Joichiro Tatsuyoshi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joichiro Tatsuyoshi |
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Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, in 2015
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | 辰吉丈一郎 |
| Nickname(s) | Naniwa no Joe |
| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Reach | 65 in |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | May 15, 1970 Kurashiki, Japan |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 28 |
| Wins | 20 |
| Wins by KO | 14 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (辰吉丈一郎, Tatsuyoshi Jōichirō, born May 15, 1970) is a famous former professional boxer from Kurashiki, Japan. He was once the World Boxing Council (WBC) world bantamweight champion. People know him for his exciting fighting style and his unique personality. He even appeared on TV shows!
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi is named after Joe Yabuki, a character from a popular boxing anime called Ashita no Joe (which means Tomorrow's Joe). It's a cool coincidence that he fought in the same weight class (bantamweight) as the character he was named after. He has a long reach for his height and often keeps his hands lower than most boxers, in front of his chest, which is very unusual.
Contents
Early Life and Boxing Start
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi's dad loved boxing and started training him when he was very young. After finishing middle school, Joichiro moved to Osaka to train more seriously. He worked part-time in restaurants to support himself while chasing his dream.
When he was just 17, Tatsuyoshi won the Japanese amateur bantamweight championship. This made him a possible candidate for the Seoul Olympics. A local newspaper even wrote about him, calling him one of Japan's best young boxers. His amateur record was impressive, with 18 wins and only 1 loss.
Becoming a World Champion
Tatsuyoshi became a professional boxer in 1989. He quickly won the Japanese Bantamweight title in only his fourth pro fight. In 1991, he won the WBC World Bantamweight Title in his eighth professional fight. This was super fast for a Japanese boxer! Only Nobuo Nashiro later tied this record in 2006.
However, after winning the title, doctors found that Tatsuyoshi had an eye injury. This meant he had to take a break and recover.
Challenges and Comebacks
Almost a year after winning his title, Tatsuyoshi fought Victor Rabanales. Rabanales had become the WBC Interim Champion while Tatsuyoshi was recovering. Tatsuyoshi lost this fight, but he was determined to get revenge. He fought Rabanales again in July 1993 and won the WBC World Bantamweight Interim Title back.
Later that year, he faced another eye injury, which almost made him stop boxing forever. But Tatsuyoshi didn't give up! He made an amazing comeback in July 1994 in Hawaii, winning his fight by knockout. The WBC then gave him back his interim title.
In December 1994, Tatsuyoshi had a big fight against fellow Japanese boxer Yasuei Yakushiji for the WBC Bantamweight Championship. Everyone thought Tatsuyoshi would win, but he lost the fight.
Reclaiming the Title
Tatsuyoshi tried to win the WBC Super Bantamweight title twice in 1996 and 1997, but he lost both times. Many people started to think he couldn't fight at the world level anymore. But in November 1997, he challenged the undefeated WBC Bantamweight Champion Sirimongkol Singwangcha. Tatsuyoshi said he would retire if he didn't win. Against all odds, he won the fight and became world champion again after three years!
He defended his title two times before losing it to Veeraphol Sahaprom in December 1998. He challenged Sahaprom again in 1999 but lost. After this, he said he would retire. But he changed his mind soon after and started training again. He made a comeback fight in December 2002 and won! He won again in September 2003, but then another injury, this time to his left knee, caused him to take another break.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 28 fights | 20 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 14 | 5 |
| By decision | 6 | 2 |
| Draws | 1 | |
Life Outside the Ring
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi shared that he was bullied when he was a young child. He found strength through boxing and learned to stand up for himself. He says he never used his fists in street fights because he didn't want to seriously hurt anyone. Instead, he used open-handed slaps and elbows. Because of his own experiences, Tatsuyoshi has appeared in public messages to speak out against bullying.
He is known for training incredibly hard. His dedication was so strong that other trainers would sometimes keep their young boxers away from him. Not because he would hurt them, but because they might get discouraged seeing how much time Tatsuyoshi spent training!
After one amateur fight, he left his gym for a while and had a tough time. He met his wife during this period, and he says she gave him the strength to return to boxing.
Tatsuyoshi is also friends with famous people like comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto and baseball star Ichiro Suzuki. He has also appeared many times in the popular Japanese boxing manga Hajime no Ippo.
Later Career and Retirement
As Tatsuyoshi got older, he had several serious injuries. Because of this, it became hard for him to fight in Japan. In 2008, he went to Thailand to continue his boxing career there. He still trains with his son, Jukiya, who hopes to become a professional boxer just like his dad.
See also
- List of bantamweight boxing champions
- List of Japanese boxing world champions
- Boxing in Japan
