Guts Ishimatsu, a dynamic WBC lightweight champion in the mid-1970s, passed away from pneumonia on June 2 at a Tokyo hospital. He was 76.
Ishimatsu’s death was announced on Thursday, June 11.
On April 11, 1974, the Tochigi Prefecture native captured the world title, defeating Mexico’s Rodolfo Gonzalez via an eighth-round knockout at Nihon University Auditorium in Tokyo.
It was Ishimatsu’s third world title fight, and he had reached the pinnacle of his profession less than two months shy of his 25th birthday.
“On my third attempt, I finally became the world champion,” Ishimatsu said in a 2024 interview.
Guts Ishimatsu reacts after defeating Rodolfo Gonzalez to win the WBC lightweight world title on April 11, 1974. (©SANKEI)
“I let out a shout, ‘I’m the champion!’ A photo of that moment made it to the newspaper the next day, and that’s how the term “guts pose” came about.
“Even now, April 11 is celebrated as ‘Guts Pose Day.’ With my prize money, I fixed up my parents’ old house, which had been leaking every time it rained.”
Entering the title bout, Gonzalez owned a 59-5 career record, while Ishimatsu had 26 wins, 11 losses and six draws.
Former world champion Guts Ishimatsu in a July 2024 file photo. (©SANKEI)
Paying Tribute to Guts Ishimatsu
“Ishimatsu left an indelible mark on the history of Asian pugilism, by becoming the 11th world champion in the history of Japan and the first to conquer the prestigious lightweight crown for his country,” the World Boxing Council stated in a news release.
“Guts Ishimatsu’s path toward great glory was defined by resilience. Following tough setbacks in Panama during his first world title attempts against legends of the caliber of Ismael Laguna (1970) and Roberto (‘Hands of Stone’) Duran (1973), Ishimatsu never gave up.”
Guts Ishimatsu punches Rodolfo Gonzalez in their November 1974 title rematch in Osaka. (©SANKEI)
Launching His Boxing Career
Ishimatsu, whose birth name was Yuji Suzuki, began his pro boxing career in 1966. In his debut fight that December against Masao Fujiwara, Ishimatsu earned a first-round knockout victory in the Japanese capital.
Laguna spoiled Ishimatsu’s title hopes in June 1970 via a 13th-round technical knockout.
Three years later, Duran produced a 10th-round TKO, again denying Ishimatsu the WBC lightweight title.
But after defeating Gonzalez, Ishimatsu made five successful title defenses. Among those victories was a unanimous decision against challenger Ken Buchanan, one of Scotland’s greatest fighters, in February 1975.
Ishimatsu retired in 1978 with an overall record of 31-14-6.
After retirement, he worked as a boxing commentator. Ishimatsu also appeared on a number of Japanese-language TV variety shows and dramas, as well as in movies, including Black Rain and Empire of the Sun.
Boyhood Inspiration for the Future World Champ
As Ishimatsu recalled in 2024, he admired Masahiko “Fighting” Harada, a world flyweight and bantamweight champion in the 1960s.
“I really looked up to him,” Ishimatsu told The Sankei Shimbun, adding, “[and] I decided to become a pro boxer, too. So right after junior high, when I was 15, I moved to Tokyo.”
While training at Tokyo’s Yonekura Gym, he received the ring name Guts Ishimatsu from the gym. He said the name meant “a boxer with guts.”
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Japan’s Ran Takahashi spikes the ball against China in an FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League preliminary round match on June 13 in Linyi, China. (©VOLLEYBALL WORLD)
Volleyball
Japan Men Improve to 3-0 in Nations League
In Linyi, China, Japan defeated Ukraine, Poland and China in succession to kick off a successful start in the preliminary round of the 2026 FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League campaign.
Japan coach Laurent Tillie’s squad became the first team to compile three victories in the preliminary round.
After topping Ukraine 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 on Wednesday, June 10, Japan faced Poland two days later.
Fan favorite Ran Takahashi delivered a match-high 26 points, including 24 kills, in Japan’s 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 17-15 triumph.
“Oh, I am so tired!” Takahashi said in a post-match interview on VBTV. “We played at a high level and so did they, so it was a perfect game, a great match. [And] we always stayed focused.”
Back in action on Saturday, June 13, Japan renewed its volleyball rivalry with China. Takahashi led the victors with 21 points, while captain Yuki Ishikawa finished with 12. Taishi Onodera contributed five blocks in the 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-21 win.
Despite the victory, Ishikawa wasn’t satisfied with Japan’s performance.
“It was a tough game for us, especially in reception. I didn’t play well,” Ishikawa said on VBTV after the match. “We didn’t play well, but we won 3-1 and that’s the important thing. But today is today, and tomorrow is another match. In the next match we will play better.”
Up next: Japan faces Slovenia on Sunday, June 14.
In related news, the Japan women’s volleyball squad (4-0) returns to action against Serbia in the second week of the preliminary round on June 17 in Pasig City, Philippines.
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Chicago White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 12 in Chicago. (©Matt Marton/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Baseball
Former BayStars Pitcher Kay Shines for White Sox
Veteran left-hander Anthony Kay is back in MLB with the much-improved Chicago White Sox after pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2024 and ’25.
In his 14th appearance of the 2026 season, Kay started against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Chicago on Friday, June 12. Kay pitched five solid innings, holding the Dodgers to four hits and two runs. He struck out seven and walked one in the White Sox’s 8-2 win.
Kay, who improved to 6-1, is second on the American League club in wins. Right-hander Davis Martin (9-2, 2.41 ERA) is the team leader in wins.
Dodgers hurler Roki Sasaki (3-4) took the loss, allowing seven hits and seven runs in 4⅓ innings. Teammate Shohei Ohtani, LA’s leadoff hitter, missed the game due to left knee inflammation.
Kay appeared in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays (2019-22), Chicago Cubs and New York Mets (for both teams in 2023) before joining the BayStars. In those five MLB seasons, Kay mostly appeared in games as a reliever, and he had a combined total of six victories with the three big-league franchises.
During his two seasons with the BayStars, Kay was a regular member of the pitching staff’s starting rotation. In 2024, he had a 6-9 record with a 3.42 ERA for the NPB champion BayStars. Kay improved to 9-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 2025.
Kay, 31, signed a two-year deal with the White Sox in December 2025 with an option for a third year.
Hanshin Tigers starter Hiroto Saiki fires a pitch to a Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks batter in the first inning on June 9 in Fukuoka. (©SANKEI)
Tigers’ Saiki Leads NPB in Strikeouts
Hanshin Tigers right-hander Hiroto Saiki is well on his way to reaching 100 strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season. He leads NPB with 82 Ks through Saturday, June 13.
The 27-year-old starter has only issued 14 walks in 63⅓ innings in 2026 for the Central League club.
Saiki fanned a career-high 137 batters in 2024 while pitching 167⅔ innings. He also won 13 games against three losses.
In 2025, Saiki recorded 122 punchouts in 157 innings, reaching triple digits in whiffs for the third straight year.
Former Koshigaya Alphas head coach Ryuzo Anzai in an April 2026 file photo. (©B.LEAGUE)
Basketball
Anzai Appointed as SeaHorses Head Coach
Ryuzo Anzai was named ex-head coach Ryan Richman’s successor to lead the SeaHorses Mikawa, it was announced on Friday, June 12.
Anzai, 45, spent the past three seasons guiding the Koshigaya Alphas. From 2024-26, the Alphas had a combined record of 40-80 in the B.League first division.
In the 2023-24 campaign, Koshigaya played in B2 and won 35 of 60 games to qualify for the playoffs under Anzai.
Anzai guided the Utsunomiya Brex to the 2021-22 B.League title. He then left the franchise, joined Koshigaya and worked in an advisory role for one season before becoming head coach.
Richman left the SeaHorses after three seasons in charge. He’s taken over as the Alvark Tokyo’s new bench boss.
Now, entering the first season in the B.Premier era (the B.League has rebranded its name), the SeaHorses will work to build off the success achieved by Richman. Mikawa finished second in the B.League’s Western Conference in 2025-26 with a 43-17 record.
“I am committed to preserving the team’s rich tradition while dedicating my full efforts to building a new style for the Seahorses Mikawa,” Anzai said in a statement.
Anzai added that team executive Kenichi Sako “shared with us his vision for the team’s future and his strong, passionate commitment to basketball. We will grow into an organization where we embody Mr Sako’s ideal of Japanese basketball and move forward as a team united toward a common direction and goal.”
Roy Rana has coached the Egypt and Jordan men’s national teams in recent years. (©FIBA)
Diamond Dolphins Hire Rana as Head Coach
Former Kyoto Hannaryz head coach Roy Rana was named the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins’ new bench boss on Thursday, June 11.
Rana led the Hannaryz for three B.League seasons (2022-25). Kyoto had its best results under Rana in the 2024-25 campaign, winning 33 of 60 regular-season games.
The British-born hoops mentor replaces Shawn Dennis on the Nagoya sideline. Dennis, who led the team from 2021-26, has moved on to his next coaching gig, joining the Tokyo Sunrockers (formerly known as the Sunrockers Shibuya).
“It’s a tremendous honor to join this club at such an exciting moment,” Rana said, according to a team-issued news release. “What’s been built here commands real respect — and my focus is on adding to that legacy, not just maintaining it.
“My commitment is simple: to push us to the next level, on and off the court. We’re building something bigger than a winning team, [and] we’re building something Nagoya can truly call its own.”
Quotes of the Week
“He has been the one leading the team since the last World Cup ended. It’s a huge blow to lose him now. I want to take full responsibility and always lead from the front.”
―Ko Itakura, the Japan men’s soccer team’s new captain, on Wataru Endo’s withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to a foot injury and retirement from the national team on June 11, The Sankei Shimbun reported.
Japan defender Ko Itakura practices with Samurai Blue teammates on June 12 in Nashville, Tennessee, two days before the squad’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener. (©SANKEI)
“Wataru is a distinctive player who is able to make a difference when necessary and to lose that individual ability.”
―Samurai Blue midfielder Daichi Kamada, reflecting on Endo’s departure from the national team, according to Kyodo News.
“My family and I are very excited to be heading to Kawasaki next season. I hope to be a valuable member of this great organization and to open the premier league (B.Premier) with lots of success. Thank you for all the support going forward.”
―Veteran center Alex Kirk, on his move to the Kawasaki Brave Thunders after spending the past three seasons with the Ryukyu Golden Kings. The Brave Thunders announced on June 13 that Kirk had finalized a deal with the team.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed’s [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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