Ryoichi Taguchi: The Unified Light-Flyweight Boxing Champion
Ryoichi Taguchi (born December 1, 1986, in Tokyo) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2019. He became a world champion at light-flyweight and later unified the WBA and IBF titles.
From Japanese champion to WBA titleholder
Taguchi won the Japanese light-flyweight title in 2013, then lost it in his first defense to Naoya Inoue by unanimous decision on August 25, 2013. He rebounded and captured the WBA light-flyweight title on December 31, 2014, defeating Peru’s Alberto Rossel by unanimous decision. The WBA’s coverage of his title reign records the Rossel win and subsequent defenses.
Unification and title loss
After six successful WBA title defenses, Taguchi faced IBF champion Milan Melindo on December 31, 2017. He won a unanimous decision, making his seventh WBA defense and unifying the WBA and IBF light-flyweight titles and also gained The Ring championship recognition. Hekkie Budler ended his unified reign on May 20, 2018, winning a unanimous decision; all three judges scored the bout 114–113. The WBA recorded Taguchi’s seventh defense, and its Budler report documents the close scores.
Taguchi moved up to flyweight and challenged WBO champion Kosei Tanaka on March 16, 2019, losing by unanimous decision over 12 rounds. He announced his retirement in November 2019. His final professional record was 27 wins, four losses, and two draws, with 12 knockouts. BoxingScene’s report on the Tanaka fight and coverage of his retirement document his final bouts and career end.
Sources
- World Boxing Association: Taguchi’s fight history
- BoxingScene: Kosei Tanaka vs. Ryoichi Taguchi
- Bad Left Hook: Taguchi’s retirement
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
