Bohol’s Jhunriel Castino to face Japan’s Ryuya Tsugawa in eight-rounder bout on Sunday

Jhunriel Castino (left) poses with Ryuya Tsugawa (right) after the weigh-in for their eight-rounder bout in Sakai, Japan. | Photo from Edito Villamor

CEBU CITY, Philippines — PMI Bohol Boxing Stable’s Jhunriel “RoboCop” Castino will attempt to duplicate his stablemate’s recent success in Japan by taking on Ryuya Tsugawa on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Sangyo Shinko Center in Sakai. 

Castino and Tsugawa faced each other for the first time on Saturday, September 16, during the official weigh-in of their eight-rounder non-title bout promoted by Mitsuki Promotions. 

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Castino and Tsugawa’s eight-rounder bout is part of Mitsuki Promotions’ eight bout-fight card. Castino is the lone Filipino boxer featured in the fight card. 

During the weigh-in Castino tipped the scales at 120.89 pounds while Tsugawa was at 121.74 lbs. for their super bantamweight duel. 

PMI Bohol Boxing Stable stamped class in Japan after one of its boxers, Jake Amparo, snagged the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific minimumweight title against Goki Kobayashi last August 5 at the Central Gym in Kobe.

This time, it is Castino’s turn to stage an upset in his first bout in Japan. 

However, it won’t be an easy task as Castino faces an equally talented foe in Tsugawa, who has 10 wins with six knockouts and has only one defeat. 

Tsugawa has won six of his previous bouts, winning five of them via knockouts.

Castino will be Tsugawa’s first Filipino opponent. 

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Meanwhile, Castino has been on a rough road after losing back-to-back this year. 

The 24-year-old Boholano lost to Jess Rhey Waminal last February and to Vegas Larfield in Australia which dropped his record to 13-3 (win-loss) with four knockouts. / dcb