Etsuko Tada


Etsuko Tada is a Japanese professional boxer. She is a former four-time mini-flyweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 2009 to 2013; the IBF title from 2015 to 2017; and the WBO title twice between 2018 and October 2021.

Professional career

Tada made her professional debut on 9 May 2008, scoring a six-round unanimous decision victory against Napaporn Boonchuon at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
After compiling a record of 4–0 she captured her first world title, defeating WBA female mini-flyweight champion ChoRong Son via ten-round UD on 11 April 2009 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan. One judge scored the bout 99–91 and the other two scored it 98–92.
Two fights later she faced WBC female light-flyweight champion Naomi Togashi on 6 December 2009 at the ATC Hall in Osaka, with both of their respective titles on the line. After a closely contested fight over ten rounds, both champions retained their titles through a split draw with one judge scoring the bout 97–93 in favour of Tada, another scoring it 96–94 for Togashi, and the third judge scoring it even at 95–95.
Her next fight came against Ria Ramnarine on 24 April 2010 at the Central Indoor Regional Auditorium in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago, with the WIBA interim mini-flyweight title also up for grabs. In a fight which saw Tada suffer a cut from an accidental clash of heads in round six, she retained her title with a second consecutive draw. Two judges scored the bout even at 95–95 while the third judge scored it 97–93 in favour of Ramnarine.
Tada made six successful defences of her WBA title before facing former world champion Anabel Ortiz on 23 July 2013 at the Tokyo Big Sight. Tada suffered the first defeat of her career, losing via split decision with one judge scoring the bout 97–93 in favour of Tada while the other two scored it 96–94 for Ortiz. Following an eighth-round technical knockout victory against Rathsada Sor Worasin in May 2014, Tada suffered her second career defeat against Ortiz in a November rematch, again losing by SD.
She bounced back from this defeat with a sixth-round TKO victory against Chamagorn Sithaithong in April 2015, before facing Kareli Lopez for the vacant IBF female mini-flyweight title on 11 December at the Central Gym in Kobe, Japan. Tada defeated Lopez via UD to capture her second world title, with the judges' scorecards reading 97–93, 96–92, 96–94. Following a TKO victory against Pornpimon Pongpaew in a non-title fight in June 2016, Tada suffered her third defeat, losing her title via SD against Cai Zongju on 30 January 2017 at the Cotai Arena in Macau.
In her next fight she defeated Naoko Shibata on 10 November, capturing the vacant WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title via eight-round UD at the Korakuen Hall, with the judges scorecards reading 80–72, 78–74, and 77–75.
Following this victory, Tada challenged WBO female mini-flyweight champion Kayoko Ebata on 1 December 2018 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. In a bout which Tada fought with an injured ankle that she picked up during training three weeks prior to the fight, she suffered a knockdown en route to a UD victory to become a three-time mini-flyweight world champion. Two judges scored the bout 98–92 and the third judge scored it 97–93.
Tada vacated her WBO title and moved up in weight in order to pursue a world title in a second division. She defeat Kanyarat Yoohanngoh via TKO in April 2019, with the bout serving as a final eliminator for the WBC female light-flyweight title.
She then moved back down to mini-flyweight in an attempt to become a four-time world champion, facing former champion Ayaka Miyao for the WBO title which Tada had previously vacated. The bout took place on 28 January 2020 at the Korakuen Hall. After ten closely rounds, the fight ended in a split draw to leave the WBO title vacant. One judge scored the bout in favour of Tada with 96–94, the second judge gave the same score in favour of Miyao, while the third judge scored it even at 95–95. The fighters returned to the Korakuen Hall on 3 December for a rematch. Tada would emerge the victor in the second attempt, scoring a TKO with a counter left hook eight seconds into the ninth round, capturing the vacant WBO title to become a four-time world champion. At the time of the stoppage, Tada was ahead on all three judges scorecards with 78–74, 78–74, and 78–75.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
27Loss20–4–3Nguyễn Thị Thu NhiUD1023 Oct 2021Wadong Gymnasium, Ansan, South KoreaLost WBO female mini-flyweight title
26Win20–3–3Ayaka MiyaoTKO9, 0:083 Dec 2020Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant WBO female mini-flyweight title
25Draw19–3–3Ayaka MiyaoSD1028 Jan 2020Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanFor vacant WBO female mini-flyweight title
24Win19–3–2Duangdawnoi LooksaikongdinTKO7, 0:5927 Apr 2019Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan
23Win18–3–2Kayoko EbataUD101 Dec 2018Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, JapanWon WBO female mini-flyweight title
22Win17–3–2Naoko ShibataUD810 Nov 2017Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant WBO Asia Pacific female mini-flyweight title
21Loss16–3–2Cai ZongjuSD1030 Jan 2017Cotai Arena, Cotai, ChinaLost IBF female mini-flyweight title
20Win16–2–2Pornpimon PongpaewTKO3, 0:3717 Jun 2016Central Gym, Kobe, Japan
19Win15–2–2Kareli LopezUD1011 Dec 2015Central Gym, Kobe, JapanWon vacant IBF female mini-flyweight title
18Win14–2–2Chamagorn SithaithongTKO6, 1:005 Apr 2015Prefecture Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan
17Loss13–2–2Anabel OrtizSD108 Nov 2014Auditorio General Arteaga, Querétaro City, MexicoFor WBA female mini-flyweight title
16Win13–1–2Rathsada Sor WorasinTKO8, 1:1425 May 2014Big Wave, Wakayama, Japan
15Loss12–1–2Anabel Ortiz1023 Jul 2013Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, JapanLost WBA female mini-flyweight title
14Win12–0–2Yuko KurokiUD103 Mar 2013Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
13Win11–0–2Naoko ShibataUD1016 Sep 2012Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
12Win10–0–2María SalinasUD1019 Feb 2012Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
11Win9–0–2Kanchana TungthaisongUD1022 Sep 2011Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
10Win8–0–2Ibeth Zamora SilvaUD1017 Apr 2011Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
9Win7–0–2Amara KokietgymUD105 Dec 2010ATC Hall, Osaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
8Draw6–0–2Ria Ramnarine1024 Apr 2010Central Indoor Regional Auditorium, Chaguanas, Trinidad and TobagoRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title;
For WIBA interim mini-flyweight title
7Draw6–0–1Naomi Togashi106 Dec 2009ATC Hall, Osaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title;
For WBC female light-flyweight title
6Win6–0Yani KokietgymUD1023 Aug 2009Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, JapanRetained WBA female mini-flyweight title
5Win5–0Son Cho-rongUD1011 Apr 2009Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, JapanWon WBA female mini-flyweight title
4Win4–0Kim Hye-minUD615 Feb 2009Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, Japan
3Win3–0Nongnoi Top King SportTKO1, 1:565 Oct 2008KBS Hall, Kyoto, Japan
2Win2–0Nonlek Sithsornpichai1, 0:3121 Jul 2008Yomiuri Bunka Hall, Toyonaka, Japan
1Win1–0Lily Rachaprachagym69 May 2008Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan