Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa passed away on Saturday due to injuries to his brain following a bout with Yoji Saito at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2. He was 28. The news of Urakawa’s death came just over 24 hours after the announcement that fellow boxer Shigetoshi Kotari had died. Also aged 28, he fought for the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) belt against Yamato Hata on the same card.
Kotari, who earned a draw with champion Hata, collapsed soon after the 12-round encounter finished. The super-featherweight was able to depart the ring on his own, but appeared visibly shaken by the head injury. He was subsequently taken to hospital, where he had emergency brain surgery to treat a subdural hematoma — a condition where blood collects between the skull and the brain. Sadly, he was unable to recover. Tragically, he wasn’t the only one.
Shock as Two Japanese Boxers Die on Same Card
Urakawa had undergone a craniotomy in an attempt to save his life after his eighth round defeat to Saito. He didn’t survive the operation. “The boxing world is in shock and deep sorrow for the tragic deaths of 2 boxers who fought in the same card in Japan,” posted World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman on X. “May they rest in peace and their inspiration serve to all to work on finding ways to protect our boxers of the world.”
It’s been a dark couple of years for Japanese boxing. In February 2024, Kazuki Anaguchi died from injuries he sustained after being knocked down four times in a bout with Seiya Tsutsumi on December 26, 2023. In May of this year, Ginjiro Shigeoka was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering an acute subdural hematoma following his split decision loss to Filipino boxer Pedro Taduran. The severity of his condition led to his mandatory retirement from boxing.
In June, his brother, Yudai, posted an update on his condition. He said that his eyes were half-open “because he’s no longer taking painkillers.” Adding that he had also started chewing and yawning, he described it as “a somewhat reassuring encounter.”
JBC To Hold Emergency Meeting
Under pressure to act, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), gym owners and other boxing officials are planning an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The JBC has already decided to reduce all OPBF title bouts from 12 rounds to 10. “The offensive power of Japanese boxing today is tremendous,” Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary-general of the JBC, told reporters. “We have more and more boxers who are able to start exchanges of fierce blows from the first round. Maybe 12 rounds can be dangerous.”
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Updated On August 12, 2025
