Unless otherwise designated, following boxers are Japanese. RJ stands for my matchmaking company, Ring Japan, Inc.
We, in Japan, make it a rule to have the annual CARNIVAL OF CHAMPIONS where all national champions defend their titles against top contenders in January through April. The schedule is as follows:
Jan. 25, Tokyo
Japanese super-welter title bout
JOYA KAWAI, 8-2, 4 KOs
10R
TOSHIHARU KANEYAMA, 6-1, 5 KOs
Feb. 14, Tokyo
Japanese super-bantam title bout
YUTAKA MANABE, 23-6-1, 16 KOs
10R
MANABU FUKUSHIMA, 16-2-1, 12 KOs
Feb. 21, Tokyo
Japanese light title bout
RICK YOSHIMURA, 35-5-1, 20 KOs
10R
HIRONARI OHSIMA, 11-0, 7 KOs
Feb. 29, Tokyo
Japanese middle title bout
NAOTAKA HOZUMI, 14-1-1, 12 KOs
10R
MINORU HORIUCHI, 21-5, 19 KOs
Mar. 4, Tokyo
Japanese bantam title bout
EIICHI ODAKA, 23-3, 14 KOs
10R
NOBUAKI NAKA, 10-0, 9 KOs
Mar. 18, Tokyo
Japanese feather elimination bout
ATSUSHI HAGIWARA, 22-4-1, 11 KOs
10R
TOSHIKAGE KIMURA, 19-2-4, 8 KOs
Apr. 2, Tokyo (Ryogoku Sumo Arena) featuring 5 national title bouts
Japanese minimum title bout
MAKOTO SUZUKI, 10-5-2, 6 KOs
10R
MASANORI SUGA, 5-4-1, 2 KOs
Japanese fly title bout
CELES KOBAYASHI, 21-4-2, 12 KOs
10R
HAYATO ASAI, 13-1-2, 10 KOs
Japanese super-fly title bout
KAZUHIRO RYUKO, 10-1-3, 2 KOs
10R
YOSUKE KANEISHI, 13-6-4, 8 KOs
Japanese super-feather title bout
KOJI ARISAWA, 23-1, 18 KOs
10R
KOJI TAMAKI, 26-9-7, 10 KOs
Japanese super-light title bout
JUNICHI ONO, 19-1-2, 8 KOs
10R
HIROYUKI MAEDA, 19-6-2, 12 KOs
Apr. 25, Tokyo
Japanese welter title bout
TOSHIHARU KAYAMA, 15-0-1, 9 KOs
10R
MAKOTO NAKAHARA, 12-3-2, 5 KOs
END OF "CARNIVAL OF CHAMPIONS"
Jan. 28, Tokyo
JIRO NISHIYAMA, 10-4-4, 4 KOs
8R
KIYOTAKA KATO, 7-6-1, 5 KOs
Jan. 30, Fukuoka (not Nagoya as reported mistakenly)
(Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
WBA FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT
FREDDY NORWOOD, 36-0-1, 21 KOs
12R
TAKASHI KOSHIMOTO, 23-0-2, 13 KOs
DAINOSHIN KUMA, 12-0, 5 KOs 10R NONOY GONZALEZ, Philippines
Feb. 1, Tokyo
KEISUKE YOKOYAMA, 12-6-2, 7 KOs
10R
KEITARO HOSHINO, 18-6, 5 KOs
Ex-Japanese minimum champ Hoshino's comeback go
Feb. 5 Tokyo (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
KENGO NAGASHIMA, WBA #14 feather
10R
FRANGKY MAMUAYA, INDONESIA
SIENGTHIPYA SITSYASE-I, Thailand, was replaced by Mamuaya due to the
former's KO defeat by Eiichi Sugama last Dec.
Feb. 7, Tokyo
HIROTO OHGUSHI, 13-1, 11 KOs
10R
TETSUYA SHINOZAKI, 12-6-6, 5 KOs
TEPPEI YASUDA, 7-0-1, no KO 10R IKUO YAMANAKA, 12-5, 9 KOs
HIDEKAZU MATSUNOBU 10R KINJI AMANO
KOHEI MATSUURA, 12-3, 2 KOs 10R SEISHI OHNUMA, 9-4-1, 1 KO
Feb. 13 Fukuoka (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
PANTHER YANAGIDA, JBC #6 super-feather
10R
SUKHWI CHO, Korean #3 super-bantam
Feb. 14, Osaka
EIICHI SUGAMA, JBC #5 feather
10R
SOMYONG KITADHOHBOHUBOL, Thailand
(This Thai opponent is announced as Vichai Kiatbahkporn,
TBC #2 ranked super-featherweight contender, but the
TBC #2 130-pounder is Somyong Kiatdhohbohubol, and
their second names look similar. The correct name will
be confirmed later.)
Feb. 19 Tokyo (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
OPBF super-bantam elimination bout
KIOH KIL, Korean champ, OPBF #2 contender, 9-4-2, 4 KOs
12R
SHIN YAMATO, OPBF #3 contender, 15-2-4, 5 KOs
On this card, the semi-final is one of the Carnival of Champions; Japanese featherweight elimination bout between Atsushi Hagiwara and Toshikaze Kimura, as written above on the top of this Schedule.
Feb. 20, Okayama
OPBF super-feather title bout
TIGER ARI, Philippines, 55-5-2, 24 KOs
12R
KAZUNORI FUJITA, JBC #8 feather, 10-0, 7 KOs
WOLF TOKIMITSU, WBC #4 minimum 10R TBA
SHINICHI KOMATSU, unranked feather by the JBC 10R ALAN MORRE, GAB #8 bantam
DRAGON HIDEKI, JBC #9 light 10R KENTA OKADA, 7-2-1, 2 KOs
Feb. 21, Hiroshima
WATARU YAMAJI, JBC #9 super-fly
10R
JERRY PAHAYAHAY, GAB #7 fly
YUKI HASHIGUCHI, JBC #9 minimu 10R TAKAHIRO UOMORI
Feb. 23, Tokyo TBA 10R TBA
Mar. 12, TOKYO (Ryogoku Sumo Arena) (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
WBA world lightweight title bout
GILBERTO SERRANO, Venezuela, defending champ, 18-4-2, 15 KOs
12R
HIROYUKI SAKAMOTO, Japan, 35-3, 25 KOs
TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA, WBA #8 & WBC #9 ranked bantam 10R TBA
Mar. 13, Tokyo (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
KAZU ARISAWA, JBC #3 feather
10R
TBA
Mar. 19 Nagoya (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
HIDEYASU ISHIHARA, JBC #2 fly
10R
JESUS ROJAS, Ex-WBA super-fly champ, Venezuela
YOSUKE OTSUKA, JBC #9 super-light 10R WONSEO KOO, KBC #1 super-light
Mar. 28 (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
OPBF supper-middle title bout
YOSHINORI NISHIZAWA, Japan, defending champ
12R
TBA
Apr. 2 Nagoya (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
OPBF fly title bout
HIROSHI NAKANO, defending champ
12R
PILKOO KANG, Korean light fly champ
(Nakano's first defense of the regional title)
Apr. 16 Akashi (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
OPBF super-light title bout
MASAKAZU SATAKE, Japan, defending champ
12R
TBA
Apr. 30 Wakayama (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
TAKAHIKO MIZUNO, JBC #9 light fly
10R
ALLAN LLANITA, OPBF #8 minimum
Jan. 30 Pohang
WBA super-feather title bout
JONGKWON BAEK, Korea, defending champ, 21-0, 18 KOs
12R
KYUCHUL CHOI, Korea, 16-1, 9 KOs
Mar . 5
WBA official super-feather eliminator
LAKVA SIM, Mongol, Ex-WBA champ
10R
YONGSOO CHOI, Korea, Ex-WBA champ
Feb. 5 Saraburi
PICHIT CHOR SIRIWAT, Thailand, defending champ
12R
TBA (Korean challenger's name to be confirmed later)
Feb. 25
WBC flyweight title bout (Matchmaking by Ring Japan)
MEDGOEN 3K-BATTERY, 19-0, 12 KOs
12R
MASAKI KAWABATA, Japan, 16-3-2, 8 KOs
Mar. 11
WBC bantamweight title bout
VEERAPOL SAHAPROM (AKA Veerapol Nakornluang-Promotion)
12R
ADAN VARGAS, Mexico
Mar. 4
MANNY PACQUIAO, Ex-WBC fly champ
10R
ARNEL BORROTILLO, Ausralian-based Filipino