After 303 days, Taduran’s victim gets discharged

Ginjiro Shigeoka, the Japanese fighter who lapsed into a coma after getting beaten by Filipino world champion Pedro Taduran in May last year in Osaka, finally got released from hospital.

A former world champion, Ginjiro lost on points at INTEX Osaka and it was his second straight loss as he had surrendered the International Boxing Federation minimumweight title 10 months earlier to Taduran.

“My younger brother, Ginjiro, has been discharged from the hospital after 303 days. I took Gin to the cafe (opened in his honor), and there was a child there, and family there,” wrote the fallen fighter’s brother and former boxer Yudai.

“I’ve been pushing forward until today, imagining a vaguely visible happy future. I’ll make up for all the tears with laughter. A new life begins from here,” said Yudai, who was in the corner when Ginjiro lost consciousness and stretched out of the ring.

Right there and then, Yudai retired from the sport so he could look after his brother.

After the fight, he underwent a brain operation to ease the swelling but had to be out in intensive care during the recovery period.

“We need to get Gin’s surroundings in order a little more. The biggest challenge will probably be dinner. We need rice that’s soft enough to be eaten with the gums. It’s difficult.”

Meanwhile, Taduran will make the third defense of the championship next week against Mexican Gustavo Perez in Temecula, California.

In his last defense, the southpaw Taduran defeated compatriot Christian Balunan in late-October in Manila.