Hiromasa Urakawa, a 28-year-old Japanese boxer, died due to brain injuries sustained during a fight in Tokyo. He was knocked out in the eighth round of his match against Yoji Saito on August 2 and died yesterday after undergoing surgery for a subdural haematoma, a condition where blood collects between the skull and brain.
This tragedy follows the death of Shigetoshi Kotari, who also died from similar injuries after fighting on the same event card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. Kotari passed away on Friday.
In response to these fatalities, the Japan Boxing Commission announced that all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title fights would now be limited to 10 rounds instead of the previous 12.
Urakawa becomes the third high-profile boxer to die in 2025, following the death of Irish boxer John Cooney in February. Cooney, 28, died after suffering an intracranial haemorrhage in a fight in Belfast.
