The hardest game

The death of two Japanese boxers in Tokyo recently only showed how dangerous the sport is.

You see, I was at ringside at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo when Kazuki Anaguchi battled Seia Tsutsumi in an intense ten-rounder that saw Anaguchi suffer four knockdowns before losing on a close decision.

The fight served as one of the undercards of the Naoya Inoue-Marlon Tapales world super-bantamweight title unification.

Shortly after the decision was read, Anaguchi’s legs began twitching, lost consciousness and was brought immediately to the hospital. It wasn’t until February of 2024 that Anaguchi was declared dead by the Japan Boxing Commission.

Last 2 August, Japan boxing was in the news again when two of its young punchers — Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa — fought on the same night at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall against separate foes.

Kotari fought Yamato Hata to a split draw but Kotari fell unconscious and was rushed to the hospital where he died on 8 August.

Urakawa, in contrast, sustained an eighth-round knockout defeat at the hands of Yoji Saito, and like Kotari, lapsed into a coma. He died on 9 August.

Many years ago, in Las Vegas, I personally watched Filipino Z Gorres beat Colombian Luis Melendez in a ten-rounder at the Mandalay Bay.

While Gorres was awarded the decision, he was in deep trouble in the last 30 seconds of the fight and even suffered a knockdown and was saved by the bell.

He collapsed after and underwent surgery.

Fortunately, Gorres, the pride and joy of Cebu boxing at that time, responded well to the treatment and was later discharged and returned to the Philippines.

I was at ringside and saw how Gorres looked as he was being removed from the ring on a stretcher.

I initially thought he wasn’t going to make it because fighters who lapse into a coma usually don’t survive the ordeal.

I could see his eyes, staring into the ceiling of the House of Blues blankly.

Now that memories of that incident begin to haunt me, I could not help but express disappointment why a lot of wannabe boxers are trying hard to make a fool of themselves on social media, claiming how good they are.

Sometimes, fights are being held on the streets and even in backyards and so-so gyms and those taking part don’t look as though they were taught how to box.

Many of those who operate these gyms learned boxing by watching YouTube and other social media platforms.

Sooner or later, these gyms are going to get into trouble for holding sparring sessions without proper guidance from authorities.

Boxing is not playtime.

Boxing is the hardest game of all.