#2 of the images “Fighting Single Mother” Reveals the Struggles of a Japanese Boxer Facing Racism in the U.S. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

After gaining experience in mixed martial arts and other sports, she switched to boxing in 2014.“After the 10th round, the referee said ‘Congratulations’ and instructed me to bring my daughter into the ring. I hadn’t received any punches from my opponent at all. Yet, I lost by decision. Some of the judges had a large margin of difference in their scores, and I can’t help but wonder if there was any point in having that fight. Right now, I’ve filed a protest with the judges, and we’re waiting for the result.” In fact, the commentators of the U.S. TV broadcast that covered the fight repeatedly called Yoshida the winner. The cameras also followed Yoshida throughout the final round, making her victory seem unquestionable. “Although it may not be clear from the footage, after the decision, there was a lot of booing, and the atmosphere in the venue became tense. In fact, I felt the same unnaturalness in the judgment of my previous match. This time, I filed a request with the New York State Athletic Commission (the organization responsible for managing combat sports like boxing) to ‘change the referee and judges and ensure a fair decision.’ However, I’m not a U.S. citizen. It’s hard to say that I wouldn’t be treated unfairly just because I’m Japanese. That’s why I made sure to prepare thoroughly for the fight. The result has shocked my entire team because we feel we were too optimistic.”

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“Fighting Single Mother” Reveals the Struggles of a Japanese Boxer Facing Racism in the U.S.

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