Tragedy in boxing. Japanese fighter Shigetoshi Kotari dies after suffering injury in the ring
Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari has died at the age of 28 from a severe traumatic brain injury sustained during his August 2 bout against Yamato Hata, WBN reports.
The athlete lost consciousness immediately after the final bell of the 12th round. He was urgently hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery due to a subdural hematoma—a brain hemorrhage. Despite doctors' efforts, Kotari never regained consciousness and passed away several days later.
Kotari competed in the super featherweight division, making his professional debut in October 2019. He managed to fight 12 bouts (8 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws, with 5 of those wins coming by knockout). In the showdown with Hata, he was battling for the OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) championship title. The fight ended in a draw by judges' decision (115–113 Hata, 114–114, and 113–115 Kotari).
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
