Kosei Tanaka has decided to call it a career.
The sport’s quickest male boxer to win titles in four divisions took to social media on Wednesday to drop his shocking announcement. Japan’s Tanaka has not fought since the end of his WBO junior bantamweight title reign last October, a bout where he knew his time had come to put his health first.
“I’m retiring as a professional boxer,” Tanaka confirmed. “The reason is all about repeated eye injuries.”
The news came just eleven days ahead of Tanaka’s 30th birthday. He leaves the sport with a mark of 20-2 (11 KOs), including a record of 10-2 (5 KOs) in major title fights.
The Nagoya, Aichi-based boxer won major titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. A unanimous decision victory over Christian Bacasegua last February saw him win his fourth divisional title – all for the WBO strap – in just his 21st pro fight, surpassing the previous mark held by Oscar De La Hoya, a Hall of Fame former six-division titlist who set the four-weight mark in 24 fights.
However, it was during his defeat to South Africa’s Phumelele Cafu that he realized he was putting his eyesight and overall health at risk.
Tanaka dropped a split decision in a stunning upset last October 14 in Tokyo, Japan. He knew early that it just wouldn’t be his night.
“Both eyes were in bad condition before the fight, and immediately after I decided to have surgery on both eyes,” Tanaka revealed. “However, just after the start of the match, I lost my right eye, and in the third [round] all the light completely disappeared.
“Finished the match and operated on both eyes in bad condition in my left eye. Although my vision has recovered, my vision in my right eye is still significantly distorted and I can't focus with both eyes.”
Tanaka also previously underwent surgery in 2021 for a herniated disc in his neck as well as prior visits for his eyes. It impacted his ability to train, much less fight, which naturally dampened his enthusiasm for the sport.
An 11-year pro, Tanaka embarked on an ambitious path right out the gate. He claimed the WBO strawweight belt in just his fifth pro fight and the same sanctioning body’s title at junior flyweight just three fights later.
By his 12th pro fight, Tanaka had dethroned Sho Kimura for the WBO 112lbs strap in a September 2018 slugfest. The bout was hailed by several outlets as the 2018 Fight of the Year. Four successful defenses followed before he began his pursuit of the record books.
Ironically, his first attempt to become boxing’s fastest four-division titlist was thwarted by his countryman, Kazuto Ioka, who became Japan’s first to hit the mark. Ioka turned back the clock in a stunningly one-sided, eighth-round stoppage of Tanaka in their December 2020 clash in Tokyo.
Five wins followed for Tanaka, including the abovementioned title-claiming effort over Bacasegua. Tanaka joined Ioka and Naoya Inoue as the only male boxers from Japan to claim at least one title in four weight divisions.
However, the bouts were spread out over a period of more than three years, the first sign that he was physically no longer the same boxer.
“In the four years from 2021 [to present day] - due to having a hernia operation on my neck and many eye surgery alone, my eye has become fragile and I can't even play or sparring,” noted Tanaka. “I ran out of my way in the ring, so I decided to retire.”
The loss to Cafu was perhaps a blessing, all things considered. However, it came at a financial cost – a win would have set up a lucrative showdown with legendary former four-division champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.
That said, there are no regrets over his decision. With his health diminished and his heart no longer in the sport, the time is now to enjoy the rest of his life.
“I want to be a badass through boxing,” insisted Tanaka. “I've come this far thinking that. Criteria of judgement in anything you do is, cool or not?
“I don't know if I'm becoming a boxer like that, but I want to live my best and not change that. Thank you so much for your support this far.”
