By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Japanese hero, former WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka (27-2-2, 19 KOs) made an official announcement to retire from ring completion on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.

The hard-punching southpaw, whose lethal shot was called “God’s Left”, registered twelve consecutive defenses to his credit during his long reign for five years and nine months. Yamanaka acquired the WBC belt by halting Christian Esquivel (TKO11) in November 2011, and then scored twelve defenses: Vic Darchinyan (W12), Tomas Rojas (KO7), Malcolm Tunacao (TKO12), Jose Nieves (KO1), Alberto Guevara (KO9), Stephane Jamoye (TKO9), Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (W12), Diego Santillan (KO7), Anselmo Moreno (W12), Liborio Solis (W12), Anselmo Moreno (TKO7) and Carlos Carlson (TKO7).

Though he lost his belt to Mexican Luis Nery and failed to regain it in their scandalous grudge fight because of Nery’s excessive overweight, Yamanaka’s brilliant achievements will be remembered long by our fight fans. The great champ fades out of the ring scene.