一夜明けて会見を行った新王者石井㊨とホープ藤木

Although the team’s strategy had been to go on the offensive from the first round, both Chairman Hideyuki Ohashi and trainer Azuma Yaegashi revealed that they had never expected him to knock his opponent out in the very first round. The knockout time of ‘65 seconds’ is the fastest ever recorded by a Japanese boxer to win a world title. Takashi himself did not realise it straight away; it was only when he stepped out of the ring to greet his senior, Naoya Inoue, and was told, ‘Takashi, you’ve beaten my record,’ that he first realised what had happened.
Reflecting on the bout, Ishii said, ‘I just happened to land a good punch and knocked him down. At around the count of eight, I honestly thought he wouldn’t get back up, and the moment I heard the ten-count, I was overcome with emotions I can’t even put into words.’ He added that whilst he had anticipated fighting the full 12 rounds to secure victory, the left body blow that proved decisive—though not intended—was a punch he had practised.
Chairman Ohashi described it as “a truly strange feeling” that the same belt, once held by Chairman Ohashi and trainer Yaegashi, had now been passed on to Ishii. Ishii remarked, “I take pride in this belt. I believe it is a belt of immense value.”
The emergence of Ohashi Gym’s sixth world champion surpasses the record of five set by Yonekura Gym, to which Chairman Ohashi once belonged. Having attended a memorial service that day for his senior at the gym, Guts Ishimatsu—who passed away on 2 June—before travelling to Yokohama, Chairman Ohashi savoured the moment, remarking, “Guts and Chairman Yonekura came down to lend their support; I can only believe that some kind of force was at work.”
Regarding his first title defence, plans are in place to hold a mandatory defence match before the end of the year. He is also keen to face Japanese opponents in the future. Whilst a bout against former champion Ryusei Matsumoto (Teiken) is particularly anticipated, Ishii remained positive, stating, “As I’ve said before, I believe a truly strong fighter is someone who takes on and defeats those said to be stronger than themselves, so I want to work hard with that goal in mind.”
■ Next up: Yuga Fujiki, challenger for the WBC Youth Lightweight title
Yuga Fujiki, known as ‘The King’, who secured a convincing victory in his second professional bout as the undercard for the double world title fight, also attended the press conference. Reflecting on a reasonably successful bout, he said, “I landed my jabs solidly from the first round; I think it went pretty much as I’d anticipated.” Despite the convincing win, he acknowledged areas for improvement, revealing, “How I handle myself when backed into the ropes.”
Fujiki had aimed to challenge for a regional title in his third professional bout, but Chairman Ohashi revealed that, as a contract could not be finalised, he has instead been approved to challenge for the WBC Youth Lightweight title. “If I win this title, I think I’ll move up the rankings, so it’s all good news,” said Fujiki.

５戦目で世界タイトルを獲得した吉良㊧と佐々木修平会長

‘I’m just happy—that’s all.’ These were the first words from the new champion, whose face was unscathed. The stunning knockout scene from the previous night, in which he finished off Carlos Canizales (Venezuela) with a left hook, has been replayed repeatedly on social media and elsewhere, causing quite a stir. Kira said he had received an unprecedented number of messages and offered a candid reflection: ‘Have I done something amazing?’
Whether it was the knockout punch, the GOLOVKIN-style left hooks that landed time and again, or his varied defensive techniques—including footwork, guard and shoulder evasion—he said it all ‘went exactly as practised’. Kira’s motto is to stick to what he has practised and control the fight.
He has not yet given any thought to his next fight. Having achieved his goal, Kira’s honest feeling at the moment seems to be that he feels ‘as if there’s a hole in my heart…’. If he remains in the light flyweight division, WBA Super and WBO champion René Santiago (Puerto Rico) will be his target; however, even if he moves up to flyweight, the field of champions is strong, and a bout against Kira—who defeated Canizales in such impressive fashion—would make for an attractive match-up. In any case, he has his sights set on appearing in Shisei Gym’s traditional end-of-year event.

新旧世界王者が参列したお別れ会

This kind of farewell ceremony is extremely unusual in the world of boxing; it was organised primarily by the Professional Boxing World Champions’ Association, founded by Guts, and by a group of former members of the Yonekura Gym, led by Hideyuki Ohashi. Shigeo Nakajima, who was also one of his juniors, served as the chair of the organising committee. A ring was set up at the venue, Korakuen Hall, and alongside a portrait of the deceased, the venue was decorated with his trademark striped raincoat, a three-cornered hat, and even boxing gloves made of red flowers.

メディアのインタビューに応じる浜田、具志堅、大橋各氏（左から）

Tsuyoshi Hamada, who has become the second president of the World Champions’ Association, paid tribute, saying, ‘In an era when it was difficult to challenge for the world title even if you had the ability, successfully defending the lightweight title five times was a feat that is unimaginable today.’ He added, ‘Mr Ishimatsu, please do not worry and take your time to rest,’ and expressed his determination to carry on the legacy of the World Champions’ Association founded by the late boxer.
Yokou Gushiken recalled watching Guts train before his own professional debut at the age of 18, saying, ‘He taught me the rigour of the professional game, which is different from the amateur level.’ He revealed that, after his retirement, he had continued his career as a television personality with Guts as his role model. They often appeared on the same programmes and were close friends both professionally and personally. ‘I still wanted to spend time with him and work with him,’ he lamented. He said that the last words he heard from Guts were, ‘Let’s do our best to boost the popularity of boxing.’
Hideyuki Ohashi, chairman of Yonekura Gym and a junior to Guts, said, ‘He gave me advice on numerous occasions.’ He recalled that when they met at a wedding reception for a mutual acquaintance, Guts told him he would teach him his ‘legendary right’ and made him do shadow boxing repeatedly in the toilet. “I attended the wedding drenched in sweat, even though it was the dead of winter,” he said, sharing the memory and drawing laughter from the crowd.
Yonekura Gym has produced five world champions, including Guts and Chairman Ohashi, whilst Ohashi Gym also had five at that point. “We will continue to fight towards our sixth world champion. Please watch over us warmly and cheer us on from heaven, together with Chairman Yonekura,’ he said, before leaving the venue a little earlier than the others. Chairman Ohashi, who was also the promoter of the double world title fight held in Yokohama that evening, had realised his long-cherished wish with Takeshi Ishii’s world title victory.
From the entertainment world, the TV personality Hanawa made an appearance, strumming his guitar as he performed his signature song, ‘The Legend of Guts’. It was a lively farewell party, befitting the cheerful personality of Guts Ishimatsu.

カニサレスを仕留めた吉良　©Lemino/SECOND CAREER/NAOKI FUKUDA

From the opening bell, Kira dictated the tempo with heavy, rapid left jabs and right straights, utilizing quick, subtle step-backs to make Canizares miss. In the third round, Kira evaded a swinging right hand from Canizares and landed a counter left hook flush to the temple, scoring a knockdown.

As Canizares sought to close the range, Kira restricted his advance by strategically positioning his lead left foot. Frequently circling to his right to break Canizares’s rhythm, Kira frustrated the Venezuelan further by digging sharp body shots into open gaps.

However, entering the fourth round, Kira ceased his lateral movement and step-backs, perhaps to conserve energy, allowing Canizares to press forward with increased aggression. As the fight progressed through the fifth and sixth rounds, exchanges of simultaneous left hooks grew more frequent alongside body shot trades, momentarily swinging the momentum in favor of Canizares’s heavy combinations.

Kira abandoned the stationary approach and returned to his movement in the seventh round. Stepping back to lure the advancing Canizares forward, Kira drew out an attack and unleashed a precise counter left hook in mid-exchange. Thrown with superior compactness, Kira’s shot caught Canizares flush on the chin, sending the former champion flat on his back to the canvas. As the veteran struggled to regain his feet, the referee intervened to halt the contest.

“The belt feels heavy,” remarked the newly crowned champion after his decisive victory. “While I had my eye on the record, my primary focus was winning this fight, so I am thrilled with the result. It was far more physically demanding than it might have looked from the outside, which is why I was determined to finish it in the middle rounds.” Kira concluded his post-fight comments by expressing gratitude to his support network and training environment.

Kira, 23, remains undefeated at 5-0 (4 KOs). Canizares, 33, fell to 28-4-1 (20 KOs).

メンデスを倒した石井

As soon as the opening bell rang, Ishii charged at Mendez. Mendez, with Ishii closing in, pressed his body against Ishii to block his attacks, but just as the one-minute mark approached, Ishii landed a powerful left body hook as a counterpunch. Stunned by the blow, Mendez was sent down in a flash by a follow-up right hook. It was a surprising turn of events, and Mendez, who had dropped to one knee, was counted out.
In his post-fight interview in the ring, Ishii first expressed his gratitude to each and every person involved who had supported him. He then said, “I was just an ordinary guy, but I was able to prove that if you dedicate yourself to one thing, your dreams can come true. I’m so happy.” He revealed that his trainer, Akira Yaegashi, had told him, “Let’s run a full 12-round marathon—we’ll take it one round at a time,” but he never imagined he’d finish it in just one round… “This is the happiest moment of my life,” he said, clearly moved.
With this victory, Ohashi Gym has produced its sixth world champion. Ishii’s record now stands at 12 wins (9 KOs) and 1 loss. Former WBO champion Mendez, who was unable to mount any offense, now has a record of 20 wins (6 KOs), 4 losses, and 2 draws.

サリナを攻める藤木㊧

Fujiki faced the southpaw Salina (11 wins, 8 KOs, 7 losses, 1 draw). From the first round, he moved lightly and landed left jabs. Toward the end of the round, he also landed counters to the body, getting off to a promising start. In the second round, Salina threatened with heavy-looking left and right hooks. There were moments when he managed to land blows on Fujiki’s guard, but the big prospect didn’t flinch. Outclassing her with speed and sharpness, she landed crisp counters to both the upper and lower body. Her counterpunches to the midsection, in particular, were highly accurate, and it seemed only a matter of time before she would force Salina to submit.
In the third round, with growing confidence, Fujiki landed counters at will and forced Salina to retreat with a flurry of straight punches. The difference in speed between the two was already striking. Salina threw punches desperately, but the composed Fujiki focused his counterpunches on her, and it was a wonder she didn’t go down. Finally, in the fifth round, when Fujiki landed a right hook to the face as a counter, Salina collapsed against the ropes, and referee Iida stopped the fight without calling a count.
Fujiki, who has now scored two consecutive TKO victories since his debut, shared his thoughts in a post-fight interview: “I haven’t shown my true potential yet, so please cut me some slack. Just like in my debut fight, my score isn’t high, but since I knocked him out, I’ll call it a win.” He spoke humbly after the victory, adding, “I’ll do my best to get the attention of the Tsutsumi

森㊧と杉浦はドロー

In the early rounds, champion Mori relied on footwork, lateral movement, and jabs. During the middle rounds, he unfurled a varied array of combinations at mid-range, before standing his ground in the closing stages to push his opponent back in close-quarters exchanges. Although Mori maintained a brisk work rate and displayed clear tactical variation across all 10 rounds, he was unable to overpower Sugiura, who methodically closed the distance and landed heavy, decisive combinations with authority whenever he found his range.

The open scoring announced at the end of the fifth round saw one judge score the fight 49-46 for Mori, while the remaining two favored Sugiura at 48-47.

While Mori held a stark advantage in punch volume, Sugiura earned the judges’ favor with his powerful close-range attacks. Mori increased his output with diverse combinations in the second half to make a stronger impression, yet Sugiura’s impactful heavy counters, timed precisely between Mori’s combinations, remained equally compelling.

Mori, 26, who was frequently caught at the end of his own exchanges, moved to 14-4-2 (3 KOs). Sugiura, 23, who spent extended periods behind a high guard to blunt Mori’s volume, brought his record to 9-1-2 (3 KOs). Although both fighters carry world rankings—Mori at WBA No. 5, WBC No. 15, IBF No. 9, and WBO No. 13, and Sugiura at IBF No. 15—the closely contested bout highlighted clear areas for improvement for both men.

Featherweight 8 rounds Ren Ohashi (Ohashi Gym) [Technical Draw 2 Rds 0:28] Keigo Kitamoto (Misako Gym)

The clash of undefeated prospects between WBO Asia Pacific 10th-ranked Ohashi and Japanese 15th-ranked Kitamoto ended in an unsatisfactory stalemate.

Kitamoto made a strong start, pumping out a rhythmic left jab while targeting southpaw Ohashi with counter right straights as he advanced. In the second round, Ohashi pressed forward to step up his attack, landing a straight left, but Kitamoto reacted with a right of his own. However, a clash of heads ensued, causing a deep cut between Ohashi’s eyebrows. Following a doctor’s inspection, the referee deemed Ohashi unable to continue and called a halt to the contest.

Ohashi, 24, is now 5-0-1 (5 KOs). Kitamoto, 28, moved to 7-0-1 (5 KOs).

Featherweight 8 rounds Junya Shimada (Shisei Gym) [KO 2 Rds 0:33] Sataporn Saart (Thailand)

Shimada, ranked ninth by the OPBF and third in Japan, returned to the win column following his defeat in a vacant title match in March, knocking out WBO Asia Pacific 12th-ranked Sataporn.

Sataporn initially pressed with heavy one-two combinations before digging to the left body, but Shimada answered with a clean right uppercut. In the second round, Sataporn intensified his pressure, hammering repeated lefts to the body. Shimada fought back with a counter right uppercut and followed up with a short right hook flush to the chin, sending Sataporn heavily to the canvas. Although the Thai fighter regained his feet, he was unable to adopt a fighting stance, prompting the referee to count him out.

Shimada, 28, improved to 10-1-1 (4 KOs). Sataporn, 23, fell to 18-4 (9 KOs).

亀田はすでにメキシコで合宿中

Kameda has been training in Mexico since late July in preparation for his fight against Figueroa. He plans to travel directly to the fight venue without returning to Japan. The Figueroa bout will be his first fight since challenging IBF champion Angelo Leo (USA) last May, and he is aiming to finally capture the featherweight title. Kameda also stepped into the ring in Las Vegas in July 2014 during his reign as WBO bantamweight champion, when he knocked out Thailand’s Punluang in the seventh round.
In the main event, a WBC super welterweight bout, the tall southpaw champion Fundora (24 wins, 16 KOs, 1 loss, 1 draw) will face mandatory challenger Elmar Hadriiva (USA/Albania). Hadriiva is a southpaw with a record of 23 wins, 8 KOs, and 1 draw.
Also on the card is a 10-round super middleweight bout between former super welterweight and middleweight champion Jamal Charlo (USA) and Cohen Mazoudier (Australia). This was originally scheduled to take place in Australia in July.

ネスビットと即時再戦へと進む和田

This bout was contested between Madoka Wada (DANGAN) and Emma Nesbitt (New Zealand). Although Nesbit was declared the winner by a 2–1 split decision (95–94, 96–93, 93–96), the result was controversial. Wada had dominated the bout, and in the final 10th round, she even knocked Nesbit down with a left body uppercut; however, Referee Williams (New Zealand) ruled it a low blow and even deducted a point.
After the match, the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) requested a review from the WBA. Following a review by five neutral judges appointed by the WBA, it was ruled that “all judges agreed Wada won by a wide margin.” According to the WBA, the negotiation period for a rematch runs from August 19 to September 19. In principle, the WBA has instructed that the rematch be held within 90 days of August 19. If an agreement cannot be reached, a bidding process is expected to be ordered.

安道後援会長と寺地㊨

The celebration began with the “Kotobuki Sansha” dance performed by three geiko from Miyagawacho. Following congratulatory remarks from Koji Ando, president of the Kenshiro Teraji Supporters’ Club, Teraji was presented with a victory bonus and a floral tribute from the geiko. Takatoshi Nishiwaki, Governor of Kyoto Prefecture, Masaaki Murata, Mayor of Joyo City, and Atsuko Matsumura, Mayor of Uji City, each offered speeches celebrating the resurgence of their local hero.

In the vacant title contest held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on 20 July, Teraji controlled the tempo with sharp jabs against fourth-ranked Israel Gonzalez (Mexico), scoring two knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. The win saw him regain a world title after a one-year absence and marked his conquest of a third weight division, adding to his previous titles at light-flyweight and flyweight.

Teraji had surrendered his unified flyweight titles in July last year following a split-decision defeat to Ricardo Sandoval (USA). In his attempt to rebuild, he moved up in weight to challenge for the IBF super-flyweight title in December, only for the bout to be cancelled post-weigh-in after the champion fell ill, leading to a difficult period for the fighter.

“After the defeat, my next fight was cancelled, and I went through some extremely difficult times, but I kept pushing forward with the sole goal of returning to the top,” Teraji told the audience. “I am truly glad that I endured the training and persevered, and seeing everyone here so happy makes it all worthwhile.”

While details regarding his next contest remain unconfirmed, Teraji expressed his desire to fight before the end of the year and voiced his ambition to become the first Japanese fighter to unify titles in three different weight classes.