The rise of Ryosuke Nishida

By James Lupton

“BOXING is the most fun, compared to the other sports I’ve done. From the moment I started playing it, I found it to be a fun sport.”

Yes, boxing is a sport, but to say anybody who steps into the square ring ‘plays’ boxing, is a dangerous precedent to set. However, Japan’s affable IBF 118lbs world champion Ryosuke Nishida was bitten by the pugilist bug from an early age and nothing was going to steer him from his passion or God-given talent.

Kashiba City’s favourite fighting son grew up in Nara Prefecture and, like many other kids, enjoyed playing in the park with his friends, in addition to being an avid swimmer and gymnast. However, all that changed after he set foot (most likely his right foot first) inside a boxing gymnasium at high school. Unknowingly, Nishida’s flame for boxing had officially been lit.

As the future southpaw champion first stepped into the gym, Nishida’s curiosity crept in. “I first encountered boxing when I was in high school after being invited by a friend. My high school had a boxing club, so I started boxing as an amateur,” he told Boxing News.

“There was a steep hill on my way to high school, and I often ran up that hill during morning practice. Classes ended in the evening, and I worked at the gym from there.

From hill sprints in his teen years to studying long-reigning WBC world bantamweight champion, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Nishida found himself stood in the centre of the ring opposite Sakol Ketkul for his professional debut on October 3, 2019, stopping his foe in less than two minutes of the opening stanza.

That TKO victory remains Nishida’s only stoppage to date, however, there was obviously something special about him, as he took on former flyweight world champion Daigo Higa in only his fourth outing. It’s worth noting that Higa had only lost one in his previous 19 fights and, despite being the underdog, Nishida emphatically cruised past Higa, 117-111 (twice) and 118-110.

Certain dates make a lasting impression on us and, without a doubt, May 4, 2024 will be forever etched into Nishida’s legacy, as the date he defeated Emmanuel Rodriguez (pictured below right), of Puerto Rico, to claim the IBF bantamweight crown. The 27-year-old is currently 9-0, 1 KO and, despite an abundance of natural talent and a sensational work ethic in the gym, Nishida’s attitude is that of a rookie and certainly possesses zero complacency. He modestly explained. “I don’t really think that I’m good at boxing. By winning matches, my confidence gradually increased. 

Action Images/Andrew Couldridge

“The reason I’m getting stronger is because I’m listening to the instructions of my trainer, [Kosuke] Takeichi, and I want to continue to listen to my trainer and get stronger. I am very happy that I was able to defeat a highly-rated champion in the bantamweight division and become world champion. The days leading up to the match were very tough, so I was very happy that my efforts were rewarded. 

“All I was thinking about was beating Rodriguez, so I’m going to take some time off, set new goals, and work hard to improve my rating. All of the bantamweight champions are Japanese, so I want to become the strongest fighter in this weight class. I’m looking forward to seeing who will fight who [within the division].”

Boxing in Japan is reaching an all-time high, boasting 10 legitimate male world champions from strawweight to super-bantamweight, including all four belt holders at 118lbs. Add in there the continual rise in stardom of Naoya Inoue, who has cemented himself within the pound-for-pound discussion, the country is becoming a hotbed for the sport.

The day after Nishida became champion, the Tokyo Dome was filled with 55,000 spectators all in attendance to catch a glimpse of Inoue, as he faced off against the villain of the piece, Luis Nery. After an early scare, which saw Inoue seated on the canvas for the first time in his exciting career, he took full control of the fight and his opponent, ending the fight in the sixth round. 

Naoya Inoue rocks Luis Nery during their super-bantamweight title fight at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on May 6, 2024 (Philip FONG / AFP)

Nishida is looking to benefit from Inoue’s journey to date and the rising profile of Japanese boxing. 

“Naoya Inoue represents Japan and proves to the world that Japan is strong. I really wanted to do my best to stand on that stage myself. I want to work harder in the future so that I can be proud when I look back. A legacy is proof that I have been involved in and impacted boxing.”

If the southpaw favourite continues with his current form, it will, in fact, be other countrymen and women who benefit from being in the slipstream of his progress.