Though not as well known as American heavyweights of the future Seth Mitchell and Deontay Wilder, Hanks has quietly put together a respectable career in four years as an American heavyweight hopeful. Hanks scored an improbable one-sided win over then-unbeaten Golden Boy prospect Ashanti Jordan a few years ago and has stayed the course, though not with much fanfare. Hanks has yet to fight on television despite being one of the better kept secrets in American heavyweight boxing. With Joe DeGuardia?s Star Boxing backing him, Hanks should at least be able to break the barrier and make it on television moving forward. Despite being from the East Coast, Hanks established himself in the banquet halls and small houses in Southern California, fighting twelve times in all there. At one point, this writer recalls then-manager Prentiss Byrd offering to pay for Hanks? spot on cards, yet he still had problems finding him fights. At 6?4? Hanks has good size and has good power that he has learned to utilize better recently; he?s scored six stoppages in eight fights since the opening of 2010. In a particularly shallow time in U.S. heavyweight boxing, Hanks is near the top of the class.
Tomoki Kameda, junior featherweight, 20, Osaka, Japan [22-0, 14 KOs]
The youngest, and perhaps most skilled of the three Kameda brothers, Tomoki took his game to Mexico, even turning pro there at the age of 17. Fourteen of Tomoki?s 22 contests have taken place in Mexico, where he has earned the nickname ?El Mexicanito,? or ?The Little Mexican.? Like what is generally considered a trait of a good Mexican fighter, Tomoki is a good body puncher. Tomoki is handled by Saul Alvarez?s Canelo Promotions, which could mean tons of exposure for the 20-year-old Japanese fighter on some of Canelo?s undercards. Kameda also features a fan-friendly style and his close win over unbeaten Stephane Jamoye in 2010 was his first real test. He is probably close to vying for a world title, though the 122-pound division is pretty deep and will mean finding an opportunity difficult for the young star. The good news is he is just out of his teens and can continue to progress against lower level opposition while he waits for a golden opportunity. He is perhaps the most exciting prospect in Asia at the moment.
