Toshiaki Nishioka - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Nishioka was born in Kakogawa, Hyōgo, Japan, in July 1976, and has one younger sister. He started boxing at age ten when he was in the fifth grade of elementary school on the recommendation of his father who runs a tavern. He compiled an amateur record of 10–2. Since before his professional debut, Nishioka had served as a sparring partner of the reigning WBC bantamweight champion Yasuei Yakushiji.

Nicknamed Speed King, Nishioka won his professional debut by a first round knockout in Himeji, Hyōgo, on December 11, 1994. But he was knocked out in the fourth round of the next fight at the Korakuen Hall, and was carried out on a stretcher. Nishioka won the annual Japanese boxing series, West Japan Rookie King Tournament in the super bantamweight division at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in September 1995. Winning over the Central Japan rookie king in the next fight at the Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall, he fought against the rookie king of the Western part of Japan in Fukuoka in December of the same year. Though Nishioka was convinced of his victory, the judges were in favor of his opponent.

During his early career, Nishioka was expected to be Joichiro Tatsuyoshi's successor, and served as his sparring partner for two years since 1996. Nishioka went down a weight division to capture the Japanese bantamweight title at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium on December 29, 1998, the last day when Tatsuyoshi was a world champion. Although Nishioka was knocked down once when away from the clinch in the first round, he twice floored his opponent while wearing a confident and defiant smile in the second round to be crowned, and defended the title twice before returning it.