This weekend is set to be a hectic one for Asian fighters, with a host of bouts in Japan and a couple of Asian fighters fighting over in the West. With so many fights of interest taking place, it seemed like a great chance to take a look at the odds for those fighters.
One of the bouts, taking place later today (Thursday) will see former world title challenger Shohjahon Ergashev (23-1, 20) look to bounce back from a recent loss to Subriel Matias, as he takes on Panama's Juan Huertas (17-4-1, 13). Despite the loss to Matias, one of the sports must exciting fighters, Ergashev is the very clear favourite here, being best priced at 1/33 to win, with Huertas at a huge 16/1, whilst the draw is 33/1. Sadly no method of victory market is currently available for this bout.
Ergashev, from Uzbekistan, isn't the only former world title challenger from Asia fighting in the west, as Filipino Arthur Villanueva (35-4-1, 20) is in action on Friday night in Atlanta. The former WBC Bantamweight title challenger is a big under-dog as he goes up against American puncher Elijah Pierce (18-2, 15), who is looking to make it back to back wins over Filipino's having stopped Mike Plania in August 2023. Villanueva is priced as high as 10/1 to pick up the win, whilst the best price on Pierce is 1/12, whilst the draw is 42/5. Worringly for Villanueva is the fact bookies are not expecting this to go long, with odds of 11/10 on it going under 4.5 rounds and 13/15 on going over. Though, again, no method of victory market is available.
The rest of the bouts all take place on Sunday in Nagoya.
The least interesting of the 4 remaining bouts available with the UK book makers is a Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight title bout between Japanese champion Riku Kunimoto (10-1, 4) [国本陸] and 22 year old mandatory challenger Eiki Kani (8-3-3, 4) [可兒栄樹]. The defending champion is the clear favourite here, priced at 3/10 whilst Kani is 3/1 and the draw a huge 20/1. Interesting the Boxmob poll for the fight currently shows 87% backing Kunimoto, and 10% backing Kani, suggesting the odds on Kunimoto may be a bit better than the Japanese fan poll suggests.
In the first of two world title fights IBF Minimumweight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0-0-1, 8) [重岡銀次朗] will face late replacement Jake Amparo (14-5-1, 3). Shigeoka enters the bout as a 1/18 favourite to win, and retain his title, whilst Amparo is a 17/2 to get a second upset win in Japan, following victory over Goki Kobayashi last year, whilst the draw is 25/1. Unlike some of the other bouts there is some other markets available here, with the bout 1/6 to not go the distance, and 7/2 to last the schedule. Interesting Shigeoka is 1/6 to win inside the distance, a pointless bet given the odds on the bout not going to the final bell, and 5/1 to win by decision or technical decision. Amparo is a huge 16/1 to win inside the 12 rounds and almost as big to win a decision, at 14/1.
Former world champion Tomoki Kameda (40-4, 22) [亀田和毅] fills in the chief support place in Nagoya, and also takes on a late replacement as he battles Kevin Villanueva (22-4-3, 15). Kameda is best priced at 1/10 to win here, whilst Villanueva can be backed as high as 840/100, with a "draw no bet" option offering 1/16 on Kameda and 8/1 on Villanueva. Of the potential upsets in Nagoya this might be the one where the "dog" is worth a look, though he is understandably the under-dog.
The main event on the show will see WBC Minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka (8-0, 5) [重岡優大] defending his title against former WBO champion Melvin Jerusalem (21-3, 12). The unbeaten Shigeoka is best priced at 2/13, as he looks to stake his claim as the best at 105lbs, whilst Jerusalem is 6/1 to become a 2-time world champion and bounce back from a 2023 loss to Oscar Collazo, whilst the draw is a huge 20/1. Shigeoka is 2/5 to win inside the distance and 7/2 to win a decision, whilst Jerusalem is 12/1 to win inside the schedule and 15/1 to take a decision. The over/under has been set at 8.5 rounds, with the over priced at 17/20 and the under at evens.
[All odds correct as of 8:04am on March 28th]
