Hiroki Ioka
Encyclopedia
Hiroki Ioka is a former WBC Minimumweight and WBA Lightweight champion. He was the first ever WBC Minimumweight champion, winning the title immediately after the minimumweight division was created.
Minimumweight
title the same year, winning by unanimous decision to become the youngest Japanese boxer to win a world title, at 18 years and 9 months old. This record remains unbroken today.
Ioka made his first defense against Kyung-Yun Lee in January, 1988, winning by knockout in the 12th round. Ioka's trainer, Eddie Townsend
, was in the hospital during the fight, and died shortly after hearing that Ioka had won. Ioka made his second defense in June, 1988, against Napa Kiatwanchai
of Thailand
, retaining his title by a 12 round draw. The fight was highly controversial, as Kiatwanchai's side claimed that the last round was ended almost 30 seconds early in order to make the fight a draw. Ioka had almost been knocked out by Kiatwanchai in the final round. Ioka was ordered to have a rematch with Kiatwanchai for his third defense in December, 1988, and lost his title by 12 round decision. Ioka fought Kiatwanchai again in June, 1989, for his former title, but lost again by TKO in the 11th round.
Ioka moved up to the light flyweight
division, and challenged undefeated champion Myung-Woo Yuh
, for the WBA
Light Flyweight
title in December, 1991. Ioka won a close split-decision victory, and defended his title twice in 1992. He met Yuh again in his third defense of the title in November, 1992, but lost by decision, losing his title.
Ioka moved up to the flyweight division in 1993, aiming to win titles in three weight classes, but lost to David Griman
in Round 8 of the WBA Flyweight
title match. He would challenge the WBA Flyweight title two more times, losing by TKO both times, and challenged WBA Super Flyweight
champion Satoshi Iida in April, 1998, losing by 12 round decision. In December of that year, Ioka lost a 10 round non-title match to an unranked fighter, and decided to retire from boxing. The unranked fighter was Masamori Tokuyama
, who would later defend the WBC
Super Flyweight
title nine times. Ioka's career record was 33-8-1 (17KOs).
In 2000, Ioka fought a 14 year old Koki Kameda in a two round exhibition match, which was broadcast as part of a television documentary on the Kameda family. Kameda was training at the Green Tsuda Gym at the time, where Ioka trained for much of his career. Kameda scored a knockdown on the former two division title holder from a left straight and right hook combination, but the referee ruled it as a slip. The fight ended up as a two round draw decision. Kameda would go on to controversially win one of Ioka's former titles; the WBA light flyweight title.
His nephew, Kazuto Ioka
, has won six amateur boxing titles, and is currently training for the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Biography
Ioka entered the Miwa Tsuda Gym (current Green Tsuda Gym) while attending middle school, and made his professional debut in 1986 at the age of 17. He won the Japanese Minimumweight title in his eighth professional fight in 1987, and fought for the newly created WBCWorld Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
Minimumweight
Minimumweight
Minimumweight is a weight class division in combat sports. The most notable of which is in professional boxing where boxers may weigh no more than . This is a relatively new weight category for professionals, first inaugurated by the major boxing sanctioning bodies between 1987 and 1990...
title the same year, winning by unanimous decision to become the youngest Japanese boxer to win a world title, at 18 years and 9 months old. This record remains unbroken today.
Ioka made his first defense against Kyung-Yun Lee in January, 1988, winning by knockout in the 12th round. Ioka's trainer, Eddie Townsend
Eddie Townsend
Edward "Eddie" Townsend was an American professional boxing trainer.He is revered in Japan for training several boxing world champions. An award given to boxing trainers was established in his honor, and a boxing gym in Osaka, bears his name.-Biography:Townsend was born to an American father and a...
, was in the hospital during the fight, and died shortly after hearing that Ioka had won. Ioka made his second defense in June, 1988, against Napa Kiatwanchai
Napa Kiatwanchai
Napa Kiatwanchai is the former World Boxing Council strawweight champion from Nakorn Rachasima province, Thailand....
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, retaining his title by a 12 round draw. The fight was highly controversial, as Kiatwanchai's side claimed that the last round was ended almost 30 seconds early in order to make the fight a draw. Ioka had almost been knocked out by Kiatwanchai in the final round. Ioka was ordered to have a rematch with Kiatwanchai for his third defense in December, 1988, and lost his title by 12 round decision. Ioka fought Kiatwanchai again in June, 1989, for his former title, but lost again by TKO in the 11th round.
Ioka moved up to the light flyweight
Light flyweight
- Professional boxing :The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds . When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this...
division, and challenged undefeated champion Myung-Woo Yuh
Myung-Woo Yuh
Yuh Myung-woo is a South Korean former 2-time WBA light flyweight boxing champion...
, for the WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Light Flyweight
Light flyweight
- Professional boxing :The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds . When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this...
title in December, 1991. Ioka won a close split-decision victory, and defended his title twice in 1992. He met Yuh again in his third defense of the title in November, 1992, but lost by decision, losing his title.
Ioka moved up to the flyweight division in 1993, aiming to win titles in three weight classes, but lost to David Griman
David Griman
David Griman is a former Venezuelan professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association flyweight champion.- Amateur highlights :...
in Round 8 of the WBA Flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
title match. He would challenge the WBA Flyweight title two more times, losing by TKO both times, and challenged WBA Super Flyweight
Super Flyweight
Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight...
champion Satoshi Iida in April, 1998, losing by 12 round decision. In December of that year, Ioka lost a 10 round non-title match to an unranked fighter, and decided to retire from boxing. The unranked fighter was Masamori Tokuyama
Masamori Tokuyama
is a retired professional boxer in the super flyweight division. His professional record was 32-3-1 . He is a former WBC world super flyweight champion....
, who would later defend the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
Super Flyweight
Super Flyweight
Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight...
title nine times. Ioka's career record was 33-8-1 (17KOs).
Post retirement
He currently trains young fighters at the Ioka Boxing Gym, and appears on local television shows from time to time.In 2000, Ioka fought a 14 year old Koki Kameda in a two round exhibition match, which was broadcast as part of a television documentary on the Kameda family. Kameda was training at the Green Tsuda Gym at the time, where Ioka trained for much of his career. Kameda scored a knockdown on the former two division title holder from a left straight and right hook combination, but the referee ruled it as a slip. The fight ended up as a two round draw decision. Kameda would go on to controversially win one of Ioka's former titles; the WBA light flyweight title.
His nephew, Kazuto Ioka
Kazuto Ioka
Kazuto Ioka is a strawweight boxer from Japan and the current world champion of WBC at Strawweight. He was born in Osaka Prefecture, grew up in Sakai city, and currently lives in Osaka.-Debut:...
, has won six amateur boxing titles, and is currently training for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.