Japan's Boxing Mother

[Mulboyne]

IOL: Meet Japan's oldest woman boxer
A 44-year-old mother of two won approval on Friday to become Japan's oldest professional boxer, saying she has trained to compensate for her physical shortcomings. Kazumi Izaki, a fitness club instructor, was among 20 women who were awarded licences as the Japan Boxing Commission, which for the first time issued permits to female boxers. Izaki, who will turn 45 in March, won Japan's female flyweight championship in 2004, although the tournament was not officiated by the national commission. "After you turn 40, you get far-sighted and you wither physically," she told reporters after her test bout on Thursday. "But I should be able to compensate for it with the other high-level qualities that I have." Izaki, who has two daughters aged 21 and 14, is among Japan's most experienced female boxers, some of whom have fought international bouts despite not being licensed by the national commission.

[Mulboyne]

The Asahi/IHT described back in March how the Japan Boxing Commission has embraced women's boxing. Friday night saw an all-women's card at Korakuen with ten bouts in front of a sold-out crowd. It was the first event ever officially sanctioned by the JBA. Most of the bouts involved Japanese boxers but the headline fight featured Canadian Natalie "Too Bad" Brown, undefeated in five pro bouts, against experienced WIBA World lightweight champion Emiko "Fujin" Raika. Raika got the better of her opponent over the six-round contest and two judges scored her the winner - a third called it even - to hand her victory.



Raika qualified as a dental hygienist but gave up the work because she "didn't like wearing the uniform skirt".

[2triky]

Badass Japanese Mom

Tough talk from a badass 44-year-old Japanese mom:

"I wanted to show my children that if you give up, then you're washed up!"

Kazumi Izaki has been recently named Japan's oldest professional boxer. She was officially certified despite the fact that she is 12 years older than that country's boxing federation normally allows. She made it.

The mother of two daughters, 21 and 14, and former aerobics instructor laced up a pair of boxing gloves for the first time back in 2001. She replaces a 46-year-old Japanese man as the country's oldest pro boxer after he declined to renew his license. I guess he's washed up.

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Japanese mom's world record bid floored

A Japanese mother of two's bid to emulate George Foreman by winning a world boxing title at 45 has been floored after the World Boxing Council (WBC) ruled she was too old. Kazumi Izaki, who became Japan's oldest professional boxer last year, was poised to fight Mexico's Ana Maria Torres for the world superflyweight crown on February 28. But WBC officials suddenly pulled the plug on the Mexico bout on health grounds, fearing the former aerobics instructor could get hurt by the hard-punching Torres. "The WBC said age was the biggest factor," the head of Izaki's gym Susumu Hanagata told Reuters Tuesday. "It came as quite a blow to her."

Izaki, who has daughters at university and junior high school, took up boxing in 2001 but her career now hangs in the balance. "We're waiting to hear from the WBC about whether they will sanction her fights in the future," said Hanagata. "We expect to hear from them this week. "We sent them a video of her fights so we hope that will convince them she is in decent shape. With hindsight, we should have sent it earlier so the fight could go ahead as planned." The Yokohama-based Izaki, who trains nightly after preparing the family dinner, could seek to be sanctioned to fight under the World Boxing Association (WBA) if the WBC refused to let her continue, Hanagata said. "At the moment we're looking for another opponent but we can't promote a fight until we hear from the WBC," said Hanagata. "If it's bad news we will take our case to the WBA. "Izaki still has options so she's training as usual. It's possible the WBA will also take a tough line but she can still fight in Japan. "She's being positive and looking at the cancellation of this fight as a chance to increase her fitness levels further."

Izaki had been aiming to eclipse Foreman, who had been two months younger than her -- at 45 years and nine months -- when he won the world heavyweight crown in 1994. "She was looking forward to the chance of getting into the Guinness Book of Records," said Hanagata. "There's still a chance she will."

[Taro Toporific]

[floatl][/floatl]

....Japanese housewife Kazumi Izaki dutifully prepares lunchboxes for her family at the crack of dawn each morning before hitting the gym to take on grown men. Izaki, who became Japan's oldest professional boxer last year, could soon overtake George Foreman by winning a world title at the age of 46....

April 16, 2009 daylife.com/Reuters

[Mock Cockpit]

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[Mulboyne]

At the other end of the spectrum is Saki Yamada. Born in August, 1992, she is still 7 months shy of her 18th birthday. She beat a 22 year old opponent on her debut today in Fukuoka. Yamada got her professional licence on her 17th birthday and dropped out of school to start her career. She has a 15 year old kick boxing sister (below).