Following the ring deaths of Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa last week, authorities in Japan have worked together to make improvements to keep their boxers safer.
An emergency meeting took place today (Tuesday), and included representatives from the Japan Professional Boxing Association, gym leaders, and the Japanese governing body – Japan Boxing Commission (JBC).
It was on August 2 when a fateful card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo saw the deaths of two fighters, who passed away from the injuries they sustained on the night.
The meeting resulted in several new measures, including ambulances being situated on site at venues for all fights. They have been there for world title fights, but not every contest.
The boxing officials also discussed dehydration and weight loss, specifically looking at athletes cutting out liquids before weigh-ins and said they would implement a hydration test, which will be able to detect whether fighters are hydrated sufficiently enough by testing their urine.
Also, the group determined that fighters who gain more than 10lbs from the weigh in to the fight will have to move up a weight class for their next contest and that, when medicals are done, CT scans will no longer be required, with MRIs accepted in their place.
Fighters who have been injured or taken notable punishment in their fights will also be required to do further MRIs before they are allowed to return to action.
The Japan Boxing Federation, that runs amateur boxing in Japan, also volunteered starting up a medical committee with the Japan Boxing Commission’s medical team and their own.
“We have been told that we should share what we each have and create a better medical system,” said JBC executive director Tsuyoshi Yasukochi.
Also at the meeting, on behalf of the Japan Professional Boxing Association, was chairman Shoji Kobayashi, general secretary Toshiharu Kayama, Japan Boxing Commissioner Minoru Hagiwara.
Yasukochi said the proposed changes would be implemented “as quickly as possible.”
Kobayashi, Japan Boxing Association president, added: “We want to do everything we can.”
The two recent fatalities are part of a dark spell for Japanese boxing, with the 2024 passing of Kazuki Anaguchi and as Ginjiro Shigeoka (pictured) fights for his life in a coma as a result of a bout in May.
