Two Deaths on Same Card: Commission Promises Investigation

The Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) has vowed to investigate the tragic deaths of Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa, who both fought on the August 2 card in Tokyo, Japan.

JBC chairman Minoru Hagiwara and secretary general Tsuyoshi Yasukochi held a press conference addressing the passing of the two boxers.

“We will immediately begin work on everything we can, including investigating and determining the causes, as well as developing further measures. We want to move forward as quickly as possible,” said Hagiwara.

Yasukochi stressed the scale of the tragedy and the urgent need for serious changes in the sport. He singled out weight-cutting as a likely key factor in the dangerous injuries and urged incorporating the expertise of trainers and specialists who work directly with fighters. Yasukochi also called for stricter penalties for those who violate weight regulations after official weigh-ins.

“We again recognize the grief of the families and everyone involved, as well as the seriousness of this situation. How can we eliminate the inherent risks in the sport? What happened this time is extremely serious.

We have received offers of help not only from colleagues here but also from abroad. We want to work with everyone to prevent this from happening again.

Weight-cutting, which likely played a major role, and pre-fight preparations are only viewed from an administrative standpoint. I would like to hear the opinions of people who have worked directly with boxers for many years.

Currently there are no fines. I would like, together with the association, to make the rules more binding,” Yasukochi stated.

The commission has already taken its first steps, announcing that OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific title fights in Japan will be reduced from 12 to 10 rounds.

The JBC and the Japan Professional Boxing Association are set to meet on Tuesday, August 12 to discuss additional safety measures in light of the horrifying events of August 2. A medical seminar is also planned for early next month.

On August 8, 28-year-old Japanese super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari died from a traumatic brain injury sustained in his August 2 draw against fellow countryman Yamato Hata in Tokyo. Immediately after the bout, Kotari lost consciousness. Doctors diagnosed a brain hematoma and performed emergency surgery, but his condition never improved, and he passed away six days later.

The following day, the boxing world was stunned by yet another tragedy: 28-year-old Hiromasa Urakawa, who also fought on the same card, died of similar injuries sustained during his stoppage loss to Yoji Saito.

The deaths of Kotari and Urakawa come against the backdrop of two other recent tragedies in Japanese boxing over the past two years. Kazuki Anaguchi (23) died about a month after losing to Seiya Tsutsumi on December 26, while Ginjiro Shigeoka remains in a coma after suffering a brain injury in his May 24 IBF title fight against Pedro Taduran.