Japan Pro Boxing Association held a board of directors meeting on Apr. 12 and decided to present a petition to Japan Boxing Commission concerning former World Boxing Council female flyweight champion Go Shindo’s desire to fight as a male boxer as Shindo became a male after going through sex reassignment surgery in 2017.

This is because JPBA’s west Japan branch gave the go-ahead for the 34-year-old Shindo’s request after watching his sparring sessions and other training at his Green Tsuda Boxing Gym in Osaka.

If JBC accepts the request, it will carry out a professional test for a male boxer. If he passes the test, Shindo can climb through the ropes as a male professional boxer at a fight venue.

At the day’s board meeting, JPBA decided to support Shindo’s request in this day and age of the Japanese society becoming to accept LGBTQs in various fields.

As a woman, Shindo made her debut in 2008 and won the World Boxing Council world female flyweight title in 2013 and successfully defended the title twice. Her last fight was against legendary boxer Naoko Fujioka of Shinji Takehara and Takanori Hatakeyama Boxer Fitness Gym in June 2016. Her record as a female boxer was 16 wins, including 11 knockouts against four defeats.

After undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 2017, Shindo became a male by changing his family registration. Shindo married a woman.