By Alexey Sukachev

The bulk of the Far East boxing is traditionally limited to a big Five: Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and (previously) Southern Korea, with China gradually overtaking the latter place over the last decade. However, there are some other fight scenes, and one of them is heating up rapidly.

Responsible for a new market (alongside some of his partners) is Alexander Shah (Cartel Promotions) of Singapore. Combining his efforts with Farkhan Haron (FH Promotions) of Malaysia he staged a nice-packed little show at Johor International Convention Centre in Johor, Malaysia, yesterday. It was Shah's second boxing tourney, and more are coming soon.

Stars of a new market are two rising Uzbek stars, who started their careers in homeland but continued them not in Russia (a usual path of more talented Uzbek boxers) but in different states. Middleweight Azizbek Abdugofurov added another sound name to his impressive resume by stopping Indonesian Aleksander Bajawa (41-3-4, 14 KOs) in just two rounds. Competitive on paper it was a mismatch in real life. Bajawa, 34 and nicknamed The Black Horse, saw better days as a featherweight and as a lightweight. He was fighting just for the third time in six and a half years. 24-year old Abdugofurov, meanwhile, debuted in May 2016 and got three stoppage wins against fighters with winning records, culminating in the first-round kayo of 17-0 Thai Chalermpol Singwancha.

Coming next for the Uzbek is a familiar name - a two-time, two-division Thai champion Sirimongkol Singwancha with an astonishing record of 91-2, 57 KOs. It will be another enormous step up in class... on paper. It could be a mismatch in reality with the opposite sign attached. Singwancha turns 40 in March 2017. He is 28-0, 20 KOs, but fighting almost exclusively at home (with just one fight staged in China) with 18 wins over debutants or fighters with zero wins. Singwancha vs. Abdugofurov is scheduled to take place on Feb. 10 in Singapore.

Another Uzbek Quadratillo Abduqaxorov (9-0, 6 KOs) had a tougher opponent in the ring than on paper. The Middle Eastern import, competing at a welterweight class, was tested tough by Filipino Romeo Jakosalem (18-14-1, 10 KOs), who had some upset wins in his past but stopped him in five rounds. Time was 1:35 of the fifth. Master plan for Abduqaxorov is to get within the same ring with WBC Silver 147lb champion Charles Manyuchi (20-2-1, 12 KOs) of Zimbabwe, who is ranked #4 by the WBC and #6 by the WBA and IBF. This fight is said to be shaping up for March with one intermediate match-up for the Uzbek in February.

The local hero Muhammad Farkhan (3-0, 3 KOs), who fights as a light heavyweight, got his first career title by stopping Tanzanian Japhet Kasaba (6-8, 4 KOs) in four. Farkhan acquired a vacan WBC Asian Boxing Council 175lb belt.

Young Filipino super bantamweight Jeson Umbal (12-5, 8 KOs) dropped countryman Roman Canto (12-8-3, 7 KOs) once en-route to a wide decision over eight rounds. Scores were: 78-73 (twice) and 80-71 - for Umbal. Veteran bantamweight Mohammed Nor Rizan (8-2, 5 KOs) of Singapore, aged 38, barely got past Indonesian Master Suro (7-8-2, 1 KO) with a split decision over six/ Scores were: 58-55 (twice) - for Nor Rizan, and 57-56 - for Suro. Finally, Thailand-based Dutch light middleweight Nick Frese knocked out debuting Ahmad Tajib (0-1) of Indonesia in two.