Five Boxers to Watch in 2025

Japanese Boxing is undoubtedly enjoying a sustained golden period led by Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani. The country keeps producing a plethora of talented fighters, and Big Fight Weekend is bringing you five other Japanese boxers to watch in 2025.

Japanese Boxing: 5 Boxers to Watch Out for in 2025

Japanese Boxing: Jin Sasaki

Jin Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOs) is fast making a name for himself in the welterweight division, with the promising 23-year-old showing his gritty side last time out to defeat the tough veteran Shoki Sakai (29-15-3 15 KOs).

Ranked highly by all four major governing bodies, the Japanese star looks set to be a big player in the welterweight division. Since suffering his only career defeat against Andy Hiraoka, the 23-year-old Tokyo native has moved up to welterweight and showcased his power, winning seven of his last nine by stoppage. Following his most recent win, Sasaki revealed who he wants to face: “Boots Ennis, Staniolis, Brian Norman, Mario Barrios, I am not going to run away. I want a world title match this year.”

Andy Hiraoka

Andy Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs) is a problem for any fighter in the super lightweight division. He comprehensively defeated Ismael Barroso last time out, stopping the tough Venezuelan in round nine. He picks his punches well and has good footwork and fast hands. Combining those assets with his power makes him a threat to everyone at 140lbs.

Hayato Tsutsumi

Hayato Tsutsumi (6-0, 3 KOs) enjoyed an impressive ending to 2024 in the super featherweight division, becoming only the second fighter to stop Rene Alvarado. His impressive amateur pedigree is evident to anyone who watches him fight. The 25-year-old is progressing rapidly and showcases a fantastic ring IQ.

He mixes his punches well, and all his shots look heavy. His sharp footwork enables him to control the distance in his fights well. This was seen to great effect against Alvarado.

Mikito Nakano

29-year-old southpaw Mikito Nakano (11-0, 10 KOs) is the next name on our list, and he’s one to watch in the featherweight division. He’s adept at controlling the distance with his laser-like left hand and putting combinations together, but he is equally at ease working in the pocket, where he seems to carry plenty of power. Nakano looks made for the professional ranks, and we are anticipating a big 2025 for the talented southpaw.

Suzumi Takayama

We could have easily made a list of the top 50 fighters in Japanese boxing and still left some talented fighters out, but we managed to narrow it down – and the final fighter on our list is the heavy-handed super flyweight contender Suzumi Takayama (9-0, 8 KOs).

The 28-year-old Tokyo native suffocates his opponents and doesn’t often take a step back. He wastes very little during his fights and punches with intent. The dangerous southpaw returns to action on April 22 against Jinya Yamaguchi.