[8.6] MASAMORI TOKUYAMA 36-32(8)-3-1 [Super-Flyweight & Flyweight]: ESPN online - The Ring online -
Born in North Korea but a longtime Japanese resident, Tokuyama (born Changsoo Hong) lost only one of 36 bouts, avenged his sole setback and retired at the top in 2006.
A fast, stylish boxer, Tokuyama won the title by outpointing an unbeaten South Korean, Injoo Cho, in Osaka, Japan, and defeated him in a rematch in Seoul, South Korea.
After eight successful defenses, Tokuyama was astonishingly overwhelmed in the first round by the tough slugger Katsushige Kawashima, whom he had previously beaten. Tokuyama got caught cold, as the saying goes, and his head alarmingly bounced off the canvas in the second of two knockdowns.
In the rubber match 13 months later, Tokuyama boxed a superb tactical fight to outpoint Kawashima, who swung and missed throughout. Tokuyama closed out his career with a win by unanimous decision over the talented Jose Navarro. Well aware of political sensitivities, Tokuyama sported a neutral ‘One Korea’ slogan on the waistband of his trunks. ESPN online article 15 May 2008 Graham Houston
For much of the first half of the 2000s, Masamori Tokuyama was the WBC junior bantamweight titleholder and widely recognized as the premier 115-pound fighter on the planet, with eight successful defenses against top opposition.
Tokuyama (aka Changsoo Hong) was born in Tokyo on September 17 1974. His father owned a karate hall, which gave him a direct avenue into combat sports during his elementary and junior high years. When he was 15 years old, however, he entered senior high school and came across a boxing club.
‘My brothers did karate and they had bigger bodies than me,’ Tokuyama told RingTV.com through interpreter Tomoyuki Kataoka. ‘I thought that I could not overcome my brothers because of this but if I did boxing, I might be able to. Once I went to a training ring at school, I was fascinated by (the) exciting atmosphere and senior students breaking sweat. I made up my mind to join the boxing club.’
Although Tokuyama enjoyed a normal childhood, his Korean origins provided several personal and social issues that he had to overcome.
‘I could not officially join amateur boxing games in Japan when I was a high school student,’ he said. ‘At that time my school was banned because it was not a normal Japanese school.
‘After becoming a professional boxer, I was defamed and slandered on the internet because of my origin. It hurt me mentally. (However) not only many Japanese people, but also many Korean/Japanese people sent me fan letters to cheer me up. That support revitalized me.’
Tokuyama had a short and undistinguished amateur career, going 12-5 (2 knockouts).
He graduated from high school and initially worked a day job but once he realized his heart was in boxing, he resigned and committed himself to the sport by moving to the city of Osaka in order to join a boxing gym.
A month after his 20th birthday, Tokuyama made his professional debut. He went on to win his first 11 fights, before dropping a 10-round decision to the vastly more experienced former strawweight titlist Manny Melchor in the fall of 1996.
The following year, he drew with Nolito Cabayo in a Japanese national flyweight title bout and dropped a technical decision in a rematch.
Tokuyama moved up to 115 pounds and quickly found his stride. After winning four fights, one against former titlist Hiroka Ioka, he defeated Pone Saengmorakot on points to win a regional belt.
After one defense, he was given the opportunity to fight for the WBC title against In Joo Cho. After 12 rounds, Tokuyama received the nod by wide decision which, he acknowledges, was the proudest moment of his boxing career.
‘After the bout with Cho, I was convinced that I won but I was anxious (about) the decision,’ he said proudly. ‘However, when I was announced as a winner, I felt that all my efforts and strong training prior to the bout was rewarded in the form of the victory.’
As well as knocking out Cho in a rematch staged in South Korea, he twice outpointed the talented former titlist Gerry Penalosa, before setting his sights on popular Japanese standout Katsushige Kawashima. He won that fight on points but was shockingly floored three times in their rematch. The contest was halted at 1:47 of the opening round.
The pair would meet in a rubber match 13 months later. This time, Tokuyama rolled back the years to outpoint his adversary. Looking back, he feels that this win was hugely significant and a career-best victory.
‘I lost against him in the previous bout and trained hard,’ he said. ‘Until they announced it was a unanimous decision, I was anxious whether I would be able to win. I felt a big feeling of accomplishment.’
He fought just once more, turning back the challenge of 2000 US Olympic representative Jose Navarro in February 2006, before deciding to retire due to lack of motivation. He exited with a record of 32-3-1 (8 knockouts).
‘I had done enough as a professional boxer,’ he admitted. ‘I made four mandatory defenses during my reign as WBC world champion and fought with many boxers, including ex-top amateurs.
‘In addition, doing boxing for a long time gives (the) body lots of damage. Therefore, in order to start a good secondary life after my retirement, I decided to stop prior to burning out physically.’
Looking back, there is only one challenge Tokuyama would have liked: ‘It would have been better for me to meet with (three-weight world titleholder) Hozumi Hasegawa,’ he said, before acknowledging, ‘At that time, he was regarded as the best boxer in Japan.’
Since retiring, Tokuyama has made something of a pilgrimage to his ancestral home of Korea to learn the language. During his time there, he encountered former opponent Cho, in what proved to be a powerful meeting.
Tokuyama explained, ‘Cho said that his loss against me was a big shame to him and he had not been able to sleep well after the fight since he was an elite amateur (who) had made consecutive (world title) defenses. He had never lost, been dropped to the canvas and knocked unconscious in his career prior to the fight with me.
‘However, he also said to me that he was very proud of fighting with me. (That) I had done my best as a world champion with Korean origin and also sometimes (supported) the unification of North and South Korea into ‘One Korea’.’
Tokuyama, now 42, lives in Osaka and is married with two children. He owns a Korean Barbecue restaurant in the Tsuruhashi region of Osaka called Marutoku. However, he will be moving on from the restaurant in search of new challenges soon. He is a motorbike enthusiast and rides a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, which he rode through Italy, as well as Route 66 in the US with his father. Ring online article Anson Wainwright