Hideyuki Ohashi on Developing Naoya Inoue and His 1990 Title Win

Hideyuki Ohashi stopped Japan's ignominious run of 21 consecutive world title fight losses when he knocked out Jum Hwan Choi in the ninth round to claim the WBC strawweight belt in February 1990. The victory transformed the 61-year-old's life overnight and eventually led him to discover and develop Naoya Inoue, the fighter Ohashi now calls a true once-in-150-years talent.

In an interview with The Ring published in the magazine's April 2026 issue, Ohashi reflected on his fighting career, the cultural weight of championship boxing in Japan during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and his work building the largest boxing club in the country. The discussion took place in January ahead of the Inoue-Junto Nakatani superfight, which Ohashi described as the crown jewel of his promotional career.

From National Hero to Promoter

Ohashi recalled the immediate impact of his title win. "The moment I won that fight, a black limousine came to pick me up," he told The Ring. "I was taken straight to TV Asahi to appear on a news program, and after that, I was sent to NHK as well." Within days he received a tie pin from Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu at the prime minister's office.

Despite being labeled a once-in-150-years genius by Yonekura Gym head Kenji Yonekura, Ohashi said he never took the tag seriously. "Boxing didn't even exist 150 years ago," he said. The promoter acknowledged he lost five times over his career, a record that hardly fits the billing. But he believes he eventually did meet a genuine generational talent. "Naoya Inoue probably won't come around again for another 150 years," Ohashi said. "Maybe that's what Chairman Yonekura really meant."

The fights Ohashi lost left deeper marks than his title triumph. He singled out his 1986 challenge against Jung Koo Chang in Korea, where 40,000 spectators packed an arena with no proper entrance aisle. Ohashi's cornermen couldn't be heard over the crowd, and his Japanese supporters were told to rush the ring if he won to avoid a riot. The promoter said everyone treated him kindly, including the opposing side, which served him ginseng chicken soup when Ohashi claimed to be ill. He dropped that rematch in the third round after landing a counter that nearly finished Chang.

Ohashi now presides over a stable that has produced numerous world titleholders, with Inoue standing as his signature project from amateur standout to unified champion across four weight classes.

Source: ringmagazine.com