Overview

• Shigetoshi Kotari lost consciousness after a drawn 12-round title bout on August 2 and died on August 8 in Tokyo following an emergency craniotomy for an acute subdural hematoma.
• Hiromasa Urakawa was knocked out in the eighth round by Yoji Sato and succumbed on August 9 after surgery to relieve a similar brain bleed.
• Yamato Hata, Kotari’s opponent, is hospitalized and reportedly in a coma after sustaining head trauma in their fight.
• The World Boxing Organization and the Japanese Boxing Commission have issued official condolences to the fighters’ families and the Japanese boxing community.
• The Dynamic Glove on U-NEXT Vol. 35 event is under scrutiny as questions mount over regional boxing safety standards.