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Naoya Inoue receives Japanese Fighter of the Year award, all winners revealed

Fighters Network
31
Jan

The Japanese Boxing Commission and the Sports Writers Club held their annual awards ceremony in Tokyo recently.

The showpiece award, the 2021 Japanese Fighter of the Year, went to bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue, who received 32 of 37 votes to win the award for the fifth time. That is a joint record that he now holds alongside Japanese greats Yoshio Shirai and Yoko Gushiken.

Inoue knocked out Michael Dasmarinas in three rounds to retain his Ring Magazine championship and the IBF and WBA titles in June. With opportunities scarce, due to COVID-19 measures in his homeland, “The Monster” closed out the year by defeating unheralded Thai fighter Aran Dipaen in eight.

The 28-year-old Inoue was also awarded Knockout of the Year for his destruction of Dasmarinas.



Masamichi Yabuki unseating long-reigning WBC junior flyweight titlist Kenshiro Teraji was awarded Fight of the Year honors.

Kazuto Ioka won the Technique award. The four-weight world titleholder bested gritty mandatory challenger Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (UD 12) and Ryoji Fukunaga (UD 12).

The Valuable Victory award was given to Kenichi Ogawa, who outpointed Azinga Fuzile to claim the vacant IBF junior lightweight title.

The OPBF 140-pound titleholder, Koichi Aso, was awarded special dispensation with the Efforts award.

Highly regarded bantamweight prospect Ryosuke Nishida won The Rookie award.

WBA flyweight beltholder Naoko Fujioka won female Fighter of the Year and was also involved in the Female Fight of the Year against Sulem Urbina.

 

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @AnsonWainwright

 

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