Osamu Watanabe, head of the Osamu boxing Gym in Saitama., north of Tokyo, passed away in August, it was learned on Sept. 16. He was 82.

Watanabe’s death was reported at an executive board meeting of the East Japan Boxing Associations held the same day.

The gym was turned over to former trainer Hisashi Nakatomi and will be moved to Koshigaya in Saitama Prefecture, according to the EJBA.

Watanabe made his professional debut in 1958 and unsuccessfully challenged then Japanese featherweight champion Kazuo Takayama for the latter’s title in 1960. But he quickly returned to the ring by drawing with former world lightweight kingpin Lauro Salas of Mexico.

While he failed to capture the Japanese lightweight crown in 1963 by losing to Teruo Kosaka, he moved up in weight and finally captured the Japanese welterweight title in 1964 by beating Makoto Watanabe.

Osamu Watanabe retired as he lost the title in his first title defense.  His lifetime record was 26 wins, including four knockouts, against 13 losses and seven draws.

He opened his own gym in 1974 in Saitama and produced former Japanese champion Keiichi Ozaki, Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Yosukezan Nishijima, Japanese super lightweight ruler Yosukezan Onodera.

Always wearing a ten-gallon hat, Watanabe came up with various unique ideas such as ‘’ninja punches’’ and ‘’outer space punches.’’

Also, Watanabe was known for nurturing switching-hitting Kazuo Osamu. Although Osamu failed to capture any title, his natural switch-hitting style enlightened many boxing fans.