By Joe Koizumi
Photo: Boxing Beat Magazine
The Japanese culture might be so bizarre. Our people strongly hate ominous news mentioned before the new year coming. People wish to welcome 2024 in our fresh mind so that we eliminate bad memories of the past year and then reboot the prosperous new year. Having entered January, we have seen some information on celebrities or athletes having already passed in December. So, this is not an excuse that this reporter has thus delayed reporting the death of some boxing persons.
Shoji Tsujimoto, 75, former Japanese welterweight champ, passed away on December 23. Having scored an excellent amateur mark of 92-10, 46 stoppages and gained some national amateur belts, the tall, handsome and stylish southpaw turned professional as he entered Yonekura Gym presided by former world challenger Kenji Yonekura (who failed to win the world fly and bantam belts from Pascual Perez and Jose Becerra in 1959 and 1960). Tsujimoto entered the world top ten by defeating ex-champ Eddie Perkins on points (unanimous; 49-48, 49-47, 50-47) in 1974, and became the very first Japanese boxer to have an ambitious crack at the world welterweight belt against Jose Pipino Cuevas in his first defense, though, only to be demolished in six hard-fought rounds in Kanazawa in 1976. Continue reading “Ex-world challenger Tsujimoto, promoter Matsuda pass”