Junior Kauko Raka answered a call from VSP Promotions in late 2O22. Mark John Yap had just resumed boxing after the pandemic, and despite a points loss to King's Warrior Charly, he looked as skilled and dangerous as ever. So much so, we were unable to find anyone in the Philippines willing to fight him !

The Papua New Guinea star begged for the chance to fight, and in spite of a ridiculously short time to prepare, gave Mark John Yap the really hard fight that was needed. Junior Raka won a legion of new fans that day, including the man known as the Journey Man:

"I hit him with some great shots, and he just walked through them. I bruised my hands he was built like a rock !"

And how did he rate the power of the PNG boxer ?

"I work hard on my defense, but he has skills, and when he landed - he has heavy hands. I ask my team to check his gloves - it felt like he had iron in there !

Junior Raka will be a hard fight for any boxer. "

And so it is. Raka takes on Xiao Tao Su of China on July 15th in Ho Tram Vietnam. A boxer built from the same cloth as the PNG man.

Xiao Tao Su was China's #1 ranked fighter prior to the pandemic, winning a WBO Oriental title by savage knockout in the process. He resumed to lose narrowly to Vietnam's #1 61kg Nguyễn Văn Hải, and returns to his more favoured 59kg category for his assignment against Junior Kauko Raka.

This is a huge fight, where both boxers come to fight, and both carry lots of skills and heavy power. While the Chinese boxer will start overwhelming favourite, if you listen to the experienced words of Mark John Yap, then Junior Kauko Raka is about to deliver a firestorm to the sunny shores of Ho Tram Vietnam.

Big thanks to Mr. Sang Bum Kim and friends at Cocky Buffalo for making this great match up possible.

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