Combat sports can be extremely brutal and dangerous as well. Fighters put their life on the line every time they step into a ring. While there are a number of measures put in place to avoid serious injuries to fighters, there is always a chance of accidents taking place. The boxing world was recently hit with the news of the passing of Kazuki Anaguchi. The 23-year-old fought on the undercard of Naoya Inoue’s undisputed championship win over Marlon Tapales on December 26th, 2023. Following the unfortunate news, George Kambosos Jr took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the passing of Anaguchi.
He said,
“RIP Champ a brutal game we are in!! Only 23 years of age with his whole life still ahead, watched this fight live, it was brutal, poor kid was doing everything to win. May you rest in peace. Respect the fighters.”
RIP Champ a brutal game we are in!! Only 23 years of age with his whole life still ahead, watched this fight live, it was brutal, poor kid was doing everything to win. May you rest in peace. Respect the fighters https://t.co/kHvQd45AGw
— George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr (@georgekambosos) February 2, 2024
With a perfect 6-0 record to begin his career, Anaguchi faced Tsutsumi in a 10-round fight in Tokyo. Anaguchi defeated three-time former world championship challenger Jonathan Taconing in his fourth professional bout, with Anaguchi winning on all three of the judge’s scorecards. Following this win, Anaguchi secured two more wins against the likes of Kento Uchigamae and Shori Umezu before being booked for a fight against Seiya Tsutsumi.
A closer look at the events that led to the unfortunate passing away of Kazuki Anaguchi
The fight against Tsutsumi was set to be his toughest test to date on paper. On fight night, the bout lived up to all the hype it had garnered as the two fighters traded punch for punch. Anaguchi started strong, however, as the fight went on Tsutsumi found his target often. Anaguchi was knocked down in rounds 4, 7, 9 and 10 before ultimately losing the fight on the judges’ scorecards. After the fight, Anaguchi was shown in his corner, with his legs twitching as his corner tended to a cut.
Japanese bantamweight Kazuki Anaguchi has tragically died after suffering complications from a brain injury.
The 23-year-old underwent emergency surgery after his clash with Seiya Tsutsumi last December.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Rest in peace, champ. pic.twitter.com/8rm2ZQMX9E
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) February 2, 2024
He was immediately rushed to a hospital where emergency brain surgery was performed on him. The 23-year-old was unconscious at this point in time. According to reports, he never gained consciousness during the entire period that he was in the hospital. On Friday, he passed away after suffering subdural hematoma during his fight. The 23-year-old passed away with a record of 6-1.
