Beijing, China
This coming Thursday in Beijing fight fans will get a number of IBF Silk Road tournament bouts. Sadly we don't have the full card, though we do have details of two bouts on the show. One of the bouts will see former OPBF Featherweight champion Ryo Takenaka (18-3-1, 11) take on unbeaten foe Omurbek Malabekov (4-0, 1). The talented Japanese fighter advanced to this bout with a win over Lorence Rosas last year whilst Malabekov will be fighting for the first in almost a year. The winner of this contest is expected to get a world ranking with the IBF. Not much is known about Malabekov, though he is unbeaten and will see this as a huge chance to make a name for himself. Another bout on this show will see experience Thai fighter Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (38-6-1, 21) take on unbeaten Filipino fighter Jayson Mama (11-0, 6). The 25 year old Fahlan will be looking to score his 5th straight win since being stopped by Felix Alvarado in 2017 whilst Mama will be looking to continue his perfect start to professional boxing. Of the two men Fahlan is, by far, the more well known, but he didn't look good at all last time out, taking a pretty questionable decision in a dire bout with Orlie Silvestre. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand we have a re-scheduled bout, as the once beaten Thai Nop Kratingdaenggym (22-1, 8) , aka Anurak Thisa, battles Filipino JR Magboo (17-2-2, 8) for the fighting for the WBA Asia Featherweight title. Originally this bout was supposed to take place on March 22nd but was rescheduled due to Thai Channel 7 changing their policy on bouts that they will air, and instead of taking place as originally planned it will now be shown on Channel 3SD.
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Managua, Nicaragua This coming Saturday is a relatively quiet day for Asian boxing, but there is two notables bout of interest for us, with the most interesting set to take place in Nicaragua. This bout will see former world title challengers collide as Thai warrior Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (32-5-1, 17) takes on the aggressive and teak tough Felix Alvarado (29-2, 25) in what looks like a really mouth watering clash between two highly capable fighters. In Asia we've seen Fahlan play the role of under-dog with mixed success. He is best known for scoring a career best win over Ryo Miyazaki in 2013 and ran both Katsunari Takayama and Milan Melindo close in bouts on the road. As for Alvarado he's best known for competitive losses to Kazuto Ioka and Juan Carlos Reveco, and has never lose below world class, with notable wins over a number of Latin-American fighters like Jose Antonio Jimenez and Luis de la Rosa. Although the bout won't get much “English language” attention it does have the potential to be very exciting. Queensland, Australia The other bout will be taking place in Australia and will see former OPBF and Japanese Light Middleweight champion Yuki Nonaka (31-8-3, 10) take on Australian based Irishman Dennis Hogan (25-1-1, 7) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Light Middleweight title. Coming in to the bout both men are world ranked, with Nonaka holding top 15 rankings with all 4 world title bodies and Hogan having a #4 place with the WBO, and the bout is essentially a world title eliminator for the WBO title, with the winner likely to get a shot in 2018. Hogan, a former WBA “interim” title challenger has won 3 in a row since losing to Jack Culcay in December 2015, and although he lost to Culcay he did actually come out of that bout with a much improved reputation. As for Nonaka he is unbeaten since November 2009, but has been out of the ring for almost a year coming into this contest, and will know that their may be some ring rust that needs shaking if he's to over-come the talented Hogan. Cebu, Philippines The biggest card of the weekend comes form Cebu and is a stacked ALA card. The main event of the card will see former world title challengers Milan Melindo (34-2, 12) and Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (31-4-1, 16) face off to crown a new IBF “interim” Light Flyweight champion, and decide the mandatory challenger for current world champion Akira Yaegashi. Melindo, fighting in his third world title fight, should be favoured here but Fahlan has put in his best performances as the under-dog, and the Thai is of course best known for upsetting Ryo Miyazaki. The bout should be a really intriguing one given the match up, and the fact that the winner moves into a world title bout this is an incredibly significant bout. In a support bout will see the world ranked Jason Pagara (39-2, 24) battle former world champion Jose Alfaro (28-10-1-2, 24) in an interesting 10 rounder. Alfaro is a long way removed from his short reign as the WBA Lightweight world champion, but still has power and could still hurt Pagara who has shown himself to be a genuine world class fight. Sadly for Alfaro his only chance is a puncher's chance. Staying with the Pagara family another bout will see the once beaten Albert Pagara (26-1, 18), who was last seen being stopped by Cesar Juaez, take on the tough but limited Raymond Commey (16-3, 9), who we saw lose to Qiu Xiao Jun not too long ago. The bout is a big question of Pagara's mental state, and whilst he should be favoured there is some worries that he will be damaged goods given the way he couldn't see Juarez and was stopped himself as Juarez rode the storm and came back strongly. Commey appears to be very durable and could be a real nightmare down the stretch for Pagara. A really interesting looking all Filipino under-card bout will see former OPBF title challenger Jimmy Paypa (18-3-1, 6) battle the under-rated Jerry Nardo (21-9, 11) in what could potentially help decide a future OPBF title challenger. On paper Paypa should be favoured, especially given that Nardo has gone 2-5 in his last 7, but Nardo can spring upsets at domestic level and this bout could be a banana skin for Paypa. Another good looking all-Filipino domestic bout will see Jeo Santisima (11-2, 10) face recent OPBF challenger Rex Wao (11-3, 9) in what look like a potentially explosive bout between very well matched fighters, at least on paper. One of the most promising Filipino fighters is Kevin Jake Cataraja (4-0, 3) who looks for win #5 as he takes on the more experienced John Kenan Villaflor (6-1-2, 2) on a minor step up, and will hopefully be Cataraja's final bout before being stepped up. Another unbeaten hopeful in action here is the big punching Melvin Jerusalem (10-0, 7), who takes on Bonjun Loperez (10-5-1, 5) in a bit of a stay busy bout for the unbeaten youngster. Batangas, Philippines A second Filipino card of the day comes from Batangas. In the headline bout on this card we'll see a rematched between the experienced Roberto Gonzales (27-2, 17) and Ryan Sermona (19-8, 12), who fight for the GAB Lightweight title. On paper it looks like a straight forward first defense for Gonzalez, who has won his last and 7 bouts, however he was stopped by Sermona when the two men first fought back in May 2012 and Sermona will be confident of scoring a second win over Gonzalez. In an interesting match up we'll see the experienced Al Sabaupan (25-2-1, 20) battle Jheritz Chavez (5-1-2, 3) in a real cross roads. Sabaupan had once been tipped as a world title contender but losses in 2012 and 2013 ended those hopes. Sabaupan has won his last 5 but hasn't shown his early promise in recent years and has only fought twice in he last 25 months. Chavez was beaten last time out but is unbeaten at home and could prove to be a total handful for Sabuapan. Another bout on the show will see Glenn Porras (29-4, 17) battle against the very limited Jayar Estremos (10-12, 4). Porras was beaten just 2 fights back, though that was back in December 2012 and he has did return to winning ways last time out. Estremos is a very limited fighter and it would be a huge surprise for him to test Porras, even with Porras' recent lack of activity. Icheon City, South Korea In South Korea fans will see former world champion Eun Hye Lee (8-1, 3) battle against Thailand's Nongnun Mor Krungthepthonburi (5-3-1) in a bout for the WIBA Flyweight title. Lee was unlucky to not become a 2-weight world champion this year, losing a controversial bout to Nana Yoshikawa. The Thai will be the huge under-dog and we can't see how she wins here. Mexico In Mexico we'll see Japanese born, Mexican based, Shoki Sakai (21-6-1, 13) face off with Jose Lopez (26-6-2, 15) in a really well matched bout. Sakai has suffered back-to-back setbacks, albeit controversial ones, and will be looking to score his second win of the year. Whilst Sakai has been unfortunate this year Lopez had been in a bad run of form, going 1-3-1 in his last 5 bouts over the last 14 months. A new week is upon us and we have plenty of action to kick things off on Monday! Hua Hin, Thailand The biggest match up of the day comes from Thailand where we get televised world title action, as well a fight featuring a 2-time Olympic medal winner, a former world title contender and a genuinely promising prospect. The main event of the card will see IBF Flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng (16-0, 5) defending his title against unheralded Japanese challenger Myung Ho Lee (19-4-1, 6), who is looking to claim a world title in his first bout at world level. Amnat, who won the title in early 2014, has already defended the title 4 times, with the most recent being his foul filled wrestling match with Johnriel Casimero, it's thought that a win against Lee will open the door for a potentially unification bout with WBC champion Roman Gonzalez in 2016. For Lee there's nothing to lose, it'd be surprisingly if he won and he probably knows it. The two-time Olympic medal winner on this card is Manus Boonjumnong (2-0) who looked to continue his career as he faces a third successive Indonesian fighter, Jonatan Simamora (23-26-5, 8). Despite the huge gulf in experience we suspect that the skills of Manus will be too much for the visitor, who's only recent win came against the man Manus beat on his debut. It's worth noting that Simamora hasn't won outside of Indonesia and hasn't fought in more than a year coming into this bout. The former world title challenger in action here is Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (28-4-1, 15), who looks to continue his pursuit of a second world title fight as he takes on Indonesian fighter Boy Tanto (9-17, 1). The 22 year old Thai is a genuinely talented fighter who we suspect will get another world title shot in 2016 or 2017 and we can't imagine this bout will be anything more than a warm up for him against an opponent who has never really impressed and has lost 3 of his last 4. A really promising prospect on this card Atchariya Tor Chantaroj (6-0, 3), who looks to continue his impressive start to professional boxing as he faces experienced Filipino loser Richard Olisa (23-29-2, 12). If Atchariya is as good as he's looked this should be a mismatch, especially given that Olisa has lost his last 12, though the Filipino's experience may see him asking some questions of the Thai. One other bout on this card will see Mike Tawatchai (36-8-1, 21) defending the IBF Pan Pacific Super Bantamweight title against Galih Susanto (10-5-1, 1) Although Susanto will not be favoured to win, we wouldn't be surprised to see him ask some questions of Tawatchai and go the distance with him, given that the visitor has never been stopped and actually took Bantamweight contender Marlon Tapales the 10 round distance last year. Tokyo, Japan In Tokyo, at the Korakuen Hall, Japanese fans will get a Misako promoted card that really lacks much in terms of appeal. The only really notable bout is the 8 round main event which will see the promising Daishi Nagata (4-0-1, 2) risk his unbeaten record and OPBF ranking against the more experienced Yoshiyuki Suzuki (5-8-5, 1). Although less experienced Nagata is the more gifted fighter, the bigger puncher and in fact the more proven which should help see him to a win here. September 27th-Ioka Vs Sosa, Takayama Vs Hara, and a lot more to help close out the month!9/25/2015 This coming Sunday looks to be the perfect closing day to a month that hasn't been the most exciting for boxing fans. Osaka, Japan One of the cards of the month comes from the newly named EDION Arena Osaka where Ioka put on what may go down as one of the cards of the year. It feature 4 title fights, 2 notable prospects and more action than you shake a stick at. The headline bout sees Japanese Kazuto Ioka (17-1, 10) defending the WBA Flyweight title against Argentinian foe Roberto Domingo Sosa (26-2-1, 14). This is Ioka's first defense of the title that he narrowly won earlier this year, when he over-came Juan Carlos Reveco, and it could be another tough night for Osakan star. Whilst this bout could be a very tough one for Ioka it needs noting that the winner will have a tough one next time out, as they are mandated to face with Reveco by the end of the year. Another world title bout on this show will see IBF Minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama (29-7-0-1, 11) defending his belt against Ryuji Hara (19-1, 11) in what looks like a potential FOTY contender. Takayama, who struggled last time out with Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr, is now 32 and has had a very hard career however Hara will be going into his first world title fight and was stopped in his most notable bout to date, by current WBO champion Kosei Tanaka. In a Japanese title fight fans will see Super Flyweight champion Sho Ishida (19-0, 10) defending his title, for the 3rd time as he takes on Hayato Kimura (23-7, 15). The unbeaten champion has looked impressive in 18 of his bouts however he was run very close last time out by Taiki Eto and it that bout left question marks regarding Ishida's stamina. If he impresses here he may find himself heading to a world title bout in 2016. However Kimura cannot be ruled here and the experienced challenger has waited for his shot at Japanese title. The fourth title bout on this show will see the unbeaten Kei Takenaka (9-0, 3) defending her OPBF Light Flyweight title against Thailand's Krikanok Islandmuaythai (4-4-1, 2). This looks like a mismatch though Takenaka may well be just one or two fights from a world title shot and will be hoping to get some much needed ring time here before a potential fight at world level. As for the prospects one of those is 17 year old Riku Kano (6-1-1, 4) who faces Kenta Matsui (6-4, 1) in what will be the teenager's second bout in Japan. The hope is that a win here will be followed in 2016 with a move towards a domestic title bout then a potential world title bout as he chases the record to be Japanese youngest world champion. Matsui is a safe option but also the type of fight who is physically tough enough to get Kano some competitive rounds. A less competitive bout will see Super Flyweight hopeful Masayoshi Hashizume (8-0, 5) face Thailand's Petchnamnung Sor Thiebkhun (0-10) in what looks like like a horrible mismatch. Petchnamnung has been stopped in 8 of his 10 bouts and we expect stoppage loss #9 to come here in what is, supposedly, his international debut. Of course The Thai probably has an incomplete record but what the data we have suggests that this is a horrible match up and that the talented Hashizume should win without ny problems. The two world title bouts from this card will be aired on TBS, though it's unclear at the moment if they will be “live” or on tape delay. Looking at the scheduled of the card however the odds are that Takayama Vs Hara will be aired on tape delay whilst Ioka Vs Sosa will likely be live, and will also be shown live on Argentinian TV. Osaka, Japan Staying in Osaka there is also a Rookie of the West card, in fact it's the Rookie of the West final. Sadly though it will be massively over-looked give the other card. Rather than going through all 12 bouts we've picked a few that interested us the most. At Super Flyweight unbeaten teenagers collide as 18 year old Shion Tamada (2-0) takes on 19 year old Kensei Hirano (4-0, 2). Tamada is a prospect of the Ioka gym and will have sparred with some top quality partners though given his age he's certainly a baby and could will find himself being pushed all the way by Hirano, who is more experienced and has shown more power. Another all unbeaten contender will come at Light Flyweight where Kaminoko Okamura Kentokid (5-0-3, 2) takes on Seigo Yuri Akui (3-0-1, 1). Although both men are unbeaten both have been relatively fortunate with draws and it's fair to say that neither is expected to be raced through the ranks if they do end up being crowned the Rookie of the Year. One other all unbeaten bout that has us excited is at Featherweight where teenager puncher Ryuya Yanagida (2-0, 2) takes on Yuto Nagano (4-0, 2). It's fair to say that Yanagida is completely unproven but he has shown solid power so far and may well need that power to get beyond the 21 year old Nagano, who had to gut out his most recent win, against Yu Konomura. Nonthanburi, Thailand As well as all he action in Japan Thai fans will also get their share of televised action with Mono 29 airing a Kiatkreein show, form 3PM local time. In the main event of this show fans will see Thailand's experienced Mike Tawatchai (35-8-1, 21) take on Filipino foe Junny Salogaol (9-7-4-1, 9) in a bout for the IBF Pan Pacific Super Bantamweight title. This is Tawatchai's first bout since being dominated by Shingo Wake in an IBF world title eliminator back in June and although that loss was a wide one he shouldn't struggle at all with Salogaol. Despite Salogaol's record being less than great he is coming into this bout in form, with 5 straight T/KO wins. Tawatchai isn't the only notable name on this show. Another is 2-time Olympic medal winner Manus Boonjumnong (1-0) who faces Indonesian Marco Tuhumury (10-11-2, 3). Although Manos is 35, and looked out of shape last time out against Jamed Jalarante, he has got a lot of skill and shouldn't struggle, at all, with Tuhumury. In fact if anything we're expecting the Thai to stop his foe here. Another fighter on this card is recent world title challenger Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (27-4-1, 15) who will face Indonesian fighter Oscar Raknafa (12-10, 5) in a stay busy fight. This is Fahlan's first bout since his controversial loss to Katsunari Takayama back in April. A win here could see Fahlan's team moving him towards another title fight at some point in 2016. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) Khon Kaen, Thailand
The most notable bout of the day will see world ranked Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (26-3-1, 15) defending his IBF Asia Light Flyweight title against Japanese foe Shunji Nagata (10-12-2, 3). For those who don't follow the Asian scene carefully but have a passing interest you may recall Fahlan stopping former world champion Ryo Miyazaki in 2013, since then however he's struggled with a loss to the then 1-0 Takuma Inoue in Japan, a draw with Japanese visitor Tatsuya Fukuhara and a trio of low level wins over forgettable foes. As for Nagata he's not a great fight but we do believe he is better than his record indicates and could actually give Fahlan a test here, if he's on form. A second title bout will see WBC Asian Boxing Council Super Featherweight champion Pharanpetch Tor Buamas (13-0, 9) defending his belt against the limited Ramli Pasaribu (3-5, 1), from Indonesia. Pharanpetch is a talented fighter but was relatively inactive last year with just a single bout, hopefully he'll be busy this year. Although Pharanpetch is the best of the Tor Buamas fighters in action here he's not the most well known. That role belongs to female fighter Samson Tor Buamas (34-3, 16) a multi-time champion. Sadly Samson is in very light here against the wonderfully named debutant Pancake Manoprungroj (0-0). Pancake might be one of the best names in sport but we doubt she'll be any sort of competition for Samson. The third of the Tor Buamas fighters is another female fighter, Hongfah Tor Buamas (17-5-1, 2). Like Samson we will also see Hongfah battle a debutant as she takes on Jomchon Yingchongym (0-0) in what appears to be another mismatch. Samson may be more well known than Hongfah but Hongfah has the potential to go far and this is just her next step towards go somewhere in her career. For those interested in watching this show this will be televised on Channel 11. This weekend is an interesting one though before we get to the weekend we have Friday to get through and it's fair to say that Friday is, it's self, an interesting day with several interesting bouts. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand we see a show that is headlined by two visiting fighters as Japan's Takayuki Hosokawa (25-10-3, 8), a former Japanese national champion, battles Indonesian journeyman Moses Seran (24-18, 11) in a bout for the IBF Asia Light Middleweight title. The bout seems to be set up for Hosokawa to boost his IBF ranking and help him shoot up the top 15 and although it should work we really can't see him beating a world class Light Middleweight. Including the clumsy looking Cornelius Bundrage who currently holds the IBF world title. Bangkok, Thailand Also in Thailand fans will see Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (25-3-1, 15), best known for beating Ryo Miyazaki a year ago, battle against Filipino Armando dela Cruz (24-13-3, 10) in a bout for the IBF Asia Light Flyweight title. For Fahlan this could see him putting a forgettable 2014 behind him and starting a new year with a title and possible IBF ranking. For the Filipino fighter this will be his first bout in Thailand since he stopped Samransak Singmanasak back in December 2008 and it's worth noting he's actually 2-3 in Thailand, a great record for a Filipino visitor. This could actually be a really good bout. New South Wales, Australia In Australia we're expecting to see Padjai Yongyuthgym (18-1-2, 12) battle against Chad Bennett (34-4-3, 25) for the IBO Inter Continental and WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council Light Welterweight titles. From what we understand this is the third date set aside for this bout which seems to keep slipping backward though we're unsure why. We suspect Bennett will be favoured but this isn't a foregone conclusion, unlike many bouts featuring Asian's in Australia. East London, South Africa Filipino fighter Raymond Tabugon (14-3-1, 6) will be battling against Luzuko Siyo (13-2, 10) in South Africa. This will give Tabugon a chance to avenge a loss for fellow Filipino Macrea Gandionco, who was stopped in 5 by Siyo. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp, video courtesy of Kiatkreerin) Bangkok, Thailand
This coming Friday looks like a very quiet day, though we have made aware of a title bout in Thailand as the world ranked Rusalee Samor (24-5-2, 11) defends his IBF Asia Super Flyweight title. Samor, a tough and exciting action fighter from Thailand, will be battling against Filipino Fernando Ocon (13-7, 5) in what we suspect will be an easy defense. On the under-card fans will get the chance to see another world ranked fighter in action as Patomsuk Pathompothong (29-2-1, 18) battles against 21 year old Filipino Rodel Wenceslao (8-8-1, 2) in what should be a mismatch given what we know of the two men involved in this one. Another notable name on this card is Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (24-3-1, 15) who will be taking part in his 4th bout of the year. The Thai 21 year old will be fighting against South Korean Da-Won Suh (3-3-1, 1) who, despite the record, is unbeaten in 4 bouts. The Thai should be favoured, and he has competed at a much higher level, though he does come into this one on the back of a disappointing result with Tatsuya Fukuhara. Another of the undercard bouts here will see Patomsith Pathompothong (9-2, 4) battle against another Korean visitor as he takes on Ji-Hwan Lee (5-3-1, 2). Going into this bout Lee has lost his last 3 though may provide a decent rival for the Thai fighter. For those wanting to watch this show it will be televised by Channel 7. September 10th-Amant Vs Arroyo and Fujimoto Vs Kotatsu II highlight a very interesting Wednesday9/8/2014 This coming Wednesday is one of the most significant mid-week days in boxing this year with several major bouts ranging from domestic title fights all the way up to a world title bout. Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand The most significant bout of the day will be in Thailand as the talented and unbeaten IBF Flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng (13-0, 5) defends his belt against mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo (15-1, 13). This bout looks incredibly interesting as Arroyo has monstrous power, as shown in his win over Froilan Saludar, whilst Amnat is a slick and tricky boxer who will do his best to neutralise that power. As we saw against Kazuto Ioka the Thai is genuinely talented and is going to be the favourite going in though Arroyo's power is a real threat here. Fantastic bout and one we're really looking forward to. On the undercard of this show we will get to see the world ranked the world ranked Mike Tawatchai (33-7-1, 21) fighting against Filipino journeyman Cristian Abila (11-13-3, 3). It's a shame Tawatchai isn't facing a better opponent though this will be his first fight in 7 months and it's a real shame that he's been so inactive recently. A second undercard bout will see Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (24-3, 15) taking on Tatsuya Fukuhara (13-4-4, 4). Whilst Fahlan is well known for his upset win over Ryo Miyazaki he also has something in common with Fukuhara, both men have been beaten by Takuma Inoue. Sakkreerin has won one bout since his loss to Inoue though that win was at a very low level. Fukuhara however has fought twice since his loss, beating Prabpram Sithsaithong and scoring a 7 round technical draw with Akiyoshi Kanazawa. Tokyo, Japan Action in Japan comes from the Korakuen Hall as we get a much anticipated rematch between Japanese Heavyweight champion Kyotaro Fujimoto (9-1, 5) and former challenger Kotatsu Takehara (10-9-3, 4). When the two men met last year Fujimoto was fortunate to retain his title with a tight win though one that he did deserve. By the time of the final bell however the champion was exhausted and the challenger seemed to know that he could have won had he not started so slowly. As well as the title fight we expect a trio of 8 rounders which are being given an extra little incentive. Dubbed "KO challenge bouts" the fighters will be trying to win bonuses for winning the bout inside the distance. The prizes are staggered so that if a fighter scores a quick they are rewarded with a bigger payment than if they score a late win. The first of those KO challenge bout will see the Japanese ranked Daisuke Sakamoto (8-8-1, 4) battle against the light punching Shiro Saito (7-4-1, 2). Although the bout is a KO challenger contest we think the promoter may have been mischievous with this bout likely to go the distance considering neither guy is a big puncher and neither has looked that frail so far into their career. Another KO challenger bout will feature recent Japanese Featherweight title challenger Yuki Ogata (19-1-1, 3) taking on Kentaro Yamada (8-4-1, 6). Ogata is the better boxer and proved his toughness by going into the 10th round last time out against the heavy handed Satoshi Hosono. Yamada might get stopped if Ogata really is driven by the incentive of the bonus though we'd not be shocked to see Ogata cruising to a clear decision win. The final KO challenger bout is a rematch between Kenji Kubo (4-2-1, 2) and Kota Sato (9-5-2, 4). The two men fought to an 8 round draw in January in a very competitive contest though neither will be hoping to hear the final bell this time around considering the KO bonus on offer. Prior to the KO challenge bouts fans will see former OPBF title challenger Yuki Nasu (23-8, 16) battle against Filipino visitor Jonathan Ligas (8-5-1, 1). Nasu is coming in to this bout on the back of back-to-back defeats, including one against Rocky Fuentes in an OPBF title bout, though has fought at a much higher level than Ligas, who has won his last 4 at a very low level. Minsk, Belarus Another of note takes place in Belarus as Kazahkstan's heavy hitting Zhanat Zhakiyanov (22-1, 15) takes on unbeaten Georgian Gagi Edisherashvili (7-0, 6) for the vacant WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council Bantamweight title. Zhakiyanov was last seen knocking out Karim Guerfi with a thunderous shot back in April and we'd expect something similar here though we don't know a great deal about the Georgian. (Image courtesy of Kadoebi.com) It's been a mostly quiet week this week but we do end it with action in both Japan and Thailand. Phatthalung Province, Thailand In Thailand we have title action as the always fun to watch Rusalee Samor (23-5-2, 10) defends his IBF Asia Super Flyweight title against Indonesia's experienced but limited Ricky Manufoe (23-20-2, 10). We love watching Samor who, whilst limited, is an all action fighter and was very unlucky in his most recent loss, a majority decision to Rex Tso last July. On the undercard we're expecting to see the world ranked, IBF #10 Light Welterweight, Patomsuk Pathompothong (27-2-1, 17) in action as he battles against Indonesian visitor Billy Sumba (19-6-1, 4). Interestingly this is the second meeting between these two men with Patomsuk having beaten Sumba via an 8 round decision back in 2011. Another Thai Vs Indonesian bout will see Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr (23-3, 15) taking on Ichal Tobida (10-11, 8). Fahlan, who was last seen in the ring being dominated by Takuma Inoue, needs a win here and will be expected to scored it against the hard hitting but very limited Tobida who is already 0-5 in Thailand. Fahlan might have been clearly beaten by Inoue but he should still be a level above Tobida, Tokyo, Japan As well as the title action in Thailand we also have a number of bouts from the East Japan Rookie of the Year. In total this show, from the Korakuen Hall, will feature 12 bouts with fights ranging from Light Flyweight to Middleweight. Of the 12 bouts the one we're most interested in is the Light bout between the highly touted 17 year old Lightweight Andy Hiraoka (3-0, 2) and the 24 year old Yoshihito Takahashi (2-1, 2). Osaka, Japan On a second Japanese show, this time in Osaka, we will get to see 8 bouts in total. Although 7 of the 8 contests are 4 rounders there is one notable contest, the main event, which will see former world title challenger Masae Akitaya (8-4-2, 3) fighting for the first time since February 2013. Akitaya, who is best known for her losses to Ayaka Miyao, will be facing a Thai opponent though sadly we've failed to come up with the name of the Thai fighter. Western Australia, Australia In Australia we get to see a handful of low level bouts with Asian fighters involved. One of those will see Filipino veteran Arnel Tinampay (21-16-1, 7) battle against the unbeaten, though inexperienced, Wes Capper (4-0, 3) in what look to be a very interesting bout. Sure Capper is unbeaten but the difference in experience is huge and may well help Tinampay to a victory, something he deserved last time he fought in Australia. The other two bouts involve Thai's with one of the bouts being between Baikon Lokromklao (1-2) and the debuting Shane Carroll (0-0) whilst the other will feature debuting Thai female Wiilaiwan Namuanghchan (0-0) who fights Louisa Hawton (0-0), a fellow debutant. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) |
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