By Joe Koizumi
Highly respected by all of the world, Haru Nagano, the business manager of Teiken Promotions, passed away here in Tokyo on New Year’s Day. Nagano, 99, greatly contributed to Teiken Gym by devoting all herself to assisting the late Akira Honda and his son and worldwide influential promoter Akihiko. Having graduated from Jissen College, Haru, the daughter of a court judge, entered the Teiken at the age of twenty-two in 1948 although she didn’t know it was a boxing enterprise. She served as a secretary of Akira, who staged such world title bouts as Davey Moore vs. Kazuo Takayama (twice) and Carlos Ortiz vs. Teruo Kosaka, and Flash Elorde vs. Kosaka in 1960’s—along with weekly boxing show named Dynamic Glove for Nippon Television (NTV).
As matchmaker, ticket-seller and de facto impresario, Nagano had been managing Teiken behind Akira, who, however, passed away in 1965. His son Akihiko, then just seventeen, followed the footstep of his father and has developed Teiken Gym so greatly that he cultivated and produced such world champions as Masao Ohba, Tsuyoshi Hamada, Toshiaki Nishioka, Takahiro Ao, Akifumi Shimoda, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Toshiyuki Igarashi, Takashi Miura, Yu Kimura, Ryota Murata, Kenichi Ogawa, current WBO 108-pound champ Shokichi Iwata. Also handled under his promotional wing were Jorge Linares, Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras, current titleholders Jessie Rodriguez and Anthony Olascuaga.
She handled everything in the business of Teiken Promotions, working at the gym from morning till night. As Masahiko “Fighting” Harada won the national four-round tournaments called Shinjin-o (Novice King) with his non-stop punching style, Nagano advised Akira Honda to stage a special six-round exhibition with then Orient flyweight champ and world top contender Sadao Yaoita in 1961. Harada displayed such a dynamic and remarkable performance that he, from his next bout, began to fight as a main eventer, defeating Ray Perez of Hawaii in May that year. It was thanks to Haru’s invaluable advice.
The very first world champion out of Teiken, Masao Ohba, then twenty-three, unfortunately suffered a highway auto accident and lost his still young life as an active titleholder after his fifth successful defense over Chartchai Chionoi via dramatic come-from-behind stoppage only twenty-three days before in 1973. Teiken, however, kept cultivating young ambitious aspirants and produced so many world titlists to its credit. Haru more than often gave her warm advices to younger promoters and/or managers at their crossroads. Mother of boxing, Haru Nagano had been respected by all people concerned in the world. May her soul rest in peace.
