Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Monday is a huge day for boxing in Asia, with one of, if not the, best show of the year taking place at the huge and iconic Tokyo Dome. The card features a staggering 4 world title bouts, for 7 major world titles, and the one none title bout features a regional champion, who is himself a former world champion. The main event on this stacked super card is a bout for the Undisputed Super Bantamweight title, as reigning champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23) puts his WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF titles on the line against Mexican puncher Luis Nery (35-1, 27). Inoue, the face of Japanese boxing, and one of the faces of boxing in general, is looking to make his first defense of the Undisputed title, and continue to prove himself as one of the generations best fighters. He is also looking to get Japan a sense of revenge for Nery’s previous bouts in Japan, where he twice beat Shinsuke Yamanaka in controversial fashion, failing a drug test in one bout and coming in overweight for the other. As for Nery the bout is his first bout in Japan since those transgressions, and he has spoken confidently of overcoming Inoue and becoming a 2-weight world world champion, though he is certainly the under-dog here. We’re expecting the usually respectful Japanese crowd to give Nery a unique welcome here, as Nery has still not been forgiven for his previous bouts in Japan. In an all Japanese bout we’ll see WBA Bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue (19-1, 5) take on Sho Ishida (34-3, 17). For Inoue, the younger brother of Naoya, this will be his second defense and follows a career best result, a KO9 win over Jerwin Ancajas. Hopefully that win is a sign of Inoue growing into his power, and his aggression, with that bout being a more physical bout than we typically see from the younger Inoue brother, who stood his ground and took out Ancajas with a brutal body shot. As for Ishida, who is making his second challenger for a world title, the rangy man from Osaka has long promised to be a top fighter, but has really fallen short at and around the top level, with losses to Kal Yafai, Israel Gonzalez and Kosei Tanaka. It’s fair to say that this could well be Ishida’s final shot at the big time, and he really can’t afford another loss at this level. A second Bantamweight title bout will see WBO champion Jason Moloney (27-2, 19) seek his second defense, as he takes on unbeaten puncher Yoshiki Takei (8-0, 8). Moloney has rebuilt well since losses to Emmanuel Rodriguez, in 2018, and Naoya Inoue, in 2020, and is currently riding a 6 fight winning run. That run however has been a punishing one, with Moloney being dragged into tough, punishing bouts with Vincent Astrolabio and Saul Sanchez, and it’s going to be interesting to see how many times he can go to the well. As for Takei, the former kick boxing star has been a rapid riser in the professional boxing ranks, and has moved to 8-0 in just 26 rounds, whilst stopping the likes of Shingo Kwamura, Pete Apolinar, Bruno Tarimo and Ronnie Baldonado. He has, typically, fought at Super Bantamweight but if he makes 118lbs without any issues, he’s going to be a genuine handful with his power. A really interesting bout and one that really depends on how well Takei makes weight, and how much Moloney has left in the tank after some punishing bouts. The lowest weight to be covered by a world title fight on this card is an interesting rematch, as WBA Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1, 11) makes his first defense against Taku Kuwahara (13-1, 8), who he has previously beaten in a Japanese title fight. Their first bout, in 2021, saw Kuwahara put up a good effort, before being stopped late. Since then he has scored 5 wins, and impressed with solid victories against the likes of Giemel Magramo and Wulan Tuolehazi. Despite those good results he has been outshone by Akui, who has scored 4 wins, beating Takuya Kogawa, Jayson Vayson and Artem Dalakian, dethroning Dalakian of the WBA title. Although still something of a crude puncher, Akui is a lot more polished than he was in the first bout with Kuwhara, whilst Kuwahara has added more power to his game, making this a very interesting rematch. The one non-title bout on this card will see former IBF Super Bantamweight world champion TJ Doheny (25-4, 19), who is the current WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight champion, fighting in an 8 rounder against unbeaten Filipino Bryl Bayogos (7-0-1, 2). The bout was put on on short notice, with Doheny essentially acting as a reserve, in case Nery missed weight for the bout. If Nery makes weight, as we’re now expecting, we’ll get this bout, whilst if Nery misses weight Doheny will face Inoue. Despite being 37 Doheny has gone through something of a resurgence in recent bouts, stopping both Kazuki Nakajima and Japhethlee Llamido. Given that recent form it’s hard to see past Doheny here, especially given that Bayogos is stepping up massively, and despite being unbeaten his only real win of any note, at all, is a decision over Ryan Rey Ponteras last October. This is a huge step up for Bayogos and one we don’t think he’s ready for.
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Sandwiched between big boxing days on Saturday and Monday is a small, yet notable, Sunday with a really interesting card in South Korea and a small card in Japan, both should deliver some great action, even if there's a lack of major international names.
Paryeong Gymnasium, Goheung, South Korea The more interesting of the two cards on Sunday is a Cocky Buffalo show from South Korea, which features a trio of minor title bouts, all of which feature at least one fighter of note, and should be fights that tell us something about men involved. One of those three bouts will see once beaten Vietnamese fighter Van Thao Tran (17-1, 10) take on Thai veteran Jakrawut Majungoen (44-4-2, 23) in a bout for the vacant WBO Global Bantamweight title. Tran, who suffered his sole loss to Billy Dib in 2019, has won 5 in a row and will be looking for arguably his most notable win here. Jakrawut, also known as Kongfah CP Freshmart, is a 29 year old who has been on the Thai scene for more than a decade, and was once 14-0 before losing in a thrilling bout against Daigo Higa. Sadly for Kongfah the last few years haven't gone well for him, and he's gone 3-3-1 in his last 7, and we suspect this will be another loss here for the highly experienced Thai. In what could be a thrilling bout we’ll see once beaten Korean Jong Seon Kang (18-1-2, 9) take on Taiwanese visitor Yu Che Li (9-3-2, 6) in a bout for the vacant WBO Global Featherweight title. Kang has long been one of the most fun fighters on the planet to watch, with glaring defensive issues that he tries to cover with an ultra aggressive, high intensity output. His style is reminiscent of the stereotypical Korean style that made Korean fighters must watch fighters in the 1970’s and 80’s. He’s a throwback, and at just 22 years old he could be a future star of Korean boxing. Aged 30 Li isn't someone that many will expect to make a mark at a high level, but he has shown plenty of genuine ambition in recent bouts, scoring notable wins over Kazuhira Imamura and Daisuke Sugita in 2 of his last 3 bouts. Li will be looking for an upset and Kang will be looking to keep his momentum going and continue to move towards being the stat South Korean boxing has long been needing. The other bout of note on this show will see Uzbekistani veteran Olimjon Nazarov (30-5, 15) take on limited Thai puncher Sarawut Jiamthong (11-4, 10) in a bout for the vacant WBO International Flyweight title. The 38 year old Nazarov is legitimately ancient for a Flyweight, despite his advanced age he is currently riding a 7 year 17 fight winning run. Sadly though the most notable opponents during that run are close decisions against Wulan Tuolehazi, Jakrawut Majungoen and Ben Ligas and he has shown that he’s a long way from the divisional elite. As for Jiamthong the 25 year old Thai has won his last 4, but has lost the two times he's fought outside of Thailand, and has been stopped 3 times, suggesting lack of durability, and he’s never gone beyond 6 rounds, which won’t help him in this scheduled 12 rounder. AGF Suzuka Arena , Suzuka, Mie, Japan As well as the action in Korea we also get a small show in Japan. The main event here will see Tom Hamaguchi (6-8-2) take on Arashi Iimi (7-7, 7) in an 8 rounder. On paper this is pretty much a 50/50 match up, especially with Hamaguchi being from Suzuka and likely to have the crowd support behind him. Notably however, Iimi, for all his faults, does carry some power, and he’ll look to make the most of that here, against a man who has been stopped 4 times. Iimi is something of a glass cannon, with 6 stoppage losses to his name, but with Hamaguchi carrying little in way of fire power, that’s unlikely to be a worry for him here. Though it is worth noting Iimi has lost his last 6! Japanese ranked Super Flyweight Yuto Nakamura (12-7-2, 9) will also be involved in an 8 rounder, as he takes on Hisaya Kishibe (7-3-2, 4). Whilst neither man is a world beater, it’s worth noting that Nakamura comes in on the back of a win over former world champion Ryo Miyazaki, and will feel like that win shows his true ability, and like Hamaguchi he will have a strong home town support being from Suzuka. As for Kishibe, he’s unbeaten in his last 6 bouts, though this will be his first 8 rounder, after going 2-0-1 in bouts for 6. The only other 8 rounder on this card will see Ren Yamabe (7-2, 6) take on Jinu Lee (9-1-1, 4), in what looks to be the best bout on paper. Yamabe is a heavy handed fighter, who’s only gone beyond 4 rounds once, which he did last time out against Shuji Haraguchi. He's another who will have plenty of local support, living in Suzuka, though has been something of a road warrior in Japan, fighting all over the country the last few years. Lee on the other hand was tipped for big things a few years ago after winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year. Sadly for him however he has failed to win either of his last 2 bouts, and was last seen losing to Reo Saito, who stopped him in 8 rounds. Notably this is his first bout outside of Korakuen Hall and that could be something of an issue for him against someone who will clearly have local support. EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Attention this coming Saturday in Asia will be mostly on Japan, specifically Osaka, where we get a really interesting world title bout, in one of the sports most interesting, yet overlooked, divisions. The bout in question will see IBF Bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-2, 13) defending his title in a mandatory defense against unbeaten Japanese challenger Ryosuke Nishida (8-0, 1). On paper this is a huge step up in class for Nishida, who has had just 8 bouts. Despite the lack of experience he has already scored notable wins over Shohei Omori, Daigo Higa, Tatsuro Ohashi and Christian Medina Jimenez, going 12-rounds 4 times already, and has had 73 career rounds. In the ring he’s an excellent pure boxer, fighting outside of a southpaw stance, with a huge frame for a Bantamweight, but he lacks real power which could be an issue here. As for Rodriguez, he’s a slippery boxer, who had been a top amateur winning Silver at the 2010 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships and a gold at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, before making his mark on the pros. As a professional he has had 25 fights, for a total of 139 rounds, including wins over the likes of Alberto Guevara, Paul Butler, Jason Moloney, Gary Antonio Russell and Melving Lopez. He is currently enjoying his second reign as the IBF champion, with his first reign being ended in 2019 when he was taken out in 2 rounds by Naoya Inoue. Despite having almost 3 times more fights, and being regarded as the much more experienced man, it is interesting to note that he has also only gone 12 rounds on 4 occasions, the same as Nishida. The champion will go into this as the favourite, though he will, notably, be fighting in Asia for the first time. Sadly the world title bout aside, there is very, very little of note on this show. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Tokyo we also get a notable show, and whilst the main event isn’t as good as the one in Osaka, the overall card is stronger, by some margin, with two good looking Japanese title bouts and a notable debutant. The show will be overshadowed by the Osaka card, and rightfully so, but is likely to be the much better overall event. The main event of the card will be a much anticipated rematch as Japanese Welterweight champion Shoki Sakai (29-13-3, 15) takes on Ryota Toyoshima (18-3-1, 11), in a Champion Carnival bout. These two met back in 2021, with Toyoshima taking a decision win over Sakai, however since then Sakai has gone 3-0-1, won the Japanese title and recorded 2 defenses of the belt as he's gone through the best run of his career. Toyoshima on the other hand has gone 3-1, losing to Jin Sasaki, and struggling past Aso Ishiwaki last year. These styles of these two men are made for each other, with Sakai being a hard nosed pressure fighter, forcing the action and Toyoshima being a boxer-puncher who can be dragged into a war. This really should be a brilliant fight, much like their first one. The other title fight on this show will see Japanese Light Flyweight champion Toshiki Kawamitsu (9-1, 5) defending his title against Kosuke Ando (13-4, 6), in another Champion Carnival bout. Kawamitsu won the title last time out, when he stopped Toshimasa Ouchi, and seemed to show how good he really was with what was his third win since being stopped by Ginjiro Shigeoka, but there is still a lot for him to do before he gets to follow in Nishida’s footsteps and challenger at world level. Ando on the other hand is getting his second shot at a title, having fallen short in a regional title fight against Ryuya Yamanaka, and he’ll know he can’t afford another set back here if he’s wanting to be a fixture on the title scene. Sadly for Ando he was stopped by Kawamitsu back in 2021, and whilst he is 5-1 since then none of the fighters he's beat have been comparable to Kawamitsu. We also get the debut of former amateur fighter Yuichiro Taka (0-0), who is 22 years old and had been making a name for himself as far back as his days in the Under 15’s. Although certainly not an elite amateur, and he didn’t win medals in major international tournaments, he is an experienced fighter who is said to carry solid power, and is regarded as one to watch by those in the know in Japan. He’s being matched against Chinese fighter Yuqi Wang (1-1) in a 6 rounder, which should give us a chance to see what Taka can do in the ring, before moving on to bigger and better things down the line. Opal Paint Stadium, Bang Pakong, Thailand As well as the action in Japan we’re also a very small show in Thailand. The most notable bout announced for this card will see once beaten Pakistani fighter Moin Khan (6-1-1-1, 4) face limited Thai local Pornchai Srithong (11-10, 5). Khan has gone 4-0-1 since his sold loss, back in 2020, including win on Thai soil last year, and will be full of confidence. Despite his poor record Pornchai is something of a streaky fighter, and has also won his last 5 so will have confidence, though this is the equal longest winning run of his career and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it come to an end now he’s facing someone with some ambition. Singmanassak Muaythai School, Pathum Thani, Thailand
With some huge shows lined up for the next few days it can be easy to overlook the other bouts, and that certainly seems to be the case for a show this coming Friday from Pathum Thani. The show is a relatively low profile one, though the main event certainly deserves some attention as Japan’s Umi Ishikawa (11-3, 9) takes on Sothita Sitthichai (10-3, 3) in a bout for the WBC Female “interim” Minimumweight title, in what is the second bout between the two women. The two clashed last August, with Ishikawa taking a 3rd round win to claim the WBC Silver Female Minimumweight title. and score her 4th straight win. The win saw Ishikawa adding the Silver title to her growing collection of belts, including the WBC Asia Female Minimumweight and WBC International Atomweight title. Although no world beater, and a long way from the divisional queen Seniesa Estrada, she has proven herself to be dangerous, especially at this level. Sitthichai on the other hand had won 5 in a row before losing to Ishikawa, and has picked up two wins since their first bout. Sadly however only 2 of her 10 wins have come against fighters with wins and the 17 is certainly not as good as her record suggests. She has a padded record, has been stopped the two times she’s faced someone with some sort of a name, and it’s to expect that to change here. National Sports University, Bangkok Campus, Thanyaburi, Thailand
This coming Thursdays fight fans in Thailand get a small card. The full bout list isn’t known at the time of writing, though the one bout that has been announced for the event looks like it could be an interesting one, as Thailand’s Chan Sala (10-3, 6) takes on ShaoKang Huang (5-2, 3) for the WBC Asian Continental Welterweight title. Coming in to this Sala, who will be defending his title, has won his last 5 however they have come at a very low level with his most notable win coming against Ilham Loeisa. His winning run has come following a very 1-sided loss to Japan’s Yasuomi Soda, who won a 6 rounder with scores of 60-51, in 2023. As for Huang he’s won his last 3 and has bounced back since a loss to fellow Chinese fighter Aketelieke Jieensi in August. Sadly, this bout aside, there is no other bouts that we have any details of. Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex, Barangay Centro, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
To kick off a hectic month of action we begin in the Philippines where we get a small, but notable, card from Cebu. The main event of the card looks to be a massive mismatch as former 2-time world champion Vic Saludar (24-6, 14) takes on Thai visitor Sanchai Yotboon (14-7, 9) for the WBO Oriental Minimumweight title. The hard hitting Saludar, still one of the best fighters at 105lbs despite no longer holding a title, is a top tier fighter, who has nasty power, good skills, a good chin and is really much better than his record suggests with only the divisional elite being favoured over him. Sadly though Yotboon isn’t close to that level, and has been stopped numerous times by fighters, such as a loss last year to DainXing Zhu, whilst still yet to score a notable win. In fact all 7 of Yotboon’s losses have been inside the distance and it’s almost certain that this will be another loss inside the distance for the Thai. In a much, much better looking bout we’ll see the unbeaten pairing of Ramil Macado (8-0, 4) and Lorenz Dumam-ag (9-0-1, 6) battle for the vacant WBO Oriental Flyweight title. Macado is a 28 year old southpaw, who made his debut in 2022 and has taken 3 unbeaten records in 8 bouts, with his notable victory being an 8 round decision over Renoel Pael. Dumam-ag, dubbed "Shotgun", is 26 year old Southpaw who recently won the PBF Flyweight title, stopping Anthony Gilbuela in 9 rounds in December. Whilst he is unbeaten he has been dropped a few times during his career and is taking a step up in class here. This should be the best bout on the show, and is a 50/50 on paper, with Macado being the slightly more proven. Another bout on this card will see the highly promising Ian Abne (10-0-1, 4) taking on Darwin Boyones (6-4, 3). Abne has been on the radar for a few years now, though has sadly not really kicked on with his career, despite a notable domestic win over Jomar Caindog last year. He's clearly a talented fighter, but without being matched harder and having a team secure him bigger and better bouts, his potential is being wasted. Boyones is tough, and should force Abne to go 10 rounds, something he’s only done once, but is unlikely to be much of an actual test. Holy Name University Gymnasium, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
The most notable of the bouts of the day takes place in the Philippines with a card in Bohol. The most significant bout on this card will see the highly skilled Regie Suganob (14-1, 4) take on the hard hitting Kai Ishizawa (11-3, 10) in what will be Suganob’s first defense of the WBO Global Light Flyweight title. The talented “Filipino Phenom” has bounced back well from his sole loss, a close and very competitive decision loss in an IBF title fight against Sivenathi Nontshinga in South Africa, by beating Ronald Chacon for the global title in November. That win over Chacon isn't a win that should be seen in isolation with Suganob also holding wins over Andika D'Golden Boy and Mark Vicelles, and proving himself as among the best in the region at 108lbs. As for Ishizawa the exciting Japanese fighter is one of the biggest punchers in the division, and one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the lower weights, but is certainly going through a rough patch, with losses to Masataka Taniguchi and Vince Paras in his last 3 bouts, with Taniguchi stopping an over-weight Ishizawa in 2022. This is a real 50-50 and should be a great mix of styles, and the winner should certainly be in the mix for a world title fight in the near future. Also on this card is a rematch between the unbeaten Angilou Dalogdog (9-0, 3) and veteran Roland Jay Biendima (17-15-1, 10), who clash over 10 rounds. These two fought back in December, with Dalogdog stopping Biendima in 4 rounds, and it's expected he will extend his unbeaten record here, however it is worth noting their first bout was hotly contested before the referee stopped Biendima due to a cut, and this isn’t a rematch of an easy early win. Instead this should be a good 10 round test for Dalogdog, with Biendima being known as a tough guy, with only 3 stoppages, including the cut loss to Dalogdog, on his record. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Over in Korakuen Hall we get a very good, domestic Japanese card with a number of really well matched bouts thanks to KG Yamato, who are putting on bouts that, in the UK, would be described as “trade fights”, well matched contests, between fighters who are both looking to move their careers forward, with fighters on the fringes of potential title fights. The main bout pits two JBC ranked fighters against each other as the once beaten Shigetoshi Kotari (6-1-1, 5) takes on Hiromasa Urakawa (9-2, 6). The hard hitting Kotari has rebuilt excellently since going 2-1-1 to start his career, and has stopped his last 4 opponents, including the rugged Kanehiro Nakagawa, but is stepping up from Super Featherweight to Lightweight here where his power may not carry up in the same way. Urakawa on the other hand is a natural Lightweight who ran through a 6 fight winning run of his own recently, though did lose last time out, when he came up short against Hironori Mishiro. Like Kotari he does have some solid wins on his resume, including beating Eiji Togawa in the All Japan Rookie of the Year and beating Shinnosuke Saito last year. The winner of this will certainly be in the mix for a Japanese title fight next year. In another solid match up Riki Hamada (9-2, 6) will take on JBC ranked foe Toshiyuki Takahashi (10-5, 5), in what will be Hamada’s first A Class bout. Notably Hamada has shown a questionable sense of durability, with two stoppage losses against his name, however he has bounced back from those losses and won his last two bouts, and it seems like the losses were followed by time out of the ring, allowing him to mature and his last two bouts have been his biggest wins, including a victory over Daiki Imanari. Takashi on the other hand is unbeaten since losing in a Youth title fight in 2022, bouncing back with 3 wins including a notable victory in August against Ryoichi Tamura, which saw him climb the rankings. Neither of these men are likely to win major titles, but both will feel like they could earn a shot down the line, and will know a loss here is a massive setback. In an interesting 6 rounder we’ll see Ikuro Sadatsune (11-4-4, 4) return to the ring for the first time since July 2021, when he had a technical draw in a Japanese Bantamweight title fight, to face off against Retsu Takahashi (5-3, 2). Prior to his break Sadatsune was a genuinely fun to watch and talented fighter, who had fought a genuine who’s who of the Japanese scene, including the likes of Kai Chiba, Tatsuay Takahashi, Kenshin Oshima, Sho Ishida and Kyosuke Sawada. We do however wonder how he’s going to look after so long out of the ring. Takashi won his first 4 bouts, but has gone 1-3 in his last 4, and can ill afford another loss. Despite his recent set backs, he showed he wasn't washed up last year, when he beat Kantaro Nakanishi, in an upset, and also gave Kazuki Kojima a very close bout. This is an interesting match up, and whilst it certainly isn’t a huge bout, it is one that certainly has a sense of serious intrigue. One other bout of note is another 6 rounder, as 19 year old Rikuto Sezutsu (2-0, 2) moves from 4 rounders to take on the debuting 23 year old Yoshito Suzuki (0-0). The teenage Sezutsu made his debut in June last year, stopping a Korean visitor, and made his international debut in December, when he traveled to Thailand. Both of his wins have come in the second round and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do if he gets taken longer into fights. Suzuki on the other hand went 23-21 (4) in the amateurs, and whilst no world beater in the unpaid ranks, that's a lot of experience, much more so than Sezutsu has, and he’ll feel that’s a lot of ring time he can rely on here. This coming Sunday we get two Japanese shows, both of which are coming from the same venue, with the Sangyo Shinko Center in Sakai city putting on a pair of shows back to back.
Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The first of the two shows is a card promoted by Shinji Nogami's Diamante Promotions and will feature several interesting match ups with young local hopefuls. The main event will see JBC Youth Featherweight champion Towa Tsuji (7-1, 5) drop down in weight to take on Thai visitor Anuruk Madua (11-12, 8). The 24 year old Tsuji has won 4 in a row following an opening round loss in 2022 to Shugo Hisataka, with 3 of those wins coming inside the distance, including a win over Kyosuke Okamoto for the JBC Youth title and a win over Wirasak Rakchat, in his first bout against a non-Japanese foe. The 26 year old Madua has a very mixed record, and has rarely seen the final bell, with only 5 of his 23 bouts going the distance. Win or lose he tends to be in bouts that end early, and his 6 bouts in Japan have all been T/KO losses, and we’d be shocked if they didn’t end the same way. Another interesting match up on this card will see Seigo Hanamori (7-3, 5) face off with Yuta Nakatsuji (5-3, 2). Hanamori was on the verge of a Japanese title fight a few years ago, but has lost his last two inside the distance, and is now more than 3 years removed from a win. He was once regarded as a genuine hopeful with heavy hands and an exciting style, but will need a win soon to get his career back on track. Nakatsuji on the other hand has won his last 3, and appears to be going in the right direction with his career, after going 2-3 in his first 5, despite those results this is a clear step up in class for him, and a win would easily be his biggest victory to date. Also on this card is the debut of 19 year old female hopeful Hinata Takakura (0-0), who was a solid amateur on the Japanese domestic scene. She’ll be kicking off her career in a 6 rounder against Thai visitor Suphattra Aunruean (7-2, 5). On paper this looks like a tough debut for Takakura, though it should be noted the Thai's record is paper thin, and she has lost the two times she has faced fighters with any ambition, including a loss in Japan in 2023 against Nanae Yamaka. Sangyo Shinko Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan The second show, primarily promoted by Takashi Hashimoto's Esperanza Sports Promotions, is a show that is packed with West Japan Rookie of the Year bouts, with 5 such bouts on the show. This card is headlined by an interesting looking 8 rounder between Ren Kobayashi (7-3-3, 2) and Mizuki Akima (6-5-2, 4). Kobayashi has had mixed results throughout his career, but is unbeaten in his last 4 and recently scored a career best win, by overcoming Shingo Kawamura in December. Although no world beater he is a solid fighter, who has improved a lot since a shutout loss to Fuya Tomita back in 2020. Akima on the other hand has proven to be rugged and heavy handed, but is technically quite limited, and can be out boxed, as he has been in a number of his losses. Notably, for Akima, this is only his second bout outside of Korakuen Hall, and he's going to Kobayashi's birth town for the bout. The card also supposed to feature a bout between Eiji Togawa (8-7, 4) and Mikado Konishi (8-6, 5), however Konishi had to pull out of the bout in the build up to the event. Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
The most notable action this coming Saturday comes from Suwon, where we see a former world champion in action, though not in a major bout, and in many ways the former world champion in question seems to be something of a forgotten fighter, which is a shame as she was once on the verge of a major unification bout. That aforementioned world champion is unbeaten Korean Hyun Mi Choi (21-0-1, 5), who takes on Jessica Camara (12-4, 3) in a bout for the WBA Gold female Lightweight title. For Choi this will be her 4th bout since her US debut at the end of 2020, when she beat Calista Silgado. Back then she was being lined up as a future opponent for Teri Harper in a unification bout. Sadly after Harper was injured and the bout fell through Choi has been a forgotten fighter, fighting in 3 low profile bouts in Korea. As for Camara the Canadian 36 year old is a former world title challenger, losing to Kali Reis in 2021, who has mixed with good company and holds a notable win over Heather Hardy, but has typically come up short against her most notable opponents, including Reis and Melissa St Vil. Benikea Yangsan Hotel, Yangsan, South Korea Staying in South Korea, though traveling South East from Suwon, there is also set to be a show in Yangsan. This show features a number of 4 rounder along with one bout set for a longer distance. That longer bout is a Korean Heavyweight title bout, which will see unbeaten 29 year old Jung Hyun Kim (3-0, 3) defending the title for the first time, as he takes on 20 year old challenger Jung Soo Kim (5-2, 4). On paper it’s easy to back the champion, who is older, unbeaten, and the defending title holder. However the challenger is possibly just as proven, if not more proven, thanks to his battles on the road, which have seen him go the distance with Mitsuro Brandon Tajima, which he did last July, and winning a genuinely enthralling war with Yamato Fujinaka back in March. Given the styles of the two men, and the stereotypical Korean boxer mindset, do not be surprised if this ends up being something of fan friendly war. CC Gym, Pattaya, Thailand We are also set to get some low level action in Thailand, which features a rather interesting range of fighters from taking on Thai locals, in what looks like a low level but interesting show. At Light Heavyweight Armenian born Thai based Light Heavyweight Artavazd Aroyan (11-2, 8) will take on Thailand’s very own Don Parueang (13-4, 11). Aroyan has gone 5-0 (5) in Thailand, with 3 of those wins coming already this year. His competition hasn’t been great, but he has been dangerous and has bounced back well from a 2023 loss to Sergei Gorokhov. Parueang is a 41 year old fighter who debuted in 2011 and lost 4 of his first 6, but has gone 12-0 since then. Sadly he is best known for a tragic bout against Christian Daghio, who died following the bout. Daghio is pretty much the only notable win on his record, and the others are very, very, very low level bouts. Turkish born fighter Efe Derin Konuk (7-0-1, 3) looks to extend his unbeaten record as he takes on the once touted Thai Campee Phayom (24-8-2, 16). For Konuk this is his third successive bout in Thailand, and his 4th bout in the last 5 in the Land of Smiles. where he has beaten Aekkawee Kaewmanee and former world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu. He seems to hit harder than his record suggests but is certainly not a big banger. Phayom on the other hand started his career 9-0, but has since gone 15-8-2, and suffered losses to a number of notable fighters such as Xiangxiang Sun, Daud Yordan, Pungluang Sor Singyu and Virgel Vitor. Notably 7 of those 8 losses have been by stoppages and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him taken out again here. Also on this card is unbeaten Italian 46 year old Alessio Bisutti (5-0, 4) who takes on Thai native Naphat Ngoenbamrung (8-1, 4). Bisutti made his debut in June 2023 and won the Thai Heavyweight title in September, before adding the Asian Boxing Federation title in November. Although his competition has been poor, he has been doing exactly what he's supposed to, and taking them out early. The 22 year old Ngoenbamrung has been fighting at an incredibly low level, with several of his bouts being rematches with fighters, in fact his sole loss came to Weerapat Kamlangwai who he had previously beaten. He debuted in April 202 and will be fighting for the 10th time in just over a year. On paper this is a step up for both men, though it’s hard to imagine either man going too far in the sport. Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
This coming Friday fight fans at Korakuen Hall get the chance to see a low key card, that won’t attract wider attention, but will deliver for the hardcore fans in the venue, with bouts that are made to be fun to watch, competitive and exciting, rather than to sell on name value of those involved. In the main event we’ll be getting a genuine treat as the aggressive and hard hitting Kaiki Yuba (11-2-2, 7) takes on the always fun to watch Aso Ishiwaki (12-7-1, 8). Of the two men Yuba is the more polished fighter, with a boxer-puncher style that makes him deadly. He might not be the freakish puncher his father was but he has shown himself to be devastating at domestic level. Notably his power has carried up from 135 to 140 and even 147, stopping 2 of his 3 opponents at Welterweight. He does however not have the greatest of chins and has been stopped in both of his losses. Ishiwaki on the other hand is a pressure fighter who comes forward, makes for fun fights and although he has 7 losses is much better than his record suggests, with 3 of those losses coming by split or majority decision, including a loss to Ryota Toyoshima. Ishiwaki has mixed at a solid level, and whilst he has been stopped twice, he also has solid power of his own. This one really could be a very, very good fight. In a supporting bout the once touted Kyotaro Yoshida (3-3) will face off with Mirai Imagawa (13-6-1, 5). When he turned professional there was big expectations on Yoshida, who had been a very good amateur, but sadly as a professional his lack of power has proven to be an issue, and whilst he is clearly talented, he has lost some very close fights and it's become apparent he'll not reach the heights expected of him. In saying that he is certainly not a bad boxer, just sadly one lacking the power to climb to the top of the domestic scene. Imagawa on the other hand is someone who has rebuilt from a faltering start that saw him start his career 1-2 and being 3-3. Sadly for him his wins, so far, have come at a relatively low domestic level, with his best wins coming against the likes of Kento Yabusaki. Despite that there was some hope for Imagawa in late 2017, when he won the All Japan Rookie of the Year, and he’ll now be looking to get his career back on track after being winless since late 2022. In a Middleweight bout recent Japanese title challenger Mikio Sakai (5-2-1) will look to score his first win since 2022, as he takes on Korean visitor Dong Su Kim (3-2-1, 1). Sakai is a talented fighter, but has twice come up short in Japanese title fights against Riku Kunimoto, and the feeling is he may well need to hope Kunimoto looks for regional titles if he’s ever to become the Japanese champion himself. As for Kim he won the Korean national title in June 2022, but has only fought once since then and has had an awful stop-start career that, amazingly, began in 2009. Now aged 33 Kim has likely wasted his best years, but should make for a good dance partner for the Japanese local. |
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