Boxing in Japan and the ties that bind

TOKYO – The temperature is rising in this megacity, going up to as high as 34 degrees Centigrade or about 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hot weather (which even Tokyoites complain about) notwithstanding, we are still able to go around and see old and tried and true friends like Kiyoshi and Lulu Wakamiya. Kiyoshi was one of many journalists who accompanied Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr., father of President Noynoy, in the former’s fateful trip to Manila on Aug. 21, 1983. Exactly 82 seconds after being fetched from his seat by supposed security escorts, Ninoy was gunned down by one of the security who brought him out of the plane. Kiyoshi said he was certain that the hand that he saw pull the trigger of the gun pointed at Ninoy’s head belonged to one of the escorts.

The official line then of the Ferdinand Marcos government was that Ninoy was killed by an assassin, Rolando Galman, who was able to penetrate the 2,000 or so security personnel that blanketed the then Manila International Airport to protect Ninoy. Thus, the intelligence report that Ninoy got (which he in turn relayed to his good friend, then Sen. Shintaro Ishihara and now Tokyo governor) when he was in Taipei the day before he left for Manila that there would be a “double-structured” assassination, turned out to be correct.

Ishihara is one of Japan’s many fascinating personalities whom I have met as a result of interfacing with the Wakamiyas. Ishihara, the Wakamiyas and the others whom we have met through the years have nothing but good intentions for the Philippines.

One such person is Dr. Osamu Kato, congress president of the 16th World Congress on In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to be held in Tokyo from Sept. 10-13. Kato, who is also president of the International Association of Private Assisted Reproductive Technology, shared with us his deep love for boxing and the friendships he has made with boxers from all over the world.

Kato counts among his friends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Oscar Larios, both of whom went down in defeat to seven-time world boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao, in varying fashions.

Entertaining boxing champions has become one of Kato’s “pastimes”: when we left yesterday (Tuesday) morning for Manila, Kato and the Wakamiyas were expecting Nonito and Rachel Donaire to arrive on the evening flight from Manila. Pacquiao and his family were supposed to join but conflicts in schedules did not allow the boxing icon to make it to the Japanese holiday.

Certainly, Kato’s interest in boxing will help maintain the great popularity of boxing in the country and further fuel the dreams of many young men (and lately, women) for fame and fortune.

Tokyo will be remembered in boxing as the site of one of the greatest upsets in history: defending champion Mike Tyson, lost all his three titles (World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation) to 42 to 1 underdog Buster Douglas on Feb. 11, 1990 at the Tokyo Dome on a 10th round knockout.

I remember vividly the event as I had just landed in Tokyo that evening and Kiyoshi Wakamiya surprised me with the earth-shaking news. The other big upset in boxing was fashioned by then Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) who was a 7 to 1 underdog when he lifted the crown from Sonny Liston’s head in the ‘60’s also via knockout.

Japanese boxing also has to be remembered for Masahiko “fighting” Harada who became flyweight and bantamweight champion and won five world championship titles together with Jochiro Tatsuyhoshi. Yoshio Shirai was also flyweight champion in the ‘50’s. And who will forget Yoshiaki Numata and Teruo Kosaka, the latter having fought Flash Elorde five times?

Yoko Gushiken leads all Japanese for consecutive title defenses. Gushiken defended his WBA title 13 times in a row.

Other active Japanese boxers are Hideki Todaka (WBA champion): Nabuo Nashiro, who won the WBA super flyweight title in his eighth professional fight; Yusuke Kobori (WBA lightweight); Takefumi Sakata (WBA flyweight); Katsunari Takayama (WBA minimumweight): Toshiaki Nishioka (WBC super bantamweight)); Takashu Uchiyama (WBA super featherweight): Nobuhiro Ishida (WBA super welterweight); Daisuke Naito (WBC flyweight); Yutaka Niida (WBA minimumweight); Hozumi Hasegawa (WBC bantamweight and Japan Boxing Commission boxer of the year in 2009); and Koki and Daiki Kameda, brothers who are both popular and controversial boxers in Japan owing to their showmanship, antics and unsportsmanlike conduct. The Kameda brothers are from Osaka and have appeared in television shows.