Q&A: HIDEYUKI OHASHI
The Ring: Before talking about your career as a promoter, I’d like to ask about your days as an active fighter. In February 1990, when you defeated Jum Hwan Choi by ninth-round knockout to win the WBC strawweight title, I was in junior high school, so I remember it very clearly. You stopped the ignominious streak of 21 consecutive losses by Japanese challengers in world title fights, and it was huge news at the time. Hideyuki Ohashi: “It was shocking for me as well, in many ways. Up to that point, I had lost two world title fights, and every time I lost, my older brother would pick me up and drive me home after the bout. But the moment I won that fight, a black limousine came to pick me up. I was taken straight to TV Asahi to appear on a news program, and after that, I was sent to NHK as well. After that victory, so many things in my life changed dramatically.” The Ring: The next day, everyone at my school was talking about that fight. Hideyuki Ohashi became a national hero overnight. The value of a world title fight really was enormous back then.
HO: “Even then, Kenji Yonekura, the head of the Yonekura Gym, used to say, ‘It was even bigger in the old days.’ In his era, world title fights were national events, so he’d say, ‘It’s kind of sad now.’ (laughs) But even 35 years ago, when I won the title, it was still incredible compared to today. After the fight, I was invited to the prime minister’s office and personally received a tie pin from Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu. “Twenty-one straight losses in world title fights – it’s hard to believe when you look at how strong Japanese boxers are now. These days, winning world title fights is almost expected. The historical context definitely played a role in how big that moment became.” The Ring: From your pro debut, you were labeled “a once-in-150-years genius.” That must have brought enormous pressure. You had two very good world title fights early on but didn’t win them, so I imagine the pressure to finally win a world title must have been intense. HO: “No, not at all. When Chairman Yonekura called me a ‘once-in-150-years genius,’ I just laughed. I thought, ‘Boxing
didn’t even exist 150 years ago.’ (laughs) I didn’t take it seriously, so the pressure never really bothered me.” The Ring: So that is a good memory for you? HO: “Well, a ‘once-in-150-years genius’ doesn’t lose five times over a career. (laughs) But after I retired, I may have actually met a true once-in-150-years talent. Naoya Inoue probably won’t come around again for another 150 years. Maybe that’s what Chairman Yonekura really meant – I choose to interpret it that way now.” The Ring: When you think of your most memorable fight, is it the bout where you first became world champion against Choi? HO: “That fight was certainly memorable, but honestly, the fights I lost left a stronger impression. My first world title challenge in 1986 – when I went to Korea and lost by fifth-round knockout to Jung Koo Chang – that fight stands out the most. Chang was incredibly popular, the arena was packed, and there wasn’t even a proper aisle to make my entrance. I couldn’t hear Chairman Yonekura’s voice in the ring at all. The atmosphere was unbelievable. I remember thinking, ‘So this is where I’m fighting.’ “There were 40,000 [spectators]. About 60 people came from Japan to support me, and I was shocked to hear that they were instructed to immediately get into the ring if I somehow won, because a riot might break out. But even that is a good memory now.” The Ring: Were you treated harshly? HO: “No, everyone was actually very kind. The opposing promoter was extremely confident, though. Chairman Yonekura told me to
pretend I had a cold, so I told them I wasn’t feeling well. The promoter was genuinely concerned and took me out for samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), saying it would be good for me. That soup was incredible for my body after weight-cutting. Nowadays you can find it anywhere, but 35 years ago it was very rare in Japan. After I came back, I searched all over for it – there was maybe one Korean restaurant in Roppongi that served samgyetang. “I had been watching Chang fight since I was in high school. He was incredibly strong. I challenged him during his 11th and 15th title defenses, when he was at his absolute peak. It felt like the champion I’d seen on TV was suddenly right in front of me. It was surreal.” The Ring: Even though you lost, you landed some very good counterpunches, didn’t you? HO: “Yes, even in the first fight. Before the second fight, I knew which counters would land, so every morning I practiced the timing with Hiroshi Kawashima (later the WBC junior bantamweight titleholder). In the rematch, I landed it perfectly in the third round and had him on the brink of a knockout. He was really hurt – his eyes rolled back – but he still came forward. That was incredible. I lost by knockout again, but that fight was later named Japan’s Fight of the Year.” The Ring: Would you say the strongest opponent you ever faced was Ricardo Lopez, who took your title with a fifth- round knockout in 1990? HO: “Yes. In terms of completeness, Lopez was on another level. The ‘space’ was different. It felt like he could read everything inside my head. His speed, distance control and footwork were incredible. I landed a good right hand in the first round, and after that, he switched from moving forward and back to lateral movement. I never landed another punch. He was amazing.” The Ring: There was the impression that you were very focused on wanting a rematch with Lopez. Do you have any lingering
regrets that it never materialized? HO: “I was told by Chairman Yonekura that it would be better to challenge Hi Yong Choi, the WBA champion. He said something along the lines of, ‘Win the title first, and then you can do a unification afterward.’ “Personally, I really did have a lot of confidence that I could beat Lopez as well. But looking at it calmly now, the chairman’s decision was the right one. I beat Choi and regained the title. Of course, I went into things believing I could beat Lopez too, but if you look at it objectively, it would have been very tough.” The Ring: If you compare Naoya Inoue and Ricardo Lopez around the junior flyweight level, how would you see it? HO: “Well, I think Inoue is stronger. The punch is just different. Lopez was excellent technically, but Inoue has technique and punching power.” The Ring: There’s a legendary story about you maintaining your small frame by eating only one meal a day. When did that start, and how long did it continue? HO: “From the time I entered junior high school onward, it was constant. I didn’t eat lunch at all. I didn’t eat breakfast either – only dinner. That was the same in high school. My stomach became so small that eating itself became difficult. On the other hand, after I retired, I started eating multiple times a day and gained weight very quickly. (laughs) “If I hadn’t done that, it would have been very difficult to maintain the strawweight limit of 47.6 kilograms (105 pounds). I was around 167 or 168 centimeters (5-foot-6) tall, so making weight was really tough. Especially back then, when weigh-ins were held on the same day as the fight. “If I have one regret, it’s that I would have liked to fight once under the day- before weigh-in rules. It might have been quite different. My final fight was in February 1993, and the rules changed to day-before weigh-ins on March 6 of that year. I could’ve regained much more weight and might have had better
performances. But there’s no point in saying that now.”
The Ring: I wanted to ask about what has changed in boxing between then and now, and weigh-ins are one example. What else comes to mind? HO: “The scoring system. The 10-point must system. It existed in my time as well, but it wasn’t enforced as strictly as it is now, and 10-10 rounds were common. Today, judges almost always score rounds 10-9. “Personally, I think 10-10 rounds should exist. If judges force a 10-9 in every round, you end up with absurdly wide score differences or incomprehensible cards. I think 10-10 rounds are necessary.” The Ring: I understand what you mean. Under the current system, a clearly dominant round and a razor-close round are both scored 10-9 and given the same value. HO: “Exactly. That’s why you sometimes see fights that feel like draws, but when the scores are announced, one fighter wins by a wide margin. I think that’s hard for general fans to understand. “I believe points should be awarded clearly only in rounds where effective punches land. That would make things easier to understand and reduce controversial decisions.” The Ring: Another big change is the value of a world title. Back then, becoming a world champion felt like it changed everything. HO: “I loved boxing as a kid and watched it all the time. When I was in elementary and junior high school, experts always said, ‘There should only be one world title,’ and ‘Having both the WBA and WBC is outrageous.’ “I wonder what those experts would think now, seeing four world titles.” (laughs) The Ring: Yet now, a fighter from your gym has unified all four belts. HO: “Yes. Naoya Inoue unified all four belts in two weight classes and became
Ohashi and Inoue have the utmost respect for each other.
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