Kōji Kobayashi (boxer)

Kōji Kobayashi
Statistics
Real name Kōji Kobayashi
Rated at flyweight
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Nationality Japanese
Born 27 August 1957
Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan[2]
Stance southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights 31
Wins 24
Wins by KO 15
Losses 4
Draws 3

Kōji Kobayashi (小林 光二 Kobayashi Kōji, born August 27, 1957) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC flyweight champion. As of August, 2011, he is Japan's latest world champion who was certified by The Ring.

Early life

Kobayashi was poor at sports in his childhood. He was a slow runner, and lacked in arm strength.[1] He began boxing at Tanabe Boxing Gym while studying design at Tokyo Designer Gakuin College after graduating from high school, and transferred to Kadoebi Houseki Boxing Gym after a year.[3]

Professional career

Kobayashi made his professional debut with a third round knockout victory in December 1978. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, East Japan Rookie King Tournament in the flyweight division by knocking out the future Japanese featherweight champion Hiroyuki Kobayashi at the Korakuen Hall in December 1979. However, he was knocked out by Jirō Watanabe in the first round of the final match of All-Japan Rookie King Tournament at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in February 1980. He then had a fifteen-fight winning streak including ten knockouts over the former world ranked boxer Facomron Vibonchai, the national champions of Thailand, Philippines, Korea and others.[1][3]

On January 18, 1984, Kobayashi fought against Frank Cedeño for the WBC and The Ring flyweight titles at the Korakuen Hall. For that fight, Isamu Mitsuhira, the former trainer of Kyokutō Boxing Club to which Yoshiaki Numata belonged, served as his special coach.[4] Kobayashi, who appeared in the ring while listening to the music with the Walkman,[3][5] knocked out Cedeño flooring him four times with his left crosses and left hook in the second round to be crowned the new champion.[6][7]

In his first defense in April 1984, he was knocked out by the mandatory challenger[5] Gabriel Bernal in the second round at the Korakuen Hall.[8][9] Kobayashi moved up in weight division and was poised to be a two division champion, but lost to Kazuo Katsuma via a twelfth round stoppage in the WBC junior bantamweight title eliminator in March 1985.[1] He retired after a two-fight losing streak.[1]

Currently Kobayashi teaches sports as a civil servant in Katsushika.[1][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Shigeru Masuda (June 31, 1993). ボクシング写真画報. World Boxing (in Japanese) (Tokyo, Japan: Nippon Sports Publishing Co., Ltd.) (special issue): pp. 24–25. Check date values in: |date= (help); |chapter= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 295.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Naoki Fukuda (January 15, 2000). "小林光二〜衝撃的な王座奪取の下町のヒーロー〜". In Boxing Magazine editorial department. The Glorious Moments 究極の栄光・世界チャンピオン名鑑 – 日本ボクシング史に輝く41人の男たち. B.B.mook; 117, sports series; No.72 (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-4-583-61076-4.
  4. ↑ Seiichi Ashizawa (September 25, 2004). 酔いどれ芦沢記者の「想い出の名勝負」（63）鈴木正雄さん (in Japanese). boxing.jp. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Boxing Magazine editorial department, ed. (March 1, 2004). "小林光二". 日本プロボクシングチャンピオン大鑑 (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd. p. 27. ISBN 978-4-583-03784-4.
  6. ↑ UPI (January 18, 1984). "Cedeno loses title". Reading Eagle. p. 37. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  7. ↑ Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 103.
  8. ↑ "PP&T (People, places and things); Braves' Perez released from prison – Bernal wins". The Day. April 9, 1984. p. 27. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  9. ↑ Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 104.

Bibliography

External links

Preceded by
Frank Cedeno		 WBC flyweight Champion
The Ring Flyweight Champion
January 18, 1984 – April 9, 1984 		Succeeded by
Gabriel Bernal