TOKYO, Feb 03 (News On Japan) - A 23-year-old boxer who suffered four knockdowns in a Japanese bantamweight title match last December has passed away two days after falling into a coma post-fight.
The deceased is Kazuki Anaguchi, a 23-year-old fighter from the Shinsei Gym in Kobe. Anaguchi participated as a challenger in the bantamweight Japanese title match on December 26th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, where he was knocked down four times due to punches to the face and ultimately lost by decision. According to the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), after the match, Anaguchi lost consciousness in the dressing room and was transported to a hospital in Tokyo. He was diagnosed with a right subdural hematoma and underwent emergency surgery, but he never regained consciousness and passed away in the evening two days later. During the 10-round match, Anaguchi was knocked down in the 4th, 7th, 9th, and the final 10th round, but he was leading on points in the other rounds. The JBC, which oversees the matches, explained that "it was difficult to make the decision to stop the match because he was responding well during the intervals."
Source: NHK
