Kiyoshi Hatanaka
Encyclopedia
is a retired Japan
ese boxer
who is a former WBC
super bantamweight
champion.
Hatanaka began karate
at the first grade of elementary school, and won the Japanese championship in the juvenile division at its sixth grade and the first grade of junior high school. In addition, he began football at the fourth grade of elementary school, and was scouted by a prestigious high school. He also set an interval record in the local ekiden
race at the age of a junior high school student. At that time, informed from an acquaintance that a professional boxer got paid 30,000 yen per match in the amount of time, he became interested in boxing and joined Matsuda Boxing Gym. He compiled an amateur record of 26–5 (21 KOs) before turning professional.
Hatanaka made his professional debut with a first round knockout victory in November 1984, at the age of a high school student. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in the super flyweight
division in March 1986. He captured the Japanese super flyweight title at the Korakuen Hall
in February 1987.
In his first world title shot against WBC super flyweight champion Gilberto Román
in September 1988, Hatanaka entered the ring of the Nagoya Rainbow Hall with full smile. Román floored Hatanaka in the first round, but was deducted a point for a low blow
late in the same round. Though Hatanaka was given a full five minutes to recover, he was hit below the belt again in the third round and took three minutes' rest. As the rounds rolled on, Román kept his pace to retain his title via a unanimous decision. Hatanaka was so nervous that he remembered almost nothing after the fight.
After the defeat, Hatanaka decided to become a world champion from his beloved hometown of Nagoya by any means necessary. It was no longer a question of money for him. Hatanaka needed a reliable trainer. He asked Toshihide Tsutsumi three times who once worked as a trainer at Matsuda Boxing Gym, and was at last accepted. He trained with Tsutsumi and did not get anxious anymore.
Hatanaka moved up two weight divisions and fought against Pedro Rubén Décima
for the WBC super bantamweight title at the Nagoya International Exhibition Hall, aka Port Messe Nagoya, on February 3, 1991. He was floored in the first round, but felt calm enough to listen to Tsutsumi's instruction between rounds. After knocking down Décima four times in the fourth round, he sent him to the canvas two more times in the seventh and eighth rounds before the referee stopped the bout.
In his first defense against Daniel Zaragoza
on June 14 of that year, Hatanaka was cut on the corner of his left eye from an accidental head butt in the fourth round, and the referee took a point away from Zaragoza. From the seventh or eighth round, Hatanaka had triple vision in his right eye, and the blood flowed into his left eye. Finally, Zaragoza was crowned the new champion via a split decision
in front of 9,000 spectators at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall. In 2007, ESPN
wrote it as many Asians' consideration, "the best fight of the decade". Although Hatanaka desired a rematch with Zaragoza, he suffered from ophthalmoplegia
caused by this fight, and retired as a boxer after four months.
Currently he is the president of Hatanaka Boxing Gym in Nagoya. Hatanaka Promotions has provided a boxing television program Soul Fighting on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
. Toshihide Tsutsumi who was presented with the tenth Eddie Townsend Award in 1999, serves as a trainer at that gym.
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...
ese boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who is a former 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 bantamweight
Super Bantamweight
Super bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
champion.
Hatanaka began karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
at the first grade of elementary school, and won the Japanese championship in the juvenile division at its sixth grade and the first grade of junior high school. In addition, he began football at the fourth grade of elementary school, and was scouted by a prestigious high school. He also set an interval record in the local ekiden
Ekiden
is a term referring to a long-distance relay running race, typically on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages.-History:...
race at the age of a junior high school student. At that time, informed from an acquaintance that a professional boxer got paid 30,000 yen per match in the amount of time, he became interested in boxing and joined Matsuda Boxing Gym. He compiled an amateur record of 26–5 (21 KOs) before turning professional.
Hatanaka made his professional debut with a first round knockout victory in November 1984, at the age of a high school student. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in the super flyweight
Super flyweight
Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight...
division in March 1986. He captured the Japanese super flyweight title at the Korakuen Hall
Korakuen Hall
is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...
in February 1987.
In his first world title shot against WBC super flyweight champion Gilberto Román
Gilberto Roman
Gilberto Román was a Mexican boxer in the Super Flyweight division and a member of the 1980 Mexican Olympic team. Román was a two-time WBC Super Flyweight Champion and is considered by many fans to be one of the great champions in this division...
in September 1988, Hatanaka entered the ring of the Nagoya Rainbow Hall with full smile. Román floored Hatanaka in the first round, but was deducted a point for a low blow
Groin attack
A groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
late in the same round. Though Hatanaka was given a full five minutes to recover, he was hit below the belt again in the third round and took three minutes' rest. As the rounds rolled on, Román kept his pace to retain his title via a unanimous decision. Hatanaka was so nervous that he remembered almost nothing after the fight.
After the defeat, Hatanaka decided to become a world champion from his beloved hometown of Nagoya by any means necessary. It was no longer a question of money for him. Hatanaka needed a reliable trainer. He asked Toshihide Tsutsumi three times who once worked as a trainer at Matsuda Boxing Gym, and was at last accepted. He trained with Tsutsumi and did not get anxious anymore.
Hatanaka moved up two weight divisions and fought against Pedro Rubén Décima
Pedro Ruben Decima
Pedro Ruben Decima is a former professional boxer from Argentina.-Amateur career:As an amateur Decima represented Argentina as a bantamweight at the 1984 Olympic Games...
for the WBC super bantamweight title at the Nagoya International Exhibition Hall, aka Port Messe Nagoya, on February 3, 1991. He was floored in the first round, but felt calm enough to listen to Tsutsumi's instruction between rounds. After knocking down Décima four times in the fourth round, he sent him to the canvas two more times in the seventh and eighth rounds before the referee stopped the bout.
In his first defense against Daniel Zaragoza
Daniel Zaragoza
Daniel Zaragoza was a Mexican professional boxer. Known as "The Mouse," Zaragoza a popular champion in the Super Bantamweight division throughout the 1980s and 1990s.-Amateur career:...
on June 14 of that year, Hatanaka was cut on the corner of his left eye from an accidental head butt in the fourth round, and the referee took a point away from Zaragoza. From the seventh or eighth round, Hatanaka had triple vision in his right eye, and the blood flowed into his left eye. Finally, Zaragoza was crowned the new champion via a split decision
Split decision
A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...
in front of 9,000 spectators at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall. In 2007, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
wrote it as many Asians' consideration, "the best fight of the decade". Although Hatanaka desired a rematch with Zaragoza, he suffered from ophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoparesis
Ophthalmoparesis or ophthalmoplegia refers to paralysis of one or more extraocular muscles which are responsible for eye movements. It is a physical finding in certain neurologic illnesses.-Classification:...
caused by this fight, and retired as a boxer after four months.
Currently he is the president of Hatanaka Boxing Gym in Nagoya. Hatanaka Promotions has provided a boxing television program Soul Fighting on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
is a regional radio and television service serving Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Its radio service is affiliated with the Japan Radio Network and its television service affiliated with the Japan News Network and the TBS Network.-Radio:Frequency...
. Toshihide Tsutsumi who was presented with the tenth Eddie Townsend Award in 1999, serves as a trainer at that gym.