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The top ten Japanese boxers of all time
For the past 25 years I have been watching boxing match mainly on TV. Just once did I watch the world title bout with Jiro Watanabe defending his WBA Jr. bantum title against his countryman Shoji Oguma, who once was the WBC fly weight champion. It was in 1982 in Hamamatsu municipal gym. Oguma was past his prime time while Jiro was in his days. So the result was as I had expected. After this bout Oguma hang his gloves and Jiro Watanabe defended his title a few more times then exchanged it with the WBC version of it. After 12 times he defended it he lost it to Mexican boxer with a close decision which I thought draw. My knowledge about boxing is mostly from TV and Boxing Magazines I have been reading for many years and I have had no hands-on experience. So sometimes my opinion about Japanese boxers may be wide out of mark. But there are very few web sites where you can get information about Japanese boxers in English. So this page is catering for foreigners who want to know something about Japanese boxers.
Pound for pound
The top ten Japanese boxers of all time from my point of view.
They should be strong as well as unique in their fighting styles and spirits.
I wrote all these just from my memory without referring to the past record. Some parts are likely to be incorrect. Please let me know any mistakes you notice.
The top 10 Japanese Boxers in my memory
He was the first Japanese to gain Jr. middle weight crown. He defended the title six times and lost it to Oscar shotgun Albelard from US but regained it from him in their return match. Then he lost it to Ryu Saito, Korean boxer but again got it back in the return match. I witnessed both of these miracles on TV. Most of the people believed that Wajima would be severly battered and knocked out by the champion. But to our great surprise and joy he showed a lot of courage and skills to beat these two dangerous opponents.
Wajima started his boxing carreer at the age of 27, which happened to be the same age when our great boxing hero, Fighting Harada hang his gloves. Koichi Wajima was born in Hokkaido and went up to Tokyo when he was 17 years old. Since then he had been working as the construction workers, which perhaps strengthened his body and mind as well. Besides being a great boxing hero, he is one of the most respectable sports hero in Japan.
In his high school days in Osaka, he was a very good swimmer. Then he became a master of Japanese martial arts called Nihon Kempo at Ottemon Gakuin Univ.
He became a prise fighter at the age of 25. He challenged the world Jr bamtum title-holder Kim Tekko but was defeated by points.
That was his first loss. But his second challenge against was successful. He defended the title 9 times then he challenged Payao Poontarut who then held the
WBC version of the same title. It was nominally a unification bout in which he defeated and gained the WBC title but relinquished his WBA version of the title.
He was one of the smartest boxer Japan has ever produced in his tactics and techniques.
He captured his first world title from Mexican legend Vicent Sardival in their Feather weight world title match. It was almost onesided bout in which
Kuniaki Shibata battered this invincible boxer and made him say "No mas".
In the 11th round the Mexican boxer could not anwswer the bell and TKO
was declared by the referee. Shibata defended his title by knocking out
Raul Crus, Saldival's compatriot in the first round with his perfect uppercut. I have never seen such a beautiful knock out drawn by the Japanese boxer since then.
He defended the title one more time against Ernest Marcel
by controvercial decision then lost it to Mexican, Cremente Sanches. He then moved up to Jr. light weight in which he beat Hawaii-based Philipino boxer Ben Biaflore by the lopsided decision and deprived his title. Shibata's punching power was extraordinarily strong but to the same extent his glass jaw was vernerable.
So quite often his world title fights had unexpected fast endings.
He gained another world title in Jr. light division from Recard Alredond from Mexico. But he lost it to Alfred Escarela who knocked him out in the second round.
Katsuya Onizuka defended the title five times before he lost it to Lee, Korean fighter who battered him severely and sent him to the hospital.
In his prime days Onizuka couldn't have been defeated by this relentless but lack-in-punchingpower fighter but after several exhausting fight with Almand Castro from Mexico and Thanomusak from Thailand his eyesight as well as his strength had been a little bit deteriorated.
I evaluate his fighting spirit and speedy jab and one-two cobination, to say nothing of his stamina. He can throw his punches from various angles either from long-range or from short-range. Some Japanese boxing fans underestimate
Onizuka's talent because of the controvercial desicion by which he captured the title from Thanomsak. But he won most of his bouts within the distance before he reached WBA crown and after his first loss he could not hanging his gloves because he was diagnosed as suffering detached retina.
Unlike Tatsuyoshi, another very popular Japanese boxing charisma Onizuka had been concealing his disease for a few year though he noticed something was wrong with his left eye.
Onizuka refused to be knocked down by Lee's relentless attack for almost one minute. He really was one of the most courageous fighters in Japanese boxing history.
Masao Oba died his tragic and shocking death on the Highway in Tokyo. It was two weeks after his fifth successful defense against Thai challenger, Chachai. In his last bout Oba was knocked down in the first round. He sprained his ankle then, but endured the aching and in 11th round he sent Chachai to the canvas three times with his relentless attack.
I never forget the way he expressed his joy when he knocked out Chachai.
He almost ran around inside the ring and jumped with his arms high in the air. Nobody expected that he would be killed in the car accident in two weeks then.
If he hadn't got involved in the accident, he would have become the first Japanese to gain the world titles in three different divisions.
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