Joey Canoy: Boxing Career and Notable Fights
Joey Canoy is a Filipino boxer from General Santos City. On December 4, 2022, he stopped Japan’s Kenichi Horikawa in the seventh round in Osaka to win the vacant OPBF light-flyweight title. Boxing News (Japan) and PhilBoxing reported the result.
Joey Canoy’s international title experience
Canoy’s full name is Joey Maderal Canoy, and he is nicknamed “The Babyface.” His professional career began in December 2012, with later contests taking him beyond the Philippines to South Africa and Japan.
He challenged Hekkie Budler for the IBO light-flyweight championship at Emperors Palace in February 2017, losing by corner retirement. Later that year, he defeated Melvin Jerusalem by unanimous decision over ten rounds in Cebu.
Minimumweight opportunities and the OPBF win
Canoy’s December 2018 meeting with Simphiwe Khonco for the IBO minimumweight title ended in a no contest. A further IBO opportunity came against Nkosinathi Joyi in East London in December 2019, with Joyi winning by unanimous decision.
The Horikawa victory in Osaka came three years later and gave Canoy the OPBF light-flyweight championship. That regional title was contested in a different weight division from the earlier minimumweight bouts against Khonco and Joyi.
His subsequent recorded results included stoppage wins over Clyde Azarcon in July 2023 and Minh Phat Sam in April 2025. The latter contest took place in General Santos City for the WBC International minimumweight title. These milestones show how his schedule continued across the two lighter divisions after the OPBF breakthrough.
Further career results
Against Horikawa, Canoy used accurate counterpunches to the head and body while the larger Japanese boxer advanced. The finish came after sustained exchanges in the seventh round, when an uppercut sent Horikawa down. The contest therefore ended before the scheduled distance, giving Canoy the regional championship by stoppage on Japanese soil. His corner and supporters celebrated a victory achieved through counterpunching against a pressing opponent.
The victory brought his reported win total to nineteen.
Sources
- Boxing News (Japan): Canoy stops Horikawa for OPBF title
- PhilBoxing: Canoy captures OPBF title in Osaka
- WBA boxer profile: Joey Canoy
- PhilBoxing career profile
- Dated bout results
