By: James Amato

Japan has provided boxing with many fine champions and contenders over the years. Probably the most famous being the wonderful Fighting Harada. Among those fine fighters representing Japan one has been grossly overlooked. He won three titles in two weight divisions. This was back when boxers had only the W.B.A and W.B.C to contend with. Looking back over his fifty six fight career, you can see he met some pretty stiff competition. His name was Kuniaki Shibata.

Shibata was born at Hitachi, Japan in 1947. He made his professioal debut in 1965. Kuniaki quickly established himself as a top prospect by winning his first twenty one bouts. In 1968 it was veteran contender Dwight Hawkins who ended Shibata’s win streak with a seventh round knockout. In 1969 Shibata lost a bid to win the OPBF featherweight title as he was halted by the respected Hubert Kang.

Shibata went nine fights without a defeat and then his big break came. In the mid and late 1960’s Mexico’s Vincente Saldivar ruled the featherweight division. After winning the championship in 1964 from the talented Sugar Ramos, Saldivar made seven successful defenses. Three times he defeated his top contender the pride of Wales, Howard Winstone. After his his last victory over the game Welshman, Saldivar decided to retire. There was a mad scramble to find a successor. The W.B.C. matched Winstone with the smooth boxing Jose Legra. The W.B.A. matched Raul Rojas, who had lost to Saldivar against Enrique Higgins. Legra, a native of Cuba took out Winstone in round five. Rojas was victorious over Higgins. Legra’s win over the popular Winstone seemed to make him the one regarded as the superior new champion. In Legra’s first defense he was shaded over fifteen rounds by Australia’s Johnny Famechon. Rojas lost his version of the title to Japan’s Shozo Saijo.

While all this was going on Vincente Saldivar decided to un-retire. He promptly outscored Legra for the right to meet Famechon and reclaim his title. That is exactly what Saldivar did as he beat Famechon in a tough fight to regain the championship. At this point it looked like Saldiver could reign as long as he wanted to. Seven months after defeating Famechon the champion would meet Kuniakii Shibata. who was brought in from Japan to face Saldivar in front of his wildly cheering fans. Although Shibata had a respectable 31-2-2 record it seemed unlikely for him to dethrone the great Saldivar.

The year 1970 had produced some great upsets like Carlos Monzon defeating Nino Benvenuti and Billy Backus slicing up the slick Jose Napoles. Shibata came right out to show that he came to win. At times Saldivar looked bewildered as no matter what he did Shibata just kept coming in. Shibata appeared to be very strong as he forced Saldivar to give ground. This was a close fight with many exciting exchanges but as the rounds went by Saldivar seemed to weaken. The proud champion did everything he could do to stem the tide but Shibata would not be denied. As the fight wore on the damage Shibata was doing showed on Saldivar’s face. Kuniaki was really busting him up.Finally after twelve rounds of a bruising battle, it was over. Saldivar was a beaten man and he conceded his title.

Shibata looked like the real thing when he ended the title hopes of Mexico’s Raul Cruz in one round. Next came a hard fought title retaining draw with Panama’s Ernesto Marcel. Finally Shibata’s chin failed him as he was starched in the third round by another Mexican, Clemente Sanchez. Kuniaki decided to move up to the 130 pound division in 1973 and he challenged hard hitting Ben Villaflor of the Philippines for the W.B.A. version of the junior lightweight title. Villaflor was a powerful pucher but Shibata was a master boxer in this fight . Kuniaki was awarded a fifteen round decision and the crown. Shibata then hung on to the title with a draw against Argentina’s Victor Echegaray.Then came the rematch with Villaflor. This time Villaflor did not give Shibata time to get into his groove as Villaflor streched him out in the first round.

Shibata once again return to the forefront as four months after the Villaflor debacle he met the W.B.C. 130 pound title holder Ricardo Arrendondo. Shibata pulled of another suprise winning the crown over fifteen rounds. This time around Shibata would make three defenses. He outscored Antonio Amaya, stopped Ramiro Bolanos and outfought Ould Makloufi. Finally Shibata’s Achilles heal or should I say chin was exposed once again as Alfredo Escalera flattened Kuniaki in round two.

Shibata would go on to win his last three fights and then called it quits in 1977. He left the game with a fine record of 47-6-2. He won twenty five by knockout and he was stopped five times, all in major contests. Does Shibata have the qualifications to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame ? Obviously you could make a strong case for him based on the credentials of some of the current inductees. I doubt Shibata will ever be enshrined in Canastota but he should be given his just due. I’ll always remember him as the man that made Saldivar surrender.