Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa die after event in Japan

Tragedy in Japan

Two boxers die after fighting at the same event

In Tokyo, a box event was twice fatal. Two athletes had to be operated on and did not survive.

A tragic event shakes boxing in Japan: Within a few hours, two professional boxers died of serious brain injuries that they had suffered at the same event in Tokyo.

As the Japanese boxing commission announced, both athletes had to be operated on after their fights in the traditional Korakuen hall. Commission representative Tsuyoshi Yasukochi said that it was “for the first time in Japan that two boxers were operated on due to injuries that they had contracted at the same event.”

According to the organizers, Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa got into the ring in separate fights on August 2. Kotari denied a twelve-round fight against his compatriot Yamato Hata, who ended. Shortly after the end he lost awareness and “died on August 8 at 10:59 p.m.”, as his club MT Boxing Gym announced on his website.

Urakawa competed against Yoji Saito. The WOBO Worldbox Association announced on Instagram that the 28-year-old was “tragically sustained the injuries he had suffered during the fight”. According to the local media, this happened on Saturday evening.