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Pound for Pound Best of Japan: Hail to the New Kings By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Fri, 07 Jun 2024  Naoya Inoue (L) and Kazuto Ioka (R). Japan has been the Philippines' greatest rival and nemesis in boxing since the post war when Yoshio Shirai become Japan's first world champion (beating Filipino Dado Marino in 1950) as envisioned by the creation of the Japan Boxing Commission. Japan has since surpassed the Philippines in number of world boxing titlists but it has not produced the likes of Pancho Villa and Ceferino Garcia in the pre war and Gabriel Flash Elorde in the post war through the 60s in terms of global impact that made the First Golden Era of Philippine Boxing. The emergence of Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Donnie Nietes and Johnriel Casimero in the 1990s through the 2010s had given rise to the Second Philippine Golden Era. But now, everybody seems to agree that this is the Japanese Era in international pro boxing. As tribute to the new kings of Asia, it is but fitting to recognize Japan's current best and its past greats. Read on. Modern 1. Naoya Inoue - His world titles in four divisions, including undisputed world championships at bantamweight and super bantamweight make him not only Japan's finest but arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the planet today. He is in his prime which winning a fifth divisional title very possible. His prominent title victims included Nonito Donaire, Jason Moloney, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Stephen Fulton, Marlon Tapales and Luis Nery. 2. Kazuto Ioka - He is the first Japanese to win world championships in four weight classes and the conditions surrounding his title conquests as well as the quality of the champions he deposed make him deserving of this spot. He is very much active. His more prominent opponents included Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes, Kosei Tanaka, Juan Carlos Reveco and McWilliams Arroyo. 3. Junto Nakatani - The latest of Japan's four weight division world champions but what distinguished him is the speed he won titles from the flyweight through the bantamweight. He won the WBC bantamweight crown by knockout over Santiago Barrios of Mexico, latest conqueror of the great Nonito Donaire. A fifth world crown at super bantamweight is very possible should Inoue moves up in weight in the near future 4. Kosei Tanaka - Another of Japan's four division world champions having held the WBO minimumweight title, the WBO light flyweight title; the WBO flyweight title and the WBO super flyweight title which he won in February 2024. Upon winning his first world title in only his fifth bout, he became the fastest Japanese fighter ever to become a world champion. Along with Vasyl Lomachenko, he is also the fastest ever fighter to win titles in three weight-classes, having accomplished the feat in only 12 bouts. He also surpassed Oscar De La Hoya to become the fastest four division champion, setting the bar at 21 fights. He is also still active. 5. Akira Yaegashi - Yaehashi competed from 2005 to 2019. He was a three division world champion, having held the WBA mini-flyweight title from 2011 to 2012, the WBC and The Ring flyweight titles from 2013 to 2014, and the IBF light-flyweight title from 2015 to 2016. Honorable Mentions: Hozumi Hasegawa, Koki Kameda, Tomoki Kameda, Daiki Kameda WBA-WBC Era 1. Fighting Harada - Harada was Japan's second world champion after Yoshio Shirai. He first won the world flyweight title by knocking out the great Thai champion Pone Kingpetch. After losing the title back to Kingpetch in Bangkok, Harada would win the world bantamweight crown from the great Brazilian titlist Eder Jofre. He would hold the 118 lbs crown for two years before losing the same to Australian aborigine Lionel Rose. He would attempt to become a three division world champion but was held to a draw then beaten by Johnny Famechon, a French born Australian. Considered for a long time as Japan's best. 2. Kuniaki Shibata - Shibata competed from 1965 to 1977. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC and The Ring featherweight titles from 1970 to 1972, the WBA and The Ring super-featherweight titles in 1973, and the WBC super-featherweight title from 1974 to 1975. He first became world featherweight champion stopping the great Vicente Saldivar. He drew with Ernesto Marcel before losing his crown to Clemente Sanchez. He later won the WBA world junior lightweight title by decision over Filipino Ben Villaflor who would knock him out in their title rematch in 1973. He would have a second reign in 1974 outpointing Ricardo Arredondo of Mexico gor the WBC belt but after three successful defenses, he would lose it to Alfredo Escalera. 3. Koichi Wajima - Wajima started at welterweight where he had limited success until he fought for the JBC light middleweight title first losing to George Carter which he immediately reversed in his next fight. From 1970 to 1974 he went on an unbeaten streak including winning the undisputed world light middleweight championship from Italy's Carmelo Bossi and making many successful title defenses. 4. Guts Ishimatsu - In the mid to late 70s, the lightweight was the exclusive domain of Latino and UK fighters when Ishimatsu Suzuki emerged in the scene, becoming Japan's first world lightweight titlist while literally living up to his adopted name Guts. He challenged Panamanian Ismael Laguna in 1970 for the WBA/WBC Lightweight Title, but lost by TKO in the 13th round. After winning the OPBF title, Guts challenged the legendary Roberto Durán in Panama for the WBA Lightweight title. Guts fought hard, but was brutally knocked out in the 10th round. On April 11, 1974, Guts fought WBC Champion Rodolfo 'Gato' González in Tokyo. González had a record of 59-5-0 (50KOs) going into the fight, as opposed to Guts' rather pathetic record of 26-11-6 (14KOs). Few expected Guts to win, but Guts fought toe-to-toe with the champion, getting a knockout win in the 8th round. 5. Hiroyuki Ebihara - Ebihara competed from 1959 to 1969. He held the WBA, WBC, and The Ring flyweight titles from 1963 to 1964 and the WBA flyweight title again in 1969. Great Russian world flyweight champion Yuri Arbachakov used the ring name Yuri Ebihara in honor of him and the Pokémon Ebiwalar (エビワラー, Ebiwarā), known as Hitmonchan in English, is named after him. Honorable Mentions: Musashi Kudo, Takahiro Aoh, Hiroki Ioka The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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