The WBO announced the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito on August 2nd at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Urakawa was stopped in the eighth round of a lightweight bout against Yoji Saito (9-4). Urakawa's career record is 10-4 so the bout was evenly matched and this was the first time he was knocked out. Boxingtalk joins the WBO in sending its deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Hiromasa Urakawa.

 

This heartbreaking news is part of a double tragedy as it comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from injuries suffered in a fight on the same card.  Kotari was matched against Yamato Hata on August 2nd in Tokyo. The fight was declared a draw. Kotari, age 28, lost consciousness after the twelve-round bout for Hata’s OPBF super featherweight title. He was rushed to a hospital for emergency brain surgery suffering a subdural hematoma, which is another term for a brain hemorrhage. Kotari, from Nagoya, had won two consecutive eight-round fights by unanimous decision to earn this title shot. Boxingtalk sends its deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Shigetoshi Kotari as well as the entire Japanese boxing community.