Boxing mourns two fallen warriors: Kotari and Urakawa die after brutal bouts in Tokyo

Tragedy has struck the sport of boxing once again. Two boxers on the same card passed away over the weekend after sustaining brain injuries in two different fights early this month.

The boxing world left shaken

Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa both entered the ring at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on August 2nd, and both ended up leaving the arena in ambulances after their respective fights. Kotari went to a 12 round draw in his regional title fight before losing consciousness and was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

Once there he needed an emergency surgery to treat a subdural hematoma in his brain. The 28 year old’s condition only got worse while in the hospital and six days later his death was confirmed.

Rest in peace, Shigetoshi Kotari 🕊️

The boxing world mourns the tragic passing of Japanese fighter Shigetoshi Kotari, who succumbed to injuries sustained during his August 2nd title fight.

A warrior in the ring. A fighter in spirit. Gone too soon.

Our thoughts and prayers are… pic.twitter.com/PjZtDyBIU2

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) August 8, 2025

Urakawa’s fight against Yoji Saito went to the eighth and final round in which he lost on a technical knockout. After the fight Urakawa collapsed and he was rushed to the hospital to have an emergency craniotomy to try and heal an subdural hematoma. On Saturday he was pronounced dead just one day after Kotari’s passing.

JBC to shorten title fight

Kotari was an up and coming fighter who was striving for his first regional title last Saturday. He came into the night with 11 fights under his belt, winning eight of them, losing two and drawing two. The title fight meant that the bout would be 12 rounds instead of the eight rounds he was used to boxing.

The WBO mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito on August 2 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

This heartbreaking news comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from… pic.twitter.com/CDzoSmKU2d

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) August 9, 2025

Since the tragic passing of Kotari, the Japanese Boxing Commission has confirmed that the OPBF title fights will be shortened to 10 rounds in hopes of reducing risk or injury or even death.

Urakawa went into his final fight with a record of 10 wins and four losses, and had lost three of his last four bouts. His final fight was his first knock out defeat.