Former WBC world lightweight champion Guts Ishimatsu (real name Yuji Suzuki), who later enjoyed a successful career as a television personality and actor following his retirement from boxing, passed away from pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo on 2 June. He was 76. His death was announced on 11 June by Guts Enterprise, the entertainment agency he founded and managed. A private funeral service has already been held by his close relatives.
日本人初の世界ライト級王者・ガッツ石松
Born in Awano Town, Kamitsuga District (now Kanuma City), Tochigi Prefecture, Ishimatsu moved to Tokyo after graduating from junior high school to join the Yonekura Gym, making his professional debut at the age of 17. Competing initially under his real name before altering his ring name to Ishimatsu Suzuki and eventually Guts Ishimatsu, his career breakthrough arrived in 1972. Entering as a late replacement, he defeated Shinichi Kadota to capture the OPBF lightweight title, a victory that opened the door to greater opportunities.
Although his first two world title attempts abroad—including a second challenge against Roberto Duran—proved unsuccessful, Ishimatsu faced reigning champion Rodolfo Gonzalez (Mexico) for the WBC world lightweight title at Tokyo’s Kuramae Kokugikan on 11 April 1974, amidst a nationwide transport strike. Dominating the veteran champion, Ishimatsu secured the title via an eighth-round knockout, finishing the bout with a punch he famously dubbed the “phantom right.”
With this victory, Ishimatsu became the first Japanese boxer to capture a world lightweight championship, a feat subsequently achieved only by Takanori Hatakeyama and Yusuke Kobori.
He successfully defended the WBC crown five times before losing a decision to Esteban de Jesus in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1976. He retired with a professional record of 51 bouts, 31 wins (17 KOs), 14 losses, and 6 draws.
During his tenure as regional champion, Ishimatsu was arrested after intervening in a brawl involving his brother, during which he reportedly knocked out eight individuals. While this incident fostered a public misconception that his boxing mirrored a street-fighting style, he was in reality a fundamentally sound boxer-puncher trained by the highly tactical former contender and gym president Kenji Yonekura. Anchored by a sharp left jab, his style relied on solid boxing orthodoxy. Alongside his senior stablemate Kuniaki Shibata, Ishimatsu spearheaded the golden era of the Yonekura Gym during the early 1970s.
Following his retirement from the sport, Ishimatsu transitioned into a career as a television personality and actor, appearing in numerous films and television dramas as a distinctive character actor. He also engaged in film production, notably directing and starring in the feature film “Comeback.” In 1996, he ran as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Representatives general election, though his bid was unsuccessful. To repay a debt incurred from the campaign, which reportedly amounted to 300 million yen, he intensified his appearances on television and film, which consequently elevated his public profile and enabled him to clear the liability.
In 2010, he established an association for retired world champions, known as the “Pro Boxing World Champions Association,” serving as its president until handing over the role to Tsuyoshi Hamada in 2024. His last public appearance was on 8 March, when he attended and delivered an address at the opening ceremony of the Oshima Boxing Club.
