Ginjiro Shigeoka, a young Japanese boxer, is fighting for his life in the hospital after undergoing emergency brain surgery. The 25-year-old collapsed following a recent boxing match, shocking the international boxing community.
Shigeoka lost a split decision to Pedro Taduran in their IBF minimum flyweight title fight. After the match ended, he collapsed in his corner and was rushed out of the arena unconscious on a stretcher.
Doctors diagnosed Shigeoka with an acute subdural hematoma, a serious condition where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain. He underwent an emergency craniotomy to relieve the pressure on his brain.
The boxer now lies unconscious in intensive care, though he's breathing on his own. Hitoshi Watanabe, who runs Watanabe Gym where Shigeoka trains, gave an update on his condition:
"He is receiving treatment in hospital. Fortunately, his condition is stable and we are monitoring his progress."
Shigeoka's brother Yudai, also a professional boxer, is rallying support for his sibling. He's asked friends to send voice messages, saying:
"I have a request for Gin's friends: I want to let Gin listen to more voice messages. I'm grateful to many friends who have already sent me messages. Even short messages are fine. I will let Gin listen to them every day."
The Japanese Boxing Commission has ordered Shigeoka to retire from the sport. The craniotomy automatically disqualifies him from competing again. This ends a short but impressive six-year professional career that saw him become the IBF world minimumweight champion in 2023 and 2024.
Shigeoka's final professional record stands at 11 wins and 2 losses. His last fight was actually a rematch with Taduran. In their first bout last summer, Shigeoka suffered a stoppage defeat in the ninth round and an orbital fracture that required surgery. Doctors had cleared him to return to competition before this recent fight.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in boxing. The sport community waits anxiously for more news on Shigeoka's condition, hoping for his full recovery.
