June 9, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-Orient lightweight champion Shinichi gJaguarh Kakizawa , 58, Japan, passed away of lung cancer at a hospital in Ashikaga City, Japan, yesterday (Thursday). He was not only a manager of his Ashikaga JK Gym (JK stands for Jaguar Kakizawa) but also a novelist of short stories sometimes having contributed to magazines. His overall record was 35-11-2, 5 KOs.
Kakizawa was a sort of a bridge between Asia and Latin America, as he fought names opponents in Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica in the beginning of 1970fs. Jaguar, a nephew of popular flyweight Taizo Kakizawa, made a pro debut at the age of seventeen in 1965, defeating Kenji Hayashi by a four-round decision in Tokyo. Since then, he impressively scored 17 consecutive wins before he battled to a draw with veteran Filipino Johnny Jamito (who had an ambitious shot against Eder Jofre only to retire on the stool to be unable to answer the bell to begin the twelfth in 1965) in April 1967. Kakizawa, a busy-punching stylish speedster, then defeated formerly world-rated Arthur Persley (whose overall mark was 92-25-5, 28 KOs and who, born in New Orleans, moved to the Philippines in 1960 and kept fighting there until his last fight with Korean Kang-Il Suh in 1969) by a shutout decision (all 50-46 on the 5-point must system) in June that year.
On the eve of his 20th birthday, Jaguar, then 20-0-1, only two KOs, tasted his first setback by a decision at the hand of a future WBC 140-pound champ, Filipino banger Pedro Adigue (who acquired the vacant WBC belt by outpointing Adolph Pruitt in Manila in 1968 and yielded it to Bruno Arcari in Italy in 1970) in 1967. Having scored three wins since over Shoji Nakagawa, Filipinos Jesse Necessario and Raymond Rivera, Kakizawa suffered his first defeat by a stoppage when Brazilian Sebastian Nascimento halted him in the third in June 1968. His manager Shinichi Nakamura, one of the most influential and skillful instructor/manager in Japanese fistic history having cultivated ex-Orient flyweight champ Sadao Yaoita (who defeated previously unbeaten great world champ Pascual Perez in a non-title affair in 1959) and world junior light kingpin Hiroshi Kobayashi, promptly staged a rematch two months later. Kakizawa, this time, revenged his loss by knocking out Nascimento in eight rounds to his credit.
A highlight of his career was seen in February 1969, when Jaguar seized the vacant Oriental lightweight belt by outscoring Filipino Rudy Gonzalez in Tokyo. In April Kakizawa went abroad for the first time of his life and faced former world junior lightweight champ Flash Elorde (who forfeited his belt to Japanese speedster Yoshiaki Numata two years before) at the Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, Philippines. Despite his lack of convincing power Jaguar was popular among hardcore aficionados thanks to his skillful and speedy combination punching. He kept winning over Jamaican Percy Hayles (who failed to win the WBA & WBC 140-pound crown due to a bitter third round KO defeat by Carlos Hernandez in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1965), Munchai Mongktpetch Rorfortor (in his first defense of the Orient 135-pound belt by winning a decision), Yukinori Aso and Ecuadorian Eugenio Espinoza.
But Jaguar, in January 1970, dropped an upset decision to up-and-coming future WBC lightweight champ Guts Ishimatsu in a non-title go in Tokyo. It might be an ill-fated milestone, as Kakizawa showed a dramatic downfall since this defeat. He suffered eight consecutive defeats to all internationally famous oppositions. Jaguar lost his Orient 135-pound belt to fast-rising Korean Young-Chul Cho by an astonishing first round knockout in Tokyo in March 1970.
His handler Nakamura, who had a deep connection with prominent international booking agent Dewey Fragetta, sent Kakizawa to Latin America for a change. Jaguar faced Carlos gMorochoh Hernandez to lose on points in Caracas, Venezuela, in June 1970. Next, he moved to San Antonio, TX, losing Raul Montoya in July. Kakizawa moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, dropping a decision to Joao Henrique (who failed to win the world throne from Nicolino Loche, Bruno Arcari and Perico Fernandez) in September. He failed to go the distance, being knocked out by Mexican Chango Carmona (who later captured the WBC lightweight belt by stopping Mando Ramos and lost it to Rodolfo Gonzalez in the same 1972) in the tenth and final session in Mexico City in October. Jaguar took a brief sleep until his next bout with Alfonso Peppermint Frazier (who later dethroned legendary Argentine Nicolino Loche but lost his WBA 140-pound belt to Antonio gKid Pambeleh Cervantes in the same 1972), losing a 10-round decision in San Jose, Costa Rica, in March 1971. His Latin American trip for a year came to an end when he suffered a fifth-round KO at the hand of Jose Isaac Martin (who failed to win the WBC super-feather belt from Ricardo Arredondo in 1972) in Costa Rica in April. Jaguar might have been fascinated by the Latin American culture and chicas lindas.
Jaguar, on his return to Japan, appeared as a welterweight and defeated Ken Sawaguchi by a 8-round decision in August 1971. He fought once more and lost a decision to future OPBF challenger Shinichi Sato in September that year. It was his final bout. He experienced various jobs, but it was surprising that he became a writer. We hadnft imagined his second talent when he was active. More surprising was his return to the boxing world, as he recently opened a boxing gym to cultivate schoolboys. This reporter once talked with him at the Korakuen Hall, where he looked a soft-spoken gentleman. Kakizawa sometimes wrote an essay in a boxing magazine, so I encouraged his pen work as well as his gym work to coach youngsters how to box. Jaguar Kakizawa was a crowd pleaser with his speed and skills. May Jaguarfs soul rest in peace.
(6-9-06)