Deaths could spell end for Japanese boxing

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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Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 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.