Wave of Japanese amateurs turn professional

Earlier today there was a press conference at the Tokyo Dome Hotel to announce "WHO'S NEXT DYNAMIC GLOVE on U-NEXT" Season 2. Whilst the series was major, it was, in many ways, the sub-story as the event was more about several former amateur standouts who announced they were turning professional, with some even having their debut bouts scheduled.
 
The most notable of the fighters in question was Kazunari Aramoto [荒本一成], who has signed with Teiken. The talented 24 year old ended a very success amateur boxing caerrer that saw him won a staggering 12 titles in total, including 8 High School titles, as well as a silver medal at the ASBC Asian Junior Championships, a bronze medal at the ASBC Asian Youth Championships, whilst running up a brilliant amateur record of 85-7 (37).
 
Having missed out on a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics Aramoto has decided it's time to chase professional success. What makes Aramoto is the fact he's much bigger than many other fighters in Japan and will be competing as a Middleweight, with his debut expected in June. Given his strong amateur pedigree he is expected to be moved incredibly quickly through the ranks and could be fighting for a title within 18 months of his debut.
 
Another fighter at the press conference was 22 year old Soraki Horiike [堀池空希] who has signed with Yokohama Hikari, and turns professional after going 21-5 (7) in the unpaid ranks, and coming runner up in the All Japan Championships last year. He is set to begin his career at 140lbs, and has a mini-competition with some university classmates, with Horiike being 1 of 6 students all racing each other to become the first champion. He'll be debuting on April 19th
 
Another fighter debuting on April 19th is 22 year old Reito Takahashi, who won Bronze at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships and notched up an excellent 60-10 (12) amateur record.
 
The other former amateur who was at the press conference was 18 year old Sento Ito, who went 20-1 (7) in the amateurs and won bronze at the 2023 Asian Youth Championships. As well as his amateur boxing credentials, Ito is also known as a kick boxer, and twice beat Tenshin Nasukawa's younger brother, Ryushin, in Kickboxing. He is set to debut on April 20th and is expected to make his first mark on the pros as a Super Flyweight.
 
The 4 fighters, along with Kakeru Mashimo (7-0, 6) [眞下公翔], were at a press conference to speak not just about their careers but also the Dynamic Glove series, which has had it's contract with U-Next renewed for another year, and the 5 men will all be in action on the Dynamic Glove series this year.

(Image courtesy of Boxingnews.jp)