Royal Kobayashi
Encyclopedia
, better known as Royal Kobayashi, is a retired Japan
ese boxer
who competed at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the featherweight
division, and won the WBC
junior featherweight
title in 1976. He is an alumnus of the Takushoku University
.
until high school graduation, began boxing after admission to the Physical Training School of the Self Defense Forces. He won the All-Japan Amateur Boxing Championships in the featherweight division in 1971 and 1972.
Kobayashi represented Japan at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
. In the second round match against Pat Ryan
, Kobayashi knocked him down thrice, badly damaged his face, and won by a 4–1 decision. Beaver County Times called it "the most ridiculous decision of the night". Kobayashi then knocked out Italy
's Pasqualino Morbidelli in one round, before losing 1–4 to András Botos
in the quarterfinals. He compiled an amateur record of 34–3 (28 KOs) before turning professional.
in 1971 at a sports massage clinic, and was encouraged to turn professional.
Kobayashi made his professional debut under the ring name
Royal Kobayashi in an eight-round bout in February 1973. His first world title shot against WBA
featherweight champion Alexis Argüello
ended in a fifth round knockout loss, in front of 16,000 spectators at the Kuramae Kokugikan
in Tokyo in October 1975. After the fight, Kobayashi stated that he felt as if he had been beaten with a chunk of ice. In February 1976, he made an expedition to Panama
, and lost on points there.
On October 9, 1976, Kobayashi moved down a weight class and dethroned Rigoberto Riasco as the WBC junior featherweight champion while being watched by 9,000 spectators at the Kuramae Kokugikan. He floored Riasco once with his left hook
in the seventh round, and twice with his right hooks in the eighth round. However, he lost the title in his first defense against Dong-Kyun Yum
via a majority decision
at the Jangchung Gymnasium
in Seoul
, South Korea
, on November 24 of that year. In January 1978, Kobayashi challenged Wilfredo Gómez
to regain the WBC junior featherweight title in front of 10,000 spectators at the Kitakyūshū Municipal Gymnasium in Fukuoka
, but was knocked out in the third round.
Kobayashi went back to the featherweight division, and captured the OPBF
title in April 1978. After defending that title once, he fought against Eusebio Pedroza
for the WBA featherweight title at the Korakuen Hall
in January 1979. However he quit after thirteen rounds with his face swollen by a barrage of blows in the eighth round. Kobayashi defended the OPBF title seven times in total, for about two and a half years. In his eighth defense in October 1981, he suffered a first round knockout loss and retired as a boxer. His manager Takahashi later told that he realized the importance of short punches when Kobayashi lost to Pedroza and when he brought up Leopard Tamakuma to be a world champion he taught it to him thoroughly.
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 competed at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
division, and won 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...
junior featherweight
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....
title in 1976. He is an alumnus of the Takushoku University
Takushoku University
Takushoku University is a private university in Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince Taro Katsura . The university is located in Tokyo and has two campuses: the main campus in the Bunkyō district, and a satellite campus in the Hachiōji district...
.
Amateur career
Kobayashi who had practiced kendoKendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
until high school graduation, began boxing after admission to the Physical Training School of the Self Defense Forces. He won the All-Japan Amateur Boxing Championships in the featherweight division in 1971 and 1972.
Kobayashi represented Japan at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In the second round match against Pat Ryan
Pat Ryan (boxer)
Patrick Thomas Ryan is a retired boxer from New Zealand who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. There he was defeated in the second round of the Featherweight division by Japan's Kazuo Kobayashi.-References:...
, Kobayashi knocked him down thrice, badly damaged his face, and won by a 4–1 decision. Beaver County Times called it "the most ridiculous decision of the night". Kobayashi then knocked out Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Pasqualino Morbidelli in one round, before losing 1–4 to András Botos
András Botos
András Botos is a retired boxer, who won the bronze medal in the men's featherweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics.-Olympic results:*Boxed as a Featherweight...
in the quarterfinals. He compiled an amateur record of 34–3 (28 KOs) before turning professional.
Professional career
Since Kobayashi was an amateur boxer, he was said to be suitable for professional for his hard punches. In 1973, Kobayashi ran into Yoshinori Takahashi who is the president of Kokusai Boxing Sports Gym established in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1971 at a sports massage clinic, and was encouraged to turn professional.
Kobayashi made his professional debut under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Royal Kobayashi in an eight-round bout in February 1973. His first world title shot against 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...
featherweight champion Alexis Argüello
Alexis Argüello
Alexis Argüello , also known by the stage name El Flaco Explosivo , was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician...
ended in a fifth round knockout loss, in front of 16,000 spectators at the Kuramae Kokugikan
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae district of Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II...
in Tokyo in October 1975. After the fight, Kobayashi stated that he felt as if he had been beaten with a chunk of ice. In February 1976, he made an expedition to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, and lost on points there.
On October 9, 1976, Kobayashi moved down a weight class and dethroned Rigoberto Riasco as the WBC junior featherweight champion while being watched by 9,000 spectators at the Kuramae Kokugikan. He floored Riasco once with his left hook
Hook (boxing)
A hook is a punch in boxing. It is performed by turning the core muscles and back, thereby swinging the arm, which is bent at an angle near or at 90 degrees, in a horizontal arc into the opponent...
in the seventh round, and twice with his right hooks in the eighth round. However, he lost the title in his first defense against Dong-Kyun Yum
Dong-Kyun Yum
Dong-Kyun Yum is a former boxer from South Korea.-External links:...
via a majority decision
Majority decision
A majority 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...
at the Jangchung Gymnasium
Jangchung Gymnasium
Jangchung Gymnasium is an indoor sporting arena located in Seoul, South Korea. The capacity of the arena is 7,000 and was built in 1963. It hosted judo and taekwondo events at the 1988 Summer Olympics.-References:* Volume 1. Part 1. p. 202....
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, on November 24 of that year. In January 1978, Kobayashi challenged Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
to regain the WBC junior featherweight title in front of 10,000 spectators at the Kitakyūshū Municipal Gymnasium in Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, but was knocked out in the third round.
Kobayashi went back to the featherweight division, and captured the OPBF
Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region.-History:The OPBF was formed in 1954 by the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino boxing commissions...
title in April 1978. After defending that title once, he fought against Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza is a native of Panama who holds two records in boxing: His 19 defenses as world featherweight champion are a record for that division, and his seven years as world champion non-stop are a division record too...
for the WBA featherweight 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 January 1979. However he quit after thirteen rounds with his face swollen by a barrage of blows in the eighth round. Kobayashi defended the OPBF title seven times in total, for about two and a half years. In his eighth defense in October 1981, he suffered a first round knockout loss and retired as a boxer. His manager Takahashi later told that he realized the importance of short punches when Kobayashi lost to Pedroza and when he brought up Leopard Tamakuma to be a world champion he taught it to him thoroughly.