Today's Closet Classic isn't a fight that we expected many fans have seen, but it is replayed in Japan quite regularly as part of a series shown on Fuji's sister channels as part of their "Diamond Glove Golden Legend" series. It features a man who would later become a cult favourite fighting in his first title bout and taking on a determined domestic champion. The bout pales compared to some bouts that one man would feature in, but is certainly a very, raw and exciting bout that is well worthy of a watch. The Fight Yoshihiro Kamegai (14-0, 12) Vs Yosukezan Onodera (20-1-1, 8) In later years Yoshihiro Kamegai would become one of the sports best value fighters. When he was in the ring you knew you were going to get excitement with his incredible toughness, impressive stamina and brilliant will to win. When he got in the ring you knew leather would be thrown and his two wars with Jesus Soto Karass were both instant classics, worthy of rewatching any day. Before he began to make a mark on the US scene he was, of course, a Japanese domestic fighter and the action and thrills he gave Japanese fans in these early stages were still there. In April 2010 he got his first title fight. In the opposite corner to Kamegai was Japanese 140lb champion Yosukezan Onodera. Although Onodera would never make a mark outside of Japan. He was a really good domestic fighter with his only loss at this point coming to Hiroshi Nakamori in early 2007. Since that loss he had gone 5-0-1 (2) with a very notable win over Norio Kimura for the Japanese Light Welterweight title in April 2009, ending Kimura's 5 year reign. He had defended the belt twice, beating Yuji Wauke and Akihito Nishio before facing Kamegai in spring 2010. In the ring he was aggressive, fun to watch and tough with a real fun style. Despite what fans in the West know of Kamegai now, being a face first brawler, that wasn't always the case. He was never a defensive genius, but there was some nous to what he did at times, slipping on the inside and even using a shoulder roll. Yes, we know how alien that concept is to those who saw Kamegai's later career fights. With that in mind it should be noted he does show some nice defensive touches. Despite those defensive touches he's still Kamagei and he still gets inside but it's not all none stop work from him in the opening round and instead Onodera seems to out work Kamegai at times on the inside. Despite Onodera's work he gets put down in the opening round. That seems to set Kamegai off as we end up with an all out war to finish the round. Having realised he could hurt the champion Kamegai was again willing to have an inside fight with Onodera, who kept marching forward and looking to have a war with the unbeaten, but untested challenger. In round 2 Onodera was down again, and once again the knockdown resulted in the round finishing in spectacular fashion with Kamegai looking desperate to get an early finish and Onodera weathering the storm and firing back. We won't ruin the fight any further, but for those who love Kamegai's later career and want to see some of his earlier bouts, this is a genuinely great war. He wasn't quite as raw as he would later become, when he attempted to break into the hearts of Western fans, but he's certainly nothing like a pure technician. In Onodera he had the perfect foil for a brilliant fight and this proved to be something very, very fan friendly. It's not always pretty but it's always fun and action packed!
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The sport of boxing has a number of fighters who are simply must watch action fighters. They are part of a small number of fighters who, win or lose, you must tune in to watch. They are the sort of fighters who put the fight fans first, winning second and their own long term health comes way down their list of priorities. They are the sort of fighters promoters love, fans adore but their own teams almost certainly hate. When we get two such fighters in the ring together we know we're in for something incredibly special. The Fight Yoshihiro Kamegai (26-3-1, 23) vs Jesus Soto Karass (28-10-3, 18) When we talk about TV friendly fighters there are few, in recent memory, that were as TV friendly as Japan's Yoshihiro Kamegai or Mexico's Jesus Soto Karass. Neither was world class, though both did face world class opposition, neither was the most talented, hardest hitting, slippery or skilled. What both did was provide action, excitement, thrills, spills, work rate and incredible toughness. In April 2016 the two men faced off, for the first of two bouts between the two warriors, and it was one of the best bouts of the year, even it was massively lacking in terms of exposure and attention. As an amateur Kamegai went 57-12 (31) before turning professional in 2005. Many of his early career bouts were in Japan but in the later years of his career he was becoming a regular in an American ring, thanks to his combination of low cost and highly entertaining bouts. His limitations made him a must watch fighter, and although his results in the US were mixed, going 2-3-1 on US soil heading in to this bout, he was the sort of fighter fans tuned into see. He wasn't hard to find in the ring and was always coming forward. The 34 year old Soto Karass was, in many ways, similar to Kamegai. He was cheap for promoters, willing to engage in wars and had a reputation for providing great fights, win or lose. Like Kamegai he like to let his hands go, have a fighter and trade shots from the off. He had seen better days before this fight, having taken punishment just 2 fights earlier against Keith Thurman, but had shown he was still relevant with wins against Selcuk Aydin and Andre Berto in his previous 4 bouts. When the bout was put together hardcore fight fans had high expectations and by the end of the opening round it was clear those expectations were going to be met as the two traded in a phone booth war. One man would take the lead, back the other up, land bombs, then have the tables turned with the other firing back. It was brilliant, breath taking, all action fun from the first round. Not only was an exciting bout between two all action men, but better yet, it was hotly contested with nothing much separating the two fighters. Every time one fighter seemed to have some sustained success the other would fire off, coming back and take the initiative back. Today we celebrate a new period in Japanese history, the Reiwa period. This ends the Heisei era, which began back in January 8th 1989, and although the change is not likely to be noticed in the west it is a major event in Japan.
We thought, with the end of the era, it was worth looking at the 10 most influential fighters of the Heisei era. Just a caveat, before we begin, by influential we're not looking at the fighters who were the most successful during the era, but those who had a long last effect on the sport, specifically in Japan. Those who forced changes, influenced fighters or inspired fighters who followed them. To be considered they had to have fought between January 8th 1989 and April 30th 2019. 10-Takashi Uchiyama (24-2-1, 20) - The Watanabe Wonder Several fighters on this list have gotten here due to their influence with fighters who have followed in their footsteps, or fighters who have turned their hand to promoting. Takashi Uchiyama on the other hand helped put the gym he was fighting for on the map. The Watanabe Gym had been opened for a few years but didn't really have a star to focus on, they lacked a fighter who could help attract top prospects and a man who carry the gym. In Uchiyama they had that star. Uchiyama's long reign as the WBA Super Featherweight champion, from 2010 to 2016, made his one of the major faces of Japanese boxing and he would inspire the Watanabe Gym, which is now regarded as one of the best in Japan. His effect on the Watanabe gym today has lead to fighters like Hiroto Kyoguchi and Ryoichi Taguchi becoming major forces. He's now running a gym of his own, and it's clear that Uchiyama's influence is going to continue well into the future. 9-Katsuya Onizuka (24-1, 17) - Superstar Spanky K Popular fighters are influential due to their ability to draw a crown, get people talking and get eye balls on the sport. That was certainly the case with Katsuya Onizuka, who's popularity was huge in the 1990's. He turned professional in 1988 and would fight through to 1994, running up 5 defenses of the WBA Super Flyweight title, and even having a video game released with his likeness in Japan. Onizuka was certainly controversial, with numerous suspect wins, but his popularity kept people interested and kept watching. Following his retirement he would train fighters in Fukuoka, work for TBS in a commentary position and continue to have a pretty notable impact in the sport, much more so than fans in the West would realise. 8-Kazuto Ioka (23-2, 13) - Bar setting prodigy The Osakan boxing scene is the second biggest in Japan, behind that in Tokyo, and for the better part of a decade the face of Osakan boxing was Kazuto Ioka. He drew huge TV rating, he was crowned as super prospect from his debut and he would, famously, win the WBC Minimumweight title in just his 7th bout. His career has been remarkable, winning world titles in 3 divisions, and chasing a 4th divisional world title. He's notable won an all-Japanese unification bout, a real rarity, challenged for a 4th divisional world title and set the mark for fewest fights to a world title, a mark that has since been beaten by Naoya Inoue and Kosei Tanaka. Ioka put a marker down for the newest wave of Japanese fighters, and really helped kick start the era of the Japanese super prospect. 7-Hozumi Hasegawa (36-5, 16) - Hyogo Hero We're going to mention a man who inspired a generation of fighters a little bit further down this list, but Hozumi Hasegawa also fills that role excellently. In fact Hasegawa ois the man many current fighters cite as an inspiration, especially those in the Hyogo region. He was, for a long time, the one fighter from Hyogo who kept the region on the map, he was "The Ace" of Japan for years, a multi-time JBC MVP, a 3 weight world champion, a sensational fighter in the ring and someone who's appeal did actually cross over from Japan to the West. Hasegawa began his career in 1999 and despite some early defeats he would go on to win world titles at Bantamweight, Featherweight and Super Bantamweight, he was a TV star in the ring, with a great style to watch and with a list of notable names on his record. He wasn't the megastar that some had anticipated, but he was a big name, and the face of Japanese boxing during a little bit of a transition period in the 00's 6-Sugar Miyuki (11-1, 4) - Female punching pioneer Women's boxing today is thriving in Japan, and Kasumi Saeki recently showed how good the top youngsters are. We've recent world champions like Naoko Fujioka, Ayaka Miyao, Etsuko Tada and Shindo Go all make their mark but the real OG is Sugar Miyoshi. A fighter you won't easily find on boxrec, where she's listed under her birth name of Nojima Miyuki and has an offiial record of 1-1. Miyuki was oriinally a Shoot Boxing fighter, a style more similar to kick boxing than regular boxing, but would turn to boxing in 1995, years before the JBC would recognise female boxing. In 1997 she would go on to win the IWBF Minimumweight title, becoming Japan's first female world champion. Her work in boxing saw him raise the profile of the sport in the country, fighting exhibitions and working as a trainer. She would clearly kick start the female boxing movement in Japan, long before any of the others, and was a key factor in careers for the likes of Miki Kikukawa and Yumi Takano. She pre-dates the like of Feujin Raika by years and also played a role in showing that fighters could convert from one of Japan's other combat sports leagues. Although Miyuki is only "officially" listed at 1-1 we know that's wrong, due to footage of her and reliable sources, we her impact it still being felt, directly and indirectly to this very day! 5-Naoya Inoue (17-0, 15) - International man of focus It's hard to really figure out where Naoya Inoue sits in this list. He hasn't inspired a generation of fighters, he hasn't forced rules to change, he hasn't set up a gym, or played a part in the running of the sport. However what he has done, internationally, has drawn eyes to Japanese boxing, he has managed to capture an international audience like no other Japanese fighter, getting American and European fans talking, and featuring as a cover star for magazines that often put Japanese boxing down their list of priorities. He has, arguably, become the first Japanese fighter, in a long time, to become a global star. His real influence is likely to be more notable in the Reiwa era, but it's impossible to state how much he has done since his debut in 2012. He, more than any other fighter, has made Japanese boxing global and we expect that will be something felt for a very, very long time. 4-Hiroki Ioka (33-8-1, 17) - First generation Ioka! Today Kazuto Ioka is one of the biggest names in Japanese boxing. His unclue, Hiroki Ioka, is however a man who deserves on any list of influential fighters. The talented former 2-weight world champion saw his career begin before the Heisei era but his influence grew through out the era. He won his first world title in 1987, 3 months before the Heisei era began, but would make his first defense just weeks after the new emperor took the throne. He went 22-8-1 (11) during the Heisei era, defending the WBC Minimumweight title and winning the WBA Light Flyweight title. He would also chase a third divisional world title, coming up short at both Flyweight and Super Flyweight. After retiring in 1998 he would turn his hand to promoting, inspire his nephew to fight and guide numerous careers, as well as working as part of the West Japan Boxing Association. His influence may often be over-looked but he has been incredibly influential and will continue to be so in the Kansai region. 3-Katsunari Takayama (31-9-0-1, 12) - Rule changing road warrior It's hard to ignore just how influential Katsunari Takayama was to Japanese boxing during his 40 fight career. The Minimumweight warrior was a trend setter who pushed his dreams and forced the JBC, and the JABF, to change how they did things. His pursuit of the IBF and WBO world titles eventually helped their legitimacy in Japan, and played a part in getting the JBC to recognise both the titles. He also brought real attention to the Minumumweight division, in part thanks to his incredible fight with Francisco Rodriguez Jr. He also, very notable, pushed the JABF into allowing former professional fighters to return to the amateur ranks. Whilst Takayama will never go down as one of the all time greats, it's impossible to ignore the effect that his career had on Japanese boxing. 2-Hideyuki Ohashi (19-5, 12) - The Phoenix In the west Hideyuki Ohashi is relatively unknown, though plays a massive role in Japanese boxing, and has done for over 30 years. At the start of the Heisei era Ohashi was 9-3 (5) though went 10-2 (7) during the rule of Emperor Akihito, becoming a 2-time Minimumweight world champion during that 12 bout run. What he's he's done since hanging up the gloves in 1993 has been amazing, and he has not only played a role in the governing of Japanese boxing, due to roles with the JBC and JPBA, but also ran the Ohashi Gym. That gym has given us the likes of Katsushige Kawashima, Akira Yaegashi and Naoya Inoue. The "Ohashi Gym" is one of the most significant in Japan right now and looks to go from strength to strength. Notable mentions: Koki Kameda - Insanely popular, controversial, and a real star. His effect as a fighter was divisive but few can argue that he's not, even in retirement, a major draw. Kiyoshi Hatanaka - A massive figure in boxing in Chubu, formerly a fighter and now the region's leading promoter with the likes of Kosei Tanaka and Kento Hatanaka making their name under him Akinobu Hiranaka - Huge punching fighter who's work in Okyama as a promoter has started to build a notable, and exciting, local scene Toshiaki Nishioka - Japan's fighters have tended to stay at home, fighting in the confines of of Japan. Nishioka would be one of the few fighters to go out of Japan for fighters on a semi-regular basis. He would fight in the US, Mexico and France during his career and prove that Japanese fighters could win away from home. Yoshihiro Kamegai - Who spoke about Naoya Inoue dragging eyes to the Japanese scene. The same can also be said of Yoshihiro Kamegai, who actually became a bigger name in the west than in Japan, thanks to his fun to watch brawls. We wouldn't suggest many fighters follow his style, but his mind set of making it big in the US has helped lead the way for others. Ryota Murata - It's unclear how much influence Murata has, or hasn't had. His TV figures are huge, his popularity, even now, is massive, but the real influence is the intangible, and that's the amateur success. We've yet to see Japanese amateurs really flourish on the international stage since Murata's 2012 Olympic gold medal, but it's expected that the 2020 Olympics will be a very successful one for Japan. It's assumed that Murata's amateur triumph may potentially have a similar effect to Amir Khan, who won an Olympic medal in 2004 and saw the UK team have a massive games in 2012. 1-Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (20-7-1, 14) - A generational influence Few fighters can match the influence that Joichiro Tatsuyoshi had to the current Japanese scene. "Joe" made his debut 8 months after the start of the Heisei era and fought through to 2009, albeit with some breaks in there. During his career he would be a 2-time WBC Bantamweight champion, and whilst he was fast tracked to a title his influence was less due to his title reigns and more his style, his personality and his charisma. His effect on Japanese boxing was inspiring a generation of fighters, helping to kick start the current era of Japanese boxing. Even now he is still insanely popular, and when he appears at ring, as a member of the crowd, the cameras regularly zoom in on him. Enigmatic, exciting and incredibly charismatic the Osakan is still a star, though had had to pay for his boxing with various issues now effecting him. |
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