Japanese boxing has been rocked by a second tragedy in just two days after fighter Hiromasa Urakawa died from injuries sustained in a bout in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old passed away on Saturday, a week after being knocked out in the eighth round of his fight with Yoji Saito on 2 August. His death comes less than 24 hours after fellow Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari, also 28, died from injuries sustained in a separate fight on the same event card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Both men suffered subdural haematomas — a life-threatening condition in which blood pools between the skull and brain. They each underwent emergency surgery but could not be saved.
In a statement, the World Boxing Organisation said it “mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito,” adding that the news was “heartbreaking” coming so soon after Kotari’s death.
The WBO extended condolences to the families of both fighters, their friends, and the wider Japanese boxing community.
In the wake of the double tragedy, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) has announced that all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title bouts will now be reduced from 12 rounds to 10. Japanese media reports that the JBC has launched an investigation into the deaths and will hold a meeting in September to discuss further safety measures.
Urakawa’s death is the third high-profile loss to the sport this year. In February, Irish boxer John Cooney also died at the age of 28 after sustaining an intracranial haemorrhage during a fight in Belfast against Welshman Nathan Howells.
The back-to-back fatalities in Tokyo have intensified concerns about fighter safety and prompted renewed calls within the sport for stricter medical protocols and possible changes to bout structures to reduce the risk of fatal brain injuries.
