Shinsuke Yamanaka
10/16 – Joseph Parker (10-0, 9 KO’s) vs. Sherman Williams (36-13-2, 19 KO’s) – The Trusts Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
“Tank” Williams is the latest on the New Zealanders run through the American stepping stones. So far Parker has faced familiar names like Frans Botha and Brian Minto, and puts his WBO Oriental and PABA heavyweight titles up in this one. Williams is a guy that will fight anyone, and has made his way losing to top tier fighters and beating guys at the B level.
10/17 – Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15 KO’s) vs. Samir Kurtagic (12-6, 8 KO’s) – Dzierzoniow, Poland
Wach was supposed to give Wladimir Klitschko a run for his money, but instead fell victim to a lopsided 12 round decision loss. “The Viking” returns to him homeland in his first outing since that loss to take an eight rounder against a guy that should give him some work but little trouble in Kurtagic, who’s lost three of his last four bouts.
10/18 – Edwin Rodriguez (24-1, 16 KO’s) vs. Azea Augustama (17-1, 9 KO’s) – StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA
Rodriguez is coming off a loss to Andre Ward last November, and grabs an undercard slot on the Golovkin –Rubio under card. The former USBA super middleweight title holder faces the FECARBOX light heavyweight champ, whose only loss came to Denis Grachev, whom Rodriguz knocked out in July of 2013.
10/22 – Shinsuke Yamanaka (21-0-2, 16 KO’s) vs. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (37-5-1, 16 KO’s) – Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
Yamanaka makes the seventh defense of the WBC bantamweight title which he has held for three years. His last five defenses have ended inside the distance, as have 14 of his last 15 contests. Sor Rungvisai is the former WBC super-flyweight champ, and comes in with 17 straight wins. He also holds the WBC Asian Boxing Council bantamweight title. Since his loss to Yota Sato in 2012, he hasn’t been facing top level opposition.
10/22 – Takahiro Ao (26-3-1, 12 KO’s) vs. Juan Carlos Salgado (26-3-1, 16 KO’s) – Yoyogi #2 Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
Ao is a former world champ for the WBC in the featherweight and super featherweight classes. Since a close decision loss to Gamaliel Diaz two years ago cost him the belts, he’s picked up three wins, setting up the fight with Salgado, a former WBA and IBF super featherweight world champion. Salgado is also looking to bounce back, coming in off two knockout losses after a good run against over some good opponents including Miguel Beltran and Martin Honorio.