Chairman Hideyuki Ohashi Reveals Three Worries Before Naoya Inoue’s Tokyo Dome Event

In the Japanese boxing world, stars occasionally emerge. They are players who attract others not just with their achievements and skills, but also with some kind of charm. Currently, there is no doubt that Naoya Inoue (31), the unified world champion in the super bantamweight division, is a star. It’s safe to say that there is no dissenting voice when calling him a superstar.

On May 6th, boxing matches were held at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in 34 years. Since Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion, attracted over 50,000 people in 1988 and 1990, this was the first time a Japanese boxer had headlined an event at the Tokyo Dome. Although some outfield seats were closed, the venue was packed with 43,000 spectators.

“When I went to the Tokyo Dome for a meeting in February this year and stood on the ground looking up at the stands, I felt anxious, wondering, ‘Will it be okay? Will it be filled?’

Boxing is currently considered a minor sport in society, but I believe that depending on the card, it can generate explosive attendance, and I am glad that we were able to demonstrate that.

When I entered the venue with Inoue, the cheers of 40,000 people surged from all directions like waves and echoed like thunder. We had held events at Yokohama Arena and Saitama Super Arena before, but the sound at the Tokyo Dome was different. During the match, when Inoue landed a good punch, there was a slight delay before the loud cheers reached us.”

Hideyuki Ohashi (59), chairman of Inoue’s gym and also the promoter of the Tokyo Dome event, reflected on this.

Before the match, 98% of the tickets were sold, and there was a long line for same-day tickets. Looking out at the Tokyo Dome filled with spectators, Ohashi breathed a sigh of relief.

“I watched Tyson’s match in February 1990 during my active days. Just four days before that, on February 7th, I had become the WBC world strawweight (now minimumweight) champion at the neighboring Korakuen Hall. The Korakuen Hall four days prior was so packed that there were standing-room-only areas, and I could feel the heat directly from the ring. I dreamed of someday having a match at the Dome like Tyson. Although that dream didn’t come true as a player, I was able to fulfill it as a promoter after 34 years.

However, I had worries about organizing four world matches and something happening to the eight players until the day of the match. It felt like my lifespan was shortening.”

Inoue’s match was staged as a historic event with attention to detail. Entrances and walkways for the players were created in the outfield, giant screens were lined up, and fire pillars added color. At Inoue’s request, a surprise live performance by guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei (62) was arranged for his entrance.

On the other hand, the Tokyo Dome is also the home stadium of the Yomiuri Giants, and on the previous day, May 5th, a day game against the Hanshin Tigers was held. Due to the setup work being done immediately after the game ends, there is no allowance for extended play. The game ended with the Tigers leading 4-2 until the 9th inning, when the closer took the mound and held the Giants’ lineup to three players.

“If the game had gone into extra innings until the 12th, the setup wouldn’t have been completed on time, and we were more eager for victory than any Tigers fan nationwide. The first batter for the Giants in the bottom of the 9th was star batter Yomiuri (Hayato Sakamoto), so I nervously watched the baseball game until the end.”

Due to the rush to set up, Hotei’s live performance became a spontaneous performance. He performed an arrangement of the theme song from the movie “Kill Bill” called “Battle of Monsters,” but the distance from the dressing room to the ring was long, and it seemed like the song would end before Inoue entered the ring. Hotei improvised to adjust the timing.

“We had Hotei perform live for the Donaire fight in 2022 as well. At that time, it was a familiar place at the Saitama Super Arena, but the Dome is huge even on the inside, and it was difficult to navigate.

Also, we weren’t informed about the sound effects from the fire pillars, so when a huge sound echoed midway through the entrance, both I, Shingo (Inoue’s father and trainer), and Hotei were surprised by the sound. But Inoue remained focused and continued straight ahead without being startled.”

The journey to hosting a big match was not without its challenges. Inoue’s opponent, Luis Nery (29, Mexico), caused controversy in two title matches against former WBC world bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka (41) in 2017. In the first instance, he tested positive for doping, and in the next match, he exceeded the weight limit by 2.3 kg, leading to the title being stripped before the fight. He also caused weight limit controversies in the US’s Las Vegas ring.

“Despite his weight issues, we couldn’t avoid hosting a big match. To prevent any exploitation, we included clauses in the contract stating that the match wouldn’t proceed if there was even a one-pound (453g) weight overage. We weighed in every two months, one month, two weeks, one week, and two days before the match, recorded it on video, and confirmed it through the commission.”

Given Nery’s record, precautions were taken. Terence J. Doheny (37, Australia), who participated in the first match, was scheduled to step in as a replacement if Nery exceeded the weight limit or tested positive for doping.

“Doheny has won against Japanese boxers in all three of his fights and is a very serious individual. We trusted Doheny not to exceed the weight limit or indulge in doping.”

Two weeks before the match, Nery was well-prepared, leading to Inoue jokingly saying, 

“If I fail to make weight now, will the main event be Nery vs. Doheny?”

The success of the Tokyo Dome event is expected to further elevate Ohashi’s name in the global boxing community. He had already been receiving inquiries from promoters and matchmakers worldwide. However, he was surprised by an offer from Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports of Saudi Arabia, who is a member of the royal family. Al-Faisal showed a photo of himself with soccer superstar Lionel Messi (36) and offered a significantly high fight purse, unthinkable in the Japanese boxing world. Interestingly, the previous unification fight was almost set to take place in Saudi Arabia, but it was called off in October last year due to the Gaza invasion by Israel. If the offer had been accepted, Inoue could have been the first Japanese boxer to defend his title in Saudi Arabia.

 

“If I were to tell myself 30 years ago about the current situation, I would never believe it.”

With a wry smile, Ohashi retrieved an old pamphlet from the chairman’s office.

“Yokohama Boxing Theater I”

This was the event where Ohashi first made match arrangements, held at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium on March 21, 1996. Hideo Star, who would later become a world champion, was the main event, but he wasn’t a Japanese champion at the time. Five fighters from Ohashi Gym who participated in the four-round preliminaries all suffered defeats.

“In February 1994, I opened the gym immediately after retiring, so maybe because of that, I couldn’t shake off my mentality from my active days. I thought that if the opponent was weak, we could win, but our fighters were even weaker (laughs). One of the fighters who suffered five consecutive defeats, Hawk Yanagi (50), later became the chairman of our gym’s alumni association, and he said, ‘It’s completely unthinkable from that era’ (laughs).

Katsushige Kawashima, who became the first world champion, was a diligent and hardworking person. That changed my perspective from ‘World champions are naturally talented’ to ‘You can become a champion with sincere effort,’ ‘World champions can be cultivated.'”

Following Kawashima, Hideyuki Ohashi also developed Tomoki Kameda (41), who conquered three weight classes, and the current Ohashi Gym boasts three active world champions. Regarding the joy of being a promoter, Ohashi said, “I believe that watching a big match will inspire some child to become a future champion.”

“The Tokyo Dome event is not the end but a beginning for Inoue Naoya and Ohashi Gym to accelerate. We have also started receiving offers from other stadiums in Japan. If Tenshin Nasukawa achieves more, we may see a match at the Tokyo Dome. Wouldn’t you like to see a sold-out Dome for a match between Japanese fighters?”

As a promoter, Ohashi has made strides from suffering five consecutive defeats at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium 30 years ago to the Tokyo Dome. Where will he fly next?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Titles omitted in the text)