Fighters to watch in Japan

JAPAN is currently experiencing an unprecedented boxing boom, the likes of which has not been witnessed in the last 30 years.

On October 13-14, there will be two consecutive major events at the same venue (Ariake Arena) including seven world championship bouts.

Perhaps the most underrated Japanese fighter at this time is Seigo Yuri Akui, who makes his second world title defence against Thailand’s Thananchai Charunphak on October 13. In January, he won the WBA flyweight belt with a comprehensive points victory over the very skilled champion Artem Dalakian from Ukraine.

In my opinion, Yuri is the most complete boxer in Japan after Naoya Inoue, due to his accurate punching and high-level defensive skills. I would also like to highlight the names of the following promising Japanese fighters.

Special picks:

Tenshin Nasukawa (26)

4-0, 2 KOs

A former kickboxing superstar at the Teiken Gym, maybe Nasukawa is more famous than Naoya Inoue in Japan, especially among the younger generation. We can call him the Japanese Pernell Whitaker and Gary Russell Jr.

Jin Sasaki (23)

18-1-1, 17 KOs

Current WBO Asia Pacific welterweight champion. His left hook is very special and so destructive. He aims to be the first Japanese welterweight world champion.

Kai Watanabe (21)

13-1-1, 7 KOs

Current WBO Asia Pacific super-featherweight champion who stopped Toshihiro Suzuki in a one-round just last week.

Yuni Takada (26)

15-8-3, 6 KOs

He has more potential than his record suggests and is currently on a seven-fight winning streak. Half-Japanese and half-Filipino, the former Japanese minimumweight champion is a very dynamic and powerful puncher.

Toshiya Ishii (23)

7-1-2, 5 KOs

Ranked the No.1 super-bantamweight domestically (after Inoue), Ishii is best known here as Naoya Inoue’s sparring partner.