The Boxing Family right across the board, is mourning the death of former twice WBA straw weight champion Keitaro Hoshino aged just fifty-two.

Keitaro built a superb career of 23-10, including 6 KO`s.  He won the Japanese straw weight title in 1996, and successfully defended it five times, before winning the WBA title  in 2000, defeating Joma Gamboa of the Philppines.  He lost it in his first defence by split decison to Chana Porpaoin of Thailand. But the title became vacant, and he climbed the ladder all over again to defeat Gamboa for a second time!

Then he lost the title to Noel Arambulet of Venezuela by majority decision and in a rematch the result the same. He was stopped by Mexico`s Jose Antonio Aguirre and retired in 2003.

Originally from Yokohama,  Keitaro opened a gym in Kagamigahara and started coaching, to selflessly share the skills which had made him great. But ill health obliged him to retire from that in 2018.  He was found deceased in an apartment in Okinawa.

Keitaro fought adversity in his career and his life. He won and then lost a world title, but then he regrouped, summoned up all of his skills, determination and courage to win it back!  He will always epitomize and represent what`s best about Boxing.

Rest in peace Keitaro.