Boxing World Mourns The Passing of Promising 28-Year-Old Japanese Boxer

While he was undergoing medical procedures, the boxing world showed full support for Kotari, sending him well wishes for recovery.

On Aug. 3, former World Boxing Associaton (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Champion Daniel “The Babyface Assassin” Roman posted a picture of the two on his X account, with the caption, “Prayers to my brother Shigetoshi Kotari. Hope you can make a full recovery and regain consciousness. Please keep my brother in your prayers.”

Unfortunately, he passed away on Aug. 8, 10:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time, as was announced on his X account.

Kotari, a native of Nagoya, Japan, held a professional record of eight wins, two losses, and two draws according to BoxRec. He was riding a back-to-back win streak before his last bout. 

His aggressive yet technical style had positioned him as a rising contender in the regional boxing scene. 

Rewatch this full fight against Jonniel Laurente back in May, which he won via unanimous decision:

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Council (WBC) paid their respects to Kotari, honoring him for his warrior spirit.

A myriad of social media pages for boxing websites, commentators, and journalists posted their condolences:

Fans and fellow boxers also flooded social media with condolences, remembering his determination and heart.

WBO flyweight champion Anthony “Princesa” Olascuaga posted an Instagram story paying tribute, with the caption, “Rest in peace, my friend. Still can’t believe you’re gone. Thank you for the memories and the laughs.”

Kotari’s death marks the latest in a string of boxing tragedies, reigniting discussion about the sport’s inherent dangers and what athletic commissions must do to prevent such tragedies from happening. 

In response to this latest tragedy, the OBPF adopted the WBC recommendation to reduce their federation championship fights to 10 rounds instead of 12 on Aug. 6. In addition, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) announced immediate changes to a WBO Asia-Pacific Super Super Flyweight title match scheduled for Aug. 12.

One boxing fan on X, with the username @kalu05_ summed up the systemic issues in a post, saying, “I don’t think it’s spoken enough how often boxers are dying in Asia after matches have concluded. Rest in Peace to Kenneth Egano, Kazuki Anaguchi, & Shigetoshi Kotari.”