Yudai Shigeoka (left) and Ginjiro Shigeoka (right). | Instagram photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In a heartfelt and unexpected announcement, former World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka has officially retired from professional boxing.
Shigeoka shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, August 13, citing his brother Ginjiro’s critical health condition as the primary reason for stepping away from the sport.
“The other day, my brother Ginjiro was transferred to a hospital in Kumamoto. And today, I, Yudai, decided to retire from boxing,” he wrote.
Ginjiro collapsed in the ring after losing to Pedro Taduran in their IBF world title rematch on May 25 in Japan. He later underwent a life-saving craniotomy and has since been in delicate recovery. The injury forced Ginjiro to retire from boxing immediately.
“Thanks to all the doctors and nurses at the National Hospital Osaka Medical Center, Ginjiro is still alive. I’m so grateful. He saved my life. When Gin gets better, we’ll definitely go and say hi,” Yudai said.
“I’m currently in Kumamoto, supporting him as he undergoes three types of rehabilitation for three hours a day. Every day, I tell him, ‘Don’t give up, keep going.’ We started martial arts together at six years old, overcame countless barriers, and shared the same dream. My dream was big, but now, I believe it’s my brother’s role to color my life from here on. I’m retiring, but I’d love to see the Shigeoka brothers live. Thank you so much for all your support.”
Yudai’s final bout came last March in a failed bid to regain the WBC world minimumweight crown, losing by unanimous decision to the Philippines’ Melvin Jerusalem in their rematch.
Jerusalem later posted on Facebook, offering prayers for Ginjiro’s recovery:
Ipagdasal natin na magising na ang kapatid ni Yudai na si Ginjiro dahil hanggang ngayon ay nasa ospital pa rin siya. Sana ay maging okay na siya at gumaling.
(Let us pray that Yudai’s brother, Ginjiro, will wake up, as he is still in the hospital until now. Hopefully, he will be okay and recover.)
Yudai captured the WBC belt in just his eighth professional fight, defeating Thailand’s Panya Pradabsri via unanimous decision. On the same fight card, Ginjiro scored a fifth-round knockout of Daniel Valladares to claim the IBF minimumweight title.
Shigeoka closes his career with a 9–2 record, including five knockouts.
His retirement comes at a time of mourning in Japanese boxing, with two fighters, Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa, recently dying from brain injuries sustained in the ring — a stark reminder of boxing’s inherent dangers, even with modern safety protocols in place.
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