Katsuya Onizuka


Katsuya Onizuka is a former WBA Super Flyweight champion from Kitakyushu, Japan. Onizuka was an extremely popular boxer in Japan, creating a boxing boom in Japan during the early 1990s along with Joichiro Tatsuyoshi.

Biography

Onizuka began boxing in middle school, entering a local boxing gym to begin training. He won several high amateur boxing tournaments in high school, but lost a match in his senior year against Hiroshi Kawashima, who would later win the WBC Super Flyweight title. Onizuka had already been accepted to Kinki University, but decided to turn pro after being battered in a sparring session with Hiroki Ioka, who had just become the WBC Minimumweight champion. He entered the Kyoei boxing gym in Tokyo, and made his professional debut in 1988 as a flyweight.
Onizuka quickly built up his record, and won the Japanese Super Flweight title in October, 1990, which he defended three times before moving on to challenge the world title. His first world title match came in April, 1992, fighting Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the WBA Super Flyweight title, which had been vacated by legendary Thai boxer Khaosai Galaxy. Onizuka won a close 12-round decision, the first of the series of controversial wins in his career. Akinobu Hiranaka also won the WBA Super Lightweight title in Mexico the same day.
He defended his title for the first time on September 11, 1992, winning by TKO in the 5th round. This would be his only non-decision win in world title fights. He fought Mexican fighter Armando Castro three months later for his second defense, and won an indisputable victory. This fight was the height of Onizuka's career.
Onizuka's third defense came on May 21, 1993, against Korean fighter Jae-Shin Lim, who had previously fought with the alias, "Kotaro Hayashi." Onizuka was predicted to win easily, but the challenger pummeled Onizuka throughout the fight, and Onizuka barely won by split decision. Two of the three judges of the fight were Japanese, and had both scored the bout in favor of Onizuka, making the fight one of the worst and most obvious cases of a hometown decision.
After his controversial fight, Onizuka fought Thanomsak Sithbaobay for the second time, and made his fourth defense by another close 12-round decision. He made a fifth successful defense by 12-round decision on April 10, 1994, despite having been knocked down for the first time in his professional career in the 5th round. Onizuka finally lost in his sixth defense on September 18, 1994, against Lee Hyung-chul no.1 WBA challenger, where he was trapped in the corner and beaten relentlessly for over a minute by the challenger. The referee finally stopped the fight in the 9th round, and Onizuka lost his title after two years of controversial defences. He was found to have a detached retina in the right eye after the fight, and announced his retirement. Onizuka explained that he had actually suspected an injury in his right eye over two years ago, but had kept it to himself to avoid being forced into retirement. His record was 24-1-0.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
25Loss24–1Lee Hyung-chulTKO9 1994-09-18Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanLost WBA super flyweight title
24Win24–0Seung Koo LeeUD12 1994-04-03Kokugikan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA super flyweight title
23Win23–0Thanomsak SithbaobayUD12 1993-11-05Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA super flyweight title
22Win22–0Jae Shin LimSD12 1993-05-21Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA super flyweight title
21Win21–0Armando CastroUD12 1992-12-11Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA super flyweight title
20Win20–0Kenji MatsumuraTKO5 1992-09-11Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA super flyweight title
19Win19–0Thanomsak SithbaobayUD12 1992-04-10Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant WBA super flyweight title
18Win18–0Chan Woo ParkTKO7 1991-11-04Nishi Nihon Sogo Hall, Kitakyushu, Japan
17Win17–0Suzuharu KitazawaKO5 1991-06-17Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese super flyweight title
16Win16–0Shunichi NakajimaPTS10 1991-03-18Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese super flyweight title
15Win15–0Tomohiko YokoyamaKO1 1990-12-17Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese super flyweight title
14Win14–0Shunichi NakajimaTKO10 1990-10-15Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon Japanese super flyweight title
13Win13–0Tatsuya SugiTKO7 1990-05-22City Hall, Hōfu, Japan
12Win12–0Rex RapisoKO1 1990-03-19Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
11Win11–0Kyung Min AhnKO1 1989-12-18Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
10Win10–0Dok Hyun KimKO5 1989-10-16Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
9Win9–0Sang Won LeeKO4 1989-08-21Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
8Win8–0Masao KawanishiKO2 1989-05-15Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
7Win7–0Yutaka SakamotoKO2 1989-02-27Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
6Win6–0Mitsumasa IkedaPTS6 1988-12-21Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
5Win5–0Ryoji TakeKO3 1988-11-09Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
4Win4–0Tetsuya EsuKO3 1988-09-19Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
3Win3–0Shigeru ItoKO1 1988-07-18Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2Win2–0Satoshi KadaKO1 1988-06-20Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
1Win1–0Shoji AkiyamaKO1 1988-04-18Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan

Post retirement

Onizuka lived away from boxing for a while after retirement, but now trains young boxers at his boxing gym in his hometown, Fukuoka. He often appears on TBS boxing broadcasts as a commentator. Fans were reminded of Onizuka's controversial wins when Koki Kameda won a hometown decision to become the WBA Light Flyweight champion in 2006. Both Kameda and Onizuka were trained and managed by the Kyoei boxing gym, and Onizuka has appeared as a commentator in several of Kameda's fights. Onizuka also endorsed a SNES video game, Onizuka Katsuya Super Virtual Boxing.