Takuya Muguruma (boxer)

Takuya Muguruma (六車 卓也, Muguruma Takuya, born January 16, 1961) is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBA bantamweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Kinki University.[2]

Takuya Muguruma
Statistics
Real name	Takuya Muguruma
Nickname(s)	Endless Fighter[1]
Weight(s)	bantamweight
Height	5 ft 5 ^1⁄2 in (1.66 m)
Nationality	Japanese
Born	16 January 1961 Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Stance	orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	31
Wins	26
Wins by KO	20
Losses	3
Draws	2

Muguruma became interested in boxing at the age of a junior high school student. In high school, he belonged to the rugby club. As Muguruma was a slow runner, he was a substitute player there. He began boxing at Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym after entering the University.[2]

Muguruma turned professional with an amateur record of 2–1 (1 KO),[1][2][3] and made his debut with a second-round knockout victory on April 9, 1981. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in the featherweight division in February 1982. He went down a weight division to capture the Japanese super bantamweight title in November 1983, and defended that title seven times in total before returning it.

Muguruma dropped down one more weight class for the scheduled fight against Bernardo Piñango for the WBA bantamweight title. However, as Piñango gave up the title, Muguruma won over Panama's Azael Moran via a fifth-round knockout after flooring him twice, to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight title in Moriguchi, Osaka on March 29, 1987.[1][4][5]

In his first defense against Chan-Yong Park in Moriguchi on May 24 of that year, Muguruma was knocked down from an accidental head butt in the third round. Although Muguruma was given a two-minute rest,[5] he could not recover from the damage until he was stopped in the eleventh round.[1][2]

In September of the same year, Muguruma was tied on points with Wilfredo Vázquez in the fight for the WBA bantamweight title at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.[6][7] Muguruma moved back a weight class to fight against Juan José Estrada for the WBA super bantamweight title in Moriguchi in October 1988. However he suffered an eleventh round stoppage with the towel thrown in, after being floored in the fourth and eleventh rounds, and hung up his gloves.[1][8]

Subsequently, he joined Mizuno Corporation. From 2008, he was responsible for the production of the focus mitt.[9]

See also

• List of WBA world champions
• List of bantamweight boxing champions
• List of Japanese boxing world champions
• Boxing in Japan

References

1. Boxing Magazine editorial department, ed. (March 1, 2004). "六車卓也". 日本プロボクシングチャンピオン大鑑 (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd. p. 37. ISBN 978-4-583-03784-4.
2. Naoki Fukuda (January 15, 2000). "六車卓也〜あくなき前進のエンドレス・ファイター〜". In Boxing Magazine editorial department (ed.). The Glorious Moments 究極の栄光・世界チャンピオン名鑑 – 日本ボクシング史に輝く41人の男たち. B.B.mook; 117, sports series; No.72 (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-4-583-61076-4.
3. Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 298.
4. AP (March 30, 1987). "Results Plus". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
5. Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 161.
6. Chicago Tribune wires (Jan 18, 1988). "Vasquez Retains WBA Bantam Title". Chicago Tribune. p. 13. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
7. Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 162.
8. Baseball Magazine Sha 2002, p. 175.
9. Hideki Muroya (June 18, 2011). お前の拳　しびれるぜ　ボクサーの一撃（大阪市）. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). p. 1. Retrieved September 13, 2011.

Bibliography

• Boxing Magazine editorial department, ed. (May 31, 2002). 日本プロボクシング史 世界タイトルマッチで見る50年 (Japan Pro Boxing History – 50 Years of World Title Bouts) (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Baseball Magazine Sha Co., Ltd. pp. 161–162, 175, 298. ISBN 978-4-583-03695-3.

External links

• Boxing record for Takuya Muguruma from BoxRec