The Japanese boxing community is in mourning after two fighters died from brain injuries sustained during bouts on the same card in Tokyo.
Hiromasa Urakawa, 28, died on Saturday from injuries suffered in his fight with Yoji Saito on 2 August at Korakuen Hall. He was knocked out in the eighth round and later underwent surgery for a subdural haematoma, a condition in which blood collects between the skull and the brain.
His death came just one day after that of Shigetoshi Kotari, who sustained the same injury during a separate bout on the same bill. Kotari had also undergone emergency surgery but could not be saved.
The World Boxing Organisation said it mourned Urakawa’s passing, describing the news as “heartbreaking” and extending condolences to the families, friends and the Japanese boxing community.
The Japan Boxing Commission has announced that all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title bouts will now be contested over 10 rounds instead of 12. An investigation into the two deaths has been launched, and a meeting is planned for September to consider further safety measures.
The tragedies have prompted fresh debate over the dangers of the sport and whether enough is being done to protect fighters in Japan and internationally. Brain injuries remain among the most serious risks in professional boxing, and fatalities, while rare, have often led to changes in rules and medical procedures.
Urakawa is the third high profile boxer to die in 2025 from fight related injuries. In February the Irish fighter John Cooney, also aged 28, died after suffering an intracranial haemorrhage during a bout in Belfast.
The deaths of Urakawa and Kotari mark one of the darkest weeks in Japanese boxing history.
