Earlier today saw the announcement of FUJI BOXING Phoenix Battle 130, which will take place at Korakuen Hall on March 11th. Although not a massive card, it is a very interesting one with an OPBF title bout as the main event, and a number of notable names on the show.
The main event will see OPBF Minimumweight champion
Takeshi Ishii (9-1, 7) [石井武志] making his first defense, as he battles against former Japanese title challenger
Shunsuke Isa (13-6-2, 2) [伊佐春輔]. On paper this is an excellent match up, with the hard hitting Ishii being given a chance to build on September's win over John Kevin Jimenez, which saw him win the title, and gives Isa a chance to claim a second professional title, having previously held the Japanese Youth title. Notably Isa hasn't scored a win since late 2023, though has mixed at a good level, losing to Yuni Takada, in a Japanese title fight, in March 2024 and fighting to a draw with Tatsuro Nakashima in July.
The chief support bout will see
Taku Kuwahara (13-2, 8) [桑原拓] return to the ring following his loss, in May, to WBA Flyweight champion
Seigo Yuri Akui, with Kuwahara promising to show some improvements since that bout. At the moment his opponent and contracted weight haven’t been announced, though the bout will be an 8 rounder.
Another 8 round will see the once touted
Ryutaro Nakagaki (4-2-2, 2) [中垣龍汰朗] taking on
Hioki Ogawa (3-1, 2) [小川寛樹] in an excellent match up between two men who had big hopes when they turned professional but have failed to match the expectations that both had. Nakagaki is looking for his first win over a fellow Japanese fighter since September 2022, when he beat Kyotaro Yoshida, and interestingly he is 3-2-2 against his countrymen. As for Ogawa he is looking to bounce back from a loss to Chengcheng Yang, suffered in December 2023, and he will have been out of the ring for more than a year.
Other bouts on this card will include
Kosuke Tomioka (8-4, 7) [富岡浩介] taking on
Yoshiki Minato (11-7-1, 6) [湊義生] and
Nath Nwachukwu (7-4-2, 3) [ワチュク・ナァツ], fighting a yet to be named opponent, in his first fight since late 2022.
