Over a week after Ginjiro Shigeoka collapsed in the ring and was rushed to hospital, his older brother Yudai has provided a vital update on his condition.
Yudai said of his brother Ginjiro: “Starting today, Ginjiro’s eye are half-open because he’s no longer taking painkillers (anaesthesia), but when I kept talking to him, he started chewing and yawning, and it felt like he could hear me. He was also blinking.
“I think things will probably start to become a little clearer from now on. He will likely be transferred from the ICU to a general ward soon. It was a somewhat recurring encounter.”
Former world champion Ginjiro underwent emergency brain surgery following his defeat to Pedro Taduran on Saturday, May 24, in Osaka, Japan.
Taduran took a 118-110, 115-113, 113-115 split decision verdict to successfully retain the IBF minimumweight title in their rematch.
The Japanese boxer then collapsed in the ring after the result was announced and placed under a medically induced coma.
25-year-old Shigeoka suffered from an acute subdural hematoma after 12 intense rounds of world championship boxing.
In round nine, Filipino Taduran pinned Shigeoka to the ropes, holding him still with his right hand around his left ear and proceeded to land six straight shots to the head before the referee stepped in to stop the illegal move, but the Japanese southpaw momentarily slumped on the ropes before recovering again.
The bruising battle went the full 12-round distance, and when the result was announced, the southpaw from Kumamoto collapsed onto the canvas and was promptly stretchered out of the ring to the nearest hospital.
Shigeoka held the IBF minimumweight title from October 2023 to July 2024. He won the belt against Daniel Valladares (TKO 5), defended it against Jake Amparo (KO 2), then lost it to Pedro Taduran (TKO 9). He was attempting to win it back in their highly-anticipated rematch.
The IBF shared the following message, “The International Boxing Federation extends our deepest concern and heartfelt wishes for the full and speedy recovery of former IBF World Champion Ginjiro Shigeoka, who underwent emergency brain surgery after his bout against Pedro Taduran this past weekend. This sad incident has deeply affected the boxing community and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this challenging time.”
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