The Japan Boxing Commission announced that Japanese boxer Kazuki Anaguchi has passed away from injuries sustained during a bout in Tokyo on December 26th.
Anaguchi (6-1, 2 KOs), a 23-year-old bantamweight who turned professional in 2021, suffered a subdural hematoma during his match with Seiya Tsutsumi, which was part of Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapares. Ta, a junior featherweight title fight that was aired on ESPN+.
During the bout, Anaguchi was knocked down four times, but continued until the end, ultimately losing by unanimous decision in the Japanese bantamweight title match.
The WBC reported that Anaguchi experienced a leg cramp in the corner and was then rushed to the hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. Tragically, he never regained consciousness.
Anaguchi had a successful amateur career and represented Japan at the 2015 AIBA World Junior Championships in Russia. He made a quick transition to professional boxing, achieving a notable victory in his fourth fight by defeating former title challenger Jonathan Taconing in a six-round bout.
