Safety or Bust for Boxing in Japan

Japanese boxing is at a "crucial moment" and could cease to exist, if it does not radically improve safety, the head of the country's boxing commission told AFP following the deaths of two fighters.

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TOKYO -

Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought separate bouts on the same card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on Aug 2 and died days later following brain surgery.

The deaths have shaken the Japanese boxing world to the core, with authorities investigating the causes and debating measures to prevent further tragedies.

Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) secretary-general Tsuyoshi Yasukochi said that they cannot afford to botch their response and that the future of the sport is at stake.

"If we don't improve things, this sport won't be able to continue. If the people involved in the sport can't improve things, we will have to quit," he said.