Boxing Challenge

The boxing challenge finishes for 2018 with two fights from Japan on ESPN+ and three world title fights without American television that I am aware of.

On December 30, ESPN+ will show Masayuki Ito's defense of his newly won WBO junior lightweight title against Evgeny Chuparakov.
Ito upset highly touted Christopher Diaz last time out to win the vacant championship.

WBC junior flyweight champion Ken Shiro faces Saul Juarez for that title in the other challenge bout.

The most anticipated fight comes on New Year's Eve from China as Donnie Nietes battles Kazuto Ioka in what is likely to be an excellent contest for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight belt.
Nietes, who has won titles in three weight classes, should have won this title in September but was held to a ridiculous draw against Aston Palicte in a bout scored so poorly that the WBO decided that Ioka was more deserving of the second vacant title fight than Palicte.
Ioka, the former WBA flyweight Titleist returned on the same card after a sixteen-month retirement to win an easy decision over McWilliams Arroyo.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing this fight, even if I have to scrape to find coverage.

Hekkie Budler defends his WBA junior flyweight title against Hiroto Kyoguchi and Moruti Mthalane will do the same with his IBF flyweight title vs Masahiro Sakamoto in the undercard's featured fights.

I lead Ramon Malpica 214-197 in the boxing challenge,

WBO Junior Lightweight Title  12 Rds
Masayuki Ito vs Evgeny Chuparakov
Both: Ito Unanimous Decision

WBC Junior Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Ken Shiro vs Saul Juarez
R.L: Shiro Unanimous Decision
TRS: Shiro KO 6

Vacant WBO Junior Bantamweight Title.12 Rds
Donnie Nietes vs Kazuto Ioka
R.L: Ioka Unanimous Decision
TRS: Ioka Split Decision

WBA junior flyweight title 12 Rds
Hekkie Budler vs Hiroto Kyoguchi
R.L: Kyoguchi Unanimous Decision
TRS: Budler Unanimous Decision

IBF Flyweight title. 12 Rds
Moruti Mthalane vs Masahiro Sakamoto
R.L; Sakamoto Unanimous Decision
TRS: Mthalane KO 8