Guts Ishimatsu
| Guts Ishimatsu | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Yuji Suzuki |
| Nickname(s) | Guts |
| Rated at | Lightweight |
| Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Reach | 172 cm (68 in) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born |
5 June 1949 , Japan |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 51 |
| Wins | 31 |
| Wins by KO | 17 |
| Losses | 14 |
| Draws | 6 |
| No contests | 0 |
Guts Ishimatsu (ガッツ 石松 Gatsu Ishīmatsu?, born 鈴木 有二 (Yūji Suzuki) on 5 June 1949) is a former boxing world champion from Kanumashi, Japan. After retiring from boxing, he has gained popularity as an actor and comedian.
As a boxer, he was known for his unpredictable style, sometimes marking completely unexpected victories, and often losing in extravagant fashion as well. He lost 14 of his 51 professional fights, a rather large number of losses for a world champion.
He often appears as a foolish boke character on television, but this is an act he puts on for media purposes. As a boxing commentator, he offers precise, intelligent commentary based on his own experiences in the ring. He is also known to have a liking for bananas, and keeps numerous bananas lying around his home, should he suddenly develop a craving for one.
His original ring name was Ishimatsu Suzuki, but was changed to Guts Ishimatsu, since he wanted himself to become a gutsy boxer. Earlier in his career, Guts had often given up in fights where he was losing.
Guts made his professional debut in 1966. He was known primarily as a rough, undisciplined fighter early in his career, but his technique improved greatly under the tutelage of American trainer Eddie Townsend. He challenged Panamanian Ismael Laguna in 1970 for the WBA/WBC Lightweight Title, but lost by TKO in the 13th round. He challenged Shinichi Kadota (who had knocked out Guts only five months earlier) in 1972, and won by decision to capture the OPBF Lightweight title. After the fight, he remarked that his goal was to fight the WBA/WBC champion Ken Buchanan. Buchanan would challenge Guts three years later, when Guts was the WBC Lightweight champion.
In 1973, Guts challenged the legendary Roberto Durán in Panama for the WBA Lightweight title. Guts fought hard, but was brutally knocked out in the 10th round. Guts' manager was infuriated by Guts' loser attitude, as Guts remarked that Durán in his prime was "Too strong, I can't win", even before the fight had ended.
On April 11, 1974, Guts fought WBC Champion Rodolfo Gato González in Tokyo. González had a record of 59-5-0 (50KOs) going into the fight, as opposed to Guts' rather pathetic record of 26-11-6 (14KOs). Few expected Guts to win, but Guts fought toe-to-toe with the champion, getting a knockout win in the 8th round. Guts credited his win with being able to prepare for three extra months (González was bitten by a spider before the fight, moving the date back three months), which he used to pack on extra stamina for the fight. Guts was re-introduced to González 32 years later on a Japanese television show, where he learned that he and Gonzalez bore an uncanny number of similarities, including being born in a poor household, and succeeding as an actor after retiring from boxing as former world champions.
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