Former Japanese champion Mitsuo Imazato opens gym!
Earlier today it was announced that former Japanese Bantamweight champion Mitsuo Imazato had opened the Imazato Boxing Gym in his hometown of Isahaya City, Nagasaki Prefecture, at the age of 62, with the gym officially being opened on April 1st.
Imazato took over the gym that had previously been run by Kenzo Shochiku, who retired from running the Shochiku Boxing gym in March at the age of 72 after running it for 18 years and passed it on to someone he knew wanted to run a gym.
Prior to opening the gym Imazato had been working as a trainer, and of course had been a fighter, where he originally made his name. In fact it seems like the former fighter is just a pure boxing man, revealing earlier today to the media "I'm happy. It's what I wanted to do the most, or rather, there's nothing else I can do other than boxing”.
Earlier this weekImazato was visited at the gym by former opponents Naoto Takahashi and Tadashi Shimabukuro, with the trio being domestic stars of the Japanese Bantamweight scene back in the 1980's and putting on some of the best fights of the decade against each other. It’s reported that the meeting earlier this week was the first time the trio had met since their rivalry more than 30 years ago, and they were reportedly like old friends in great spirits together.
The reason for the gym getting attention today was due to a visit from the local mayor, Kiyoshige Okubo, who seemed excited to have a professional gym, and encouraged Mr Imazato to raise champions from the gym.
Interesting the gym is very much an Imazato family project, with Mitsuo the chief trainer and the man expected to run the day to day running of it, his younger brother Hiroshi being the chairman, and Mitsuo's niece, Iyo, being in charge of the gym's YouTube channel.
Imazato took over the gym that had previously been run by Kenzo Shochiku, who retired from running the Shochiku Boxing gym in March at the age of 72 after running it for 18 years and passed it on to someone he knew wanted to run a gym.
Prior to opening the gym Imazato had been working as a trainer, and of course had been a fighter, where he originally made his name. In fact it seems like the former fighter is just a pure boxing man, revealing earlier today to the media "I'm happy. It's what I wanted to do the most, or rather, there's nothing else I can do other than boxing”.
Earlier this weekImazato was visited at the gym by former opponents Naoto Takahashi and Tadashi Shimabukuro, with the trio being domestic stars of the Japanese Bantamweight scene back in the 1980's and putting on some of the best fights of the decade against each other. It’s reported that the meeting earlier this week was the first time the trio had met since their rivalry more than 30 years ago, and they were reportedly like old friends in great spirits together.
The reason for the gym getting attention today was due to a visit from the local mayor, Kiyoshige Okubo, who seemed excited to have a professional gym, and encouraged Mr Imazato to raise champions from the gym.
Interesting the gym is very much an Imazato family project, with Mitsuo the chief trainer and the man expected to run the day to day running of it, his younger brother Hiroshi being the chairman, and Mitsuo's niece, Iyo, being in charge of the gym's YouTube channel.