Takuya Kogawa Built Two Japanese Title Reigns Around World
Takuya Kogawa retired from professional boxing in March 2023 after winning the Japanese flyweight championship twice. His career also included an OPBF super flyweight title and challenges for WBC and interim WBA world honors.
Regional champion and world contender
Kogawa turned professional in 2005 and won the OPBF championship in 2010. He challenged Pongsaklek Wonjongkam for the WBC flyweight title in 2011 before becoming Japanese flyweight champion the following year.
Three successful national defenses followed. In 2014, he challenged Sirichai Thaiyen, also known as Yodmongkol CP Freshmart, for the interim WBA flyweight championship and lost by majority decision.
The second reign and retirement
Kogawa regained the Japanese championship in 2015 and made four defenses before losing the belt in 2017. He later challenged Seigo “Yuri” Akui in February 2022, losing a ten-round decision.
A technical knockout defeat to Isao Aoyama in November 2022 became his final bout. Kogawa filed his retirement with the Japan Boxing Commission on March 3, 2023, finishing with thirty-two wins, eight defeats and one draw, including fourteen knockout victories.
His later regional challenge against Jayr Raquinel ended in an eighth-round stoppage defeat at Korakuen Hall in August 2019. He subsequently defeated Hayato Yamaguchi in October 2020 and Shun Kosaka in March 2021 before returning to Japanese championship contention.
Sources
- Boxing News: Kogawa’s retirement, two Japanese reigns and final career record
- Philippine News Agency: Raquinel’s title defense against Kogawa
- Fighters Rec: Kogawa’s Yamaguchi and Kosaka victories
