Table of Contents
_in_the_ring_during_a_championship_fight_held_during_the_National_Boxing_Tournament.jpg){kind=link}
Inoue Repeats, Vicelles Falls: The Weekend Boxing Roundup
Takuma Inoue didn’t just beat Tenshin Nasukawa again on Sunday morning in Tokyo. He made a statement about who really controls the pathway to Naoya Inoue’s throne.
As I previewed last week on Bleuken, The WBC bantamweight champion survived a seventh-round knockdown to retain his title by unanimous decision (114-113, 116-111, 116-111) against the former kickboxing legend in their all-Japan rematch at Toyota Arena. Inoue (23-2, 5 KOs) was up three-to-zero on the scorecards when Nasukawa (8-2, 3 KOs) stunned him with a southpaw left in the seventh. That knockdown shifted the momentum, but it didn’t change the math. After open scoring revealed Inoue up 77-74 on all three cards through eight, Nasukawa would have needed to win every remaining round to win the fight. He didn’t.
This was the fight Bleuken previewed last Wednesday in “Inoue Takes Over: The New Pound-for-Pound Hierarchy and What This Weekend Means.” The prediction held: Inoue’s jab and right hand control the range, Nasukawa struggles to close distance against a disciplined orthodox stance, and a late knockdown wouldn’t be enough to overturn a significant early deficit. The actual result was even more one-sided on the judges’ cards than the first fight in November 2025.
The Filipino Corner: Mark Vicelles Stops in Japan
While the Inoue-Nasukawa showdown dominated the global coverage from Tokyo, a Filipino fighter was competing just hours earlier at the same venue complex in Shizuoka. Mark Vicelles (21-3-1, 11 KOs), the Philippines-based IBF junior flyweight champion, put his 108-pound belt on the line against Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri (41-1, 36 KOs) on Saturday night in Fuji, Japan.
It didn’t go Vicelles’ way. Simsri, nicknamed “Laser Man” for his snappy hand speed, stopped Vicelles in the second round by TKO to retain his IBF 108-pound world title. The Thai fighter, known for his swarming pressure and volume punching, overwhelmed the Filipino champion early. Vicelles, who has fought out of Japan for much of his recent career, saw his title reign end after a competitive but ultimately one-sided engagement.
The result is a setback for Philippine boxing at the world level in the lightest weight class. Vicelles had become a familiar face on the Japanese undercard scene, but the step up to a world title defense against a hardened veteran like Simsri proved too steep. Filipino boxing fans will be looking to see where Vicelles goes from here — a rematch, a move up in weight, or a return to the regional scene.
What Else Happened: UK and Australia Cards
The Japan action wasn’t the only boxing over the weekend. On Saturday in Birmingham, England, Queensberry Promotions carded a solid featherweight bout as Liam Davies (18-1, 9 KOs) stopped Nathaniel Collins (17-1-1, 8 KOs) by seventh-round TKO to capture the British super bantamweight title. Davies, a Frank Warren protégé, showed the power that has made him one of the brighter British prospects.
Across the globe in Surfers Paradise, Australia, Jackson Jon England (16-5-2) dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Sultan Zaurbek (21-1-0) in what was a competitive cruiserweight battle. The Aussie fighter showed heart but couldn’t overcome Zaurbek’s superior output over the full distance. Meanwhile, in London’s Copper Box Arena, Johnny Fisher (20-4-1) and Michael Pirotton (16-5-2) went the 10-round distance with Fisher taking a majority decision. And in Japan’s FujisanMesse, Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri added another fighter to his resume with the Vicelles stoppage.
Garcia Flirts With “Face of Boxing” Narrative
Fresh off his second-round TKO of Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 12, Ryan Garcia wrecks Benn in two, Suganob avenges Nontshinga in Bohol — and he’s been amplifying his post-fight rhetoric. In his full post-fight press conference, Garcia declared himself ready to be “the best champion and the best face of boxing I can possibly be,” and signaled openness to taking over major Mexican fight weekends. He also called out Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney as future opponents, with Lopez — who fought at the same Zuffa Boxing card — sitting ringside.
The “face of boxing” label is one that shifts with every generation. Garcia, at 26-2 with 21 KOs, has the highlight-reel power and the social media footprint to make the claim. But the welterweight division remains crowded with names like Devin Haney (who Garcia sparred with before the Benn fight), Teofimo Lopez, and the returning fighters from the Zuffa Boxing ecosystem. Garcia’s statement is less a claim than a dare — and the boxing world will be watching whether he backs it up with the right fights.
What’s Coming in October
Bleuken readers with October on their calendars have plenty to track — Fury-Joshua is official: boxing weekend preview, Filipino contender, and the road to Cardiff on Bleuken, and the heavyweight landscape is shifting fast. Pitbull Cruz keeps moving, Marcial stays undefeated: San Diego fight night in review — and the October schedule looks even bigger. The ESPN boxing schedule is loaded: Sebastian Fundora defends his WBC junior middleweight title against Ermal Hadribeaj on October 17 in Carson, California (DAZN and TNT). Brandon Figueroa takes on Tomoki Kameda for the WBA featherweight title on the same card. Dalton Smith challenges Alberto Puello for the WBC junior welterweight title on October 24 in Sheffield. And Emanuel Navarrete fights O’Shaquie Foster on October 24 in San Antonio for a multi-belt junior lightweight showdown. The month closes with Canelo Alvarez defending his WBC super middleweight title against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on October 31.
On the Filipino calendar front, PhilBoxing.com lists upcoming Pinoy fights including Jerson Arigola vs Riku Asai on October 3, Kenneth Andales vs Raito Kataoka on October 3, and ArAr Andales vs Raito Kataoka on October 29. The late October window appears to be shaping up as a busy stretch for Filipino fighters on the international stage.
Bottom Line
The Inoue-Nasukawa II rematch confirmed what the first fight hinted at: Takuma Inoue has found his range and isn’t giving it up. The seventh-round knockdown was a moment, not a turning point. Nasukawa’s pathway to a mega-fight with Naoya just got longer. For Philippine boxing, Vicelles’ loss is a reminder that world title reigns at the lightest weights are won and lost in seconds, and the road back starts now. And for the rest of us, October is loading up with title fights that could reshape the middle of the boxing landscape.