Takuya Muguruma

Who is Takuya Muguruma?

Takuya Muguruma is a retired Japanese boxer who is a former WBA bantamweight champion. He is an alumnus of the Kinki University.

Muguruma became interested in boxing at the age of a junior high school student. In high school, he belonged to the rugby club. As Muguruma was a slow runner, he was a substitute player there. He began boxing at Osaka Teiken Boxing Gym after entering the University.

Muguruma turned professional with an amateur record of 2–1, and made his debut with a second round knockout victory in April 9, 1981. He won the annual Japanese boxing series, All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in the featherweight division in February 1982. He went down a weight division to capture the Japanese super bantamweight title in November 1983, and defended that title seven times in total before returning it.

Muguruma dropped down one more weight class for the scheduled fight against Bernardo Piñango for the WBA bantamweight title. However, as Piñango gave up the title, Muguruma won over Panama's Azael Moran via a fifth round knockout after flooring him twice, to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight title in Moriguchi, Osaka on March 29, 1987.