The Japan Boxing Commission announced that it will take certain measures after fighters Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa died of brain injuries after their bouts on August 2 at a card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall.

At a press conference, Hagiwara Minoru, chairman of the commission, said they would investigate what happened and find ways to ensure the boxers do not take risks in their fights.

"We will begin working on everything within our reach immediately, including investigating and clarifying the cause, as well as taking immediate action. We want to move forward as soon as possible," he said.

"The offensive power of Japanese boxing today is tremendous. We have more and more boxers capable of initiating fierce exchanges of blows from the first round. "Perhaps 12 rounds could be dangerous," added Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary general of the Japanese commission.

In fact, following the events, the first measure taken by the Japan Boxing Commission was that all championship fights in the Eastern and Pacific Boxing Federation will now be 10 rounds instead of 12.

Recall that boxers Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, died after suffering brain injuries and underwent brain surgery to treat a subdural hematoma (a collection of blood between the brain and skull).

Kotari collapsed in his corner after drawing with Yamato Hata, the Oriental-Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight champion, while Urakawa was taken off the pitch after losing by eighth-round knockout to Yoji Saito.

"Once again, we are reminded of the pain of the families and those involved, and the seriousness of this matter. How can we eliminate the risks inherent in sports? What happened this time is serious. We have received requests not only from our colleagues, but also from within and outside the country, saying that if there is anything we can do, we will do it.We would like to work with everyone to prevent this from happening again," the secretary concluded.