Two Japanese boxers, Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa, died after suffering brain injuries while competing on the same card in different fights at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on Aug. 2. The World Boxing Organization announced Urakawa’s death on Saturday, Aug. 9, and Kotari’s on Friday, Aug. 8.
“The boxing world is in shock and deep sorrow for the tragic deaths of 2 boxers who fought in the same card in Japan,” World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaimán said on X.
Urakawa, 28, sustained a brain injury in a knockout loss to Yoji Saito, ESPN reported. He had a craniotomy to treat a subdural hematoma, which happens when blood collects under the layers of tissue that protect one’s brain called the dura mater.
Kotari was also treated for a subdural hematoma after a 12-round draw against Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation junior lightweight champion Yamato Hata. The 28-year-old lost consciousness shortly after the fight, ESPN wrote.
In response, the Japanese Boxing Commission changed Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title fights from 12 rounds to 10.
JBC Secretary-General Tsuyoshi Yasukawa said this is because “these days, there are an extremely large number of skilled fighters who can exchange blows from the first round.”
“Rather than fighting tactically like in the past, we are seeing more and more matches where fighters attack at a fast tempo, and 12 rounds in this day and age is dangerous,” he said, according to Japanese sports news site Sponichi.
In a statement on Friday, the World Boxing Organization called Kotari “a warrior in the ring” and “a fighter in spirit” who was “gone too soon.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time,” the World Boxing Organization said in another post on X Saturday.
Japanese Boxing Commissioner Minoru Hagiwara said the organization will immediately begin investigating the incidents and developing future countermeasures.
An emergency response committee meeting with the Japan Professional Boxing Association has been set for later in August.
Ireland’s John Cooney, also 28, died earlier in 2025 from a brain injury he had from a fight against Welshman Nathan Howells in February.
