Japan’s Ginjiro Shigeoka forced to retire after suffering brain injury in fight with Pedro Taduran

Reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) mini-flyweight champion Pedro Taduran has established himself as one of the best boxers to come from the Philippines—and one who has yet to reach his peak.

Taduran once again demonstrated why he is among the top fighters in his weight class worldwide, defeating Japanese star Ginjiro Shigeoka in their rematch via split decision on Saturday, May 24, at Intex Osaka in Japan.

This victory mirrors the result of their first title bout at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena in Otsu, Japan, on July 28, 2024, where Taduran stopped Shigeoka in the ninth round. Although Shigeoka entered the rematch with a revised game plan, the Filipino champion proved too dominant, relentlessly pressuring his Japanese opponent throughout the fight.

Shigeoka was peppered with punches and sustained significant damage, ultimately needing to be stretchered out of the ring after the bout. The judges’ scorecards read 115-113, 113-115, and 118-110, awarding Taduran a split decision victory.

Following the match, Shigeoka was rushed to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a blood clot between his brain and skull. The 25-year-old underwent emergency brain surgery on Wednesday, May 28, in Osaka. His boxing career has now come to an end after the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) confirmed he had undergone a craniotomy—a surgical procedure involving the removal of part of the skull to relieve brain pressure.

Ginjiro Shigeoka has suffered an acute subdural hematoma and undergone brain surgery following his defeat to Pedro Taduran on Saturday. The former IBF strawweight world champion lost consciousness after the result was announced and remains unconscious in hospital under… pic.twitter.com/iMt5MVqiRn

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 27, 2025

“According to the JBC, Japanese former IBF champion Ginjiro Shigeoka has suffered from an acute subdural hematoma and has already undergone a craniotomy. Shigeoka remains under observation in a private hospital in Osaka. The commission has mandated his retirement from boxing following the procedure,” a statement from VIVA Promotions read.

This is not the first time Shigeoka has suffered severe injuries against Taduran. In their first encounter, he sustained a fractured orbital bone that also required surgery.

Shigeoka’s retirement marks a tragic end to a promising career. A former IBF mini-flyweight champion, he had won his first 11 professional bouts—nine by knockout—and was regarded as one of the brightest stars in Japanese boxing alongside Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani.

However, he may take some solace in the fact that his older brother, Yudai Shigeoka, continues to fight professionally and is also a former World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion.

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