By Hisao Adachi 
   
On Tuesday, journalists from Tokyo and Osaka held their yearly voting process that was overseen by the JBC [Japan Boxing Commission], to select the most prominent fighters of 2013 in Japan. The ceremony to present the honored awards will take place on January 24 at the luxurious Tokyo Hotel in the Tokyo Dome.

Undefeated WBC bantamweight world champion Shinsuke Yamanaka (20-0-2, 15KOs, 31 years old and Teiken Boxing Gym in Tokyo, was chosen as the "Best Boxer of the Year" - beating Kazuto Ioka, the undefeated junior flyweight champion of the WBA.

The recent fight between Takashi Uchiyama and Daiki Kaneko, which took place on New Year's Eve, was deservedly chosen as the "Best Fight of the Year." Uchiyama survived a knockdown to move forward and win a unanimous decision for his eighth title defense.