
Two Japanese boxers die from brain injuries in separate bouts
Shigetoshi Kotari, 28, collapsed shortly after completing a 12-round draw against Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation junior lightweight champion Yamato Hata on Aug. 2.
He underwent emergency brain surgery for a subdural hematoma — a condition where blood collects between the brain and skull— but died on Friday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sky's the limit for Duplantis ahead of 'super-sick' Tokyo worlds
Record-breaking Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis has predicted a "super-sick" world championships in Tokyo, where he won his first Olympic medal in the Covid-delayed Summer Games, but insisted statistics were unimportant to him. The US-born Swede has been in electric form, setting a 13th world record, of 6.29 metres, in Budapest on Tuesday to further seal his claim as one of the best track and field athletes in history. But Duplantis shies away from the bravado often shown by sprinters, reiterating that he is not bothered by the numbers game. "I'm just making sure that all the little details and everything are very polished and that I'm really ready to go at the most important time," Duplantis said Thursday ahead of the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland. "It's a lot of recognition," he conceded of setting multiple world records. "It's always an amazing feeling and I'm always super grateful, and it feels kind of surreal in a way every time I've been able to push the record a little bit higher." A return to Tokyo's Olympic Stadium for the September 13-21 world champs, with a full crowd compared to the empty tribunes in 2021 because of the pandemic, left Duplantis "super excited". "I have super high expectations," he said. "It's going to super sick, honestly. "I think the atmosphere is going to be insane. Then it's just up to me to enjoy it and channel what everybody's giving me and try to put on a good show." But the 25-year-old, who has used the same pole to set the last 10 world records, again played down expectations of how high he thought the bar might be raised to. "I just love competing," he said. "It doesn't matter how many world records that I break. "When it comes to sports in general, you always have to prove yourself on the day because nobody just gives you anything, it's all earned. "They don't just give me the trophy because I'm the favourite. I still have to go out there and have to compete. I have to be on my A game, and I have to earn my title as the one that's going to be the best and last man standing on that day every time." - No special magic number - As for the 6.30m mark and beyond, Duplantis added: "I don't want to lie and make something up and act like there's some special magic number that I'm aiming for that's always in the back of my mind when it's really not the case, because I'm really not very super fixated on anything in particular. "I feel like I'm very much somebody that lives in the present moment and I try to maximise and achieve the most that I can in the now." That said, the Swede then fired out a warning, saying he knew he was going "to keep jumping higher, there's a lot more to come, and I'm going to keep pushing it". "I just try to jump as well as I can every day and I know that if I jump the way that I should jump then I should be the best guy on the track and I should be the guy that's the last man standing." Duplantis also said he had vastly improved, both physically and mentally, over recent years, allowing him an unprecedented consistency in competition. "I'm just better in every way," he said. "I'm more experienced. I have a better understanding... how to take care of myself and my body and what to do to remain in good shape, also just better performing and getting the most of myself on each given day. "There's going to be a day where I'm not going to jump very well, but that happens. Doesn't happen that often, though, and it probably won't happen two times in a row." lp/nf
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mizuki 'MIMI' Hiruta aspires to become boxing's Shohei Ohtani
Mizuki 'MIMI' Hiruta didn't even have to think about her answer when asked of the legacy she hopes to one day leave behind. 'Shohei Ohtani,' the unbeaten lineal and WBO super flyweight champion told Uncrowned. 'When I'm done, I want to be known as boxing's biggest star in Japan. 'I would love for the fans in the U.S. to one day embrace me the way they have Shohei Ohtani.' It's not exactly a newsflash that she realizes there is a very long road ahead to enter that conversation. Fittingly to her goals, though, Hiruta (8-0, 2 KOs) now trains in Southern California, where the Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar is shining bright. The primary task now is to deliver her ninth career win. That opportunity comes Friday, when Hiruta faces unbeaten challenger Naomy Cardenas. Their scheduled 10-round championship affair serves as the UFC Fight Pass co-feature from Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California. It will mark Hiruta's third straight fight in the U.S., where the 29-year-old southpaw has trained for more than 18 months under the tutelage of renowned cornerman Manny Robles. The decision to train — and essentially fight — stateside came after the sense that her career was growing stale in Japan. Hiruta turned pro in October 2021 but lodged just six pro bouts through her first three years, all at Korakuen Hall in her hometown of Tokyo. She won the WBO 115-pound title in just her fourth pro fight, a December 2022 10-round, unanimous decision over Kanako Taniyama, but managed just two title defenses spread out over 13 months. The lack of activity came in stark contrast to her loud persona — the pink hair and theatrical entrances as Sailor Moon come to life — as well as the accolades she quickly scooped up along the way. Boxing has always been the easy part for the well-disciplined Hiruta, who took up the sport while attending high school in her childhood hometown of Okayama City, Japan. A member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Hiruta quickly excelled in the amateur ranks, earning a gold or silver medal in four consecutive All Japan's Women's Championships. Hiruta earned her pro boxing license in 2021 after she completed her JSDF tour. A member of the Misato Gym, she didn't waste any time in making her mark at super flyweight. The proof was in her first title fight, which came just 14 months into her pro journey. By the time she halted Ji Hyun Park in the sixth round of their January 2024 title fight, Hiruta knew she needed to quickly make a move. 'Coming to the United States to fight professionally has been the biggest challenge of my life so far,' Hiruta said. 'But it's a good challenge and I am very happy with the decision my team and I made. 'Women's boxing isn't recognized by many people in Japan. The moment I began fighting here, I immediately felt the appreciation from the fans. It justified my decision to come here.' The first step was finding the right trainer. It led to her bringing on Robles as her head coach after an extended search. The other main candidate was Rudy Hernandez, who has produced several world champions from Japan over the years, including three-division champ Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs), Uncrowned's No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter, and WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga (9-1, 6 KOs). In the end, it came down to the best style fit and the ability to improve. 'I helped MIMI with that decision,' noted sportswriter Yuriko Miyata told Uncrowned while also pulling double duty as Hiruta's translator. 'She is very good at boxing from the outside but also needed to improve her infighting skills. That is Manny's area of expertise. 'Manny Robles and Rudy Hernandez are good friends. Rudy, of course, has the great reputation for all of the fighters from Japan he has helped become world champion. But for MIMI, I felt like Manny was the right choice.' Hiruta's first fight with Robles came in a Jan. 17 technical decision over Maribel Ramirez at Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. She was well on her way to a stoppage victory — or at least a 10-round shutout — when the fight was stopped after eight rounds due to a cut suffered by Ramirez from a clash of heads. Hiruta is already fighting for the third time this year and has shown her improved technique at close range in her battering of Ramirez and decisive handling of the highly ranked Carla Merino in their battle between Ring's top two super flyweights. For all the expectations she set out for her boxing career even as a teenager, this was one of the few that actually felt like a dream. 'I never imagined the day that I could win the Ring Magazine championship, because it wasn't a thing for women when I first began to box,' Hiruta said. 'Being crowned Ring champion gave me goosebumps. It was a very honorable moment in my career, one that I will never forget.' Yet, it was just the latest achievement in a long list of goals she plans to accomplish when all is said and done. Next up is taking down her first unbeaten opponent. Mexico's Cardenas proved her worth in her most recent bout, an eight-round, split decision win over undefeated Bree Howling just two months ago on a June 7 DAZN show from Orlando, Florida. 'She appears to be a very aggressive fighter and a hungry challenger,' observed Hiruta. 'But I plan to control everything in the ring. It motivates me to have challengers like this, which bring out the best in me.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Little League World Series scores: Results, schedule from second day of tournament in Williamsport
The 2025 Little League World Series is officially off and running. Eight teams began their quest to win it all in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday in the annual summer tournament. A new winner will be crowned in 2025, too, after last year's champion, Lake Mary, Florida, was eliminated in the regional round. Which teams will prevail and remain in the winner's bracket? Catch up on all of the action below. Thursday's Little League World Series schedule Here's how the action shapes up for Thursday: • Japan 12, Czechia 0 • Massachusetts vs. South Carolina at 3 p.m. ET • Chinese Taipei vs. Mexico at 5 p.m. ET • South Dakota vs. Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. ET Little League World Series format In case you need a refresher, the 2025 Little League World Series will feature a total of 20 teams: 10 from the United States and 10 international clubs. Those teams will compete in a modified double-elimination tournament. Play began Wednesday, Aug. 13, with the winners advancing and remaining in the winners' portion of the bracket. Starting Saturday, Aug. 16, the teams that lost their first games will face off to determine which teams remain in the event. Once a team loses twice, it is eliminated. That changes once the championships begin. The U.S. championship game and the international championship game will be held Saturday, Aug. 23, and will both be single-elimination games. The same thing will be true for the LLWS championship game. That creates a scenario in which a team could be eliminated from the event with just one loss. Games will last six innings. If a game is tied after six innings, both teams will play the seventh inning as normal, with no ghost runners on base. If a game extends past the seventh inning, a runner will open each inning on second base. Wednesday's Little League World Series scores • Venezuela 5, Puerto Rico 0 • Nevada 16, Illinois 1 • Panama 7, Australia 2 • Connecticut 1, Texas 0 Friday's Little League World Series schedule Here's what's ahead on Friday: Vancouver vs. Venezuela at 1 a.m. ET Washington vs. Nevada at 3 p.m. ET Aruba vs. Panama at 5 p.m. ET Hawai'i vs. Connecticut at 7 p.m. ET