Phoenix Battle to head to Osaka in June!
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Earlier today Ohashi Gym held a notable press conference to announce that the Phoenix Battle series, the regular shows from Ohashi, were set to expand beyond the Kanto region ,and co-promoted shows in South Korea, with a show set to take place in Osaka in June. The press conference, which took place at the blu-ing! in Dome City, Tokyo, was for Phoenix Battle 137 which we now know will take place on June 15th at the EDION Arena Osaka, also known as the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium No. 2 Stadium, and like other regular Ohashi shows it will be streamed live on Lemino.
The main event of the show will see Kazuki Nakajima (17-2-1, 14) [中嶋一輝] defending his OPBF Super Bantamweight title, for the 3rd time, as he takes on former 2-time Japanese Bantamweight title challenger Kenshin Oshima (9-3-1, 5) [大嶋剣心], in what looks like a pretty straight forward defense for Nakajima who keeps ticking over until the division opens up in the wake of Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25) [井上尚弥] eventually moving up.
Talking about the contest Nakajima explained "This is my first time in Kansai. I don't have any particular impressions of my opponent, but I want to have a fight that will liven up the atmosphere (at the venue). There are some kids from the gym who have come to support me, so I will definitely win by KO and defend my title." Oshima also spoke about the fight, saying "I'm fighting a strong champion. Challenging strong men is what gives me meaning in life, and this is the most thrilling thing I've ever felt. I've failed to win the title twice before, but I haven't given up since transferring. I'll enjoy myself even though I'm away from home, and make the most of this opportunity. I'm more motivated than ever to win the belt, which is a boxer's calling card."
In a supporting bout former world title challenger Taku Kuwahara (14-2, 9) [桑原拓] will face off with Yoshiki Minato (11-8-1, 6) [湊義生], in a rematch of a 2021 bout that Kuwahara won by decision. Kuwahara explained that this has a personal meaning to him, saying "This will be my 17th match. I've always wanted to fight in Osaka for my grandparents who can't come to support me. I'll take the short time between matches as a positive and practice while still feeling the difference. I'll win the rematch and move on to the next one."
Also on the card are unbeaten, and highly touted, prospects Shogo Tanaka (3-0, 2) [田中将吾] and Yuta Sakai (3-0, 3) [坂井優太], though neither had had their opponent named.
Talking about the event, Hideyuki Ohashi explained "We would like to use this opportunity to hold Phoenix Battles in the regions as well. We will have Naoya and Takei (WBO Bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei) appear in the exhibition so that children can watch boxing up close, which will inspire future monsters and help popularize boxing."
The main event of the show will see Kazuki Nakajima (17-2-1, 14) [中嶋一輝] defending his OPBF Super Bantamweight title, for the 3rd time, as he takes on former 2-time Japanese Bantamweight title challenger Kenshin Oshima (9-3-1, 5) [大嶋剣心], in what looks like a pretty straight forward defense for Nakajima who keeps ticking over until the division opens up in the wake of Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25) [井上尚弥] eventually moving up.
Talking about the contest Nakajima explained "This is my first time in Kansai. I don't have any particular impressions of my opponent, but I want to have a fight that will liven up the atmosphere (at the venue). There are some kids from the gym who have come to support me, so I will definitely win by KO and defend my title." Oshima also spoke about the fight, saying "I'm fighting a strong champion. Challenging strong men is what gives me meaning in life, and this is the most thrilling thing I've ever felt. I've failed to win the title twice before, but I haven't given up since transferring. I'll enjoy myself even though I'm away from home, and make the most of this opportunity. I'm more motivated than ever to win the belt, which is a boxer's calling card."
In a supporting bout former world title challenger Taku Kuwahara (14-2, 9) [桑原拓] will face off with Yoshiki Minato (11-8-1, 6) [湊義生], in a rematch of a 2021 bout that Kuwahara won by decision. Kuwahara explained that this has a personal meaning to him, saying "This will be my 17th match. I've always wanted to fight in Osaka for my grandparents who can't come to support me. I'll take the short time between matches as a positive and practice while still feeling the difference. I'll win the rematch and move on to the next one."
Also on the card are unbeaten, and highly touted, prospects Shogo Tanaka (3-0, 2) [田中将吾] and Yuta Sakai (3-0, 3) [坂井優太], though neither had had their opponent named.
Talking about the event, Hideyuki Ohashi explained "We would like to use this opportunity to hold Phoenix Battles in the regions as well. We will have Naoya and Takei (WBO Bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei) appear in the exhibition so that children can watch boxing up close, which will inspire future monsters and help popularize boxing."