Shuichi Hozumi: Japanese Two-Division Champion
Shuichi Hozumi was a Japanese professional boxer who held national titles at light-flyweight and flyweight. Born on December 8, 1959, in Gunma Prefecture, he boxed for Teiken Gym and competed professionally from 1977 to 1987. Hozumi finished with 29 wins, eight by knockout, and five losses. He challenged twice for a world title but did not win a world championship.
Boxing career and major results
Hozumi won the Japanese light-flyweight title in 1980, taking a decision over Masaharu Tomori. He later moved up to flyweight and won the Japanese title from Kazuyoshi Funaki in November 1982. Hozumi defended the flyweight belt six times before vacating it. The national titles and defenses formed the strongest part of his résumé, while two challenges against world champions brought him close to the sport’s top level.
His first world-title challenge came in May 1983 against WBA flyweight champion Santos Laciar. Laciar stopped Hozumi in the second round. Hozumi returned to domestic competition and continued defending his Japanese title before earning another chance against a world champion.
On April 7, 1986, Hozumi challenged WBA flyweight champion Hilario Zapata in Nirasaki, Japan. Zapata knocked him down in the thirteenth round and won the scheduled 15-round bout by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 145–140, 146–140 and 147–140 for Zapata. Hozumi remained competitive late, but the champion retained his title and handed him a second world-title defeat.
Hozumi boxed for about a decade and retired in 1987 after a loss in South Korea. He died on January 11, 2017, aged 57, according to the Japan Boxing Commission. The record of a 29–5 professional career, two Japanese championships and six flyweight title defenses gives a grounded picture of his achievements. His world-title bids against Laciar and Zapata are important parts of that record, but neither resulted in a world belt.
Sources
- Teiken Gym profile
- BoxRec professional record
- Japanese boxing record and title history
- Contemporary report on the Zapata fight
- Japan Boxing Commission 2017 report
Article Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
