Shigetoski Kotari, a Japanese boxer, died on Friday, August 8th, after needing emergency surgery following an injury he sustained during a title fight on week prior.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) announced Kotari’s death in a statement, “Rest in peace, Shigetoski Kotari, who succumbed to injuries sustained during his August 2nd title fight,” the statement begins.
“A warrior in the ring. A fighter in spirit. Gone too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, team, and the entire Japanese boxing community,” the post concludes.
The 28-year-old lost consciousness when he was fighting against Yamato Hata in a title fight in Tokyo, just six days before his death.
At the time, he was “rushed to a hospital in Tokyo and diagnosed with acute subdural hematoma,” the Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) said in a press release posted to Facebook.
It continues saying Kotari underwent an emergency craniotomy and was “under observation” following the procedure.