Jirō Watanabe
| Jiro Watanabe | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Jiro Watanabe |
| Rated at | Super flyweight |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born |
16 March 1955 Osaka, Japan |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 28 |
| Wins | 26 |
| Wins by KO | 18 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Jiro Watanabe (渡辺二郎 Watanabe Jirō?, born 16 March 1955) is a Japanese former boxer and current yakuza
Watanabe, who fought only in Japan and South Korea, was one of the first World Super flyweight champions, as the division was relatively new when he was crowned.
With a background in Shotokan Karate, he started his professional boxing career with a three round knockout over Keiza Miyazaki. The fight was in Okayama, Watanabe's birthplace. Two first round knockout wins followed, one over Yukihiro Kawahira, and another over Noburu Iishi. There was an immediate rematch with Iishi, and, although the second time around Iishi gave him a tougher test, nevertheless, Watanabe still came out a winner, by a knockout in six.
Three more knockouts followed, two in the first round, including one over Koji Kobayashi, brother of former world champion Royal Kobayashi. Then, Watanabe was taken the distance for the first time, against Jin-Hyun Chun in Nagoya, Watanabe winning a six round decision.
After two more decision wins, Watanabe flew to South Korea, where he challenged the WBC world Jr. Bantamweight champion Chul-Ho Kim, losing in his first world title bid by a 15 round decision. Watanabe then returned to Japan and won his remaining four bouts for 1981 there, three by knockout. One of the fighters he beat was Tito Abella, who by then had been ranked as the number one Jr. Bantamweight challenger in the world. Abella was knocked out in four rounds.
On April 1982, the WBA Jr. Bantamweight champion of the world, Rafael Pedroza of Panama, the cousin of Eusebio Pedroza, travelled to Osaka to defend his belt against Watanabe on 8 April. Watanabe won a unanimous 15 round decision and became world champion. Watanabe's remaining fights of 1982 were title defenses against former world champions, Gustavo Ballas of Argentina, knocked out in nine rounds, and Shoji Oguma (former two time world Flyweght champion), beaten by a knockout in 12.
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