Katsuya Onizuka
Encyclopedia
is a former WBA
Super Flyweight
champion
from Kitakyushu, Japan
. Onizuka was an extremely popular boxer in Japan, creating a boxing boom in Japan during the early 1990s along with Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
.
, who would later win the WBC
Super Flyweight
title. Onizuka had already been accepted to Kinki University
, but decided to turn pro after being battered in a sparring session with Hiroki Ioka
, who had just become the WBC
Minimumweight
champion. He entered the Kyoei boxing gym in Tokyo, and made his professional debut in 1988 as a flyweight
.
Onizuka quickly built up his record, and won the Japanese Super Flweight title in October, 1990, which he defended three times before moving on to challenge the world title. His first world title match came in April, 1992, fighting Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the WBA Super Flyweight title, which had been vacated by legendary Thai
boxer Khaosai Galaxy
. Onizuka won a close 12 round decision, the first of the series of controversial wins in his career. Akinobu Hiranaka
also won the WBA Super Lightweight
title in Mexico the same day.
He defended his title for the first time on September 11, 1990, winning by TKO in the 5th round. This would be his only non-decision win in world title fights. He fought Mexican fighter Armando Castro three months later for his second defense, and won an indisputable victory. This fight was the height of Onizuka's career.
Onizuka's third defense came on May 21, 1993, against Korean fighter Jae-Shin Lim, who had previously fought with the alias, "Kotaro Hayashi." Onizuka was predicted to win easily, but the challenger pummeled Onizuka throughout the fight, and Onizuka barely won by split decision. Two of the three judges of the fight were Japanese, and had both scored the bout in favor of Onizuka, making the fight one of the worst and most obvious cases of a hometown decision.
After his controversial fight, Onizuka fought Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the second time, and made his fourth defense by another close 12 round decision. He made a fifth successful defense by 12 round decision on April 10, 1994, despite having been knocked down for the first time in his professional career in the 5th round. Onizuka finally lost in his sixth defense on September 18, 1994 against Hyung-Chul Lee, where he was trapped in the corner and beaten relentlessly for over a minute by the challenger. The referee finally stopped the fight in the 9th round, and Onizuka lost his title after two years of controversial defenses. He was found to have a detached retina in the right eye after the fight, and announced his retirement. Onizuka explained that he had actually suspected an injury in his right eye over two years ago, but had kept it to himself to avoid being forced into retirement. His record was 24-1-0 (17KOs).
. He often appears on TBS
boxing broadcasts as a commentator. Fans were reminded of Onizuka's controversial wins when Koki Kameda
won a hometown decision to become the WBA Light Flyweight champion in 2006. Both Kameda and Onizuka were trained and managed by the Kyoei boxing gym, and Onizuka has appeared as a commentator in several of Kameda's fights.
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...
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
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
from Kitakyushu, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Onizuka was an extremely popular boxer in Japan, creating a boxing boom in Japan during the early 1990s along with Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
is a former World Boxing Council world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 19–6–1 .He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, and has appeared in several television variety shows....
.
Biography
Onizuka began boxing in middle school, entering a local boxing gym to begin training. He won several high amateur boxing tournaments in high school, but lost a match in his senior year against Hiroshi KawashimaHiroshi Kawashima
Hiroshi Kawashima is a former professional boxer. He defended the WBC super flyweight title six times.- Childhood and Early Career :Kawashima began boxing from an early age under the guidance of his father...
, who would later win 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. Onizuka had already been accepted to Kinki University
Kinki University
, or , is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university based in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan with campuses in five other locations: Nara, Nara; Ōsakasayama, Osaka; Uchita, Wakayama; Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima; and Iizuka, Fukuoka....
, but decided to turn pro after being battered in a sparring session with Hiroki Ioka
Hiroki Ioka
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....
, who had just become 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...
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...
champion. He entered the Kyoei boxing gym in Tokyo, and made his professional debut in 1988 as a flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
.
Onizuka quickly built up his record, and won the Japanese Super Flweight title in October, 1990, which he defended three times before moving on to challenge the world title. His first world title match came in April, 1992, fighting Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the WBA Super Flyweight title, which had been vacated by legendary Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
boxer Khaosai Galaxy
Khaosai Galaxy
Khaosai Galaxy is a former professional Thai super flyweight boxer and Muaythai kickboxer. Khaosai defended his WBA world title 19 times in seven years , winning 16 of his title fights by knockouts. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame he is widely considered as one of the greatest...
. Onizuka won a close 12 round decision, the first of the series of controversial wins in his career. Akinobu Hiranaka
Akinobu Hiranaka
Akinobu Hiranaka is a former boxer in the Light welterweight division...
also won the WBA Super Lightweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
title in Mexico the same day.
He defended his title for the first time on September 11, 1990, winning by TKO in the 5th round. This would be his only non-decision win in world title fights. He fought Mexican fighter Armando Castro three months later for his second defense, and won an indisputable victory. This fight was the height of Onizuka's career.
Onizuka's third defense came on May 21, 1993, against Korean fighter Jae-Shin Lim, who had previously fought with the alias, "Kotaro Hayashi." Onizuka was predicted to win easily, but the challenger pummeled Onizuka throughout the fight, and Onizuka barely won by split decision. Two of the three judges of the fight were Japanese, and had both scored the bout in favor of Onizuka, making the fight one of the worst and most obvious cases of a hometown decision.
After his controversial fight, Onizuka fought Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the second time, and made his fourth defense by another close 12 round decision. He made a fifth successful defense by 12 round decision on April 10, 1994, despite having been knocked down for the first time in his professional career in the 5th round. Onizuka finally lost in his sixth defense on September 18, 1994 against Hyung-Chul Lee, where he was trapped in the corner and beaten relentlessly for over a minute by the challenger. The referee finally stopped the fight in the 9th round, and Onizuka lost his title after two years of controversial defenses. He was found to have a detached retina in the right eye after the fight, and announced his retirement. Onizuka explained that he had actually suspected an injury in his right eye over two years ago, but had kept it to himself to avoid being forced into retirement. His record was 24-1-0 (17KOs).
Post retirement
Onizuka lived away from boxing for a while after retirement, but now trains young boxers at his boxing gym in his hometown, FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
. He often appears on TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
boxing broadcasts as a commentator. Fans were reminded of Onizuka's controversial wins when Koki Kameda
Koki Kameda
is a Japanese professional boxer in the Flyweight division and the current WBA Bantamweight Regular Champion. He is the oldest of the three Kameda brothers. His younger brother, Daiki Kameda, is a professional boxer in the super flyweight division, and the youngest brother Tomoki, is the WBC Youth...
won a hometown decision to become the WBA Light Flyweight champion in 2006. Both Kameda and Onizuka were trained and managed by the Kyoei boxing gym, and Onizuka has appeared as a commentator in several of Kameda's fights.
See also
- Onizuka Katsuya Super Virtual BoxingOnizuka Katsuya Super Virtual Boxingis a boxing video game, developed by Sting Entertainment and published by SOFEL, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1993. It was licensed and endorsed by Katsuya Onizuka, a former WBA Super Flyweight champion.-External links:* at superfamicom.org...
, the video game that Katsuya Onizuka endorsed for the Super Famicom - List of current world boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions