2 boxers die from brain injuries at same age, same event

Published On: August 13, 2025

On August 2, Japanese boxers Shigetoshi Kotari and Kiromasa Urakawa passed away due to brain injuries they both received while fighting at the same event—albeit in separate bouts—at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

Kotari, 28, passed away on Friday after losing consciousness during a 12-round draw with junior lightweight champion Yamato Hata of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation. According to the World Boxing Organization, he died from his wounds after undergoing brain surgery to repair a subdural hematoma, a form of bleeding close to the brain.

Peace be with you, In an apost to X, Shigetoshi Kotari, WBO wrote. The boxing community laments the untimely death of Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari, who passed away from wounds he received during his title bout on August 2. A fighter in combat. A spirit of a fighter. Too soon gone. His family, team, and the Japanese boxing community as a whole are in our prayers and thoughts.

After suffering brain damage following an eighth-round knockout loss to Yoji Saito, Urakawa passed away on Saturday, also at the age of 28. In order to cure a subdural hematoma, he reportedly had a craniotomy, a type of brain surgery in which a physician removes a portion of the skull to provide access to the brain.

In an apost to X, the WBO expressed its sorrow on the death of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically passed away from wounds he received during his August 2 bout against Yoji Saito in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. Only a few days have passed since Shigetoshi Kotari passed away due to injuries sustained during a fight on the same card. We send our sincerest sympathies to the Japanese boxing community, friends, and families during this extremely trying time.

According to BoxRec.com, Kotari made his professional boxing debut in 2019 and ended his career with an 8-2-2 record, including five knockout victories. After making his professional debut in 2018, Urakawa ended his career with a 10-4 record, including seven knockout victories.

According to rumors, the Japanese Boxing Commission declared that all OPBF championship fights would be shortened from 12 to 10 rounds after the Aug. 2 program at Korakuen Hall.

According to Japanese media site Sponichi, JBC Commissioner Minoru Hagiwara expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of Kotari and Urakawa. We’ve been praying for their recovery for the past week, but I’m at a loss for words. We will start looking at it right away in order to identify the source and create future defenses.