Guts Ishimatsu obit

Guts Ishimatsu

 

He was not on the list.

Former professional boxer and television personality Guts Ishimatsu (real name: Yuji Suzuki) died on the 2nd from pneumonia. He was 76 years old. On the 11th, his agency, Guts Enterprise, gave an interview to Oricon News. A memorial service has not yet been decided.

　The company released a statement titled "Obituary," reporting, "Our employee, Guts Ishimatsu, passed away peacefully on June 2, 2026 (age 76) at a hospital in Tokyo due to pneumonia. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the kindness shown to him during his lifetime and inform you of this sad news." The funeral was held privately with only close relatives in attendance, according to the wishes of the family, and the statement concluded, "Please forgive us for informing you of this at this time. We respectfully decline any floral tributes or offerings."

　The statement continued, "Being loved by so many people was his greatest pride and I am certain that he had a happy life. On behalf of the deceased, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has warmly supported him. I hope that every time you make a victory pose, you will remember Guts Ishimatsu. OK Corral!"

　Guts was born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1949. He made his professional boxing debut in 1966. In 1974, he became the WBC World Lightweight Champion (defending the title five times in a row). His overall record was 31 wins (17 KOs), 14 losses, and 6 draws in 51 fights. After retiring in March 1978, he entered the entertainment industry. He was active as a talent and actor.

■The following is the full statement from the agency

Our employee, Guts Ishimatsu, passed away peacefully on June 2, 2026 (age 76) at a hospital in Tokyo due to pneumonia. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the kindness you showed him during his lifetime and would like to inform you of this sad news.

Regarding the funeral, in accordance with the strong wishes of the deceased and his family, it was held privately with only close relatives in attendance, and we apologize for the delay in informing you all.

Furthermore, we respectfully decline any floral tributes or offerings.

At this time, we have not yet decided on any memorial services or other arrangements. We will inform you again if there are any further matters to announce.

We are certain that being loved by so many people was his greatest pride and that he had a happy life. On behalf of the deceased, we express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has warmly supported him. We hope that you will

remember Guts Ishimatsu every time you make a victory pose.

Yuji Suzuki (鈴木 有二, Suzuki Yūji; 5 June 1949 – 2 June 2026), better known as Guts Ishimatsu (ガッツ 石松, Gattsu Ishimatsu) was a Japanese actor, comedian, tarento and professional boxer who competed in the Lightweight division from 1966 to 1978. He was a one-time former WBC Lightweight Champion and an OPBF Lightweight Champion.

As a boxer, he was known for his unpredictable style, sometimes marking completely unexpected victories, and often losing in extravagant fashion as well. He lost 14 of his 51 professional fights, a rather large number of losses for a world champion. Since retiring in the late 1970s, he had gained popularity as an entertainer.

Guts often appeared as a foolish boke character on television, but this was an act he put on for media purposes. As a boxing commentator, he offered precise, intelligent commentary based on his own experiences in the ring.