32 Facts About Toshiaki Nishioka

Toshiaki Nishioka is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2012.

Toshiaki Nishioka held the WBC super-bantamweight title from 2008 to 2012, and challenged for the WBO and The Ring super-bantamweight titles in his final-fight.

Unlike many of Japan's other world champions, Toshiaki Nishioka willingly fought outside of his own country.

Toshiaki Nishioka was born in Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan, in July 1976, and has one younger sister.

Toshiaki Nishioka started boxing at age ten when he was in the fifth grade of elementary school on the recommendation of his father who runs a tavern.

Since before his professional debut, Toshiaki Nishioka had served as a sparring partner of the reigning WBC bantamweight champion Yasuei Yakushiji.

Toshiaki Nishioka won the annual Japanese boxing series, West Japan Rookie King Tournament in the super bantamweight division at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in September 1995.

Toshiaki Nishioka went down a weight division to capture the Japanese bantamweight title at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium on December 29,1998, the last day when Tatsuyoshi was a world champion.

In June 2000, Toshiaki Nishioka challenged the WBC bantamweight champion Veeraphol Nakonluang-Promotion in Takasago, Hyogo, and lost via a unanimous decision.

Toshiaki Nishioka had belonged to the JM Kakogawa Gym until that fight, and has been managed by the Teiken Boxing Gym in Tokyo under Akihiko Honda's supervision and Yuichi Kasai's guidance since September 2000.

Toshiaki Nishioka suffered an Achilles tendon rupture twice during that year.

Toshiaki Nishioka challenged Veeraphol for the third time at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in October 2003, but the result was a draw by a hometown decision.

Toshiaki Nishioka attended Marco Antonio Barrera's training camp on the West Coast of the United States.

Toshiaki Nishioka got married in January 2005, and they have a daughter born in 2006.

Toshiaki Nishioka went back to the super bantamweight division, and continued fighting mainly in Japan, besides a second-round technical knockout victory at the Palais des Sports in Marseille, France, in April 2005, and a fourth-round knockout victory at The Joint in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November 2006.

Toshiaki Nishioka noticed that the former motion before the Achilles tendon injury came back in the pivot of his ankle from around the fight in November 2006.

Toshiaki Nishioka later recalled that transfer to the Teiken Boxing Gym and marriage have been his major turning points.

Toshiaki Nishioka captured the WBC super bantamweight interim title against Thai's Napapol Kiatisakchokchai at the Pacifico Yokohama on September 15,2008.

Toshiaki Nishioka defended that title by knocking out Mexico's Genaro Garcia in the final round, again at the Pacifico Yokohama on January 3,2009.

On May 23,2009, Toshiaki Nishioka successfully defended his title against Jhonny Gonzalez in front of 12,000 spectators mostly cheering for Gonzalez at the Monterrey Arena in Mexico which had an outbreak of the H1N1 influenza.

Toshiaki Nishioka recovered from a knockdown on the first round and went to knock out Gonzalez in the third round.

Toshiaki Nishioka's left blows including his left crosses have often been called Monster Left from those days.

Toshiaki Nishioka was presented with the 2009 WBC Knockout of the Year.

Toshiaki Nishioka defeated Filipino Balweg Bangoyan via a fifth-round technical knockout at the Nippon Budokan on April 30,2010 to have four consecutive title defenses all by knockout.

Toshiaki Nishioka strongly desired a unification match with the other organizations' champion especially after that.

When Toshiaki Nishioka was named Japan's Fighter of the Year in 2010, he received a video message from Fernando Montiel demanding a fight at the awards ceremony in January 2011.

Toshiaki Nishioka fully concentrated every second from the beginning of the fight.

Toshiaki Nishioka landed well-timed left and right blows while circling right to nullify Marquez's right cross, and although not in principle for a southpaw, often circling left to negate Marquez's left hook and to throw his quicker and sharper angled left, to win the bout by a unanimous decision.

In March 2012, Toshiaki Nishioka competed with Yuriorkis Gamboa for The Ring pound for pound Top 10, and barely missed it.

Toshiaki Nishioka lost to Nonito Donaire by technical knockout in 1:54 in the ninth round at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on October 13,2012.

Toshiaki Nishioka had been ranked the number one super bantamweight in the world by The Ring, but was dropped to number three after the fight.

About a month following his bout with Donaire, Toshiaki Nishioka announced his retirement from boxing.