Second boxer dies from brain injury after Tokyo event
Second boxer dies from brain injury after Tokyo event
Boxing gloves
Image source,Getty Images
Published
10 August 2025
A second Japanese boxer has died from a brain injury suffered at an event in Tokyo.
Hiromasa Urakawa, 28, died on Saturday after he was beaten via knockout in the eighth round of his fight with Yoji Saito on 2 August.
It follows the death of Shigetoshi Kotari on Friday from injuries sustained during a separate bout on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Both boxers underwent surgery for subdural haematoma – a condition where blood collects between the skull and the brain.
The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) said, external it “mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito”.
It added: “This heartbreaking news comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from injuries suffered in his fight on the same card.
”We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time.”
Following the event, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) announced all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title bouts will now be 10 rounds instead of 12.
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Japanese media reports, external the JBC has launched an investigation and is planning to hold a meeting in September to discuss the deaths.
Urakawa is the third high-profile boxer to die in 2025 after Irishman John Cooney passed away in February following a fight in Belfast.
Cooney died aged 28 after suffering an intracranial haemorrhage from his fight against Welshman Nathan Howells.
