Pete Apolinar ready for Nagoya showdown against Ishii

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Pete Apolinar is fully prepared for a tough assignment in Japan as he headlines the ZIP Sanman “Philippines-Japan Friendship” Boxing Event on Friday, June 19, at Edion Hisaya Plaza in Nagoya.

Apolinar will take on Japanese boxer Ryusei Ishii in an eight-round super featherweight bout, where the Cebu-based fighter is expected to face a height and reach disadvantage.

The 31-year-old, a native of San Pablo, Laguna, tipped the scales at 128.9 pounds, slightly lighter than Ishii, who weighed in at 129.4 pounds ahead of their main event clash.

Ishii is visibly taller than Apolinar, standing at 5-foot-8, whereas the latter who is 5’5.

This marks Apolinar’s second fight of the year after scoring a knockout win over Renan Portes in General Santos City last February.

READ: Apolinar scores brutal knockout against Portes in GenSan

Pete Apolinar’s 6th Japan outing

One of ZIP Sanman’s more experienced fighters alongside Jeo Santisima and former WBC world champion Melvin Jerusalem, Apolinar carries a professional record of 19–7–1 with 12 knockouts.

The former Omega Boxing Gym and Prime Fight standout is no stranger to the Japanese fight scene. Friday’s bout will be his sixth fight in Japan, though his previous five outings all ended in defeat, including shots at OPBF and WBO regional titles.

Ishii, meanwhile, will be facing a Filipino opponent for only the second time in his career. His first was against Al Toyogon in Manila, where he suffered his lone fight outside Japan in 2019 in a bid for the WBC Asian Silver super featherweight title.

READ: Zip Sanman’s Gabriel Santisima to face Japanese knockout artist

The Japanese fighter is looking to rebound after back-to-back losses in 2015 and 2026.

In the undercard, veteran Alex Santisima takes on fellow Filipino Richard Pumicpic in an eight-round featherweight bout. Santisima has a 12–2 (win-loss) slate with six knockouts, while Pumicpic is a journeyman with a 23–15–3 record with seven knockouts.

Also seeing action is ZIP Sanman’s lone Japanese fighter, Kiyoto Narukami, who battles Ryuto Maekawa. Narukami (5–2–1, 2KOs) is eyeing a bounce back win following his loss to Leonard Pores III in Bohol for the IBF youth title in November, while Maekawa (12–4–1, 8KOs) is also reeling from back-to-back losses last year.

READ: John Riel Casimero calls out Inoue again after dispatching Luis Nery

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