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5'2" straw-weight Naoko Fujioka was
born on August 18 1975 and raised in the town of Osaki in the Miyagi
Prefecture of Japan (where the greatest
damage occurred as a result of the major earthquake
and tsunami of 11 March 2011). She compiled an amateur boxing
record of 20 wins and 3 losses as the five-time Japanese amateur
champion (in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009). She now trains
at Hatakeyama Takehara and Boxing Gym in Tokyo.
The Japan Boxing
Commission chose to recognize women's boxing from the
beginning of 2008 and Naoko began her pro boxing career in
2009 at age 34.
She made her pro debut at
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on September 15, 2009, weighing in at 107¾ lbs
and winning by a TKO at 1:27 in the second round over Lilly Kokietgym
(107¾
lbs) of Thailand. Kokietgym (whose birth name is Napaporn Boonchuon)
fell to 5-7 (3 KO's) with the loss.
On November 30, 2009 at
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (110¾ lbs) won by a TKO at 1:55 in the
second round over veteran Kazumi Izaka (5′7½″, 111½ lbs) who fell to
7-7-3 (3 KO's).
On April 1, 2010 at Korakuen
Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (107½ lbs) won by a TKO at 1:58 in the second
round over Pornboonon Por Vongporramet (107½ lbs) of Thailand,
who fell to 0-2-1. The fight had been scheduled for eight
rounds.
On September 24, 2010 at
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (104¾ lbs) won a ten-round unanimous
(98-92,98-92,98-93) decision over Kanittha Tungsongtaksin (104¾
lbs) of Thailand for the vacant OPBF Straw-weight title.
Fujioka started cautiously
against the
determined Thai opponent in the first round but then she began
to go forward and
throw relentless straight rights and left hooks. Open scoring
at the midpoint of the fight showed Naoko clearly ahead
at 40-36, 39-37, 39-37. As this was her first pro fight that
had lasted as long as the third round, there was some concern
over whether she
could keep her pace for the full ten rounds. Naoko remained
aggressive and weathered Kanittha Tungsongtaksin’s accurate shots
to the body in rounds six and seven, then went all out on
offense from the eighth round until the end. Tungsongtaksin, who fights under the ring name Kanittha Kokietgym, fell to 8-4 (4 KO's)
with the loss.
On December 15, 2010 at
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) defended the OPBF Straw-weight
title with a ten-round unanimous (98-93 x 3) decision over Naoko
Shibata (105 lbs) of Tokyo who fell to 6-1 (2 KO's).
Anabel Ortiz vs Naoko Fujioka in May 2011
© Copyrighted photo by Samart
On May 8, 2011 at Korakuen
Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) won the WBC Straw-weight title by a TKO
when Anabel Ortiz (105
lbs) of Tepic, Mexico was unable to come out for the start of the ninth
round because of an ankle injury. In the first three rounds,
the two fought a tight offensive and defensive battle, with
Fujioka willing to exchange blows toe to toe with the
defending champion from Mexico. Naoko began to step
up the pace of her attack in the fourth, and she
dropped Anabel Ortiz to the canvas with a right-left
combination in the fifth. After that, the tone of the match
visibly changed for Fujioka. According to
the open scoring system, all three judges had
it 68-64 for Fujioka after seven rounds.
The fight was effectively ended near
the end of the eighth round when Anabel Ortiz fell to
the canvas for the second time after taking a
right hook from Fujioka while in a corner.
Ortiz bravely rose from the canvas but retired after
the round was over because of an ankle problem caused
by her trips to the canvas in the fifth and the eighth rounds. Fujioka progressed to 6-0
(4 KO's) as
a pro boxer while Ortiz fell to 7-2 (1 KO). On September 22, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) won by a TKO over Kanittha Tungsongtaksin (105 lbs) of Thailand at
0:37 in the ninth round of a scheduled ten-round rematch for the WBC
Minimumweight title. Fukioka progressed to 7-0 (7 KO's) as a pro
boxer while Tungsongtaksin, who fights under the ring name Kanittha Kokietgym, fell to 13-4 (4 KO's).
More than fifty of Naoko's fans had traveled to Tokyo from the earthquake
stricken Miyagi Prefecture to encourage her in her first world title
fight. With the win at the age of 35 years and 9
months, Naoko became the oldest world champion in the
history of Japanese women's boxing.
To check out fight reports, complete up-to-date boxing records, with
huge digital photos you can go to
the WBAN Records
Member Site
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last updated: Thursday, September 29, 2011
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