Yutaka Niida


Yutaka Niida is a retired professional boxer in the minimumweight division and former WBA world minimumweight champion.
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Professional boxing career

Niida belonged to the Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym, his trainer was Mitsunori Seki and Hidefumi Oikawa. He first won the WBA minimumweight title at the Pacifico Yokohama on August 25, 2001, when he defeated Chana Porpaoin by unanimous decision. On October 22 only two months later, Niida vacated the title, with the intention of retiring due to back problems and lost interest in boxing.
Niida returned two years later and challenged Noel Arambulet for the title at the same venue, but Niida suffered his first loss, by split decision. Niida fought against Arambulet again at the Korakuen Hall on July 3, 2004; this time Niida won the title by unanimous decision in addition to Arambulet not making the weight. Niida has successfully defended the title seven times since he regained it, winning his last defense occurring against Jose Luis Varela at the Korakuen Hall on March 1, 2008 by knockout in the 6th round. However Mitsunori Seki died from a subarachnoid hemorrhage on June 6, 2008, his death gave Niida an intense shock.
Yutaka Niida lost his title via a fourth-round TKO at the Pacifico Yokohama on September 15, 2008 to Nicaragua's Román González. Presumably, he hung his gloves after the fight. Niida won the achievement award for the 41st Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize that year.
In 2010, Niida founded a public company "World Famous" named after the entrance song of his champion days created by the Japanese rapper BiARD for him, and established a sports gym "Body Design 新井田式 " in Yokohama on November 20. Hidefumi Oikawa also works as one of ten or so trainers in this gym.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
28LossRomán GonzálezTKO4, 1:5915 Sep 2008Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, JapanLost WBA minimumweight title
27Win23–1–3José Luis VarelaKO6, 2:163 Mar 2008Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
26Win22–1–3Eriberto GejonUD121 Sep 2007Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
25Win21–1–3Katsunari TakayamaSD127 Apr 2007Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
24Win20–1–3Ronald BarreraUD124 Mar 2006Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
23Win19–1–3Eriberto Gejon10, 2:0125 Sep 2005Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
22Win18–1–3Jae Won KimUD1216 Apr 2005Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
21Win17–1–3Juan Jose LandaetaSD1230 Oct 2004Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, JapanRetained WBA minimumweight title
20Win16–1–3Noel ArambuletUD123 Jul 2004Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon vacant WBA minimumweight title
19Win15–1–3Ut TaprakhonTKO5, 2:558 Dec 2003Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
18Loss14–1–3Noel Arambulet1212 Jul 2003Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, JapanFor vacant WBA minimumweight title
17Win14–0–3Chana PorpaoinUD1225 Aug 2001Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, JapanWon WBA minimumweight title
16Draw13–0–3Daisuke Iida1014 May 2001Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanRetained Japanese minimumweight title
15Win13–0–2Makoto SuzukiTKO9, 2:538 Jan 2001Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, JapanWon Japanese minimumweight title
14Win12–0–2Sonny Boy PandingKO1, 2:0911 Oct 2000Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan
13Win11–0–2Itsuo Oka8, 0:4330 May 2000Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
12Win10–0–2Atsuomi MaedaUD823 Mar 2000Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
11Win9–0–2Rudolfo FernandezKO2, 1:5118 Oct 1999Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
10Win8–0–2Masanori Suga627 Jun 1999Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
9Win7–0–2Rogelio LapianUD815 Feb 1999Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
8Win6–0–2Hidetaka KitanoKO1, 2:173 Dec 1998Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
7Draw5–0–2Kenichiro Hamaguchi618 Sep 1998Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
6Draw5–0–1Tsutomu Oshigane629 Mar 1998Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
5Win5–0Yuki HashiguchiUD63 Oct 1997Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
4Win4–0Kazuhisa TakahashiUD426 Jul 1997Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan
3Win3–0Tatsuro OyaKO1, 2:4217 Sep 1997Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2Win2–0Akio Yamamoto420 Dec 1996Nanba Grand Kagetsu, Osaka, Japan
1Win1–0Satoshi Shinkai1, 1:3715 Nov 1996Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan