Boxing’s grim start to 2025 deepened in August, as two fighters from the same Tokyo event lost their lives just days apart. On Friday, the WBO confirmed the passing of Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari, who sustained a fatal injury during his August 2 bout against Yamato Hata. Kotari was knocked out and rushed to the hospital under the supervision of the Japanese Boxing Commission, where he underwent emergency craniotomy surgery for a subdural hematoma. He died six days later.

In a chilling parallel, Hiromasa Urakawa—also fighting on that same Korakuen Hall card—has now met the same fate. Urakawa suffered a brain injury following an eighth-round knockout loss to Yoji Saito on August 2 and underwent emergency craniotomy surgery before succumbing on Saturday, Ring Magazine reported. In the wake of Kotari’s death, the JBC moved swiftly to amend its rules, reducing all OPBF title bouts from 12 rounds to 10 in an effort to lower the risk of severe injury. Regardless, the night of August 2nd will be remembered as one of the darkest in boxing history.

Parallels in life and death

“The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Hiromasa Urakawa,” wrote the boxing-first magazine in a post on Instagram, announcing Urakawa’s passing. “Urakawa, 28, died Saturday from a brain injury he suffered during a stoppage loss on Aug 2nd in Tokyo. Our sympathies are with the Urakawa family at this time.” Urakawa was coming off a split decision loss to Yudai Murakami late last year, but the fight before that carried an eerie foreshadowing. 

On April 30, 2024, he faced Shigetoshi Kotari, winning via sixth-round stoppage. Who could have predicted that one year later, both men would appear on the same card, suffer the same fatal injury, and pass away within days of each other? Both were 28 years old, their careers and fates bound by tragic parallels. Urakawa’s professional record stood at 10 wins and 4 losses, with 7 victories by knockout. 

He began his pro career in March 2018, opening with a three-fight win streak. His first career setback came against Shinnosuke Saito in July 2019, just over a year into his journey. He rebounded with six consecutive wins before dropping a unanimous decision to Hironori Mishiro in November 2023. That bout came after his win over Kotari and preceded his losses to Murakami and, ultimately, his final fight. 

Strikingly, like Kotari, Urakawa also trained at M.T. Gym. With similarities such as these, fans quickly expressed their concerns over the boxing event in Japan’s Korakuen Hall.

Fan urges testing for every boxer on the card

Hearing about death in such a tragic setting is never easy, but when two occur on the same night with eerie parallels, it’s no surprise that fans grew suspicious. One user asked officials to test every fighter on the card for PEDs. “Y’all might wanna test every fighter from the August 2nd event. RIP,” the user commented. However, fighters undergo regular testing for months leading up to the bout.

The next user compared both boxers to gladiators, while paying respect. “Two deaths in the same event, heartbreaking. Boxing is a gladiator sport; rest in peace to both men,” the user wrote. Over the years, the sport has mourned the loss of countless talented fighters to its inherent dangers. While safety reforms have brought improvements, the risk of tragedy can never be entirely eliminated.

Another user felt helpless by the losses 2025 has brought with it. “We just keep losing fellas. What is going on this year?” the user wrote. While death is an inevitable part of every year, 2025 has been particularly cruel for fighters and celebrities alike.

Someone else demanded an investigation into the matter. “R.I.P. yeah, you guys need to launch an investigation,” the user wrote. Only time will tell whether anyone is held responsible for the two deaths. 

Meanwhile, this user could not come to terms with the two deaths from the same event. “This is already the second boxer, and from the same day?” Hopefully, JCB’s change in rule will prevent such deaths from happening in the future. 

The deaths of Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa have shaken the boxing world to its core—not only because 2025 has already been a tragic year for the sport, but also due to the eerie circumstances surrounding their passing. While no malpractice has been suspected, further revelations may shed more light on the incident. What are your thoughts on the matter?