Kenji Yonekura
Encyclopedia
is a retired Japan
ese boxer
who competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games in the flyweight
division, and is a former two-time world title challenger in the flyweight and bantamweight
divisions. Currently he is the president of Yonekura Boxing Gym.
' boxing fights in Itazuke Air Base
, that was his first encounter with boxing. Yonekura began boxing at the age of a high school student. He was training and sparring with Yoshio Shirai
under Alvin Rober Cahn's guidance.
Yonekura won the All-Japan Amateur Boxing Championships in the flyweight division in 1956, and represented Japan at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
, while studying at Meiji University
. He won on points over Phachon Muangson in the second round match, and lost on points to René Libeer
in the quarterfinals. He also participated in the Seattle Golden Gloves in 1957, and compiled an amateur record of 71–7 (19 KOs) before turning professional.
's public relations manager. He was awarded with Japan's Fight of the Year and Technical Award in his debut year. His ring name
was changed into 米倉 健志, pronounced the same, during his professional career. He captured the vacant Japanese flyweight title in January 1959.
His first world title shot against Pascual Pérez in the flyweight
division, which was postponed three days due to rain, ended in a unanimous decision loss after being knocked down in the second round, in front of 9,000 spectators at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
in August 1959. However, as Yonekura had been highly expected to be the winner of it as a former Olympian, its audience rating was 88.0 percent. Yonekura was featured on the front covers of not only boxing-related such as (Japan's) Boxing Gazette, Puroresu & Boxing and Weekly Sports: Fight, but also various magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Magazine
, Weekly Yomiuri Sports, Weekly Sankei Sports and Olympic Gahō, as a handsome superstar
.
Yonekura moved up in weight division to capture the OPBF
bantamweight
title in January 1960. In his second world title shot in the bantamweight division in May of that year, he lost to José Becerra
via a split decision
while being watched by 17,000 spectators at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium
. From 1960 through 1961, he made an expedition to Mexico
and fought four times in Tijuana
and Mexico City
, but was defeated in all those fights. After defending the OPBF title four times, he lost on points in his fifth defense in October 1962, and hung up his gloves.
in 1963, and acts as its president, promoter, manager, and trainer. He also served as the president of Japan Pro Boxing Associations (JPBA) for three years from 1986 to 1989. Yonekura Boxing Gym has so far brought up fifty champions including five world champions i.e. Kuniaki Shibata
, Guts Ishimatsu
, Shigeo Nakajima
, Hideyuki Ohashi
and Hiroshi Kawashima
. The gym has provided a boxing television program Excite Boxing under the auspices of the TV Asahi
on sky-A sports+ etc. In March 1995, Yonekura received the Distinguished Service Award in Sports from the education minister at the time, Kaoru Yosano
.
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...
ese boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games in the flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
division, and is a former two-time world title challenger in the flyweight and bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
divisions. Currently he is the president of Yonekura Boxing Gym.
Amateur career
Yonekura saw the United States Armed ForcesUnited States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
' boxing fights in Itazuke Air Base
Fukuoka Airport
, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan. It is officially designated a second class airport. It is operating at full capacity, and cannot be further expanded. Flights stop at 10 p.m...
, that was his first encounter with boxing. Yonekura began boxing at the age of a high school student. He was training and sparring with Yoshio Shirai
Yoshio Shirai
Yoshio Shirai was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He won the world flyweight title in 1952, becoming the first Japanese boxer to win a world title.- Childhood and Early Career :...
under Alvin Rober Cahn's guidance.
Yonekura won the All-Japan Amateur Boxing Championships in the flyweight division in 1956, and represented Japan at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, while studying at Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
. He won on points over Phachon Muangson in the second round match, and lost on points to René Libeer
René Libeer
René Libeer is a former boxer from France, who won a bronze medal in the flyweight division at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia...
in the quarterfinals. He also participated in the Seattle Golden Gloves in 1957, and compiled an amateur record of 71–7 (19 KOs) before turning professional.
Professional career
Yonekura made his professional debut under his real name Kenji Yonekura, written as 米倉 健治, in an eight-round bout in June 1958. Before his official debut, he made an exhibition match against the Japanese flyweight champion Sadao Yaoita as a welcome bout for the NBAWBA
WBA is a three-letter abbreviation which may refer to:*WBA is the ICAO airline code for Finnish Commuter Airlines*Warner Bros. Animation*West Bromwich Albion F.C., an English professional football team...
's public relations manager. He was awarded with Japan's Fight of the Year and Technical Award in his debut year. His ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
was changed into 米倉 健志, pronounced the same, during his professional career. He captured the vacant Japanese flyweight title in January 1959.
His first world title shot against Pascual Pérez in the flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
division, which was postponed three days due to rain, ended in a unanimous decision loss after being knocked down in the second round, in front of 9,000 spectators at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
is a world-class sporting complex in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1954 for the World Wrestling Championship, it was also used as the venue for gymnastics events at the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in August 1959. However, as Yonekura had been highly expected to be the winner of it as a former Olympian, its audience rating was 88.0 percent. Yonekura was featured on the front covers of not only boxing-related such as (Japan's) Boxing Gazette, Puroresu & Boxing and Weekly Sports: Fight, but also various magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Magazine
Weekly Shonen Magazine
, also known as Shōnen Magazine, is a shōnen manga magazine published by Kodansha, first published on 17 March 1959. Despite some unusual censorship policies , it's mainly read by an older audience, with a large portion of its readership falling under the male high school or college...
, Weekly Yomiuri Sports, Weekly Sankei Sports and Olympic Gahō, as a handsome superstar
Superstar
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.Superstar or superstars may also refer to:-People:* Warhol Superstar, associates of Andy Warhol* WWE Superstar, the term used to refer to entertainers from the WWE...
.
Yonekura moved up in weight division to capture the OPBF
Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region.-History:The OPBF was formed in 1954 by the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino boxing commissions...
bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
title in January 1960. In his second world title shot in the bantamweight division in May of that year, he lost to José Becerra
Jose Becerra
Jesus "Hit man" Becerra is a retired Mexican boxer. He became world champion in the bantamweight division.-Early life:...
via a split decision
Split decision
A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...
while being watched by 17,000 spectators at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium
Korakuen Stadium
was a stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1937, it was primarily used for baseball and was home to the Yomiuri Giants until 1988 when they moved next door, to the Tokyo Dome, which sits on the site of the Velodrome. The ballpark had a capacity of 50,000 people. In 1942 Korakuen Stadium played...
. From 1960 through 1961, he made an expedition to 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...
and fought four times in Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, but was defeated in all those fights. After defending the OPBF title four times, he lost on points in his fifth defense in October 1962, and hung up his gloves.
Recent activities
After his retirement as a boxer, he opened Yonekura 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...
in 1963, and acts as its president, promoter, manager, and trainer. He also served as the president of Japan Pro Boxing Associations (JPBA) for three years from 1986 to 1989. Yonekura Boxing Gym has so far brought up fifty champions including five world champions i.e. Kuniaki Shibata
Kuniaki Shibata
Kuniaki Shibata is a former Japanese professional boxer. He is a former WBC and WBA super featherweight champion.- Biography :...
, Guts Ishimatsu
Guts Ishimatsu
is a former boxing world champion from Kanumashi, Japan. After retiring from boxing, he has gained popularity as an actor and comedian.As a boxer, he was known for his unpredictable style, sometimes marking completely unpredicted victories, and often losing in extravagant fashion as well...
, Shigeo Nakajima
Shigeo Nakajima
is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBC junior flyweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Komazawa University.Nakajima began boxing at Yonekura Boxing Gym at the age of a high school student...
, Hideyuki Ohashi
Hideyuki Ohashi
Hideyuki Ohashi is a former professional boxer and two-time minimumweight world champion.- Professional career :...
and Hiroshi Kawashima
Hiroshi Kawashima
Hiroshi Kawashima is a former professional boxer. He defended the WBC super flyweight title six times.- Childhood and Early Career :Kawashima began boxing from an early age under the guidance of his father...
. The gym has provided a boxing television program Excite Boxing under the auspices of the TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
on sky-A sports+ etc. In March 1995, Yonekura received the Distinguished Service Award in Sports from the education minister at the time, Kaoru Yosano
Kaoru Yosano
is a Japanese politician. He was a member of Liberal Democratic Party , the Sunrise Party of Japan and former member of the House of Representatives, serving his ninth term in the Lower House representing Tokyo's first electoral district until his defeat in the Japanese general election, 2009...
.