Nihito Arakawa is a professional boxer nicknamed "Japanese Rocky".
20 Facts About Nihito Arakawa
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Nihito Arakawa made his mark in the twelve-round lightweight slugfest against Omar Figueroa in July 2013, that earned him the nickname after the film Rocky.
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Nihito Arakawa is the former Japanese and OPBF lightweight champion.
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Nihito Arakawa enjoyed basketball with fellow kids while living there from the age of two to thirteen, then relocated to Minamiizu, Shizuoka.
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Nihito Arakawa became involved in middle-distance running and tennis during junior high school, and served as the captain and pitcher for the high school's baseball team.
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Nihito Arakawa later told that his most favorite fight as of May 2013 was Trinidad vs Fernando Vargas in December 2000.
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Nihito Arakawa started boxing at the age of nineteen at Hirotaka Nakaya's Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym in Hachioji.
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On February 10,2004, Nihito Arakawa made a start to his professional career with a first round knockout at the Korakuen Hall.
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Nihito Arakawa defeated Yoshitaka Kato to be crowned the East Japan Rookie King in November 2005, and won the All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in December of that year.
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Nihito Arakawa rematched Kato in September 2006 where he suffered his first loss in a close decision.
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In September 2008, Nihito Arakawa faced Filipino Randy Suico for the OPBF lightweight title, but the fight ended in a majority draw.
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Nihito Arakawa won the Japanese lightweight title via a majority decision from Akihiro Kondo in April 2010, after being knocked down for the first time in his career in round one.
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Nihito Arakawa defended his title three times all by stoppage before vacating it.
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Nihito Arakawa successively captured the vacant OPBF lightweight title via a split decision over Filipino fighter Jay Solmiano in October 2011.
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Nihito Arakawa stopped compatriot Takehiro Shimada in round eight in his second defense in August 2012 while throwing over a hundred punches each in two rounds, and then vacated his title.
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In November 2012, Nihito Arakawa competed with Mexican Pedro Daniel Estrada in Mexico City on the main event of the Gala Ring Telmex 2012.
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On March 8,2014, Nihito Arakawa came back to the ring to face Japan-based Venezuelan Jorge Linares in a ten-round WBC title eliminator, with a mandatory shot against Omar Figueroa on the line.
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Nihito Arakawa was again fighting out of the red corner, but lost in a unanimous decision.
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Nihito Arakawa then transferred to Hitoshi Watanabe's Watanabe Boxing Gym in April 2015.
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Nihito Arakawa's nickname is "The Baby-faced Sniper" because of his quite accurate shots.