Tokyo, Japan The big action this coming Friday comes from Tokyo, with Boxingraise showing it live online. The card features a couple of title fights along with two very good looking supporting bouts. The main event will see Akinori Watanabe (36-7, 30) battle against Ryosuke Maruki (15-5-1, 10) for the interim Japanese Light Middleweight title. For Watanabe this is a chance to claim another belt to his collection, adding to reigns as the Japanese, OPBF and PABA champion at Welterweight. Maruki on the other hand gets a third shot as national honours, having come up short against Yuki Nonaka and Nobuyuki Shindo. We're expecting this to be explosive, with both fighters having very heavy hands, and very exciting with the winner then being lined up to face Shindo, either at the end of this year or in early 2019. The other title fight will see Japanese Mminimumweight champion Shin Ono (22-9-3, 5) making his first defense of the title, as he takes on youngster Riku Kano (13-3-1, 7). The Watanabe veteran won the title earlier this year when he defeated Ryoki Hirai and will be hoping to use the title to land another world title fight, after having come up short in bouts against Katsunari Takayama and Wanheng Menayothin. The 20 year old Kano has promised a lot, but losses to Takayama and Jerry Tomogdan have slowed his career and a poor performance here could see him written off, despite his youth. One of the really good supporting bouts will see the in form Kyosuke Sawada (11-2-1, 6), who has won his last 7, taking on former Japanese title challenger Yosuke Fujihara (17-5, 4). Although Sawada struggled early in his career losing his first 2 bouts, he has has really turned things around and scored a career best win in May against Kinshiro Usui. As for Fujihara he's been out of the ring for almost a year but is a capable fighter and should be a good test for Sawada, albeit one that Sawada should pass as he continues his pursuit of a title fight. Another supporting bout will see the hard hitting Kenshin Oshima (3-1-1, 3) take on the much lighter hitting Joe Tanooka (15-4-4, 1). Last time out Oshima was held to an unexpected draw by Nobuaki Kanazawa and he'll be looking to bounce back from that set back. As for Tanooka, who is one of the more pure boxers in Japan, he'll be looking to build on a good domestic win against Kenichi Watanabe. A really interesting match up against two polar opposites. Shenzhen, China As well as the action in Japan there will also be a notable card in Shenzhen, China, where were several local fighters will be taking on interesting tests. On paper the best of the bouts will see unbeaten Chinese prospect Wenfeng Ge (10-0, 6) look to build on his 2017 win over Amnat Ruenroeng as he takes on once beaten Filipino Ivan Soriano (18-1-1, 9) in a bout for the WBO International Flyweight title. Whilst Ge is unbeaten, and coming in to this on the back of a huge win, it's worth noting that Soriano hasn't lost in over 8 years and will feel confident of picking up a win here. Coming in to this both men are and both will know that a win here will shoot them up the rankings towards a potential world title shot, and a potential show down with either Sho Kimura or Kosei Tanaka. A second title fight will see the once beaten Ahatelike Muerzhabieke (7-1-1, 4) battle against Thailand's Chaloemporn Sawatsuk (18-5, 14) for the WBO China National Super Middleweight title. The Thai once promises a lot, and began his career with 17 straight wins but has proven to be a huge disappointment since then, losing 5 of his last 6 by stoppage. Aged 19 this is a big step up in class for Muerzhabieke but he's won his last 5 and appears to be on a good run to build his confidence coming in to this bout. In a battle of novices fans will see Bo Wang (1-0, 1) take on Aleksei Podkolzin (1-0). Wang needed just a round to win his debut in June 2016, but hasn't fought in an officially sanctioned professional bout since that contest, more than 2 years ago. Interestingly Podkolzin made his debut in January 2017, in a 10 rounder, but apparently hasn't fought since. This is an interesting match up, about as interesting as you can get between two men with 1-0 records.
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This coming Sunday is a pretty busy day of action Asia. Osaka, Japan For us the most notable of the bouts will be in Osaka and feature a really interesting Japanese Super Featherweight bout, a step up in class for an unbeaten prospect and an interesting under-card bout. The Super Featherweight bout pits two top 5 Japanese domestic fighters against each other, as the once beaten Ken Osato (12-1-1, 4) takes on 2-time Japanese title challenger Satoru Sugita (13-4-1, 8) in a real step up for the 23 year old Osato and a must win for Sugita. The younger man has gone 8-0-1 since suffering an opening round KO loss back in September 2013, when he was still just a teenager. As for Sugita he has gone 2-2 in his last 4, though both of those loses came against the then Japanese champion Kenichi Ogawa, who will fight for a world title just hours before this bout takes place. One man who we are glad to see taking a step in the right direction is Masayoshi Hashizume (14-0, 10), who impressed us early in his career but really faltered in terms of building a real name for himself recently, being matched against horribly inept opponents. Here we'll see the Ioka gym prospect take on domestic foe Kota Fujimoto (7-2, 2), and hopefully a win here for Hashizume will launch him towards bigger and better bouts in 2018. Fujimoto has lost 2 of his last 3, but will know that a win here will give his career a huge shot and push him towards potential title fights. A third bout of note here will see the heavy handed Hibiki Jogo (6-1, 4) battle against the talented Yuki Hirashima (7-1-1, 1). Jogo's loss came last year, at the All Japan Rookie of the year, and since then he has racked up two wins and is really genuine puncher at the lower levels of the Japanese domestic scene. Hirashima suffered a blip last year, going 0-1-1 for the year, bus has racked up 3 wins in 2017 and will know that another here will see him go into 2018 as a man in good domestic form. Aichi, Japan A second show in Japan will take place in Aichi and will see Japanese Youth Super Featherweight champion Takuya Mizuno (12-1-1, 11) make his first defense of the title, as he takes on fellow youngster Yuki Iriguchi (9-1-1, 4). Mizuno won the title last time out, with a split decision win over Ryota Ishida and the 22 year old puncher will be looking to get back to his destructive best here. As for the 20 year old Iriguchi this bout will see him looking to buil on a 4 fight winning run, which includes victories over touted amateur Kenshin Oshima and the then inform Ryohei Takahashi. Although an easy bout to over-look it really is a cracking contest on paper. Guangzhou, China There is also set to be a pretty interesting card in China. One of the best bouts on the card will see Chinese Heavyweight hopeful Zhilei Zhang (18-0, 14) take on Belgian visitor Herve Hubeaux (28-2, 14) in a bout for the WBO Oriental Heavyweight title. We'll admit we're unsure how Hubeaux qualifies for the title, but the reality is that he's been taken over to China to lose, and despite the good looking record on paper the 25 year old has shown nothing to worry Zhang. The Chinese fighter should really be seeing this as his chance to record an easy first defense of the title he won back in January. Interestingly coming into this bout Zhang is on a run of 5 opening round KO's. A second title bout will see the once touted Zhimin Wang (9-2, 3) take on Filipino visitor Anthony Sabalde (12-6, 7) for the WBC Asian Boxing Council Lightweight title. The match up isn't as good looking on paper as the Heavyweight title clash, but the reality is that this bout should be much more interesting, and looks like a much more competitive contest. Both Wang and Sabalde are flawed and both will feel they take advantage of their foes weaknesses. There are two other notable bouts on this card. One of those will see Jianzheng Wang (6-0, 4) take on former OPBF title challenger Kajornsak Sithsaithong (10-6, 10), in what we expect will be a mismatch, and the heavy handed Wuzhati Nuerlang (9-1, 8) taking on Thai Chaloemporn Sawatsuk (17-5, 13), in what promises to be an explosive encounter. Pangasinan, Philippines In Pngasinan fight fans are in for a very low key card, with the main event being the only bout worthy of noting. That bout will see Alphoe Dagayloan (7-2-5, 3) take on Mateo Handig (13-15, 7), in what would have been an interesting fight had Handig not lost his last 10. Handig used to be pretty decent, but is only a shadow of the fighter he once was This Saturday is set to be a hectic day for Asian fight fans. Hangzhou, China The biggest show of the day sees action return to China for a Max Power card of international note with a world title fight, an international title fight and several bouts involving notable Chinese fighters. The main event of the card sees WBA Super Bantamweight champion Nehomar Cermeno (25-5-1-1, 15) fight in China for a third time this year as he rematches Qiu Xiao Jun (21-3, 10), the man he beat earlier this year for the title. Cermeno has had a bizarre late career revival in China winning the title by stopping Jun and then defending it against the then unbeaten Nop Kratingdaenggym, after having been all but inactive previously. Although very talented Cermeno is 37 and it's likely that father time will get to him sooner rather than later. Saying that he did dominate Jun back in June and it's hard to see him having aged much since that win. Another title bout from this card will see the light punching Can Xu (10-2) defending his WBA International Super Featherweight title against Japan's Spice Matsushita (16-8-1, 2). The champion will be looking for his third defense and although lacking power he has impressed at times, and looks to be developing into a talented fighter, who simply hasn't yet matured into a powerful young man. Matsushita is a true veteran having debuted more than a decade ago but at 33 he's not a spring chicken and has never fought outside of Japan before. Another interesting international bout will see the promising Baishanbo Nasiyiwula (10-0-1, 5) battle against unbeaten New Zealander Leki Maka (9-0, 3). Baishanbo has impressed through his career, and has caught our eye in the past, but this looks like a very different assignment to his previous ones. Although the favourite the Chinese fighter will be aware that Maka holds a notable recent win over Farzan Ali Jr on the road in Fiji. Another interesting international bout will see Chinese based Ruissian Andrey Kalyuzhnyy (13-2, 11) face off with struggling Thai Chaloemporn Singwancha (17-2, 13). On paper this looks like a really good bout but the Thai has lost his last 2 by stoppage and has struggled throughout his career when facing someone who comes to fight, like the Russian does. This could be a third straight set back for the Thai. One other international bout will see Filipino Sonny Katiandagho (10-1, 6) face Stevie Ongen Ferdinandus (24-12-1, 12), in a bout that has been re-arranged after being been set earlier in the month. The once beaten Filipino is a guy who has had good results, including wins over Allan Tanada, Hyun Woo Yuh and Rafik Harutjunjan and this should be another. Shanghai, China A second, less notable, Chinese card will come from Shanghai and will a few interesting bouts of it's own, albeit at a lower level. The main even of the card will see Indonesian fighter Geisler AP (9-8, 6) battle unbeaten local hopeful Alimu Wushouer (8-0, 6), with Wushouer looking to record his first win over an international opponent. Wushouer has impressed on the Chinese scene, as part of the League of Fists, but this could be a more interesting assignment for the unbeaten 22 year old. Geisler has never won outside of Indonesia but this could be a chance to change that. In an all Chinese bout we'll see the heavy handed WuZhati Nuerlang (5-1, 5) take on the limited but heavy handed Chengbo Zheng (6-5-0-1, 4) in what could be an explosive contest. It's likely that we'll see Nuerlang come out on top here, given he as has stopped his last 5 opponents and that Zheng has been stopped several times before, however its good to see him face someon who has a punchers reputation themselves. Another all-Chinese bout will see the unbeaten Naiwuzhati Nuermaimaiti (4-0-1, 2) take on the once beaten Chao Peng (5-1-2, 1) in a very interesting looking match up. New Delhi, India More title action will be held in India where Indian boxing megastar Vijender Singh (7-0, 6) battles against the experienced Francis Cheka (32-9-2, 17). The bout will be Singh's first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title, a title he won back in July with a decision victory over Kerry Hope. Cheka was once a good test for an emerging fighter but is well past his best and shouldn't trouble Singh too much here. Cebu, Philippines In Cebu fight fans will get a relatively uninteresting card, though the main event is worth making a note of. That main event will see the once beaten Jess Rhey Waminal (9-1-1, 5) take on Margarito Moya (9-2, 3) in what looks like a very even and competitive bout. Ekaterinburg, Russia In Russia we'll see unbeaten Russian Pavel Malikov (9-0, 3) take on Filipino veteran Adones Aguelo (27-14-2, 19). Aguelo, one of the more under-rated Filipino fighters, will be hoping to pick up a win here to claim the WBC Asian Boxing Council Lightweight title and score a 4th straight win. Malikov has shown promise but this is a step up for him and should be a real test for the unbeaten man. Nevada, USA In the US we'll see big punching Filipino Aston Palicte (21-2, 18) face off against the talented, but feather fisted, Oscar Cantu (14-0, 1) in a bout for a trio of regional titles. The bout is a “puncher Vs slickster” type of bout but should be some very fun and very exciting with Palicte almost certain to hunt a stoppage after his robbery defeat last time he fought away from the Philippines. Things really take off over the weekend with some really notable fighters and some intriguing match ups. Hong Kong, SAR China The biggest card of the day comes from Hong Kong and promises a lot of exciting, despite not being littered with the biggest or best names in the sport. There should be a lot of action and should be a lot of fun for fight fans at the venue. The main event of the card will see unbeaten fighters Rex Tso (19-0, 12) and Ryuto Maekawa (11-0-1, 7) face off in a bout that looks great on paper. Of the two Tso is by far the better known fighter, and has carved out a following thanks to Bob Arum and Top Rank who show cased him in various Macau shows. The bouts that helped Tso build a following were exciting fights and although he showed flaws he was fun. Maekawa on the other hand has really looked poor, despite being unbeaten, and seems to either blow opponents away or struggle over the finishing line. In an interesting supporting bout Jay Solmiano (18-3-1, 14) will be up against the once beaten Chaloemporn Sawatsuk (17-1, 13). For Chaleomporn this bout will be his first since he was stopped, in a round, by Azizbek Abdugofurov he is however dropping down from Middleweight where that bout took place. Solmiano, a former OPBF title challenger, will be looking to record a second straight win since his 2014 loss to Keita Obara. Another supporting bout will see unbeaten Australian Paul Fleming (22-0, 14) face off with Filipino Jerope Mercado (27-8-3, 9). The 36 year old Mercado was a very solid fighter at Bantamweight a few years ago, now however he is a man looking like he's at the end of his career and has gone 3-7 in his last 10. The unbeaten Fleming is a promising fighter and a win here should be expected, though it's where he goes next that could be really interesting. Another supporting bout will see the criminally over-looked Filipino Rey Megrino (22-20-4, 19) face off with Indonesian Jason Butar Butar (20-18-1, 14). On paper this is a really, really, well matched bout between two fighters who look like heavy handed journeymen. In reality however this should be a mismatch, despite Megrino fighting well above his usual weight. Megrino is fringe world class and shouldn't struggle here, despite moving up in weight. Sonora, Mexico The biggest bout of the day with an Asian fighter comes from Mexico and sees former WBO-WBA “super” Flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada (33-2, 24) take on Filipino journeyman Raymond Tabugon (18-5-1, 8). The bout will be Estrada's first in over a year and although Tabugon will be the under-dog it may be the best time for him to face a guy like Estrada, who is moving up in weight, has been injured and inactive. New South Wales, Australia There will also be some Asian interest in Australia where two Asian fighters will be in action. One of those Asian's is Indonesian Rusmin Kie Raha (14-10-2, 3) who faces Valentine Borg (12-2, 8) in what looks likely to be Kie Raha's 11th loss. The Indonesian has gone 3-8 in his last 11 bouts and he has been several times recently, including an opening round blow out to Hyun Woo Yuh. Whilst Borg is flawed he should be far too good for the visitor here. Another bout on this card sees debutant Satali Tevi Fuamoano (0-0) face Thai foe Pramool Boonpok (1-24-1). Given Boonpok's record it's fair to say that this is a safe debut for Fuamoano. Gapyeong, Korea Their will also be an obscure Korean show in Gapyeong, which will be the first from a new Korean boxing body. The details on this are scarce but it's clear this will feature two "Korean" title bouts. Nevada, USA The most significant bouts featuring Asian fights this Saturday both come from a stacked card in Las Vegas where Bob Arum is putting on a bumper show with several good looking bouts, including a mouth watering world title unification fight. The most interesting bout with an Asian interest on this card will see China's IK Yang (19-1-0-1, 14) face off against Leonardo Zappavigna (34-2, 24) in an IBF Light Welterweight eliminator. The bout looks almost certain to be a thriller with both fighters having serious flaws and being relatively free swinging. Of the two Zappavigna is the more proven however Yang is the bigger puncher and has the toughness that should help him to a very competitive victory. The other Asian fighter on this card is Japanese Middleweight contender Ryota Murata (10-0,7) who takes on the much more experienced George Tahdooahnippah (34-2-3-2, 24) in what will be Murata's second bout Stateside. Murata failed to shine on his US debut, when he beat Gunnar Jackson, but should manage to look here against an opponent who has little to threaten him. Another other than an impressive victory will seriously harm Murata's hopes of becoming a star in the US. Singapore, Singapore It's not just in the US where we get some interesting match ups with Asian fighters as Singapore hosts a very intriguing card. In the main event of the show fight fans will see promising Uzbek Qudratillo Abduqaxorov (7-0, 5) face off against once beaten Filipino Adones Cabalquinto (23-1, 15) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Welterweight title. The very talented Abduqaxorov has impressed so far in his career but this is a very credible step up and a win will put him on the boxing map. For Cabalquinto the bout is a must win with many criticising his career after a good start, with him facing a string of limited opponents. In an interesting all Filipino bout Jeson Umbal (10-5, 7) will be up against Mark Anthony Geraldo (33-6-3, 15) in a bout for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Super Bantamweight title. Geraldo has lost 2 of his last 4, though was closing in on a world title fight before those losses. He will be favoured over Umbal, though knows that another loss will be the end of his hopes as a contender. Interestingly this will be the second time these two men have fought this year, with Geraldo beating Umbal back in February. A really testing bout will see former amateur stand out Azizbek Abdugofurov (2-0, 2) battle against Thailand's Chaloemporn Singwancha (17-0, 13) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Middleweight title. The 24 year old Abdugofurov is a hotly tipped Uzbek prospect but this is a monstrous step up for a guy who only debuted in May! The Thai will be favoured on paper but is is one of his first bouts with a guy actually facing him with the intention of winning, and that's without mentioning that Abdugofurov was a very accomplished amateur fighter. Another title bout will see Muhamad Farkhan (1-0, 1) face off with Indonesian Elly Pangaribuan (4-7-2, 1) for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver Cruiserweight title. We like Farkhan's desire to win a title at such an early stage but the WBC really should explain why either guy is fighting for any sort of belt here. One other bout of note sees our Canadian friend Ryan Ford (6-0, 4) in action for the first time since he beat Thailand's Manus Boonjumnong. The unbeaten Canadian will be up against Malaysian Muhammad Meeraj (2-0) in what should be an interesting bout. Ford will certainly be favoured but it seems that Meeraj should be the bigger fighter in the ring and could pose serious questions to the aggressive Canadian. Jakarta, Indonesia We also have title action in Indonesia where fans get two title fights. One of those is for the Indonesian Featherweight title and will see the experienced James Mokoginta (30-18-3, 17) battle against Gusti Elnino (3-9, 1). This looks like a straight forward win for Mokoginta however he's certainly beatable and has lost 3 of his last 6. The other title fight will see Ruben Manakane (17-16-1, 11) battle against Marten Kisamlu (3-6,1) - Indonesian Super Bantamweight title. This is a very competitive bout, despite the huge different in the records, and should be a genuinely compelling match of up for the fans in Jakarta. Thailand On February 5th Thai fans had expected to an international rematch between WBA “interim” Flyweight champion Stamp Kiatniwat (14-0, 6) and Dominican slugger Gregorio Lebron (13-3, 11), who fought in a controversial bout last year. Sadly the bout was postponed on the day of the fight after issues with the promoter being unable to pay Thai TV station Channel 7. As a result of the postponement the bout was rescheduled for February 9 on Channel 3 SD. The bout is expected to be a competitive one, but is likely to be a frustrating one for both fighters. On the under-card will be unbeaten Thai Chalermpol Singwancha (16-0, 12), who was supposed to be in action at the end of January before his original opponent, IK Yang, suffered a training injury. Sadly we're unsure who Chalermpol will be facing Thailand For a second day running Thai fans get a major, international rematch as WBA “interim” Flyweight champion Stamp Kiatniwat (14-0, 6) defends his title against Dominican slugger Gregorio Lebron (13-3, 11). Stamp beat Lebron last year to claim the title before being ordered to give Lebron a rematch due to the close nature of the contest. Coming in to the rematch both men have stated they will be hunting a KO and that could mean that we won't see the judges come in to play here. On the under-card will be unbeaten Thai hopeful Chalermpol Singwancha (16-0, 12), who was supposed to be in action at the end of January before his original opponent, IK Yang, suffered a training injury. Jakarta, Indonesia Often in boxing we complain about the quality of match ups, every so often however we get a match up that really does look like a treat, a genuinely special treat for us fans. One such bout is set to take place today in Jakarta where former world title challenger Daud Yordan (34-3-0-1, 24) battles Yoshitaka Kato (29-6-1, 9). The bout may not resonate with Western fans, who may have forgotten Yordan and may not know who Kato is, but it will be action packed with styles that should really gel in the ring and give us a lot of excitement. This really could be a genuine treat. For fans interested the bout will be aired on RCTI and will be for Yordan's WBO Africa and WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight titles, with Kato himself having questioned the African title, it will also have significance on the WBO Lightweight world rankings with the winner likely moving towards a title fight as a result of this one. As for the under-card the show will feature some interesting fights, including an exhibition featuring 55 year old Indonesian legend Ellyas Pical (20-5-1, 11) facing off against his former sparring partner in a 2 round exhibition. The bout, according to the promoter, is to raise interest in Indonesian boxing and allow Pical, the country's first world champion to be a key figure. The main under-card bout will see the exciting Defry Palulu (12-1, 11) face off against Filipino fighter Rey Juntilla (21-7-4, 14), in what looks like a genuinely good match up and a real test for the local favourite. The card will also feature a celebrity charity fight, albeit between two Indonesian celebrities, whilst there are a further 6 under card bouts featuring some of the more notable domestic level Indonesian fighters. This coming Saturday is a very busy day in Asian boxing circles with a lot of fighters in action, particularly in China. Shanghai, China The most notable the shows comes from Shanghai where fight fans will get the chance to see a number of big names in action. The main event sees former world title challenger Zou Shiming (6-1, 1) fight for the first time since he lost to Amnat Ruenroeng last March. The Chinese fighter looks to be in tough against 21 year old Brazilian puncher Natan Santana Coutinho (12-0, 10) but the reality is that Coutinho is unlikely to pose many threats to the Chinese fighter, and as we know Brazilians have regularly had padded puncher's records with little in terms of real skill. Shiming, a 2-time Olympic champion, isn't the only Olympic Gold medal winner on this card as Japan's Ryota Murata (8-0, 5) battles against Argentinian Gaston Alejandro Vega (24-10-1-1, 10). This should be a straight forward win for Murata but the Japanese Middleweight will need a good performance if he's to move closer to a world title fight later in the year. Unfortunately Murata failed to shine last year on his US debut, against Gunnar Jackson, and cannot afford another less than impressive performance here. Other bouts on this card include a Super Middleweight bout between Zulpikar Maimaitiali (5-0-1, 3), one of the most exciting prospects in China, and Australian visitor Steve Moxon (5-2, 4) and a bout featuring former WBA "interim" Light Flyweight title challenger Ma Yi Ming (12-6, 7), who is fighting for the first time since he was blitzed by Randy Petalcorin. Sadly however a bout at 140lbs between former world title challenger IK Yang (19-1-0-1, 14) and unbeaten Thai Chalermpol Singwancha (16-0, 12) has been cancelled following an injury in training suffered by Yang. Shanghai, China A second show in Shanghai, also promoted by Bob Arum, will see novices in action as part of the Fists of Fury cards, which are hoping to help develop more home grown talents. One potential star in action is 21 year old puncher Alimu Wushouer (5-0, 5) who will be fighting against Jin Sheng Zhang (1-0-2). Wushouer, from Xinjiang, blew out 5 opponents last year in a combined 7 rounds and will be hoping to notch up another quick win as he faces an unbeaten 17 year old. Another puncher putting his unbeaten record on the line is Abulimiti Tuersunniyazi (3-0, 3) who puts his perfect record on the line against Yangcheng Jin (0-1-2). This should be a 4th straight win for Tuersunniyazi who could be a real hidden gem. Penglai, China Staying in China fight fans will get the chance to see Heavyweight puncher Zhang Junlong (11-0, 11) battle against Argentinian visitor Juan Pedro Guglielmetti (7-4, 5). Junlong may be the best of the Chinese Heavyweights, and wins over Jason Gavern and Shawn Cox, are pretty notable. Sadly though fighting solely in China and missing out on the Top Rank cards will be doing Junglong more harm than good and it's unlikely he'll get to have a genuinely big fight. On the same card the once beaten Wang Kun (3-1, 1) will face experienced Filipino Cristian Abila (13-18-4, 4). Abila, who has been a professional for more than 6 years, has been racking up losses recently but can turn in solid performances, as he did last year against Nino Magboo, and is a threat to the rising Kun, who looks to build on a big win over Romeo Jakosalem last year. South Korea A Korean show, sanctioned by the KBF, will feature a number of bouts, sadly though the specific details of the card are scarce with only confirmed bout being a 6 rounder featuring Mongolian youngster Joldasbyek Tagtyanal (0-0), a 20 year old from Ulaanbaatar. From what we under-stand he will be facing a local Korean fighter but sadly the specific details really are lacking here. California, USA Outside of Asia, and in the US, fight fans get the chance to see the American debut of former OPBF Lightweight title challenger Ricky Sismundo (30-8-2, 13). The under-rated Japanese based Filipino is in a tough one as he takes on fringe contender Jose Felix Jr (32-1-1, 25). On paper the bout is a mismatch, with Felix being much hiugher regarded that Sismundo however the Filipino is far better than his record indicates and comes in on a 5 fight unbeaten run, including wins over Yoshitaka Kato, Akihiro Kondo and Shuhei Tsuchiya. This really could be a good one if Sismundo can handle the power of Felix early on. Guerrero, Mexico Staying in North America fans will get the chance to see Filipino Leonardo Doronio (15-11-3, 10) battle against the charismatic Nery Saguilan (36-5-1, 13). The bout, for the WBC Latino Lightweight title, looks like a mismatch but the bout is a huge opportunity for Doronio who holds notable wins against the likes of Taiwo Ali, Al Rivera and Burning Ishii. Almaty, Kazakhstan Fans in Kazakhstan also get some notable action. Among the bouts in Almaty is the debut of former amateur stand out Ruslan Myrsatayev (0-0), who faces the win-less Valery Zamiralov (0-3). Myrsatayev made his name back in 2007 when he went to the World Amateur Championships, and continued to make a name for himself at the 2008 Olympics. Sadly, aged 30, this could be a case of waiting too long to go pro however he was impressive in WSB. There isn't much action on Friday but the day is effectively the calm before the storm with Saturday expected to be a huge day of action. Tokyo, Japan The most notable action comes from Japan where we see a former world title challenger in action whilst the undercard features several interesting looking bouts. In the main event fans will see former world title challenger Hidenori Otake (22-2-3, 9) fight for the first time since he was widely out pointed by Scott Quigg. The Japanese fighter, a former Japanese Super Bantamweight champion, will be up against Thailand's Phissanuthep Chaiyonggym (4-12-1, 3) in what should be a mismatch. Otake is obviously wanting to shake some ring rust going in to this one, considering he's not fought since last November, though it's hard to see where the 33 year old goes next time out. The chief support bout is an interesting looking Flyweight bout between 2013 All Japan Rookie of the Year Ryuto Oho (6-2-1, 2) and Takahiro Fujii (7-3-1, 2), a solid but unspectacular fighter. This is likely to be much better than the main event, though certainly won't get the headline that Otake's bout will. A third 8 rounder will see Naoya Okamoto (8-4, 4) take on Yutaka Kamioka (8-3-2, 4) in a very well matched bout at a contracted 54.5Kg's. We're not going to try and pretend either of these guys are world class, or even domestic title level fighters, but they should make for a brilliant match up together given that both men are flawed and both know that a win will help boost their career. We suspect Kamioka will come out on top but neither will lie down for the other. Another bout on this card, a 6 rounder, is a rare Heavyweight clash which will see Yamato Fujinaka (5-3, 1) battle against Thailand's Prakampetch Por Palapol (0-2). Coming in to this bout Fujinaka is on a 4 fight winning streak and should be too good for Prakampetch who was stopped in both of his previous bouts, both back in 2013. As well as the 4 bouts mentioned there will be a further 4 bouts on the under-card. Beiing, China In China there appears to be a small but notable card. The main event of the show will see Chinese Heavyweight destroyer Zhang Junlong (10-0, 10)* battle against former world title contender Shawn Cox (18-5, 17) in what looks to be a genuine test for the Chinese fighter. Junlong has been matched lightly for the most part but did stop Jason Gavern last time out and this is his second success bout against a recognisable opponent. If Junlong can take Cox's power then we'll be impressed, though there is every chance that Junlong will see off his visiting opponent before being tagged himself. In a supporting bout China's Wang Kun (2-1, 1) will be facing Filipino visitor Romeo Jakosalem (16-9-1, 8) in what looks to be a really tough match up for Kun. Another supporting bout will see the unbeaten Lin Chunlei (2-0, 1) take on Jason Redondo (10-3-1, 7) in what looks to be another big ask for the home fighter. Thailand On a Channel 11 card from Thailand fans will see the heavy handed Chalermpol Singwancha (12-0, 10) defending his ABF Welterweight title. Sadly we've not been able to work out who Chalermpol's challenger will be, though we have been informed it will be an Italian fighter. Thailand As well as the Channel 11 show there will also be a Channel 7 card. Unfortunately details regarding this show are scarce though we believe there will be a WBA Asia Bantamweight title on here. *Junlong's record is disputed with his manager informing us that his boxrec is missing a number of his bouts. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) Just 2 days we get a Japanese title fight at 130lbs we get an OPBF title bout down at 126lbs as the pace gets going towards an excellent last half of the month. Tokyo, Japan Often domestic shows are poor and fail to get the attention of fans at large. This coming Wednesday however we get a great show courtesy of Kyoei who are putting on a packed domestic card with several bouts of note ranging from an OPBF title fight at the top of the card to a female comeback bout as one fighter looks to get her career back on track after a major setback. The aforementioned OPBF title bout will see OPBF Featherweight champion Hisashi Amagasa (27-4-2, 18) returning to the ring for his 3rd defense of the title. Amagasa, a very fun to watch and rangy fighter, will be backed strongly to over-come challenger Ryo Takenaka (11-2-1, 6) who has yet to prove himself anywhere near this sort of level. We like Amagasa though it's clear he's a clear level below the true world class guys, despite that here is several levels above Takenaka. The chief support bout looks to be a stunning match up which looks incredibly equal on paper. This will see Kazuma Sanpei (11-0, 4) battle against Japanese based Filipino Johnreil Maligro (11-0, 8). On paper Maligro has the edge in terms of though in all honesty there is little to split these two who aren't just unbeaten fighters but are also both southpaws and both are very young and very promising. A fantastic fight on paper and a second successive good test for both men who similarly matched tough last time out as well. The female bout will see the once beaten Tomomi Takano (5-1, 4) fighting against a Thai foe as she attempts to put a stoppage loss to Kai Johnson behind her. Takano, who is better known for her looks and various attire weigh in attire than her boxing skills, knows that she needs a win here to remain relevant and we suspect her Thai opponent won't be up to much. Another bout on this card will see former Japanese interim Super Bantamweight champion Mikihito Seto (34-11-3, 18) battle against novice Kenta Toi (3-4). Seto has won just 1 of his last 4 bouts and really needs a win, he should get it against Toi though it's far from a sure thing given Seto's current form. One of the other bouts on the show will see former OPBF and Japanese title challenger Toyoto Shiraishi (24-8-1, 11) battle against the fun to watch but limited and light hitting Mako Matsuyama (7-8-1, 3), a man best known for all-action war with Rex Tso. Matsuyama is a warrior and is tougher than his record indicates however Shiraishi will have to be favoured here. The final bout of note here will see Kazuaki Moriya (11-5, 1) battle against Ryo Narizuka (6-4) in a really important bout for both men. Moriya has lost his last 2 bouts and desperately needs a win here whilst Narizuka is 3-3 in his last 6 and may see his career vanishing if he cannot score a win here. It's a low level bout but a significant one all the same. Bangkok, Thailand The most significant bout of the day comes from Thailand where former 2-weight world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha (80-2, 52) battles against Filipino slugger Dan Nazareno Jr (20-11, 16) in a genuinely interesting looking bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Light Middleweight title. Singwancha, who is unbeaten in 11 years and 37 fights, is now 37 and it's been almost 17 years since his only stoppage loss. If Nazareno has trainer properly there is every chance he could stop Singwancha, who was only stopped by Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in a thriller. Nazareno however does seem to have problems with consistency and if he's not on form he'll suffer another decision loss as he did to Chalermpol Singwancha back in April. Talking about Chalermpol Singwancha (10-0, 8) it's worth noting that he's also in action as he takes on a French visitor that we believe is called Kevin Solimani, though we can't find his record on boxrec so he may be a debutant or a fighter from another combat sport. third bout on this card is second a rematch between Pakorn Mor Poowana (3-1-1, 3) and Jen Yu Jia (1-8-2). The two men fought to a 6 round draw back in September following an opening round win for the Thai back in December 2012. It's assumed that if the Thai comes out unscathed he will be fighting Adones Cabaquinto in the Philippines in November. This Thai card will be aired on Channel 11. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) |
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