Japanese boxing authorities have announced a series of new safety protocols, including urine tests, tighter regulations on weight cutting, and enhanced medical support at matches, following the deaths of two professional boxers.
The measures were agreed upon during an urgent meeting on Tuesday involving the Japan Pro Boxing Association (JPBA), the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), and gym owners. The meeting was called after the passing of super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both aged 28, who died after undergoing brain surgery for injuries sustained in separate matches at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2.
While the exact causes of their deaths are still under investigation, the World Boxing Association has noted that severe dehydration from rapid weight loss can make the brain more vulnerable to bleeding.
Calling the deaths “really regrettable,” JPBA president Shoji Kobayashi said, “We gathered today to establish a plan towards zero accidents.”
JBC secretary-general Tsuyoshi Yasukochi revealed that the new rules, to be enforced promptly, will include urine testing to detect dehydration and stricter monitoring of rapid weight loss before fights. Ambulances will be mandatory at all matches, including non-title bouts, and partnerships will be formed with hospitals capable of performing emergency surgery for brain and other serious injuries.
Additional regulations will dictate the time frame for halting sparring sessions in the lead-up to fights. “We have decided to take all measures possible so we do not let the deaths of the two be in vain,” Yasukochi said.
Kotari collapsed after a grueling 12-round Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title fight and later died. In response, the JBC has reduced future OPBF title bouts from 12 rounds to 10.
Toshiharu Kayama, former Japan welterweight champion and head of Ebisu K’s Box gym, expressed concern about the sport’s future, stating, “That such an incident occurred involving top-level boxers means we may face arguments that boxing should be halted. We, the association and gyms, want to think and change the way the sport is contested.”
An accident investigation committee will review the circumstances surrounding the boxers’ deaths later this month, with updated safety guidelines to follow. The JBC and JPBA will also host a safety conference involving doctors from both organisations and representatives from the amateur boxing federation.
What you should know
The deaths of Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa have sparked urgent reforms in Japanese boxing, with authorities introducing dehydration checks, stricter weight-cutting rules, mandatory ambulances, and hospital partnerships to improve fighter safety.
