Emiko Raika
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Emiko Raika (来家 恵美子, born January 24, 1975, in
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
) is a Japanese female professional boxer and mixed martial artist. Although more Japanese women have taken up traditionally male sports such as
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
,
kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...
and
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
in recent years, many in Japan still believe that women should not box, because of the injury risk. Raika, who has suffered a broken nose and an eye socket
fracture Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...
in fights, shrugs off the possibility of injuries. "When I told friends that I want to become a boxer, they were surprised and put down my decision because I am a woman," said Raika. "But I had to resist. I like boxing and I wanted to do it. In fact, I am expressing myself through boxing. I am fighting not to beat the opponent, but for myself."


Biography


Early life

Raika lived with her grandmother until she was three. After her grandmother died, she spent the next 15 years in the Karyo-en children's home in Kyoto. Raika was a good student, among the top of her high school graduating class. She studied at Ogaki Women's College and became a licensed dental hygienist, later working at a dental clinic. She quit the job after a month, because she did not like the uniform. She tried other jobs, but they did not make her happy. "I felt as if I were not living and felt myself destroying." said Raika, "I was very weak mentally. I could choose to have an ordinary life, but I wanted more than just that - to become strong."


Boxing career

Always enjoying rough sports such as wrestling and rugby, Raika joined a local boxing gym that she found while commuting to work at a battery manufacture, and trained to compete as an amateur boxer. Raika had three wins in three amateur fights, and was named the most outstanding woman in a local amateur tournament, where she was spotted by Toshihiro Yamaki, a Tokyo gym owner. With a growing number of Japanese women becoming interested in boxing, a group of gym owners had organized a women's boxing association in 1999, with Yamaki as its secretary general, called the Japanese Women's Boxing Commission (JWBC). Yamaki was impressed by Raika, and asked her to join his gym and turn professional. She now devotes full-time to boxing. Raika won the WIBA Featherweight World title from Australian Sharon Anyos in 2001, and successfully defended the title in a 2002 rematch. After destroying an overmatched Shelby Walker in two rounds for her second title defence on May 23, 2004, Raika made her 3rd title defence against the rugged (and undefeated) brawler Melissa Fiorentino on September 18, 2004, in Kyoto, Japan. It was called the WIBA 2004 Fight of the Year, Raika again successfully defended her crown via 10-round decision in a brutal toe-to-toe slugfest. Raika then vacated her world title at
featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...
(126 pounds) to move up in weight to the super featherweight division (130 pounds). On March 13, 2005, in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan, Raika lost a 10-round decision to Chevelle Hallback for the vacant WIBA Super Featherweight World Title. On October 1, 2005, in Tokyo, Japan, Raika won an 8-round decision over Belinda Laracuente. On May 20, 2006, in Cholla Province, Korea, Raika moved up another 2 weight classes, to 140 pounds, where she won a 10-round unanimous decision over Won Mi Chung, for the IFBA Light Welterweight World Title. On June 10, 2006, in Tokyo, Japan, Raika knocked out Yoko Takahashi in the 4th round with a body shot. On December 15, 2006, in Tokyo, Japan, Raika won a 10-round unanimous decision over Terri Blair to win the vacant WIBA Lightweight World Title.


Mixed martial arts record

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Takayo Hashi Takayo Hashi (端貴代 ''Hashi Takayo'', born October 2, 1977) is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. Biography Hashi observed her brother grappling and competing in mixed martial arts and this inspired her to compete as well. She joined t ...
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Professional boxing record


References


External links


Raika's homepage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raika, Emiko 1975 births Japanese women boxers Living people Martial artists from Kyoto World boxing champions World featherweight boxing champions Lightweight boxers Featherweight boxers Japanese female mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing