Takuya Muguruma (boxer)
Encyclopedia
is a retired Japan
ese boxer
who is a former WBA
bantamweight
champion. He is an alumnus of the Kinki University
.
Muguruma became interested in boxing at the age of a junior high school student. In high school, he belonged to the rugby
club. As Muguruma was a slow runner, he was a substitute player there. He began boxing at Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym
after entering the University.
Muguruma turned professional with an amateur record of 2–1 (1 KO), and made his debut with a second round knockout victory in April 9, 1981. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in the featherweight
division in February 1982. He went down a weight division to capture the Japanese super bantamweight
title in November 1983, and defended that title seven times in total before returning it.
Muguruma dropped down one more weight class for the scheduled fight against Bernardo Piñango
for the WBA bantamweight title. However, as Piñango gave up the title, Muguruma won over Panama
's Azael Moran via a fifth round knockout after flooring him twice, to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight title in Moriguchi, Osaka
on March 29, 1987.
In his first defense against Chan-Yong Park in Moriguchi on May 24 of that year, Muguruma was knocked down from an accidental head butt in the third round. Although Muguruma was given a two-minute rest, he could not recover from the damage until he was stopped in the eleventh round.
In September of the same year, Muguruma was tied on points with Wilfredo Vázquez
in the fight for the WBA bantamweight title at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Muguruma moved back a weight class to fight against Juan José Estrada for the WBA super bantamweight title in Moriguchi in October 1988. However he suffered an eleventh round stoppage with the towel thown in, after being floored in the fourth and eleventh rounds, and hung up his gloves.
Subsequently he joined Mizuno Corporation
. From 2008, he was responsible for the production of the focus mitt
.
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 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...
bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
champion. He is an alumnus of the 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....
.
Muguruma became interested in boxing at the age of a junior high school student. In high school, he belonged to the rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
club. As Muguruma was a slow runner, he was a substitute player there. He began boxing at Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym
Teiken Boxing Gym
in Tokyo, a Japan's traditional boxing club whose genesis dates back to 1926, manages professional boxers as a member of the , a subsidiary body of . Currently located in Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, its president is the International Boxing Hall of Famer , the representative is , and the long-time female...
after entering the University.
Muguruma turned professional with an amateur record of 2–1 (1 KO), and made his debut with a second round knockout victory in April 9, 1981. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament 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 in February 1982. He went down a weight division to capture the Japanese 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....
title in November 1983, and defended that title seven times in total before returning it.
Muguruma dropped down one more weight class for the scheduled fight against Bernardo Piñango
Bernardo Piñango
José Bernardo Piñango is a retired boxer from Venezuela, who won the silver medal in the Bantamweight division at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In the final he lost to Cuba's Juan Hernández on points ....
for the WBA bantamweight title. However, as Piñango gave up the title, Muguruma won over 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...
's Azael Moran via a fifth round knockout after flooring him twice, to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight title in Moriguchi, Osaka
Moriguchi, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan which serves as a satellite town to Osaka.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 146,524 and the density of 11,510 persons per km²...
on March 29, 1987.
In his first defense against Chan-Yong Park in Moriguchi on May 24 of that year, Muguruma was knocked down from an accidental head butt in the third round. Although Muguruma was given a two-minute rest, he could not recover from the damage until he was stopped in the eleventh round.
In September of the same year, Muguruma was tied on points with Wilfredo Vázquez
Wilfredo Vázquez
Wilfredo Vázquez is a retired Puerto Rican professional boxer. He is a former World Champion at three different weights, Bantamweight, Super bantamweight and Featherweight.-Early life and amateur career:...
in the fight for the WBA bantamweight title at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Muguruma moved back a weight class to fight against Juan José Estrada for the WBA super bantamweight title in Moriguchi in October 1988. However he suffered an eleventh round stoppage with the towel thown in, after being floored in the fourth and eleventh rounds, and hung up his gloves.
Subsequently he joined Mizuno Corporation
Mizuno Corp.
is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, for golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, football, running, rugby, skiing, cycling, judo, table...
. From 2008, he was responsible for the production of the focus mitt
Focus mitt
A focus mitt is a padded target attached to a glove and usually used in training boxers and other combat athletes.The person holding the focus mitts will typically call out combinations and "feed" the puncher good counter-force while maneuvering and working specific skills...
.