From these scheduled events, here are 15 title and non-title fights that are worth watching in different venues and dates starting Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015.
1. Shohei Omori vs. Marlon Tapales
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015
Place: Tokyo, Japan
12 rounds – Bantamweight division, non-title
The Omori-Tapales fight is a WBO bantamweight title eliminator. Omori is unbeaten in 15 pro fights while Tapales is a veteran of 27 fights with two defeats in his pro career.
2. Luis Concepcion (No. 10) vs. Hernan Marquez
Date: Dec 17, 2015
Place: Panama City
12 rounds – Junior bantamweight division, non-title
Both Marquez and Concepcion are veteran fighters and former world champions. Marquez is a former WBA Flyweight Champion while Concepcion is the former WBC Silver flyweight titlist.
3. Denis Shafikov (No. 3) vs. Rances Barthelemy
Date: Dec. 18, 2015
Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
12 rounds – Lightweight division (for IBF title)
Rances Barthelemy is a Cuban professional boxer and a former IBF Super Featherweight Champion. He is unbeaten in 24 pro fights while Russian Denis Shafikov is a veteran of 36 pro fights with only one loss in his pro career.
4. Luis Ortiz vs. Bryant Jennings (No. 5)
Date: Dec. 19. 2015
Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
12 rounds – Heavyweight division, non title
Although the Ortiz-Jennings fight is a non-title bout, it will be a heavyweight action fight. Ortiz is unbeaten in 23 pro fights since turning pro in 2010 but Jennings is a former title challenger when he faced heavyweight multi-titlist Wladimir Klitschko last April.
5. Nicholas Walters (No. 1 featherweight) vs. Jason Sosa – Read more
Date: Dec. 19, 2015
Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
10 rounds – Junior lightweight division, non-title
6. Joshua Clottey vs. Gabriel Rosado
Date: Dec. 19, 2015
Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
10 rounds – Junior middleweight division, non-title
Clottey is a veteran welterweight fighter with 39 pro fights to his credit with four defeats. Clottey has lost a unanimous decision to Manny Pacquiao but won all his succeeding fights since their encounter at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2010. Rosado has fought elite fighters in his recent fights including Gennady Golovkin, David Lemieux, Peter Quilin and J’Leon Love.
7. Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Hylon Williams
Date: Dec. 19, 2015
Place: Las Vegas, Nevada
10 rounds – Lightweight division, non-title
Gamboa is a veteran Cuban boxer and 2004 Olympic gold medalist. Last year he suffered his first career loss against Terence Crawford via knockout in ninth round. Williams has lost once in his pro career but is coming off two straight wins since losing to Rances Barthelemy in 2012.
8.Andy Lee (No. 3) vs. Billy Joe Saunders (No. 4)
Date Dec. 19, 2015
Place: Manchester, England
12 rounds – Middleweight division (for Lee’s WBO title)
The Lee-Saunders bout is a title fight with Lee’s WBO title on the line. Lee is a veteran of 34 fights with only two defeats while Saunders is unbeaten in 22 pro fights.
9. Liam Smith (No. 9) vs. Kilrain Kelly
Date: Dec. 19, 2015
Place: Manchester, England
12 rounds – Junior middleweight division (for Smith’s WBO title)
The Smith-Kelly fight is likewise a title fight in the light middleweight division. Smith is unbeaten in 21 pro fights and a former WBO super welterweight titlist. Kelly is likewise unbeaten in 16 pro fights.
10. Naoya Inoue (No. 1) vs. Warlito Parrenas
Date: Dec. 29, 2015
Place: Tokyo, Japan
12 rounds – Junior bantamweight division (for Inoue’s WBO title)
Inoue is just 22 years old with only eight pro fights to his credit but he is already a world champion having won his WBO Super Flyweight title against the veteran Omar Andrés Narváez via KO last year. Parrenas is a veteran of 24 fights with six defeats.
11. Javier Mendoza (No. 2) vs. Akira Yaegashi
Date: Dec.29, 2015
Place: Tokyo, Japan
12 rounds – Junior flyweight division (for Mendoza’s IBF title)
Mendoza is defending the IBF light flyweight title against Yaegashi, who is coming off two straight wins after losing to Pedro Guevarra last year.
12. Katsunari Takayama vs. Jose Argumedo
Date: Dec. 31, 2015
Place: Osaka, Japan
12 rounds – Strawweight division (for Takayama’s IBF title)
Takayama (38-7-1, 12 KOs) will defend his IBF minimumweight title.against Mexican Jose Argumedo, who is coming off a TKO win against Irving Requena last year. Takayama has successfully defended his title three times since he won it from Go Odaira last year.
13. Kosei Tanaka (No. 4) vs. Vic Saludar
Date: Dec. 31, 2015
Place: Nagoya, Japan
12 rounds – Strawweight division (for Tanaka’s WBO title)
Tanaka is just 20 years old and has fought only five times since turning pro in 2013 but he is already a world champion having won the WBO Minimumweight title from Julian Yedras last May. He will defend his title against Filipino Vic Saludar, who has 11 wins and one loss since turning pro in 2013.
14. Takashi Uchiyama (No. 1) vs. Oliver Flores
Date: Dec. 31, 2015
Place: Tokyo, Japan
12 rounds – Junior lightweight division (for Uchiyama’s WBA title)
Uchiyama will be defending his WBA (Super) Super Featherweight title against Oliver Flores of Nicaragua, who is a veteran of 27 fights with just one loss. Uhiyama is unbeaten in 23 pro fights, winning 19 via KO.
15. Ryoichi Taguchi (No. 2) vs. Luis De La Rosa
Date: Dec. 31,2015
Place: Tokyo, Japan
12 rounds – Strawweight division (for Taguchi’s WBA title)
Taguchi is the current WBA Light Flyweight champion and he will be defending his title for the second time. The 29-year-old Japanese has 29 wins to his credit with only two defeats since turning pro in 2006. Taguchi is putting his title on the line against Luis de la Rosa of Colombia, who has 24 pro fights to his credit with five defeats.
