Shokichi Iwata: Japanese WBC Light-Flyweight Champion
Shokichi Iwata is a Japanese professional boxer from Shibuya, Tokyo, born February 2, 1996. A light-flyweight, he has won world titles with the WBO and WBC, as well as Japanese and regional championships. His Teiken Boxing Gym profile records 17 wins and 2 losses through July 2026.
From national champion to world titles
Iwata turned professional in December 2018. He won the Japanese light-flyweight title in 2021 and added the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific titles in 2022. In November that year, he challenged WBO champion Jonathan González and lost a 12-round decision, according to the official Teiken bout record.
Iwata captured the vacant WBO light-flyweight championship by stopping Jairo Noriega in the third round on October 13, 2024. Waseda University, where he studied sports sciences, reported that the victory made him the university’s first boxing world champion. He lost the belt to René Santiago by decision in March 2025.
In March 2026, Iwata won the WBC light-flyweight title from Knockout CP Freshmart. Teiken lists an eleventh-round stoppage of Erik Badillo on July 20, 2026 as Iwata’s first successful defense. His amateur record was 59 wins, including 16 knockouts, and 12 losses, according to his promoter’s profile.
Sources
Sources: Teiken Boxing Gym’s fighter profile and bout record; Waseda University’s report on his 2024 WBO title win.
Career records and reporting: teiken.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
