Tsuyoshi Hamada
Encyclopedia
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 (28 KOs). Having turned professional in 1979, he made his debut under his real name Tsuyoshi Hamada, written as 浜田 剛, in Tokyo
on May 21. His ring name
was changed into 浜田 剛史, pronounced the same, in 1983.
Hamada fractured his left hand four times since 1981, and received bone grafting
twice. Then, he was not able to fight for two years. Hanging his left arm with a triangular bandage
, he hit a punching bag
only with his right fist. In 1984, after two away matches in Los Angeles
, Hamada fought against the former WBA
world lightweight
champion Claude Noel
to knock him out in the fourth round at the Korakuen Hall
on September 9. He gained the Japanese lightweight title on December 2 of that year. In 1985, after setting a Japanese record of fifteen consecutive knockout wins, he also captured the OPBF
lightweight title in Naha, Okinawa
, in the next fight on July 7. However, as he had damaged the meniscus
of his right knee before that match, his boxing career was interrupted again. Originally Hamada excelled in the left cross
, but during a long period that he underwent medical treatment for his fist injury, he intensively practiced the right hook
which brought him a championship belt
.
On July 24, 1986, Hamada moved up in weight division and knocked out Rene Arredondo
who exceeded him four inches respectively in height and reach, in the first round to gain the WBC world junior welterweight title. In his first defense on December 2 of that year, he beat Ronnie Shields
who had 270 amateur fights including a victory over Thomas Hearns
, by a split decision. On July 22, 1987, he rematched Arredondo in his second defense where he lost the title via a sixth round technical knockout. Those three world title matches were all held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan
in Tokyo, and one million spectators attended each of them. He aimed at the recapture of the title, but opted for the retirement, because his right knee injury did not recover and because Arredondo had been no longer a champion after the failure of his first defense.
The following anecdote shows the strength of his intention. Three months before the fight for the world title in 1986, a meniscus injury
which requires a surgery was discovered as a result of the arthroscopy
of his right knee. Although Hamada was aware that the anesthetic effect would not persist, he asked a doctor to do it immediately and had surgery without complaining of a pain. As of twenty years after retirement, his knee still aches. Hamada says with smile "my body is always painful. I recognize being painful is my body, so I am all right".
Currently Hamada is a commentator of the boxing broadcast on Nippon Television
and WOWOW
. He monthly writes a review which analyzes the world's leading boxers for the Japanese boxing magazine Boxing Beat, and is also the representative director of the company that manufactures and sells health foods and supplements. Since March 14, 2007, he is the representative of the Teiken Promotions that is a relevant organization to the Teiken Boxing Gym
to which he had belonged during his career as a 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 is a former WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
world junior welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
champion.
Hamada was born in Nakagusuku, Okinawa
Nakagusuku, Okinawa
is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2008, the village has an estimated population of 16,462 and a density of 1,065 persons per km². The total area is 15.46 km²....
, and began boxing at the age of fifteen. He won the Japan's inter-high school championship in 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 in 1978. He had an amateur record of 37–6 (28 KOs). Having turned professional in 1979, he made his debut under his real name Tsuyoshi Hamada, written as 浜田 剛, in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; 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...
on May 21. 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 浜田 剛史, pronounced the same, in 1983.
Hamada fractured his left hand four times since 1981, and received bone grafting
Bone grafting
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replaces missing bone in order to repair bone fractures that are extremely complex, pose a significant health risk to the patient, or fail to heal properly....
twice. Then, he was not able to fight for two years. Hanging his left arm with a triangular bandage
Bandage
A bandage is a piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to provide support to the body; they can also be used to restrict a part of the body. During heavy bleeding or following a poisonous bite it is important to slow the flow of blood,...
, he hit a punching bag
Punching bag
A punching bag or punch-bag is a sturdy bag designed to be repeatedly punched. It's used for conditioning, physical exercise, and stress relief...
only with his right fist. In 1984, after two away matches in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Hamada fought against the former WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
world lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
champion Claude Noel
Claude Noel (boxer)
Claude Noel is a former Tobagonian professional boxer. During his career, which spanned from 1973 to 1984, Noel held the WBA World Lightweight title and the Commonwealth Lightweight title....
to knock him out in the fourth round at the Korakuen Hall
Korakuen Hall
is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...
on September 9. He gained the Japanese lightweight title on December 2 of that year. In 1985, after setting a Japanese record of fifteen consecutive knockout wins, he also captured 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...
lightweight title in Naha, Okinawa
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
, in the next fight on July 7. However, as he had damaged the meniscus
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
of his right knee before that match, his boxing career was interrupted again. Originally Hamada excelled in the left cross
Cross (boxing)
In boxing, a cross is a power-punch like the uppercut and hook. Compubox, a computerized punch scoring system, counts the cross as a power-punch....
, but during a long period that he underwent medical treatment for his fist injury, he intensively practiced the right hook
Hook (boxing)
A hook is a punch in boxing. It is performed by turning the core muscles and back, thereby swinging the arm, which is bent at an angle near or at 90 degrees, in a horizontal arc into the opponent...
which brought him a championship belt
Championship belt
A championship belt is a large, extravagantly designed belt used primarily in combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like a cup or trophy in other sports...
.
On July 24, 1986, Hamada moved up in weight division and knocked out Rene Arredondo
Rene Arredondo
Rene Arredondo was a Mexican professional boxer. He competed in the welterweight division.-Personal life:...
who exceeded him four inches respectively in height and reach, in the first round to gain the WBC world junior welterweight title. In his first defense on December 2 of that year, he beat Ronnie Shields
Ronnie Shields
Ronnie Shields was a professional boxer in the Featherweight division and is currently a boxing trainer.-Amateur career:...
who had 270 amateur fights including a victory over Thomas Hearns
Thomas Hearns
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
, by a split decision. On July 22, 1987, he rematched Arredondo in his second defense where he lost the title via a sixth round technical knockout. Those three world title matches were all held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Ryogoku Kokugikan
, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
in Tokyo, and one million spectators attended each of them. He aimed at the recapture of the title, but opted for the retirement, because his right knee injury did not recover and because Arredondo had been no longer a champion after the failure of his first defense.
The following anecdote shows the strength of his intention. Three months before the fight for the world title in 1986, a meniscus injury
Tear of meniscus
In sports and orthopedics, a tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci...
which requires a surgery was discovered as a result of the arthroscopy
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision...
of his right knee. Although Hamada was aware that the anesthetic effect would not persist, he asked a doctor to do it immediately and had surgery without complaining of a pain. As of twenty years after retirement, his knee still aches. Hamada says with smile "my body is always painful. I recognize being painful is my body, so I am all right".
Currently Hamada is a commentator of the boxing broadcast on Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
and 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...
. He monthly writes a review which analyzes the world's leading boxers for the Japanese boxing magazine Boxing Beat, and is also the representative director of the company that manufactures and sells health foods and supplements. Since March 14, 2007, he is the representative of the Teiken Promotions that is a relevant organization to the Teiken Boxing Gym
Teiken Boxing Gym
in Tokyo, a Japan's traditional boxing club whose genesis dates back to 1926, manages professional boxers as a member of the , a subsidiary body of . Currently located in Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, its president is the International Boxing Hall of Famer , the representative is , and the long-time female...
to which he had belonged during his career as a boxer.