Hiroki Ioka

Hiroki Ioka (井岡 弘樹) is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1999. He has held world championships in two weight classes, having held the WBC mini-flyweight title from 1987 to 1988, and the WBA light-flyweight title from 1991 to 1992. He was the first ever WBC mini flyweight champion, winning the title immediately after the mini-flyweight division was created.

Biography
Ioka entered the Miwa Tsuda Gym (current Green Tsuda Gym) while attending middle school, and made his professional debut in 1986 at the age of 17. He won the Japanese mini-flyweight title in his eighth professional fight in 1987, and fought for the newly created WBC mini-flyweight title the same year, winning by unanimous decision to become the youngest Japanese boxer to win a world title, at 18 years and 9 months old. This record remains unbroken today.

Ioka made his first defense against IBF mini-flyweight champion Kyung-Yun Lee in January, 1988, winning by knockout in the 12th round. Ioka's trainer, Eddie Townsend, was in the hospital during the fight, and died shortly after hearing that Ioka had won. Ioka made his second defense in June, 1988, against Napa Kiatwanchai of Thailand, retaining his title by a 12-round draw. The fight was highly controversial, as Kiatwanchai's side claimed that the last round was ended almost 30 seconds early in order to make the fight a draw. Ioka had almost been knocked out by Kiatwanchai in the final round. Ioka was ordered to have a rematch with Kiatwanchai for his third defense in December, 1988, and lost his title by 12-round decision. Ioka fought Kiatwanchai again in June, 1989, for his former title, but lost again by TKO in the 11th round.

Ioka moved up to the light flyweight division, and challenged undefeated champion Myung-Woo Yuh, for the WBA light-flyweight title in December, 1991. Ioka won a close split-decision victory, and defended his title twice in 1992. He met Yuh again in his third defense of the title in November, 1992, but lost by decision, losing his title.

Ioka moved up to the flyweight division in 1993, aiming to win titles in three weight classes, but lost to David Griman in Round 8 of the WBA flyweight title match. He would challenge the WBA Flyweight title two more times, losing by TKO both times, and challenged WBA super-flyweight champion Satoshi Iida in April, 1998, losing by 12-round decision. In December of that year, Ioka lost a 10-round non-title match to an unranked fighter, and decided to retire from boxing. The unranked fighter was Masamori Tokuyama, who would later defend the WBC super-flyweight title nine times. Ioka's career record was 33-8-1 (17KOs).

Post retirement
He currently trains and manages young fighters at the Ioka Boxing Gym (Ioka Promotions), and appears on local television shows from time to time.

In 2000, Ioka fought a 14-year-old Koki Kameda in a two-round exhibition match, which was broadcast as part of a television documentary on the Kameda family. Kameda was training at the Green Tsuda Gym at the time, where Ioka trained for much of his career. Kameda scored a knockdown on the former two division title holder from a left straight and right hook combination, but the referee ruled it as a slip. The fight ended up as a two-round draw decision. Kameda would go on to controversially win one of Ioka's former titles; the WBA light-flyweight title.

His nephew, Kazuto Ioka, has won six amateur boxing titles, and is a four-weight world champion, having held the WBA and WBC mini-flyweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA light-flyweight title between 2012 and 2014, and the WBA flyweight title between 2015 and 2017. He currently holds the WBO super-flyweight title.

Professional boxing record
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" !No. !Result !Record !Opponent !Type !Round, time !Date !Location !Notes
 * - align=center
 * 42
 * Loss||33–8–1||align=left| Masamori Tokuyama
 * TKO
 * 5 (10), 1:13
 * 1998–12–19
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 41
 * Win||33–7–1||align=left| Jerry Pahayahay
 * PTS
 * 10
 * 1998–09–03
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 40
 * Loss||32–7–1||align=left| Satoshi Iida
 * MD
 * 12
 * 1998–04–29
 * align=left|Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
 * align=left|For WBA super-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 39
 * Win||32–6–1||align=left| Hidekazu Sakata
 * TKO
 * 9 (10), 1:13
 * 1998–02–03
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 38
 * Win||31–6–1||align=left| Pinoy Montejo
 * UD
 * 10
 * 1997–11–18
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 37
 * Loss||30–6–1||align=left| José Bonilla
 * TKO
 * 7 (12), 2:49
 * 1997–02–25
 * align=left|Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|For WBA flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 36
 * Win||30–5–1||align=left| Hiroki Shinozaki
 * KO
 * 4 (10), 2:35
 * 1996–10–18
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 35
 * Win||29–5–1||align=left| Ricky Sales
 * PTS
 * 12
 * 1996–06–03
 * align=left|Green Arena, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 34
 * Win||28–5–1||align=left| Joel Nice
 * KO
 * 2 (10), 2:15
 * 1996–03–31
 * align=left|City Sogo Gym, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 33
 * Loss||27–5–1||align=left| Saen Sor Ploenchit
 * TKO
 * 10 (12), 2:42
 * 1995–10–17
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|For WBA flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 32
 * Win||27–4–1||align=left| Kim Dong-Soo
 * TKO
 * 4 (10), 1:52
 * 1995–05–09
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 31
 * Win||26–4–1||align=left| Lee Escobido
 * UD
 * 10
 * 1995–01–10
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 30
 * Win
 * 25–4–1
 * align=left| Triffon Torralba
 * KO
 * 4 (10), 1:42
 * 1994–06–27
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 29
 * Win||24–4–1||align=left| David Franco
 * KO
 * 5 (10), 1:55
 * 1994–04–13
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 28
 * Win||23–4–1||align=left| John Medina
 * TKO
 * 6 (10), 2:38
 * 1993–11–08
 * align=left|Seaside Sports Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 27
 * Loss||22–4–1||align=left| David Griman
 * TKO
 * 8 (12), 2:38
 * 1993–06–21
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|For WBA flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 26
 * Win||22–3–1||align=left| Ronnie Romero
 * KO
 * 2 (10), 2:31
 * 1993–01–29
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 25
 * Loss||21–3–1||align=left| Yuh Myung-Woo
 * MD
 * 12
 * 1992–11–18
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Lost WBA light-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 24
 * Win||21–2–1||align=left| Kim Bong-Jun
 * UD
 * 12
 * 1992–06–15
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Retained WBA light-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 23
 * Win||20–2–1||align=left| Noel Tunacao
 * UD
 * 12
 * 1992–03–31
 * align=left|Municipal Sogo Gymnasium, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
 * align=left|Retained WBA light-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 22
 * Win||19–2–1||align=left| Yuh Myung-Woo
 * SD
 * 12
 * 1991–12–17
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Won WBA light-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 21
 * Win||18–2–1||align=left| Katsumi Komiyama
 * KO
 * 5 (10), 1:51
 * 1991–06–27
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 20
 * Win||17–2–1||align=left| Kenji Tezuka
 * PTS
 * 10
 * 1991–04–05
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 19
 * Win||16–2–1||align=left| Max Forrosuelo
 * UD
 * 10
 * 1991–01–17
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 18
 * Win||15–2–1||align=left| Jaime Aliguin
 * PTS
 * 10
 * 1990–11–24
 * align=left|Seaside Sports Center, Sakai, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 17
 * Win||14–2–1||align=left| Salagchit Sorchitphatana
 * UD
 * 10
 * 1990–07–16
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 16
 * Win||13–2–1||align=left| John Ireng
 * KO
 * 9 (10), 2:17
 * 1990–04–09
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 15
 * Win||12–2–1||align=left| Udin Barahudin
 * UD
 * 10
 * 1990–01–29
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 14
 * Loss||11–2–1||align=left| Napa Kiatwanchai
 * TKO
 * 11 (12), 1:12
 * 1989–06–10
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|For WBC mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 13
 * Win||11–1–1||align=left| Hidekazu Kakehashi
 * KO
 * 2 (10), 1:59
 * 1989–02–08
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 12
 * Loss||10–1–1||align=left| Napa Kiatwanchai
 * MD
 * 12
 * 1988–11–13
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Lost WBC mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 11
 * style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw||10–0–1||align=left| Napa Kiatwanchai
 * PTS
 * 12
 * 1988–06–05
 * align=left|Kinki University Auditorium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Retained WBC mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 10
 * Win||10–0||align=left| Kyung-Yung Lee
 * TKO
 * 12 (12), 1:36
 * 1988–01–31
 * align=left|Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Retained WBC mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 9
 * Win||9–0||align=left| Mai Thomburifarm
 * UD
 * 12
 * 1987–10–18
 * align=left|Kinki University Auditorium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Won inaugural WBC mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 8
 * Win||8–0||align=left| Kenji Ono
 * PTS
 * 10
 * 1987–07–08
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|Won Japanese mini-flyweight title
 * - align=center
 * 7
 * Win||7–0||align=left| Akira Kiyono
 * PTS
 * 8
 * 1987–04–28
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 6
 * Win||6–0||align=left| Hisashi Nakatomi
 * TKO
 * 1 (6)
 * 1987–02–22
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 5
 * Win||5–0||align=left| Dash Higashiho
 * TKO
 * 2 (4), 1:02
 * 1986–10–07
 * align=left|Sakuranomiya Skating Rink, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 4
 * Win||4–0||align=left| Masao Kasai
 * PTS
 * 4
 * 1986–09–13
 * align=left|City Sogo Gym, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 3
 * Win||3–0||align=left| Osamu Uemoto
 * KO
 * 2 (4), 1:12
 * 1986–03–05
 * align=left|Nishinari Ward Center, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 2
 * Win||2–0||align=left| Hiroshi Udo
 * KO
 * 2 (4), 1:44
 * 1986–02–10
 * align=left|Prefectural Gymnasium, Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan
 * align=left|
 * - align=center
 * 1
 * Win||1–0||align=left| Yukio Yorimochi
 * KO
 * 3 (4), 0:45
 * 1986–01–23
 * align=left|Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
 * align=left|