photo credit: Samart
5’2″ straw-weight Naoko Fujioka was born on August 18 1975 and raised in the town of Osaki in the Miyagi Prefecture of Japan (where the greatest damage occurred as a result of the major earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011). She compiled an amateur boxing record of 20 wins and 3 losses as the five-time Japanese amateur champion (in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009). She now trains at Hatakeyama Takehara and Boxing Gym in Tokyo.
The Japan Boxing Commission chose to recognize women’s boxing from the beginning of 2008 and Naoko began her pro boxing career in 2009 at age 34.
She made her pro debut at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on September 15, 2009, weighing in at 107¾ lbs and winning by a TKO at 1:27 in the second round over Lilly Kokietgym (107¾ lbs) of Thailand. Kokietgym (whose birth name is Napaporn Boonchuon) fell to 5-7 (3 KO’s) with the loss.
On November 30, 2009 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (110¾ lbs) won by a TKO at 1:55 in the second round over veteran Kazumi Izaka (5′7½″, 111½ lbs) who fell to 7-7-3 (3 KO’s).
On April 1, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (107½ lbs) won by a TKO at 1:58 in the second round over Pornboonon Por Vongporramet (107½ lbs) of Thailand, who fell to 0-2-1. The fight had been scheduled for eight rounds.
On September 24, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (104¾ lbs) won a ten-round unanimous (98-92,98-92,98-93) decision over Kanittha Tungsongtaksin (104¾ lbs) of Thailand for the vacant OPBF Straw-weight title. Fujioka started cautiously against the determined Thai opponent in the first round but then she began to go forward and throw relentless straight rights and left hooks. Open scoring at the midpoint of the fight showed Naoko clearly ahead at 40-36, 39-37, 39-37. As this was her first pro fight that had lasted as long as the third round, there was some concern over whether she could keep her pace for the full ten rounds. Naoko remained aggressive and weathered Kanittha Tungsongtaksin’s accurate shots to the body in rounds six and seven, then went all out on offense from the eighth round until the end. Tungsongtaksin, who fights under the ring name Kanittha Kokietgym, fell to 8-4 (4 KO’s) with the loss.
On December 15, 2010 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) defended the OPBF Straw-weight title with a ten-round unanimous (98-93 x 3) decision over Naoko Shibata (105 lbs) of Tokyo who fell to 6-1 (2 KO’s).
On May 8, 2011 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) won the WBC Straw-weight title by a TKO when Anabel Ortiz (105 lbs) of Tepic, Mexico was unable to come out for the start of the ninth round because of an ankle injury. In the first three rounds, the two fought a tight offensive and defensive battle, with Fujioka willing to exchange blows toe to toe with the defending champion from Mexico. Naoko began to step up the pace of her attack in the fourth, and she dropped Anabel Ortiz to the canvas with a right-left combination in the fifth. After that, the tone of the match visibly changed for Fujioka. According to the open scoring system, all three judges had it 68-64 for Fujioka after seven rounds. The fight was effectively ended near the end of the eighth round when Anabel Ortiz fell to the canvas for the second time after taking a right hook from Fujioka while in a corner. Ortiz bravely rose from the canvas but retired after the round was over because of an ankle problem caused by her trips to the canvas in the fifth and the eighth rounds. Fujioka progressed to 6-0 (4 KO’s) as a pro boxer while Ortiz fell to 7-2 (1 KO).
On September 22, 2011 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (105 lbs) won by a TKO over Kanittha Tungsongtaksin (105 lbs) of Thailand at 0:37 in the ninth round of a scheduled ten-round rematch for the WBC Minimumweight title. Fukioka progressed to 7-0 (7 KO’s) as a pro boxer while Tungsongtaksin, who fights under the ring name Kanittha Kokietgym, fell to 13-4 (4 KO’s).
More than fifty of Naoko’s fans had traveled to Tokyo from the earthquake stricken Miyagi Prefecture to encourage her in her first world title fight. With the win at the age of 35 years and 9 months, Naoko became the oldest world champion in the history of Japanese women’s boxing.
On July 15, 2012 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko (107¾ lbs) won an eight-round unanimous (80-72,80-73,79-74) decision over Mayela Perez (106½ lbs) of Saltillo, Mexico in a non-title bout. The loss dropped Perez’s record to 10-14-3 (7 KO’s).
On October 28, 2012 at the Furukawa Sogo Gym in Osaki, Miyagi, Japan, Naoko Fujioka (104¾ lbs) won a clear ten-round unanimous (99-90,98-90,98-90) decision over previously unbeaten Victoria Argueta (105 lbs) ofCiudad Nezahualcoyotl, México for the WBC Strawweight title. Argueta dropped to 9-1 (4 KO’s) with her first pro loss.
On March 12, 2013 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Naoko Fujioka (112 lbs) KO’d Maribel Ramirez (109½ lbs) of Mexico City, Mexico at 1:30 in the fourth round of a scheduled non-title eight-rounder. The win moved Naoko’s record to 10-0 (6 KO’s) while Ramirez fell to 8-5-2.
On March 14, 2015 in Naucalcan, Mexico, for the WBC International super flyweight title, Naoko Fujioka — won a split decision over Mariana Juarez. In a lightweight four rounder, Mayra Mariano Martinez won a unanimous decision over Guadalupe Periban.
On October 19, 2015, in Tokyo, Japan, in a ten rounder for the WBO bantamweight title, Naoko Fujioka 14-1 won a unanimous decision over Hee Jung Yuh 15-3.
On June 13, 2016, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, there were two female WBO title bouts, For the WBO Bantamweight title, Naoko Fujioka (Japan) won by a unanimous decision over Go Shindo (Japan) This is first title defense at bantamweight for Fujioka. For the WBO Atomweight title, the bout resulted in a split draw between Nao Ikeyama (Japan) vs Saemi Hanagata apan). This is 4th title defense for Ikeyama.
On October 1, 2016, at the Centro Regional de Deporte de Las Américas, Ecatepec, México, flyweight Jessica Chavez, 111¾, won a ten-round unanimous decision over Fujioka, 111.5. The two were fighting for the WBC Flyweight world title. Final judges scores were 95-93, 94-93, and 96-92.
On March 13, 2017, at Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, WBA Flyweight Title -Naoko Fujioka (Japan) vs Isabel Millan (Mexico)
Winner Naoko Fujioka by TKO in the 10th round – Millan was down once in the 2nd round.
On December 1, 2017, at the Korakuen Hall, Japan,Fujioka from Japan, now 17-2-0 (7KO), won a ten-round unanimous decision over Yokasta Valle, former IBF 102 lb Champion from Costa Rica. The two were fighting for the vacant WBO Light Flyweight Title. Judges scores were 98-92, 96-94, and 99-91. This was a first-time loss for Valle, who came into the bout with a undefeated 13-0-0 (6KO) record as a professional boxer. This bout was rated 3 stars with Boxrec.
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