant than the other show. The main event here is set to be a clash between the unbeaten Kevin Gronlund (3-0, 1) and the limited, but heavy handed, Tanawat Ketsiri (5-6, 5), with the men clashing for the Thai Lightweight title. The 25 year old Gronlund debuted in June 2019 and has struggled in a couple of his wins. Ketsiri on the other hand is a 17 year old who debuted in 2017, has been matched hard and suffered a couple of losses to decent regional fighters, but has won his last 3 and will be hoping to carry on that momentum here. Atyrau, Kazakhstan Over in Kazakhstan we'll be getting the chance to see a number of very promising Kazakh's dip their toes in professional ranks, with the intention to remain amateurs and head to the Tokyo Olympics. This is thanks to Suleimen promotions who are putting on a 5 fight show. One of those bouts will see Bek Nurmaganbet (1-0, 1) look for his second professional win, as he takes on experienced Tanzanian Abdallah S Pazzy (27-7-1, 24). After looking good against a very over-matched opponent on his debut this is a good step up in class for Nurmaganbet , and we should see the former amateur standout given a genuine test against a hard hitting fighter who beat Zulipikaer Maimaitiali last year. This is a genuinely dangerous test for the Kazakh novice. Another Kazakh with some pro experience on this show is Yevgeniy Pavlov (1-0, 1), who also takes a massive step up in class as he takes on Tanzania's Goodluck Mrema (23-5, 13). Pavlov made his debut in July and looked decent against an over-matched opponent and, like Nurmaganbet, he is taking a huge leap up in class. Mrema isn't a world beater, nothing close in fact, but he has mixed with good company and has been in the ring with Marlon Tapales and Jason Moloney. We expect a win for Pavlov here, but it would be good to see him being tested. The first of three debutants on this show will be Danila Semenov (0-0) who makes his debut against once beaten 36 year old Ghanaian John Napari (21-1, 15). Semenov is expected to make a big mark on the professional ranks in the coming years, and this is a very serious debut, against a man who's only loss came to the then 19-0-1 Apti Davtaev. A real risk and a real potential to make a statement from Semenov. The second debutant will be Ablaikhan Zhussupov (0-0), who has booked a place in the Tokyo Olympics. He will be looking to keep busy here as he shares the ring with Tanzania's Meshack Mwankemwa (21-7-2, 13), who has faced a few notables names. Zhussupov is a brilliant talent, and our hope is that after the Olympics he will become a fully fledged professional and a debut like this shows the belief his team have in him. Mwankemwa has got 7 losses but they have come to some decent fighters, such as Teerachai Kratingdaenggym, Roman Zakirov and Walter Kautondokwa. The final fight on the show will see 2019 World Amateur Champion Bekzad Nurdauletov (0-0) make his professional debut as he takes on Ibrahim Maokola (14-9-1, 9), who is the fourth fight fighter from Tanzania to be involved on this show. There are huge expectations on Nurdauletov's shoulders, not just for this bout but for the Tokyo Olympics, and we expect him to answer those expectations in style here, against the rather limited Maokola. Rongchuang Mall, Chongqing, China We also get action in China, albeit very low level action, as the Chinese boxing scene continues to tick over. Sadly this is a very, very low show with little of note, though it does have a 10 main event. That main event will see Ruidong Zhou (5-1, 2) and Yong Shuai Luan (3-1, 1) battle in a Welterweight bout. The 26 year old Zhou is the more experienced of the two fighters in action here, bout his last 3 wins have come against terrible opposition as he's looked to rebuild following a 2018 loss in South Korea. Luan on the other hand is a 19 year old looking to get career going after a stoppage loss last year. Luan will be looking for his third win in a row, though his last two opponents have been very poor, and he struggled with one of those in September. Of all the action out there on Saturday this is probably the least noteworthy card featuring an Asian fighter. Delhi University North Campus Area, New Delhi, India Another show that isn't worth too much attention comes from India, where we see a lot of novices in action. The only real bout of note here is an 8 round mismatch between the very promising Sachin Dekwal (7-0, 5) and the win-less Pawan Kumar (0-0-1). The talented Dekwal is one of the very few Indian fighters worth making a mental of note, and he really should be facing better opponents that Kumar at this point in his career. He's a talent, but he's really wasting time, and chances to develop as a fighter with bouts like this. |
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