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Home > Match Information > Mitsunori Seki, Japan’s best southpaw in history

Mitsunori Seki, Japan’s best southpaw in history

May 06, 2021 10:35 am

Late former OPBF featherweight champion Mitsunori Seki was Japan’s best southpaw in history. At least, that’s my belief after watching and experiencing the sport for more than 60 years.

Seki, who died more than 10 years ago at the age of 66, attained 35 knockout victories in his 61-11-1 win-loss-draw record during his 10-year pro career, which is the second most KO wins in number after legendary Tsuneo ‘’Piston’’ Horiguchi, who had an overwhelming number of 82 KOs out of 138 victories.
The main reason why Seki was the best southpaw was no other southpaw could use his right hand at will like Seki, whose double or triple right hooks decked many opponents.

Of course, his straight left, figuratively likened to noted historical swordsmith ‘’Masamune’s sword-like sharpness,’’ also played an important role in sending his opponents to the canvas.

Had he boxed today, I am sure he would have won a world title or titles because he fought when boxing was one of the three most popular sports in Japan along with baseball and sumo, and only selected few boxers were able to take a crack at world titles. Scarcity value was the name of the game.

After failing to win a world title at flyweight, Seki moved up in weight and took a crack at world titles in the featherweight in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1968. To the chagrin of his fans, Seki failed to win none of them.

In his second challenge for the world title in the featherweight on Aug. 7, 1966 against Vicente Saldivar of Mexico in Mexico City, Seki came close to winning the title when he floored Saldivar in the fourth round with a sharp straight left to the head but failed to land a coup de grace.

What amazed me was the fight was broadcast live by radio. Then Sasazaki Boxing Gym head Takeshi Sasazaki, the manager of then world bantamweight champion Masahiko ‘’Fighting’’ Harada, served as a commentator for the radio, and I was really thrilled by his fair and professional comments from Mexico.

Seki dropped a 15-round unanimous decision by a close margin. I thanked Sasazaki in my mind for his commentary of evenhanded but agitated tone of voice. It was filled with high realistic sensation more so than an ordinary television broadcast.

Seki came back soon as he knocked out Orlando Medina of the Philippines in the second round in November that year to retain his OPBF featherweight title for a record 12th time with his highly vaunted right hooks.

Noted commentator Sesson Hirasawa, the chief editor of the monthly boxing magazine ‘’The Boxing’’ and a television commentator, clearly predicted in the magazine ‘’Seki will probably beat Saldivar if they meet the next time.’’

In those days, other top-rated southpaws of various divisions, particularly world-ranked flyweight Katsuyoshi Takayama of Kimura Boxing Gym, were advised by their managers or trainers to watch the way Seki use his right hands for their close study.

In the second Seki-Saldivar title match, also held in Mexico City, in January 1967, however, Saldivar was not the same Saldivar Seki fought five months before. Seki was stopped in the seventh round. It was broadcast live via satellite for the first such broadcast in Japan.

It was too bad we had to see Seki battered by Saldivar in such a commemorative day when Japan’s live satellite broadcast was initiated.

But Seki continued fighting seeking another chance for a world title fight, winning six bouts in a row. He faced Britain’s Howard Winstone in January 1968 at Royal Albert Hall in London for the title vacated by Saldivar. Seki was stopped in the ninth round when he suffered a slight cut above his right eye. It was the end of Seki’s stormy boxing life.

Seki had a fine-featured face and did not appear to be a boxer outside the ring let alone a tremendous hard hitter. He was so popular with young ladies that sometimes his trainer Hyoichi Nishide had a hard time ‘’removing’’ some jubilant young ladies from a taxi in which Seki was supposed to get after a fight.
He did not wear a gown when he entered a ring. He wore a white polo-necked sweater with a big initial S put on the front part of the chest, which made him all the more attractive.

After the retirement, Seki took over Shinwa Boxing gym to which he belonged, which was passed down to the current Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym after many twists and turns.

Ever since Seki’s retirement, I have seen a number of good southpaws. But none has been like Seki. I really miss Seki’s double and triple right hooks.  Written by Masaya Kokubu, free writer

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