Akinobu Hiranaka

Akinobu Hiranaka, born Nobuaki Hiranaka on November 14, 1963, is a Japanese former boxer who won the WBA junior welterweight world championship in 1992 and competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He is one of the few Japanese champions who lacked financial backing from large gyms or television companies, and he had to negotiate personally with opponents to land a shot at the world title. He trained at the Ryukyu boxing gym and boxed at Nippon University, made 37 of his 43 amateur wins by knockout, and at the 1984 Olympics lost to Genaro León of Mexico after a first round bye. He won the Japanese light welterweight title in only his fourth professional fight and defended it nine times before finally getting a world title fight.