is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1981. He held the WBA light-flyweight title from 1976 to 1981, making a total of 13 successful defences. Following his retirement from boxing, he remains popular in Japan as a tarento having signed a contract with Ohta Production. He is well known in Japan for his trademark hair style.
Gushiken was inducted in 2015 to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Biography Gushiken was known for having strong stamina, allowing him to pressure opponents into mistakes after many rounds. His southpaw stance allowed him to take advantage of many mistakes, usually by throwing unexpected combinations of punches instead of waiting for counterpunch opportunities.
His popularity centered in mainland Japan, where he was known by the nickname Kanmuriwashi (Fierce Eagle) and crowds were normally sold out. He quickly rose through the amateur ranks and won All-Japan in high school.
WBA light-flyweight champion After that, he went pro and fought for the WBA light-flyweight title after just nine professional fights. He defeated Juan Antonio Guzmán, a well-seasoned pro, by knockout in the seventh round. He held the title for over four years, making thirteen defenses and winning eight by knockout.
Jaime Rios nearly defeated Gushiken in 1977 and 1978, but lost after wilting in the last rounds of the match. Other victories of note were against Panama's future world champions Alfonso Lopez and Rafael Pedroza. As with Rios, they lost after many rounds of being worn down by Gushiken.
In his thirteenth title defense, he fought Pedro Flores, winning by a close margin. In the rematch, Flores was better at reserving his energy and defeated Gushiken by knockout in the twelfth round. Many expected Gushiken to return to the ring, but he announced his retirement five months after his loss.
Tarento Despite retiring from boxing in 1981, he remains a popular figure in Japan. As a tarento he has appeared on countless variety and quiz shows, including "Cream Quiz! Miracle 9" where he is a regular.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes24Lose23–1Pedro FloresKO12 (15), 8 Mar 198123Win23–0Pedro FloresUD1512 Oct 198022Win22–0Martin VargasKO8 (15), 1 Jun 198021Win21–0Yong-Hyun KimUD1527 Jan 198020Win20–0Tito AbellaKO7 (15), 28 Oct 197919Win19–0Rafael Pedroza1529 Jul 197918Win18–0Alfonso LopezKO7 (15), 8 Apr 197917Win17–0 Rigoberto MarcanoKO7 (15), 7 Jan 197916Win16–0Sang Il JungKO5 (15), 15 Oct 197815Win15–0Mak Dong KimKO6 (15), 14 Aug 197814Win14–0Jaime RiosKO13 (15), 7 May 197813Win13–0Aniceto VargasKO14 (15), 29 Jan 197812Win12–0Montsayarm Haw MahachaiKO4 (15), 9 Oct 197711Win11–0Rigoberto MarcanoSD1522 May 197710Win10–0Jaime Rios1530 Jan 19779Win9–0Juan Antonio GuzmánKO7 (15), 10 Oct 19768Win8–0Toshihisa TakiiKO3 (10), 16 Jul 19767Win7–0Cesar Gomez KeeKO7 (10), 23 Jan 19766Win6–0Shoji WarabinoKO6 (10), 19 Oct 19755Win5–0Yasuo JoPTS625 Jun 19754Win4–0Yasunobu NittaKO4 (8), 9 Mar 19753Win3–0Tadahiro Mihara5 (6), 9 Dec 19742Win2–0Koichi MakiPTS410 Sep 19741Win1–0Koichi Maki428 May 1974
See also List of light flyweight boxing champions List of WBA world champions List of Japanese boxing world champions The Gushiken Family of Okinawa Boxing in Japan
References
External links
Shirai-Gushiken sports gym official (Japanese) The memorial hall of Yoko Gushiken