June 12, 2008
June 12, 2008
TOKYO, JAPAN
Formerly world top contender and ex-Orient feather champ Mitsunori Seki, 66, passed away on June 6 and the grand funeral service took place at the Zojo Temple on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. The highly respected manager/promoter of the current WBA 105-pound champ Yutaka Niida was mourned by some 700 boxing people including former world champs Fighting Harada, Koichi Wajima, Yoko Gushiken, etc. as well as influential promoter Akihiko Honda.
A tape of his most memorable fight against Vicente Saldivar with the world feather belt at stake in Mexico was repeatedly shown at the gate of the temple so that people remembered how good a boxer Seki was. His Orient championship belt, which he retained twelve times (still the class record), was shown on a display-stand for the sake of many callers for condolence.
Seki was a greatly loved “uncrowned champ” despite his failure to acquire the world throne on five occasions in the flyweight to featherweight classes. His overall record was 61-11-1, 35 KOs, having fought so many name oppositions as future three-time world flyweight champ Chartchai Choinoi (each won once on points), Kunoi Vichichai (KO2), Dommy Ursua (KO5), Leo Espinosa (W10), Kangil Suh (W12), Vicente Derado (L10), Johnny Jamito (W12), Ronnie Jones (W10) plus world champs of Pone Kingpetch (L15), Sugar Ramos (TKO by 6), Saldivar (L15, TKO by 7) and Howard Winstone (TKO by 9 in his final appearance). The late Nat Fleischer, the editor of The Ring Magazine, once said after watching his Saldivar fight, “Seki is definitely a world-class boxer.” Great promoter George Parnassus also loved Seki so much that he booked the Japanese southpaw against Saldivar twice in Mexico after Seki badly hurt the champ and dropped him in the fourth, though losing a close but unanimous decision in 1966.
His Yokohama Hikari Gym will be succeeded by Kazunori Miyakawa who has financially supported Seki for many years. Seki’s hard-punching performance will be well remembered by our fight fans without doubt. May his soul rest in peace.
(6-12-08)