Two Japanese Boxers Die From Brain Injuries After Same Event
Two professional boxers in Japan have died after sustaining severe brain injuries during separate fights on the same night in Tokyo.
Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both aged 28, competed on August 2 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Kotari fought fellow Japanese boxer Yamato Hata to a 12-round draw but collapsed shortly after the bout. He was rushed to the hospital and underwent brain surgery for an acute subdural hematoma. Despite intensive treatment, Kotari died at 10:59 p.m. on August 8, his M.T boxing gym announced.
Urakawa, who also fought on the same card, suffered similar injuries and later died in hospital.
The rare double tragedy has shocked Japan’s boxing community, raising renewed concerns over fighter safety.
