__NOTOC__ is a retired Japanese

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

who is a former WBC

junior flyweight Light flyweight, also known as junior flyweight or super strawweight, is a weight class in boxing. Professional boxing The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds (49 kilograms). When New York legalized boxing in 1920, ...

champion. He is an alumnus of the

Komazawa University , abbreviated as 駒大 ''Komadai'', is one of the oldest universities in Japan. Its history starts in 1592, when a seminary was established to be a center of learning for the young monks of the Sōtō sect, one of the two main Zen Buddhist tra ...

. Nakajima began boxing at Yonekura Boxing Gym at the age of a high school student. He compiled an amateur record of 80–15 (48 KOs) before turning professional. Nakajima made his professional debut with a second-round knockout victory at the Korakuen Hall in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

in July 1976, and won over the reigning Japanese junior flyweight champion Kazunori Tenryū via a third-round knockout in a non-title ten round bout in August 1977. However, he was knocked out by the former WBA

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of b ...

champion Bernabe Villacampo with a body blow in the fourth round in March 1978. He lost on points to the future WBA junior flyweight champion Hwan-Jin Kim in August of that year. On January 3, 1980, Nakajima fought against Kim Sung-Jun for the WBC junior flyweight title at the Korakuen Hall. Preparing for that fight, Joe Koizumi who is familiar with the boxing theory and was later inducted into the

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

and the

World Boxing Hall of Fame In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

, served as Nakajima's trainer. The gym's president Kenji Yonekura made him move to an apartment near his residence, and woke him up every morning to make him do his roadwork. In the third round, his eardrum was perforated and his ribs cracked, and he suffered a cut above his left eye. Nevertheless, Nakajima was crowned the title via a unanimous decision with his quick blows and footwork. In his first defense in March 1980, he lost to Hilario Zapata via a close unanimous decision at the

Kuramae Kokugikan was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryogoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984 ...

in Tokyo. Yonekura protested that decision of the judges. Yet Nakajima was stopped in the eleventh round of the rematch with Zapata for that title at the Civic Center in

Gifu city is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

in September of the same year. After eight months, Nakajima suffered an eight-round knockout loss, and quit boxing. Nakajima once serves as the president of the golf course development company, and currently acts as the executive secretary of the Pro Boxing World Champions party which is the internal organization of the Japan Pro Boxing Association (JPBA) consisting of Japan's world champions for the social contributions.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakajima, Shigeo World Boxing Council champions World light-flyweight boxing champions World boxing champions Komazawa University alumni Sportspeople from Ibaraki Prefecture 1954 births Living people Japanese male boxers

See also

References

Bibliography

External links