The world of manga mourns the loss of Akira Toriyama, the creative force behind the legendary Dragon Ball series. Toriyama, 68, passed away on Friday after suffering an acute subdural hematoma. Dragon Ball, a global phenomenon, transcended its comic book origins to become a sprawling franchise encompassing cartoons, films, and a massive fanbase.

His Shonen series has found immense popularity over the years, and has affected a lot of boxers of this age and era. So much so that the many big names of the boxing community like Terence Crawford, Shakur Stevenson and Rolly Romero came together to mourn the death of the legendary artist. Furthermore, let’s look at the legacy of the mangaka.

The legacy that lives on forever

Though Dragon Ball secured his place in manga history, Toriyama’s artistic journey began with the wacky and hilarious series ‘Dr. Slump’ (1980-1984). This early success served as a springboard for Dragon Ball, a series that captivated audiences with its high-octane fight scenes, unforgettable characters, and expansive universe.

Beyond Dragon Ball, Toriyama exhibited his artistic versatility through character design work on popular video games like ‘Dragon Quest’ and ‘Chrono Trigger’. However, the world of Dragon Ball seemed to hold a special place in his creative heart. Even after the series’ initial run, Toriyama remained actively involved in its expansion. He poured his creative energy into the recent film ‘Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’, contributing to the story, screenplay, and character design.

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Toriyama’s passing leaves a void in the manga industry, but his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of artists and storytellers. With ‘Dragon Ball DAIMA’ anime series on the horizon and ‘Sand Land’ slated for release on Hulu this year, fans can still look forward to experiencing new stories by Toriyama. Now the boxers have come together to pay their tributes to the legend.

Akira Toriyama inspires pugilists in more ways than one

KSI instantly turned towards the X app to show his appreciation for the life of Toriyama. He stated that he’s grown up watching his characters and it’s a great loss for him to see him leave this planet.

Another boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. was in denial about the situation, as they reposted the news on his X account.

Shakur Stevenson also paid his respect to the legend, through an Instagram story, as he posted an emoji of joined hands and a sad face further showcasing his sadness about the situation.

Terence Crawford mourned the loss of Toriyama as well, on his Instagram story. He wrote the concerning words ‘RIP.’

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Rolly Romero also pitched in to voice his sadness. He stated that the news is quite agonizing and stated it’s “heart breaking.”

What are your favorite memories of Toriyama’s work? Let us know in the comments section down below.

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