Ginjiro Shigeoka has been discharged from hospital 10 months after suffering a brain bleed in his defeat to Pedro Taduran for the IBF minimumweight title in Osaka, Japan.

Shigeoka was facing Taduran for the second time, after losing his IBF title to the Filipino in July 2024. He was stopped inside nine rounds of their first encounter, and more worryingly collapsed in the ring following the contest’s end. Despite the worrying scenes following the defeat, Shigeoka was medically cleared by the Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) to fight Taduran in a rematch. The second contest between Shigeoka and Taduran was competitive, but Shigeoka collapsed again following a split-decision loss. Shigeoka was stretchered out of the ring and then diagnosed with a bleed on the brain in hospital.

Shigeoka immediately underwent a craniotomy, with the surgery was a success, yet Shigeoka had suffered life-changing injuries from the bout with Taduran. His older brother and former junior flyweight champion, Yudai Shigeoka, had revealed the extent of his brother’s injuries on social media. Yudai had said in August that his brother was suffering from paralysis on the left side of his body and was only able to communicate by making signals with his right hand.

Yudai also revealed that his brother had been transferred to a hospital in Kumamoto, Japan, where Ginjiro would be undergoing three-hours of rehabilitation a day. Yudai also announced that he would be retiring from professional boxing to help care for his brother.

Little has been heard about Ginjiro’s condition since then, but earlier this week on March 25 Yudai shared across his social media that his brother had been discharged from hospital after 303 days. A picture of Ginjiro in a wheelchair alongside his brother and family accompanied the post. There were no other details on the extent of Ginjiro’s injuries.

The post, translated from Japanese, read: “My brother Ginjiro has been discharged from hospital after 303 days. I took Ginjiro to a cafe where there were children and family. I’ve been pushing forward until today, imagining a vaguely visible happy future. I’ll make up for all the tears with laughter.

“A new life begins here. I need to get Ginjiro’s surroundings a little more organized. The biggest challenge is dinner. Do you know about dysphagia-friendly food? Rice that’s soft enough to be eaten by the gums. It’s difficult. He’s been complaining about needing to go to the toilet all day long. I’m being confronted with reality.  But I’m still happy.”

 

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I would also like to mention how happy I am to hear that Ginjiro will be going home with his family after spending nearly a year in hospital. I attended his fight out in Japan last May and, truthfully, I have viewed the sport differently since seeing how that night has changed his life. We really must respect the warriors who put their life on the line when entering the ring in a hope to achieve their dreams and for our entertainment. I am unaware to what extent Ginjiro is able to live a full and happy life, but seeing him being discharged gives me hope that there have been improvements to his condition since August. I hope Ginjiro, his brother Yudai, and their family are able to enjoy life together despite the challenges that lie ahead.