The Japan Pro Boxing Association, made up of the heads of boxing gyms nationwide, said on Nov. 16 it had sent a letter to the Japan Boxing Commission that it will temporarily keep fees for the recognition of fights as well as for licensing as the JPBA’s request last month to seek the resignation of JBC’s operating officer Nobuaki Uratani has so far fallen on deaf ears.

The JPBA sent the letter in October, asking the resignation of Mr. Uratani for taking responsibility for the slipshod management of the urine samples of World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Ambition GYM after Ioka retained the title by stopping Kosei Tanaka of SOUL BOX Hatanaka Boxing Gym on Dec. 31 last year.

After the fight, Ioka allegedly tested positive for doping and was widely reported to have used a banned drug. But it turned out insufficient doping examinations on the part of JBC were responsible for the ‘’scandal.’’

Since the JBC’s response to the JPBA’s written request was ‘’meaningless,’’ the JPBA decided at its recent board meeting that it will review its stance on the JBC from the ground up. At the same time, the JPBA asked the JBC to clarify the details of overhead costs it charges fight promoters.