Shoji Oguma

Biography

Shoji Oguma, born on July 22, 1951, in Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan, emerged as a prominent figure in the flyweight division during the 1970s and early 1980s. Standing at 5 feet 3 inches and fighting as a southpaw, Oguma began his professional boxing career in Tokyo on December 26, 1970, where he secured a first-round knockout victory against Kenji Yoshii.

Throughout his career, Oguma faced several world-class opponents and participated in numerous world title bouts. On October 1, 1974, he captured the WBC Flyweight Title by defeating Betulio González via split decision in Tokyo.

However, on January 8, 1975, in his first title defence, he lost the championship to Miguel Canto by majority decision in Miyagi, Japan.

Oguma's resilience led him to reclaim the WBC Flyweight Title on May 18, 1980, with a ninth-round knockout of Chan-Hee Park in Seoul, South Korea.

He successfully defended this title multiple times, including victories over Sung-Jun Kim and a rematch win against Chan-Hee Park. Unfortunately, his reign ended on May 12, 1981, when he was defeated by Antonio Avelar via a seventh-round knockout in Mito, Japan.

Oguma's final professional bout took place on November 11, 1982, in Shizuoka, Japan. In it, he challenged Jiro Watanabe for the WBA World Super Flyweight Title. The match ended with Oguma losing by technical knockout in the 12th round.

Over a career spanning nearly 12 years, Oguma compiled a professional record of 38 wins (20 by knockout), 10 losses, and 1 draw.

His tenacity and skill in the ring earned him recognition, including being named The Ring magazine's Comeback of the Year fighter for 1980.