【Full Story】“I Actually Hated Boxing”: Koki Kameda Opens Up About His Turbulent Family Memories

Continuing to play the villain

“I’ve hated boxing ever since I was a kid. I’d wake up in the morning and go running every day, thinking, ‘Why do only me and my brothers have to do this?’ But for the Kameda family, boxing was an obligation. Even when people criticized me for playing the villain, I felt nothing. Because that was my job.”

In an office in a building in Minato, Tokyo, the former three-division world boxing champion looked back on his family memories. Koki Kameda, 39. Eleven years after his retirement, his current title is promoter and businessman.

At the end of May, Koki bowed his head in front of the press. The reason for his apology stemmed from the cancellation of the May Kyrgyzstan event of “SAIKOULUSH,” for which he served as promoter. LUSH, the company co-hosting the event, ran into financial difficulties and terminated its business partnership with Kameda. There was even speculation that his promoter’s license could be suspended indefinitely, but the following month’s event in Aichi went ahead with financial support from CyberAgent. He himself called it the biggest crisis of my life. However, about two months later, on this day, his trademark “Kameda style” was back in full force.

“For a long time, I had to play the ‘Koki Kameda’ that the media wanted to see. It’s difficult to become famous by being a good boy. My father always said, ‘If you’re hated for being the villain, people will get to know you faster.’ But the real me is shy, and I’m not good at speaking in front of people. There were times when I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about what to say and how to perform at press conferences. My career ended in the blink of an eye, so I hardly remember my days as a professional boxer. Now that I’m in my current position, I’m finally beginning to understand the sense of crisis my father felt about the boxing world.”

His father, Shiro, 61, drilled the basics of boxing into him from an early age. All three brothers—the second son Daiki, 37, and third son Tomoki, 35—eventually became world champions. However, they did not necessarily receive the level of recognition their achievements warranted, partly because of the public impression left by incidents such as Daiki’s bout against Daisuke Naito, 51, which drew criticism over repeated fouls.

What has driven him since retirement

In 2014, the “Kameda Gym,” to which all three brothers belonged, was suspended. That same year, four people affiliated with Kameda Gym were sued for damages by a Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) employee who alleged that he had been assaulted and intimidated. Although Kameda Gym won the case, sponsors and television networks pulled out. It effectively became impossible for the three brothers to fight in Japan, and Koki himself was forced to retire at the age of 28.

“It was during my final fight in Chicago, where I was fighting for a fourth world title, that I finally came to love boxing. I even enjoyed making weight. I lost the fight, but I was able to move on right away. I don’t want to see any more ‘victims’ like us in boxing. I guess that’s what drives me today.”

In his personal life, he was reportedly the victim of a massive ¥700 million investment scam, leaving him so financially strapped that he could not even pay his third son’s tuition. He made ends meet with appearance fees from television and online programs. He says his relationship with his father was the reason he returned to the boxing world after the aforementioned court victory.

“I took over the spirit of the gym called ‘KWORLD3’ that my father had established and started a new professional boxing gym. I also got my father’s trainer’s license reinstated, and I feel that, in my own way, I was able to do something for my father. But there have really been all kinds of things with my work as a promoter up to now.”

His first event ran a deficit of several million yen. He continued to struggle with attracting spectators and securing funding. Following the recent turmoil with LUSH, mentioned earlier, he will need to pursue more steady, grassroots activities going forward.

“I’m not very versatile, so I can only do one thing at a time, but once something interests me, I focus on it completely. For example, with ‘Dragon Quest,’ I can’t feel satisfied until I’ve leveled up to 99. I’m kind of an otaku. Most of a promoter’s job is raising money, and the people you’re dealing with are those who don’t know anything about boxing. I take the time to explain the appeal of boxing, saying things like, ‘Unlike RIZIN and BreakingDown, each country has its own commission, and boxing is also an Olympic sport.’ It’s educational for me, and I actually enjoy it.”

Koki’s company, Kameda Promotion, is now in its 21st year. It has staged 31 boxing events. This is the future he envisions:

“Rather than having professional boxing concentrated solely in Tokyo, I want to see more world-title fights held in Osaka, western Japan, and the Chubu region to generate more excitement. I saw that as my mission, which is why I also ran for president of the West Japan Boxing Association. There are people who dislike me, and, honestly, there are times when I feel like people are trying to hold me back. But the boxing world also needs a breath of fresh air, and if there aren’t people willing to take on challenges, it will gradually decline.”

These days, the Kameda family gets together only about once a year, if that. Even so, Koki’s conviction to do this for his father does not appear likely to waver.

From the September 11 & 18, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”