Akihiko Honda
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
professional boxing
promoter
who was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
in 2008, and was also selected as an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
in 2009.
, Japan
, since 1965. Honda's motto "Pro Deo et Patria" implying "for God and Country" in Latin
phrase, is also that of Rikkyo University
(also known as St. Paul's University) which Teiken Boxing Gym's founder Sadayuki Ogino and Honda graduated from. At the age of twenty-two in 1970, Honda guided Masao Ōba to the world title, and later promoted the two of Mike Tyson
's fights in 1988 and 1990. He also realized the first world title tripleheader in Japan in 1998.
In 1990s, in addition to the world title fights of Genaro Hernández
, Jose Luis Bueno
, Eloy Rojas
et al., Honda staged the fights of Yūichi Kasai
(including his world title clash), Jōichirō Tatsuyoshi
et al. in the United States
. Honda who was asked what to do to improve Japan's professional boxing in 1999, responded as follows. "First and foremost, making good boxers. Good cards are unable to be made without them. Raising awareness to consider boxing as an intellectual sport and to evaluate the technical aspects. Educating trainers. Creating an environment where boxers' efforts will be rewarded. Official announcements of the match fees for that. In addition, increasing the value of the Japanese titles."
(since 1990s), Edwin Valero
et al. in 2000s. In July 2007, he sent Jorge Linares
to Las Vegas, Nevada
, to successfully fight for and win his first world title. He became the Japan's eighth world champion to be crowned across the sea. In April 2010, Honda arranged the de-facto unification match Hozumi Hasegawa
vs. Fernando Montiel
. At that time, Montiel's WBO
title was not at stake under the policies of the Japan Boxing Commission. Hasegawa had wished to move to the featherweight
division from more than two months ago, but he asked Honda to negotiate saying that he wanted to fight against Montiel even if his match fee would decline (Honda actually did not do it though). The Japan's oldest surviving boxing journal Boxing Magazine placed that fight as the best card in Japan's boxing history as of April 2010. Montiel received the second highest purse following Mike Tyson among the world champions fought in Japan.
Honda-promoted Akifumi Shimoda
who was the tenth Japanese boxer to risk his world championship belt outside of Japan, lost his world title at the Boardwalk Hall
in Atlantic City in July 2011. Then Honda promoted the world title doubleheader headlined by Toshiaki Nishioka
vs. Rafael Márquez
at the MGM Grand
Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas in association with Top Rank
and Zanfer Promotions, in October 2011. Román González
promoted by Honda also made his United States debut on that card aired live on Fox Sports Net
/Deportes, Japan's WOWOW
, and Mexico
's TV Azteca
. The realization of that card owes much to a trust relationship with Bob Arum
, the support of WOWOW which celebrated the twentieth anniversary at that time, and the popularity of Márquez. Nishioka's defense in the United States
was planned from around 2009. Although Japan's professional boxing has some negative background, that was an aggressive overseas expansion in order to get higher status as a world champion. Honda made Nishioka the first Japanese boxer who defended the world title in the United States. That victory broke the sense of stagnation of Japan's professional boxing and gave it a hope.
In addition to above mentioned Ōba, Nishioka and Linares, Honda has so far promoted Jirō Watanabe
(Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym), Tsuyoshi Hamada
, Genaro Hernandez
, Eloy Rojas
, Edwin Valero
, Jorge Linares
, Román González et al. He currently manages Jorge Linares, Toshiaki Nishioka, Takahiro Aō, Akifumi Shimoda
, Shinsuke Yamanaka
et al. His long-time ambition is to promote mega-fights in the United States, and he also desires to bring up successful boxers who are able to be elected to the Hall of Fame, as a man who works backstage.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
who was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
World Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
in 2008, and was also selected as an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
in 2009.
1965 to 1990s
Honda has served as the president of the Teiken Promotions and Teiken Boxing Gym in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, since 1965. Honda's motto "Pro Deo et Patria" implying "for God and Country" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase, is also that of Rikkyo University
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, based on Christian precepts, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama.It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto -History:...
(also known as St. Paul's University) which Teiken Boxing Gym's founder Sadayuki Ogino and Honda graduated from. At the age of twenty-two in 1970, Honda guided Masao Ōba to the world title, and later promoted the two of Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
's fights in 1988 and 1990. He also realized the first world title tripleheader in Japan in 1998.
In 1990s, in addition to the world title fights of Genaro Hernández
Genaro Hernandez
Genaro Hernández was a Mexican-American boxer from South Central Los Angeles. Hernández was the former WBC, WBA, & Lineal super featherweight champion.-Pro career:...
, Jose Luis Bueno
Jose Luis Bueno
José Luis Bueno , is a retired Mexican professional boxer and former WBC Super Flyweight Champion. Bueno is also the trainer of current WBC Light Flyweight Champion, Adrián Hernández....
, Eloy Rojas
Eloy Rojas
Eloy David Rojas Leandro was a professional boxer in the Featherweight division.Rojas turned pro in 1986 and won the Lineal & WBA Featherweight Titles in 1993 by defeating Yong-Kyun Park by decision. He defended the titles six times before losing them to Wilfredo Vazquez in 1996 via TKO in a...
et al., Honda staged the fights of Yūichi Kasai
Yūichi Kasai
is a Japanese boxing trainer and a former three-time world title challenger in the junior featherweight division.Kasai was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and began boxing at the age of a high school student. He won the Japan's inter-high school championship in the bantamweight...
(including his world title clash), Jōichirō Tatsuyoshi
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
is a former World Boxing Council world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 19–6–1 .He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, and has appeared in several television variety shows....
et al. in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Honda who was asked what to do to improve Japan's professional boxing in 1999, responded as follows. "First and foremost, making good boxers. Good cards are unable to be made without them. Raising awareness to consider boxing as an intellectual sport and to evaluate the technical aspects. Educating trainers. Creating an environment where boxers' efforts will be rewarded. Official announcements of the match fees for that. In addition, increasing the value of the Japanese titles."
2000s to 2010s
While making contributions to those "what to do" over years, Honda worked on the world title fights of Cesar BazanCesar Bazan
César Bazán Pérez is a former professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division and is the former WBC Lightweight Champion.-Professional career:...
(since 1990s), Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero was a Venezuelan professional boxer. He was born in Bolero Alto, and raised in El Vigía ....
et al. in 2000s. In July 2007, he sent Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares is a professional boxer from Venezuela. He is a former WBC featherweight champion and former WBA super featherweight champion. Linares is currently living in Tokyo, Japan. Jorge's older brother is boxer Nelson Linares.- Amateur career :Linares compiled an Amateur record of 89-5...
to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, to successfully fight for and win his first world title. He became the Japan's eighth world champion to be crowned across the sea. In April 2010, Honda arranged the de-facto unification match Hozumi Hasegawa
Hozumi Hasegawa
is a professional boxer and a former WBC world bantamweight champion and former WBC world Featherweight champion. He received consecutive MVP awards from the Japanese Boxing Commission in 2005 and 2006 for his title defenses, and is the only Japanese boxer to have defended a world bantamweight...
vs. Fernando Montiel
Fernando Montiel
Fernando Montiel Martínez is a Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Fernando is a former WBO Flyweight, WBO Super Flyweight and WBO and WBC Bantamweight champion.-Early life:...
. At that time, Montiel's WBO
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
title was not at stake under the policies of the Japan Boxing Commission. Hasegawa had wished to move to the featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
division from more than two months ago, but he asked Honda to negotiate saying that he wanted to fight against Montiel even if his match fee would decline (Honda actually did not do it though). The Japan's oldest surviving boxing journal Boxing Magazine placed that fight as the best card in Japan's boxing history as of April 2010. Montiel received the second highest purse following Mike Tyson among the world champions fought in Japan.
Honda-promoted Akifumi Shimoda
Akifumi Shimoda
is a super bantamweight boxer from Japan and the former world champion of WBA at Super bantamweight. He was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, grew up in Kure city, and currently lives in Tokyo...
who was the tenth Japanese boxer to risk his world championship belt outside of Japan, lost his world title at the Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
in Atlantic City in July 2011. Then Honda promoted the world title doubleheader headlined by Toshiaki Nishioka
Toshiaki Nishioka
is a Japanese professional boxer who is the current WBC super bantamweight champion. Nishioka is currently ranked as the #1 super bantamweight in the world by The Ring and ESPN. Unlike most other Japan's world champions, Nishioka has been willing to fight outside of his own country.- 1976 to 1990s...
vs. Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez (boxer)
Rafael Márquez Méndez is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former world champion at the IBF / IBO Bantamweight and WBC Super Bantamweight divisions....
at the MGM Grand
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas in association with Top Rank
Top Rank
Top Rank may refer to:*Top Rank, Las Vegas based boxing promotion company formed in 1973* Top Rank Records, 1950s subsidiary record label of the Rank Organisation, British company which ran from 1937 to 1996...
and Zanfer Promotions, in October 2011. Román González
Román González (boxer)
Román Alberto González Luna is a Nicaraguan professional boxer who is the current WBA light flyweight champion and is the former WBA minimumweight champion.-Career:...
promoted by Honda also made his United States debut on that card aired live on Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
/Deportes, Japan's WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's TV Azteca
TV Azteca
Azteca, is the second largest Mexican television entertainment. It was established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión , a holding of the national TV networks channel 13 and 7 and was privatized under its current name in 1993 and now is part of Grupo Salinas...
. The realization of that card owes much to a trust relationship with Bob Arum
Bob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
, the support of WOWOW which celebrated the twentieth anniversary at that time, and the popularity of Márquez. Nishioka's defense in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was planned from around 2009. Although Japan's professional boxing has some negative background, that was an aggressive overseas expansion in order to get higher status as a world champion. Honda made Nishioka the first Japanese boxer who defended the world title in the United States. That victory broke the sense of stagnation of Japan's professional boxing and gave it a hope.
In addition to above mentioned Ōba, Nishioka and Linares, Honda has so far promoted Jirō Watanabe
Jiro Watanabe
is a Japanese former boxerWatanabe, who fought only in Japan and South Korea, was one of the first World Super flyweight champions, as the division was relatively new when he was crowned.-Biography:...
(Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym), Tsuyoshi Hamada
Tsuyoshi Hamada
is a retired Japanese professional boxer who is a former WBC world junior welterweight champion.Hamada was born in Nakagusuku, Okinawa, and began boxing at the age of fifteen. He won the Japan's inter-high school championship in the featherweight division in 1978. He had an amateur record of 37–6...
, Genaro Hernandez
Genaro Hernandez
Genaro Hernández was a Mexican-American boxer from South Central Los Angeles. Hernández was the former WBC, WBA, & Lineal super featherweight champion.-Pro career:...
, Eloy Rojas
Eloy Rojas
Eloy David Rojas Leandro was a professional boxer in the Featherweight division.Rojas turned pro in 1986 and won the Lineal & WBA Featherweight Titles in 1993 by defeating Yong-Kyun Park by decision. He defended the titles six times before losing them to Wilfredo Vazquez in 1996 via TKO in a...
, Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero was a Venezuelan professional boxer. He was born in Bolero Alto, and raised in El Vigía ....
, Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares is a professional boxer from Venezuela. He is a former WBC featherweight champion and former WBA super featherweight champion. Linares is currently living in Tokyo, Japan. Jorge's older brother is boxer Nelson Linares.- Amateur career :Linares compiled an Amateur record of 89-5...
, Román González et al. He currently manages Jorge Linares, Toshiaki Nishioka, Takahiro Aō, Akifumi Shimoda
Akifumi Shimoda
is a super bantamweight boxer from Japan and the former world champion of WBA at Super bantamweight. He was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, grew up in Kure city, and currently lives in Tokyo...
, Shinsuke Yamanaka
Shinsuke Yamanaka
is a Japanese professional boxer who is the current WBC bantamweight champion.Yaegashi captured the vacant WBC bantamweight title in his first world title shot against Mexico's Christian Esquivel via an eleventh round technical knockout after knocking him down in the sixth and eleventh rounds at...
et al. His long-time ambition is to promote mega-fights in the United States, and he also desires to bring up successful boxers who are able to be elected to the Hall of Fame, as a man who works backstage.