Matchroom Boxing set sail to Asia to host a card featuring a Prizefighter-type tournament and two world championship contests; Yudai Shigeoka vs Melvin Jerusalem and Ginjiro Shigeoka vs ArAr Andales. Matchroom Prizefighter includes a $1 million bonus for the winning boxer.
Matchroom Boxing are reviving a Prizefighter tournament for their first show in Japan. The Prizefighter show is the first of nine planned events in the next three years in Japan.
The new Prizefighter format will see 8 challengers compete in an elimination tournament with the winners advancing to the next round and appearing on Matchroom’s next show. The original format saw 3 round contests with semi-finals and finals taking place on the same night.
Matchroom Prizefighter is featuring the Middleweight division with 8 boxers from 5 countries competing for a million bucks.
Japanese boxers Riku Kunimoto and Eiki Kani enter the tournament also competing for the Japanese Middleweight title. British Mark Dickinson faces undefeated Congolese boxer Anauel Ngamissengue. Ainiwaer Yilixiati vs Kieron Conway will see China’s number 1 Middleweight against the WBA Inter-Continental champion Conway. The final contest is Aaron McKenna vs American Jeovanny Estela, with both fighters currently unbeaten.
The Shigeoka brothers will also both feature on the card in world title bouts. Elder brother Yudai Shigeoka (8-0) is in action for the first time since breaking both his hands defeating Panya Pradabsri. Yudai Shiegoka’s opposition is Phillipino Melvin Jerusalem (21-3). The former WBO world champion is looking to regain gold since a KO defeat to Oscar Collazo cost him his championship.
24-year-old Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0) captured his IBF title by defeating Daniel Valladares in October. Shiegoka scored a TKO victory in round 5 of the rematch, with the first bout ending in a No Contest following a head clash. Ginjiro Shigeoka will face ArAr Andales (14-2-3). ArAr Andales is coming off consecutive Technical Draws, and he’s picked up three draws in his last four contests. Andales steps up to world title level for the first time.
📅Date📅
Currently postponed with no new date. It was originally set for Sunday 31 March 2024.
⏰Start Times⏰
9:00 a.m UK time on Sunday morning.
🏟️Location and Venue🏟️
Yudai Shigeoka vs Melvin Jerusalem is being held at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
📺TV Channels📺
DAZN will be broadcasting Matchroom Boxing’s Prizefighter show in most territories including the UK and USA.
🥊Undercard🥊
The original card for the show is listed below.
Yudai Shigeoka vs Melvin Jerusalem
WBC World Minimumweight title
Tomoki Kameda vs Lerato Dlamini
Ginjiro Shigeoka vs ArAr Andales
IBF World Minimumweight title
Riku Kunimoto vs Eiki Kani
Japanese Middleweight title
Koshin Takeshima vs Ei Go
Ainiwaer Yilixiati vs Kieron Conway
Aaron McKenna vs Jeovanny Estela
Mark Dickinson vs Anauel Ngamissengue
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