Shenzhen, China This coming Tuesday attention turns to China where we get a small but notable card, headlined by a female world title fight, but also featuring a number of interesting under-card contests. The main event of the card will see IBF female Minimumweight champion Zong Ju Cai (9-1, 1) make her first defense of the title as she goes up against Filipino challenger Gretchen Abaniel (17-8, 6). The Chinese local out boxed Etsuko Tada for the title earlier this year and now looks like she's hungry to make a name for herself and capitalise on the win. The fast and skilled Chinese won't be in an easy one here however as Abaniel is a determined and skilled fighter herself, who has lost in a number of world title bouts already, but will be hungry to not only win but also avenge a 2015 loss to Cai. Arguably the best of the under-card bouts sees the unbeaten Xiang Xiang Sun (12-0, 9) risking his record against big punching Filipino foe Anthony Marcial (22-3-1, 21). The talented Sun has began to create some buzz internationally and has stopped 8 out of his last 9 and if he wins again here there is a good reason to believe an OPBF title fight could be just around the corner, in what would be a potential break out fight. For Marcial the bout ends a 14 month break from action and gives him a change to prove if his power is legitimate or not. Although a puncher it should be noted that Marcial has been stopped in all 3 of his losses, suggesting he's a glass cannon. Another unbeaten Chinese fighter looking to score a big win is Flyweight Wen Feng Ge (5-0, 2), who takes on former world title contender Kwanpichit OneSongchaigym (39-2-2, 24), who is best known for his two bouts with Zou Shiming. On paper this is a huge step up for the 30 year old Chinese fighter, who has never fought anyone with the experience of Kwanpichit. Although experienced it should be noted that Kwanpichit is the much smaller man, moving up from Flyweight to Bantamweight for this bout. Another under-card bout on this card will see the once beaten Fei Hu Wang (3-1, 1) take on the unbeaten Aleksei Podkolzin (1-0) in a 10 round rematch of their bout in January. In their first meeting a then debuting Russian took a decision over the Chinese teenager in Macau, and will be looking to score a stoppage this time, whilst Wang will be hoping to avenge his only defeat.
1 Comment
Nevada, USA The biggest card of the weekend comes from Nevada where fight fans will get 4 world title bouts, all involving Asian fighters, in fact from the 4 bouts there are 5 Asian's in action. The highest profile of the bouts sees multi-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38) battle against WBO Welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10) in what will be Pacquiao's ring return after a short lived retirement. The Filipino sensation is the clear betting favourite but is close to 38 years old and will be the much smaller man in the ring. For Vargas the bout sees him facing his first legend and a win for the once beaten American will open huge doors, and legitimise his world title reign. At Featherweight we see little known Japanese fighter Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4, 19) take on WBO champion Oscar Valdez (20-0, 18), in what is Valdez's first defense. The Japanese fighter is a former OPBF champion but this is a massive step up in class for him and he hasn't really fought anyone of much renown in a while, with perhaps his best recent win being over prospect Kosuke Saka. Valdez is earmarked as a potential Mexican super star and with his style, power and skills he has the potential be one of the biggest things in boxing, and we think that will be shown here. At Super Bantamweight we'll see Filipino champion Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24) defending his WBO title against the unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17), in what is likely to be the best bout on the card. Donaire will be making the second defense of his title and although there are question marks over what he has left in the tank this is a massive step up for the challenger. The bout should tell us how good Magdaleno is and just how much Donaire has left. In an all Asian bout we'll see Chinese star Zou Shiming (8-1, 2) battle Thailand's Kwanpichit OnesongChaigym (39-1-2, 24) in a second bout between the two men, with them now fighting for the WBO Flyweight title. These two have fought before, fighting in Macau where Shiming dominated Kwanpichit on route to a very wide decision, and we suspect we'll see the same again here, though he has has been relatively inactive whilst Kwanpichit has been stringing together low level stoppage wins in his homeland. Tokyo, Japan In Japan we get another live televised card courtesy of G+, who are showing a Gushiken card featuring several notable names. In the main event of the show we'll see OPBF Flyweight champion Daigo Higa (10-0, 10) defending his title for the first time as he takes on Filipino challenger Felipe Cagubcob Jr (6-2-5, 2). The exciting Higa is one of the fastest rising prospects in world boxing today and is looking to build on quick victories over Romel Oliveros and Ardin Diale earlier this year. Cagubcob is looking to build on a career best win over Donny Mabao back in July and avenge Higa's wins over several Filipino fighters in recent years. Originally one of the key support bout was supposed to see former OPBF and JBC title challenger Shingo Eto (17-5-1, 9) take on the fast rising Shuya Masaki (5-0, 2). Sadly Eto has been injured in the build up to the show and has been replaced by Thailand's Tienchai Yoongkaogym (2-6, 1), in what is a much less interesting bout. We are looking forward to seeing Masaki back in action but it's hard to deny that what we've been left with is a long way from what was originally announced. There is still one Eto brother fighting on this card with former WBA “interim” Flyweight champion Koki Eto (18-4-1, 13) taking on Jun Blazo (5-1-3, 5) in the chief support bout. The bout will be Eto's second since his 2015 loss to Carlos Cuadras in a WBC Super Flyweight world title bout, and he'll be hoping for a much more fluent performance than he had in May against Michael Escobia, in a bout that was surprisingly competitive. Blazo is limited but has won his last 3 by stoppage and is the type of fighter we've see Eto over-look before. Zhengzhou, China Mox Power Promotions put on their next Chinese card with a low profile card in Zhengzhou. The show is low profile but features 5 bouts, all scheduled for 6 rounds, and all featuring at least one debutant. Queensland, Australia On another lower profile show, this time in Australia, we'll see the win-less Maks Chylewski (0-2) take on tough Thai loser Pramool Boonpok (1-26-1),in what could potentially be an interesting bout, despite the obvious limitations of both fighters. This coming Friday is relatively packed with action, with two notable shows in Asia. Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand The most notable show of the day comes from Thailand where OnesongChai put on an interesting looking card on Channel 7. The main event of the card sees Pungluang Sor Singyu (51-3, 35) defending the WBO Bantamweight title against Filipino challenger Jetro Pabustan (26-2-6, 7). The champion will be the clear favourite here, and will be looking for the first defense of the title that he won last year, when he stopped Ryo Akaho. Although the under-dog Pabustan will be confident and will know that this a huge opportunity to make a name for himself. As well as the main event the under-card does feature some interesting match ups, the most notable which will see experienced Thai Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym (35-1-2, 20) battling against unbeaten Filipino Giemel Magramo (15-0, 12) in what could be the proverbial “coming out party” for Magramo. The Filipino fighter is stepping up in class but is regarded as genuine prospect and may well see this as a chance to make a name for himself. Another bout will feature the promising Rakniran Muadransarakam (9-0, 6) who will be facing a Thai foe. Lu Zhou, Chinese card The Thai card isn't the only notable one to be televised this Friday was another card coming from China where Zovi boxing put on their second card for Chinese new year. The main event of this one will see Chinese Super Bantamweight hopeful Qiu Xiao Jun (19-2, 9) battle against Ghana's Raymond Commey (13-2, 7) for the WBA International Super Bantamweight title. Originally this bout was announced as a WBA “regular” world title bout but the WBA, who are now aiming to having just a single champion in every division, changed that and have only allowed the bout to be for the “International” crown. The winner of this however will find themselves on the verge of fighting for a world title later in the year. Interestingly both men are bringing 11 bout winning runs into this one. In total this card has 5 title bouts. Another of those sees Can Xu (7-2) fighting against the experienced, and heavy handed, Isaias Santos Sampaio (26-11, 24). The Chinese local, a 21 year old, had a great 2015 with 4 wins, including notable victories over Hurricane Futa and Kris George, will be defending his WBA Oceania Super Featherweight title here. The visitor, a Brazilian, brings power to the ring but has been stopped 10 times and may well become Xu's first stoppage victim. In an all-Asian bout Xian Qian Wei (9-5-1) will face Japanese veteran Takafumi Nakajima (24-7-1, 10) in a bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Featherweight title. Interestingly this will be the 5th defense of the title by Wei, who began his career 2-4-1 before going 7-1 with wins of note against Thewa Onesongchaigym, twice, Hero Tito, and most recently Rex Wao. This is a tough bout for the 21 year old local but a really good chance to make a name for himself against a 2-time Japanese title challenger. In a female title bout Zong Ju Cai (6-1, 1) face off with Venezuelan Debora Rengifo (6-1-1, 3) in a bout for the WBC International Female Minimumweight title, with Cai defending the title for the 3rd time. On paper this looks really well matched but the Visitor has faced some awful opposition and this will be her first bout away from home. Although Cai hasn't been through murderer's row she has been notching up solid wins, including decision wins last year against Gretchen Abaniel, Angor Onesongchaigym and Mari Ando. The remaining title bout on this show comes at the Youth level as the unbeaten Bai Shan Bo (6-0-1, 3) takes on the stop or be stopped Tackie Annan (6-2, 6) for the WBC Youth Light Welterweight title. Bo has faced some notable opponents regional opponents, including Heri Andriyanto, but this should be his first chin check. Annan lost his first 2 bouts but has since strung together 6 straight stoppage wins, albeit against very poor opposition. Metro Manila, Philippines There's also action in the Philippines with a show in Metro Manila. The most notable bout here will see the under-rated Eden Sonsona (34-6-2, 12) battle against fellow under-rated fighter Vergel Nebran (14-11-1, 9). On paper it's hard to see Sonsona struggling but Nebran has a deceptive record and can, at times, be a banana skin when he's the under-dog. Sadly much of the card does appear to be mismatches and other than the Sonsona/Nebran bout there is little to really get excited about. The first really notable day of the month for Japanese fans comes on December 5th, a really busy day with name fighters in action across Asia. Osaka, Japan In one of the most intriguing bouts fans will get the chance to see former OPBF Bantamweight champion Yu Kawaguchi (23-7, 10) battle against Keisuke Tabuchi (9-3-2, 7), in what is essentially a must win for Kawaguchi. The 28 year old former champion was stopped last time out against Takahiro Yamamoto, in a genuinely enthralling 7 round brawl, and will know that any except for a stellar performance here would leave his career in tatters. As for Tabuchi he's lost 2 of his last 3, though they have come in the 2014 Rookie of the Year and a 8 round loss to former world title challenger Hiroyuki Hisataka. Hard to see Kawaguchi losing, but if he does he will have to consider his future. Whilst Kawaguchi is fighting for his career it's fair to say that Kazuki Tanaka (3-0, 3) is merely fighting for recognition. The talented youngster, a former amateur stand out, takes a huge step up in class as he takes on GAB Bantamweight champion Monico Laurente (27-12, 6). Those in the know have suggested that Tanaka, 22, could be another of Japan's huge list of future stars however the youngster has been relatively untested so far. In Laurente we'll see Tanaka face a man with experience, grit, determination and skills, and we'd be very impressed if the youngster can really dominate here in what is a great step up in class. Whilst Kawaguchi is a former OPBF champion we actually have a former world champion in action too as Shindo Go (15-3, 10), a former WBC female Flyweight champion, faces Suda Saknarong (0-0) in a stay busy bout. We're expect to see Go fight for a major title in 2016 however she's fighting this bout to shake off any ring rust after a frustrating year of inactivity, in fact she's only fought 3 rounds all year. Technically the main event here will see Japan's Takayuki Okumoto (15-6-2, 6) take on unbeaten Filipino teenager Romel Oliveros (6-0-1, 1). The bout certainly isn't the most exciting on paper but it seems likely that Okumoto could get a Japanese title fight next year if he comes through this one unscathed. The home fighter has won his last 5, since suffering a stoppage loss more than 2 years ago to Rusalee Samor, whilst the visitor will, perhaps tellingly, be facing his first opponent with a winning record. Tokyo, Japan On a second Japanese card fans will again get a lot of good action, in fact the card is headlined by a 2-time world title challenger. That aforementioned world title challenger is Ryo Akaho (26-2-2, 18), who was last seen in the ring being stopped, for the first time, by Pungluang Sor Singyu in a bout for the WBO Bantamweight title. The former OPBF champion will be looking to score his second win over Toyoto Shiraishi (25-8-3, 12), who he stopped in their first meeting around 4 years ago. Since their first bout Akaho has had both of his world title tilts whilst Shiraishi has come up short in a pair of title fights, most notably a Japanese title fight against Teiru Kinoshita. This is likely to be another win for Akaho, though if it's not he will have to consider his future. In supporting bouts on this card we have a trio of Japanese ranked fighters. The highest ranked of those is Light Middleweight contender Yuto Shimizu (10-2-2, 3) who has been in great form recently, scoring wins over Toru Chiba, Takehiro Shimokawara and Yosuke Kirima. Shimizu looks to continue his current 7 fight winning run as he takes on the limited Maxi Nahak (4-10-2, 1), from Indonesia. It's really hard to see anything but a Shimizu win here, and hopefully he'll get a title shot in 2016. On paper the most attractive match up involving a ranked fighter, other than the main event where Shiraishi enters as a ranked fighter, comes at Super Flyweight where the JBC ranked Yuta Matsuo (8-2-1, 5) takes on southpaw Yota Hori (12-4-2, 7) in a really solid match up. Coming into this Matsuo is 3-2-1 in his last 6, though held his own in a split decision loss to Ardin Diale in one of those defeats. The other ranked fighter is Hironobu Matsunaga (7-1, 3), who us ranked at 147lbs. Matsunaga will be risking his ranking against Shiro Saito (7-5-2, 2). Matsunaga's most notable bout to date is his loss, which came in last year's Rookie of the Year final against Yuki Beppu, and whilst that was a blow out he's cetainly proven himself since with a very good win over Hisao Narita. Saito on the other hand has gone 2-3-1 in his last 6, and was last seen being stopped in 3 rounds by Moon Hyun Yun in a loss that may play on his mind coming into this one. Bangkok, Thailand In Thailand fans will have a chance to see Korean based Pakistani fighter Muhammad Waseem (1-0, 1) who will be up against Indonesian fighter Suparyanto Doglo (7-2-1, 4). Waseem, who won the Korean Super Flyweight title on his debut, will be looking to continue his perfect start to life as a professional and it seems likely that if he wins again here he could be moved into regional title fights in 2016, with the PABA title a very real target for 2016. We're unsure but we think the same card will feature two televised bout as well as the Waseem bout. One of those, set to be shown on Channel 7, will see Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym (33-1-2, 18) defending his WBO Oriental Flyweight title against Julias Kisarawe (21-2, 11) in what looks to be a brilliant match up on paper, something we can't say often enough about Thailand. Sadly whilst the bout does “look” good it's likely to be a mismatch with Kisarawe's opposition so far being relatively appalling, in fact it sort of resembles a Thai record with very little experience share between his opponents. The other bout will see former world title challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (57-2, 38) battle against Nattapol Sithsaithong (0-2) in what appears to be little more than a stay busy fight for Chonlatarn, who won't be given a test here. Sinaloa, Mexico To end the day our attention will turn to Mexico where Japan's Hurricane Futa (20-5-1, 11) faces off against former multi-weight world champion Jhonny Gonzalez (58-10, 49). This is a really tough ask for Futa though we'll be honest and say that Gonzalez did look really bad last time out, losing a decision to Jonathan Oquendo, and this may be the perfect time to face him. Tokyo, Japan The first Japanese show of October takes place at the Korakuen Hall and sees the return to the ring of a former champion. That former champion is former Japanese Flyweight title holder Suguru Muranaka (22-2-1, 7) who fights for the first time since losing his title on the scales about 6 months ago. The exciting Flyweight has been matched lightly here with a match up against limited Southpaw Hideyuki Watanabe (8-7-3, 6). This fight has been made just above 113.5lbs and it's going to be interesting to see if Muranaka's future will be at Flyweight or Super Flyweight. In the chief support bout fans will get the chance to see Japanese ranked Welterweight Daisuke Sakamoto (10-8-2, 5) battle against Takashi Inagaki (17-13-1, 7) in an 8 rounder. This is, on paper at least, an intriguing bout though Inagaki has lost his last 3 in a row and hasn't won in over 2 years. A third bout of note here will see 20 year old Hikaru Ota (5-3, 2) face off against Kazuyuki Nakayama (5-4-2, 1) in a 6 round Flyweight bout. Whilst neither fighter is anything special it is a well matched bout and could prove to be one of the most competitive. As well as the 3 bouts mentioned there will be 7 other bouts on this card. Nonthaburi, Thailand In Thailand fans get a televised show on Channel 7 courtesy of Onesongchai who put several of ther biggest names in action. The only title bout on the show will see Thewa Onesongchaigym (10-2, 5) attempt to score his 6th straight win and claim the recently vacated WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title. The Thai will be up against unbeaten Tanzania fighter Mohammed Kamburuta (9-0, 2) in what looks a good bout on paper. Sadly paper can lie and Kamburuta has shown nothing of note so far in to his career, and in fact this is a massive step up for him in terms of his competition. Thewa's title bout has come because his stable mate Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (56-2, 37), the former champion, has vacated the title to begin a run at 130lbs following more than 50 bouts as a Featherweight. The former 2-time world title challenger hasn't had his opponent for this bout announced though we're not expecting anything special. Qne other notable name in action here is Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (32-1-2, 17) who faces Srisomdech Kwanjaisrikod (0-1) in what should be a very easy win for the experienced fighter. One other fighter on this card is the unbeaten Rakniran Muadransarakam (6-0, 5) who takes on a opponent who's name we didn't have at the time of writing. Queensland, Australia Thailand's win-less Aphichat Koedchatturat (0-3) looks to claim his first win as he takes on the debuting Jesse Travers (0-0). Although win-less Aphicat did run the unbeaten Kolby Johnson close last time out and will be hoping for similar success here. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) To end the week we get a genuinely busy day with action all across Asia. Thailand The most notable bout of the day comes from Thailand where we get a WBO Bantamweight title fight between hard hitting Japanese slugger Ryo Akaho (26-1-2, 18) and Thai veteran Punluang Sor Singyu (50-3, 34), who is hoping to become a 2-time world champion. On paper it's hard to bet against Akaho, who is big, strong and hits like a mule, however no Japanese fighter has ever won a world title bout in Thailand and it could well be a case of history repeating it's self here. Also on this show will be two other title bouts. One of those will see Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (55-2, 36) defending his WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title as he battles Indonesian visitor Boido Simanjuntak (18-28-1, 7) in what is a clear mismatch. The visitor enters this bout 0-14 on his trips to Thailand whilst Chonlatarn is unbeaten in his homeland and has only lost to world class ighters. The other title bout will see the once beaten Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (31-1-2, 16) defending his WBO Oriental Flyweight title as he continues to rebuild following his 2014 loss to Chinese star Zou Shiming. Dubai, UAE Whilst the biggest bout of the day is in Thailand the best card is actually in Dubai as ALA return to the oil rich emirate and show case some of their most exciting fighters. The most exciting of the fighters on this card is the unbeaten Super Bantamweight hopeful Albert Pagara (23-0, 16). The 21 year old “Prince” Albert will be defending his IBF Inter-Continental title against Mexican challenger Jesus Rios (31-7-1, 25), who is expected to supper his 8th stoppage loss. Given the ability of Pagara we would like to see him step up in a class but that was never likely on this particular card Albert's older brother Jason Pagara (35-2, 22) will also be in action as he battles Ramiro Alcaraz (15-4-1, 9) in what amounts to a 10 round stay busy contest at a contracted 143lbs. The bout is really little more than a ticking over bout for Pagara who is world ranked by the WBO and could potentially get a world title fight sooner rather than later. One other notable name on this card is Jimrex Jaca (39-8-4, 22) who battles 24 year old foe Pablo Lugo Montiel (21-5, 17). On paper this looks a lot tastier than than the other two major bouts however Montiel has gone 4-4 in his last 8 and going through his record shows that he hasn't scored a win of any real note so far Tokyo, Japan There will also action at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo where fans get the chance to see several crossroad bouts. The most exciting bout on the card will see former Japanese title contenders collide in what is essentially a Japanese title eliminator at 122lbs. In one corner is Gakuya Furuhashi (17-5-1, 7), who was recently held to a draw by current champion Yukinori Oguni, whilst in the other corner will be Yasutaka Ishimoto (25-8, 7), who was narrowly beaten by Oguni last year. This bout may not be one that gets international attention but the winner will be regarded as a fringe contender on the world scene and could well end up getting a national title fight next year before a possible step up to a world title fight at some point. This will be a relatively tactical affair but a very good fight all the same. Another intriguing match up on this card is a rematch of a Japanese Middleweight contest that is a must win for both men. In one corner for this bout is the criminally under-rated Hikaru Nishida (12-7-1, 4) who looks to score his second win over former OPBF and Japanese champion Makoto Fuchigami (21-10, 12), who is best known for his loss in a world title bout to Gennady Golovkin. On paper it's easy to back Fuchigami but in their first meeting Nishida won a unanimous decision and has gone 6-1 in his last 7 whilst Fuchigami has struggled for form with 4 losses in his last 6. On the under-card there are two novices who are expected to receive notable attention. One of those is the unbeaten Kohei Kashino (2-0, 1), who battles Hizuki Saso (4-1), and the other is Riyako Goshi (3-3), who faces Chie Higano (3-3). Kashino is, from what we understand, a highly qualified young man who is attempting to make his name in boxing whilst Goshi is a model known for risque pictures, and always seems to get more attention than her talent deserves. Victoria, Australia We also have two bouts in Australia featuring Asian fighters. The most notable of those fights is a PABA Light Welterweight title fight that sees the talented Czar Amonsot (28-3-3, 17) battle against Indonesian fighter Rusmin Kie Raha (14-7-2, 3). It's hard to see what Raha has to really test Amonsot but the Filipino has everything to lose and nothing to gain from this bout. Another Filipino in action on this card is Roberto Lerio (16-21-1, 6) who looks to upset the unbeaten Ibrahim Balla (7-0, 5) in a bout for the Australian Super Bantamweight title. Lerio, who is based in Australia, is the clear under-dog but will know that a win here will open up some really good opportunities for him in Mexico. (Image courtesy of www.onesongchai.com) We have two shows this Sunday, local time, in Asia with one of those boxing a huge, monster show with one of the biggest names in the sport. Macau The biggest show of the day for almost every boxing fan is in Macau where Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions returns for another huge show with some of the biggest names in Asian boxing and some genuinely compelling match ups. The main event, as is often the case, is the main talking point as Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38) risks his WBO Welterweight title against unbeaten American Chris Algieri (20-0, 8). For Pacquiao this will be the first defence of the title he regained when he defeated Timothy Bradley earleir this year, following a highly controversial loss to Bradley in 2012. As for Algieri this is a chance to continue an unlikely rise to stardom which is all the more shocking considering his lack of power. Pacquiao is of course one of the biggest names in world boxing and he is strongly favoured to retain his belt here though will need to over-come a notable size disadvantage to defeat the gutsy Algieri who really shocked many when he defeated Ruslan Provodnikov earlier this year. In a second world title bout fans will see Thailand's experienced Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (52-1, 33) attempt to claim the WBO Featherweight title from former amateur sensation Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1, 1). Lomachenko will be defending the belt he won earlier this year when he defeated the previously undefeated Gary Russell Jr and we suspect the talented Ukrainian will just have too much of everything for the experienced but limited Thai, who is of course best known for his loss to Chris John in his only previous world title bout. On paper this looks like a very odd contest given the huge gulf in professional experience but in reality the gulf in in skills and not experience. A third world title bout on this show will see the controversial Jessie Vargas (25-0, 9) defending his WBA Light Welterweight title against former Lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco (31-3-1, 23). Vargas always appears to get the rub of the green in close fights and we wouldn't be shocked if he did the same here however this will be his first bout outside of the US and DeMarco is as gutsy as they come, as seen memorably in his bouts with Edwin Valero and Jorge Linares. This could be the most competitive contest on the show even if there is no Asian involved in the bout. Yet another 12 rounder on this show will pit unbeaten fighters together as China's former amateur sensation-turn professional hopeful Zou Shiming (5-0, 1) risks his perfect record against Thailand's Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym (27-0-2, 12). On paper this is one of the most compelling bouts on the show though we do suspect that Shiming will end up having a relatively easy time with his Thai opponent. Kwanpichit is world ranked by 3 of the big 4 organisations however we are in the "he's lucky to be unbeaten" camp having seen him narrowly escape an opening round defeat to Ben Mananquil in 2013 in a bout that could so easily have been stopped, and having narrowly taken a decision over the limited Jay-Ar Estremos earlier this year. Shiming might not be as good as advertised but he really should have more than enough to see off Kwanpichit who has feasted on smaller and less experienced men throughout his career so far. This is a must win for Shiming but if he loses then he isn't going to be good enough to ever win a world title. On the under-card we have 4 bouts that we rather like the look of, for one reason or another. One of those will see the exciting Jerwin Ancajas (21-1-1, 13) take on the tough Fadhili Majiha (15-5-4, 7) in an 8 round bout. Ancajas impressed on his Macau debut s he blew away Inthanon Sithchamuang however he'll be expecting a much, much more competitive contest here with Majiha having proven his toughness in recent decison losses to Marlon Tapes and Pungluang Sor Singyu with the Punglunag bout being a surprisingly competitive one. In another under-card bout the always entertaining Rex Tso (14-0, 9) battles late fill in Espinos Sabu (11-2-1, 5) who has taken the fight on short notice after Kenta Okumura was forced to pull out with a hand injury. Tso is one of the sports more exciting fighters but unfortunately the popular Hong Kong fighter is somewhat limited and we suspect that he will find his level sooner rather than later. With that said, the tough Sabu is unlikely to be the one who does take the unbeaten record of Tso. It wouldn't be the biggest upset of the year if Sabu won but it would be somewhat a shock. In 6 round action fans will see Chinese Light Heavyweight hopeful Qu Peng (6-0-1, 4) fight against Andrew Robinson (3-2, 2) in what looks like a step up for Peng. Also in another 6 rounder is the popular Kuok Kun Ng (5-0, 2) who faces fellow unbeaten Steve Attard (5-0-2, 2). We'll admit we like Ng, a lot, and view him as potentially the best of the emerging Chinese novices and if he's as good as we think he should come out on top here. Aichi, Japan Their is only one show in Japan this Sunday as Hatanaka put on one of their “Soul Fighting” cards which will be shown, at some point, on CBC TV in Japan, which we've been informed is a regional channel so fans likely won't be able to find this one available for streams. The main event here is a WBC Youth Bantamweight title bout as the unbeaten Yushi Tanaka (12-0-3, 8) looks to make the third defense of his belt. Unfortunately for fans, and Tanaka, this defense looks like a mismatch as the promising Japanese youngster battles against Indonesian visitor Rendi Stone (3-2-1, 2) in what looks like a huge step backwards for Tanaka following recent wins over Vergel Nebran and John Bajawa. Whilst Stone does enter this bout on a trio of wins we do wonder several things about him, including what his complete record looks like as we have real doubts that he is “only” 3-2-1 (2) considering his career began back in 2006. In the chief support bout Shota Hayashi (23-5-1, 15), the #7 ranked Japanese Featherweight, will be fighting against experienced but limited Indonesian fighter Jason Butar Butar (16-14-1, 12). Hayashi will enter this bout on a 9 fight unbeaten streak, including 4 successive stoppages, and will know that if he can continue running up wins he can move towards a title fight of some kind. Butar Butar may be a recognisable name for some fans who may remember his loss, in Macau, to Harmonito Dela Torre, and sadly for the Indonesian fighter he is better known for his losses than his wins and is 0-8-1 on the road. Sanaa, Yemen In Yemen we see a collision of unbeaten fighters as Muhammad Harazi (4-0, 1) battles against Hasan Dhubaibi (1-0, 1) in a bout for the Yemeni Minimumweight Title. The title will be defended by the 16 year old Harazi who won the belt with a 12 round decision ove Ali Rafik in October and it would seem plausible that the winner here will be looking for a big domestic show down with Ali Raymi. (Image courtesy of Boxmob.jp) November 22nd-Takashi Miura, Roman Gonzalez, Rocky Fuentes and Hidenori Otake all in title action!11/19/2014 This Saturday is a busy one with 2 major cards featuring Asian fighters in world title bouts. It may not be the busiest day of the year but it is certainly one of the most interesting. Tokyo, Japan As well as the Macau show we are also looking forward to a Japanese show promoted by Japanese promotional power house Teiken promotions who are putting on a small, 8 bout, card though one that features several very interesting looking contests including 2 world title bouts. Prior to the world title action fans will get the chance to see the world ranked Ryo Akaho (24-1-2, 16) battle against recent world title challenger Antonio Tostado Garcia (14-3, 6). Akaho isn't one of the sports most talented fighters but he is certainly entertaining and with his power we suspect he'll stop Garcia in the middle rounds of the bout, if not earlier. The first of the two world title fights will see Nicaraguan sensation Roman Gonzalez (40-0, 34) make the first defense of his WBC Flyweight title. Gonzalez, one of the sports most impressive fighters, will be battling against tough Filipino Rocky Fuentes (35-7-2, 20) in what looks likely to be a very entertaining bout though one that Gonzalez has to be favoured in, especially considering the way he won the title back in September by stopping Akira Yaegashi. The other world title bout on this show will see the heavy handed Takashi Miura (27-2-2, 20) defending his WBC Super Featherweight title in a mandatory defence of his belt against heavy handed Mexican slugger Edgar Puerta (23-4-1, 19) in what could potentially be a FOTY contender. Miura is earning himself a reputation as a Mexcutioner after 3 successive wins over Mexican foes, including his thrilling win over Sergio Thompson, and he'll be hoping to extend that run as he takes on a fighter who is similar to him in terms mentality in the ring. Expect this one to be violent and highly exciting as long as it lasts. Liverpool, England The final world title bout involving an Asian fighter comes from the United Kingdom as former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion Hidenori Otake (22-1-3, 9) battles the unbeaten Scott Quigg (29-0-2, 22) in a bout for the WBA Super Bantamweight title. When this bout was signed Otake was unranked by the WBA, though he is now ranked #9 rather mysteriously. Otake is seen as a huge under-dog and with good reason considering his best wins are against domestic opponents and with that in mind we'd be shocked to see win, though like the two title bouts in Japan this should be entertaining as long as it lasts due to the styles of the men involved. (Image courtesy of Boxmob.jp) After very few fights of interest this week it may be no surprise to learn that things don't really change on Friday as it appears the entire of Asia is still catching it's boxing breath after last weekends hectic fight action.
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand The first show we have any details about takes place in Nakhon Ratchasima as Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (26-0-2, 11), also known as Kwanpichit 13 Rien Express, defends his WBO Oriental Flyweight title against Indonesia's Oscar Raknafa (12-5, 5). Raknafa was the fighter the fighter that Kosei Tanaka debuted against and is likely too small and too limited to be given much of a chance against Kwanpichit. On the same card we're expecting a non-title fight between former world title challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (50-1, 33) and Indonesia's Eddy Comaro (29-19-5, 11), who fought Michael Katsidis in a high profile bout not long ago. It's hard to see anything but a win for Chonlatarn who we think is awaiting a WBO eliminator bout and merely being kept busy here. In a female bout on the same card, which will be televised on Thai Channel 7, fans will be able to see Buakaew Onesongchaigym (6-2-1) battle against Napaporn Superchamps (8-8, 2) in an all Thai contest. Savannakhet, Laos A second show of relevance to Thai fans takes place in nearby Laos will be shown on Thai channel 3. The main event here will see Petchbarngborn Kokietgym (25-7-1, 10) defending the PABA Super Flyweight title, or interim version, against Indonesia's Anis Ceunfin (16-20-5, 6). Petchbarngborn was stopped last year by Sho Ishida though has bounced back well with 3 straight wins and we expect him to extend that to 4 wins here against the very poor Ceunfin. The co-feature for this card will see Samartlek Kokietgym (15-4, 5) fighting yet another Indonesian, Sammy Tehuayo (17-21-2, 3). Tehuayo is tough but very limited and shouldn't be a problem for Samartlek. (All information here courtesy of our friend Pal). A busy week sees us getting a third successive day with fighters from Asia in action and this time things come in multiple countries. Thailand -Bang Rajan To us the key card of the day is in Bang Rajan in Thailand. This show, courtesy of Onesongchai, is the Channel 7 card for the week and is headlined by the world ranked Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym (24-0-2, 10), pictured. Kwanpichit, who also goes by the name "Kwanpichit 13 Rien Express", will be defending his WBO Oriental Flyweight title against the limited Filipino Jopher Marayan (6-4-2, 2). Although his title is on the line we'd expect Kwanpichit to be more concerned by his world rankings which are currently very promising. At the moment the WBO rank the Thai #5 at Flyweight whilst the WBA have him at #14 and a loss to Marayan, dubbed "Baby Hatton" would see them immediately stripped away. Kwanpichit isn't the only world ranked fighter on the card with both Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (48-1, 31) and Pungluang Sor Singyu (46-2, 31) also in action. Although no opponent has been announced for Pungluang it's very unlikely to be anyone even semi testing with for the former WBO Bantamweight championing currently lining up a world title fight with Tomoki Kameda. For Chonlatarn, who has had his opponent named, things should be straight forward with Suor Carryboy (9-9-1, 4) having next to no chance to do anything but give the highly favoured fighter some rounds. Philippines -Laguna As well as the show in Thailand we also have action in the Philippines with a long looking 12 fight card courtesy of various promoters working together. The main event here appears to be a PABA Super Middleweight title fight between unbeaten men. The defending champion Ben McCulloch (12-0, 9), of Australia, will be hoping to secure the second defense of his title as he takes on Iran's Gavad Zohrehvand (13-0) in what looks, on paper, to be a great contest. Unfortunately Zohrehvand has yet to fight anyone of any type of note and this looks to be a massive step up for him. We've got to admit we're not sure why an Australian and an Iranian are fighting each other in the Philippines though we can't complain about unbeaten fighters battling each other. The McCulloch/Zohrehvand fight isn't the only title bout on the card as Gretchen Abaniel (13-5, 4) fights Thailand's Nongnun Mor Krungthepthonburi (2-0) for the Women's International Boxing Association (WIBA) Minimumweight title. This bout is expected to be a straight forward victory for Abaniel who is a very good fighter, though with Nongnun having an unbeaten record she may well be a banana skin for the Filipino fighter, Other bouts of note on this card include former world title challenger Ardin Diale (22-8-3, 9) fighting against Thailand's Kaichon Sor Vorapin (25-11, 9) and Ryan Bito (22-13-3, 8) taking on domestic journeyman Geboi Mansalayao (8-16-4, 3). Whilst these should be one sided they are still notable due to the "A-side" in them who are both known by fans on the international stage. |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|