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Asian Games: Breakdancing

Japan's Isshin Hishikawa competes in the men's breakdancing knockouts match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Asian Games: Breakdancing

Japan's Isshin Hishikawa competes in the men's breakdancing knockouts match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Asian Games: Breakdancing

Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai competes in the men's breakdancing knockouts match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Asian Games: Breakdancing

Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai competes in the men's breakdancing knockouts match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Asian Games: Breakdancing

Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai competes in the men's breakdancing knockouts match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Boxing: Inoue vacates 4 belts, moves up to super bantam

Undefeated Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue announced his decision Friday to relinquish all four bantamweight belts and move up to the super bantamweight division. The 29-year-old, nicknamed "Monster," completed a sweep of the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF belts last month with an 11th-round knockout of Britain's Paul Butler, who came in as the World Boxing Organization's bantamweight champion. "The real battle starts from here," Inoue said at a press conference in Yokohama. "I'm very excited." He became the first Japanese to top the pound-for-pound rankings published by the prestigious Ring magazine in June 2022 and now has a 24-0 record, with 21 knockouts.

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WBA undefeated champ John too much for Takemoto

KOBE, Japan - Japanese challenger Zaiki Takemoto, badly mauled by WBA featherweight champion Chris John, fails to stand up to the gong at the start of 10th round in the world title match in Kobe on Aug. 19. The Indonesian champion successfully retained his title for the eighth consecutive time and improved his record to 40-0 with one draw and 21 knockouts. Takemoto, appearing in his first world title bout, slipped to 21-7-1 (12 KOs).

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WBA undefeated champ John too much for Takemoto

KOBE, Japan - WBA featherweight champion Chris John lands a right on Japanese challenger Zaiki Takemoto as the referee tries to stop the fight at the end of the ninth round in a world title match in Kobe on Aug. 19 to successfully retain his title for the eighth consecutive time. The Indonesian boxer improved to 40-0 with one draw and 21 knockouts after Takemoto was unable to stand for the 10th round. Takemoto, appearing in his first world title bout, slipped to 21-7-1 (12 KOs).

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Odaira KO'd by Thai champion in WBC title match

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, March 3 Kyodo - WBC minimumweight champion Wanheng Meenayothin of Thailand floors challenger Go Odaira of Japan during the fifth round of their title match in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on March 3, 2016. Wanheng, 30, successfully defended his title for a fourth time to extend his unbeaten record to 41 bouts, including 16 knockouts.

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Boxing: Aizawa takes licking from champion Munoz

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese challenger Kuniyuki Aizawa (R) takes punishment from WBA superflyweight champion Alexander Munoz of Venezuela in the seventh round of a WBA title fight in Tokyo on Sept. 24, losing the bout by unanimous decision. Aizawa, ranked No. 6, saw his record slip to 13 wins (10 knockouts), two losses and one draw. Munoz successfully defended the title for the first time since seizing the crown from Japan's Nobuo Nashiro in May and improved his record to 31-2 (27 KOs).

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Kyowa defends WBC minimum weight title

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Champion Eagle Kyowa of Thailand poses with his two sons after successfully defending his WBC minimum weight title with a unanimous decision over Japanese challenger Akira Yaegashi at Pacifico Yokohama on June 4. Japan-based Kyowa improved to a record of 18-1 with six knockouts. Yaegashi, taking his first crack at a world title, slipped to 6-1 (five KOs).

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Kyowa defends WBC minimum weight title

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Champion Eagle Kyowa of Thailand successfully defended his WBC minimum weight title with a unanimous decision over Japanese challenger Akira Yaegashi at Pacifico Yokohama on June 4. Japan-based Kyowa improved to a record of 18-1 with six knockouts. Yaegashi, taking his first crack at a world title, slipped to 6-1 (five KOs).

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Teenage hope Kameda beats ex-champ Arambulet on TKO

SAITAMA, Japan - Japanese teenage hope Koki Kameda throws up arms after stopping former WBA minimum weight champion Noel Arambulet with a technical knockout at Saitama Super Arena on Nov. 26 in what is regarded as a warm-up match for his first shot at a world title. The 19-year-old flyweight boxer from Osaka improved his unblemished record to 9-0 with eight knockouts after his seventh-round onslaught forced Arambulet to quit fighting in the scheduled non-title 10-rounder.

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Naka no match for champion Bredahl in WBA title fight

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Japan's Nobuaki Naka hangs his head after losing a unanimous decision to world champion Johnny Bredahl of Denmark in a World Boxing Association bantamweight title match on March 13. Naka, currently ranked eighth in the world, saw his record fall to 17 wins, including 11 knockouts, one loss, and two draws after failing in his first crack at winning a world title fight.

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Niida wins over Chana, wrests WBA minimumweight crown

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Japan's Yutaka Niida holds the World Boxing Association minimumweight champion's belt Aug. 25 at Pacifico Yokohama after beating Thai champion Chana Porpaion with a unanimous decision. The ninth-ranked challenger scored with his left hook during a 12-rounder to edge the 35-year-old champion. Niida, 22, is unbeaten in 17 fights, winning 14 with seven knockouts and drawing three. Chana slipped to 44-2-2 with 16 knockouts.

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Kyowa defends WBC minimum weight title

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Champion Eagle Kyowa of Thailand poses with his two sons after successfully defending his WBC minimum weight title with a unanimous decision over Japanese challenger Akira Yaegashi at Pacifico Yokohama on June 4. Japan-based Kyowa improved to a record of 18-1 with six knockouts. Yaegashi, taking his first crack at a world title, slipped to 6-1 (five KOs). (Kyodo)

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Kyowa defends WBC minimum weight title

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Champion Eagle Kyowa of Thailand successfully defended his WBC minimum weight title with a unanimous decision over Japanese challenger Akira Yaegashi at Pacifico Yokohama on June 4. Japan-based Kyowa improved to a record of 18-1 with six knockouts. Yaegashi, taking his first crack at a world title, slipped to 6-1 (five KOs). (Kyodo)

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WBA undefeated champ John too much for Takemoto

KOBE, Japan - Japanese challenger Zaiki Takemoto, badly mauled by WBA featherweight champion Chris John, fails to stand up to the gong at the start of 10th round in the world title match in Kobe on Aug. 19. The Indonesian champion successfully retained his title for the eighth consecutive time and improved his record to 40-0 with one draw and 21 knockouts. Takemoto, appearing in his first world title bout, slipped to 21-7-1 (12 KOs). (Kyodo)

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WBA undefeated champ John too much for Takemoto

KOBE, Japan - WBA featherweight champion Chris John lands a right on Japanese challenger Zaiki Takemoto as the referee tries to stop the fight at the end of the ninth round in a world title match in Kobe on Aug. 19 to successfully retain his title for the eighth consecutive time. The Indonesian boxer improved to 40-0 with one draw and 21 knockouts after Takemoto was unable to stand for the 10th round. Takemoto, appearing in his first world title bout, slipped to 21-7-1 (12 KOs). (Kyodo)

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Boxing: Aizawa takes licking from champion Munoz

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese challenger Kuniyuki Aizawa (R) takes punishment from WBA superflyweight champion Alexander Munoz of Venezuela in the seventh round of a WBA title fight in Tokyo on Sept. 24, losing the bout by unanimous decision. Aizawa, ranked No. 6, saw his record slip to 13 wins (10 knockouts), two losses and one draw. Munoz successfully defended the title for the first time since seizing the crown from Japan's Nobuo Nashiro in May and improved his record to 31-2 (27 KOs). (Kyodo)

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Teenage hope Kameda beats ex-champ Arambulet on TKO

SAITAMA, Japan - Japanese teenage hope Koki Kameda throws up arms after stopping former WBA minimum weight champion Noel Arambulet with a technical knockout at Saitama Super Arena on Nov. 26 in what is regarded as a warm-up match for his first shot at a world title. The 19-year-old flyweight boxer from Osaka improved his unblemished record to 9-0 with eight knockouts after his seventh-round onslaught forced Arambulet to quit fighting in the scheduled non-title 10-rounder. (Kyodo)

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Naka no match for champion Bredahl in WBA title fight

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Japan's Nobuaki Naka hangs his head after losing a unanimous decision to world champion Johnny Bredahl of Denmark in a World Boxing Association bantamweight title match on March 13. Naka, currently ranked eighth in the world, saw his record fall to 17 wins, including 11 knockouts, one loss, and two draws after failing in his first crack at winning a world title fight. (Kyodo)

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Niida wins over Chana, wrests WBA minimumweight crown

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Japan's Yutaka Niida holds the World Boxing Association minimumweight champion's belt Aug. 25 at Pacifico Yokohama after beating Thai champion Chana Porpaion with a unanimous decision. The ninth-ranked challenger scored with his left hook during a 12-rounder to edge the 35-year-old champion. Niida, 22, is unbeaten in 17 fights, winning 14 with seven knockouts and drawing three. Chana slipped to 44-2-2 with 16 knockouts.