VETERAN Pete Apolinar looks to end his slump in Japan as he takes on unbeaten Japanese champion Kenji Fujita in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific featherweight title bout on Dec. 6, 2025, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Apolinar, once a sparring partner of Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, has yet to find success fighting in Japan, having lost all four of his bouts on Japanese soil.
The 30-year-old Apolinar first fought in Japan in 2022, suffering a fifth-round stoppage loss to Yoshiki Takei, who later became a world champion, in an Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super bantamweight fight. He returned later that year and suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of
Hayato Tsutsumi.
Apolinar made two trips to Japan last year. He lost to Matcha Nakagawa and Kaishu Harada, both by unanimous decision.
Apolinar is coming off a fourth-round technical knockout of Pablito Canada on June 29, 2025, in Gen. Santos City.
Meanwhile, Fujita is very familiar with Filipino fighters. Almost all of his opponents were Pinoy pugs.
The 31-year-old Fujita’s Filipino victims include former world title challenger Jeo Santisima, Rodex Piala, Michael Casama, Joseph Ambo, Daniel Nicholas, Ronnie Campos, and Jestine Tesoro.
Fujita won the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific belt via unanimous decision against Tesoro. He successfully defended it against Piala, Casama, and South Korea’s Ha Nok Sim.
Apolinar is 18-6-1 with 11 knockouts, while Fujita is 9-0 with five knockouts. / EKA