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Japan adopts stricter safety rules after deaths

Japan adopts stricter safety rules after deaths

Yahooa day ago
Japanese boxing officials have voted to implement stricter rules on weight loss and to also introduce urine tests following the deaths of two fighters in Tokyo.
Super-featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari, 28, and featherweight Hiromasa Urakawa, also 28, died after sustaining injuries in separate bouts on the same card on 2 August.
Both boxers underwent surgery for subdural haematoma - a condition where blood collects between the skull and the brain.
Following the event, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) announced all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title bouts will now be 10 rounds instead of 12.
The Japanese Professional Boxing Association (JPBA), the JBC and gym owners met to discuss the emergency measures on Tuesday.
They voted to include urine tests to measure dehydration and agreed that ambulances will be required on site, even for non-world title bouts.
Hospitals will partner with the governing bodies to ensure they are equipped to perform emergency surgery for head and other injuries.
Fighters will also have to adhere to new rules on how long they must stop sparring during training before a fight.
"Officials have decided to take all possible measures to ensure that the deaths of these two boxers are not in vain," Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary general of the JBC, said.
Yasukochi said an accident investigation committee will work to find out the cause of the boxers' deaths later in August before updating their guidance on prevention measures.
The JBC and JPBA are also scheduled to meet with the organisations' doctors and the amateur boxing federation.
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Sam Goodman grateful for 'out of the blue' title opportunity after Naoya Inoue fallout

The call came out of the blue and at a point in his career when Sam Goodman wasn't sure when he would see another title opportunity. The unbeaten Australian was just a couple of weeks removed from his May 14 win over Cesar Vaca, which ended a 10-month inactive stretch. During that time, he suffered a cut over his left eye in back-to-back training camps, which postponed and then outright canceled his planned challenge of undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs). A career 122-pounder whose divisional king had a full schedule for the rest of 2025, Goodman could not have been more pleased to have been offered another title fight. It meant a move up in weight to face Nick Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs), the squat and scrappy WBA featherweight titlist. 'It was a bit of a shock opportunity to move up and fight for a world title,' Goodman told Uncrowned. 'The move up was a bit inevitable. 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Goodman entered 2025 fully prepared to shock the world in his already rescheduled championship showdown with Inoue. The two were due to meet Dec. 24 in Tokyo, only for the bout to be met with a one-month delay after the top-rated contender suffered a cut over his left eye during his final day of sparring. The Jan. 24 date moved forward only for Inoue after Goodman suffered another cut in the same exact spot. This one came roughly two weeks out from fight night, at which point he was left on the injured list and out in the cold. It also meant losing out on the career payday that would have come with the title challenge. Worse, he had to let his cut — which required roughly 15 stitches — time to heal before he could even think about returning to the sport that provided his only source of income. 'It was a lot of struggle, to be honest,' Goodman recalled. 'I don't know anything else but boxing. This is my job, this is my work and how I put food on the table and make my bread. 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I put my family and myself through all kinds of s***. This was the biggest opportunity of my career. 'Whatever was said about me, none of that really bothered me. I couldn't give a f*** what anyone outside of my inner circle thinks about me. People claiming I tried to get out of the fight or whatever, all I got to say to that is that the loudest boos in the room usually come from the people in the cheapest seats.' Goodman's right back in a position where a win would provide motivation for Inoue to once again look his way. The future Hall of Famer from Yokohama, Japan, has long viewed featherweight as a likely final destination, a weight where he believes he can win a fifth divisional title. A win Saturday leaves Goodman in a far more favorable position than at any point since the moment in mid-January when he lost out on the Inoue fight. Still, there remains plenty of work to be done. 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