The boxing world was devastated to hear the passing of Kazuki Anaguchi this past week. The Japanese boxer had suffered a subdural hematoma after competing in Tokyo on December 26th, according to a statement made by the Japan Boxing Commission. Anaguchi was just 23 years old.
Anaguchi had fought seven times throughout his career, compiling a strong 6-1 record with two knockouts to his name. His finale fight was a narrow loss via unanimous decision against Seiya Tsutsumi. Anaguchi was knocked down four times throughout the bantamweight fight that lasted 10 rounds in total. It was also reported after the bout that Anaguchi had won six of the 10 rounds on two out of the three judge scorecards. The fight was a co-feature for Naoya Inoue as he had beaten Marlon Tapales to earn the title of undisputed junior featherweight champion.
Kazuki Anaguchi Had Severe Injuries Following The Bout
After the fight ended, Anaguchi lost consciousness and got transported to a local hospital. He was undergoing treatment there for a few months and had emergency surgery on top of that. Sadly, he never regained consciousness followed that fight. Inoue’s American promoter made a statement following the crushing news, saying, “Top Rank joins the boxing community in mourning the passing of Kazuki Anaguchi. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
There’s no question that this news is devastating to all involved, and all we can do is send our love to his family and friends. Anaguchi was an awfully talented boxer, who worked his way to a 68-8 overall record as an amateur. When he decided to turn pro, he quickly made his mark on the sport of boxing. He competed in a number of fights that went down to the wire, including one that could have been talked about as the Fight of the Year. My deepest condolences go out to his loved ones in this horrible time.
