is a professional boxer nicknamed "Japanese Rocky". He made his mark in the twelve-round lightweight slugfest against Omar Figueroa in July 2013, that earned him the nickname after the film Rocky. "The Japanese lefty gained a zillion fans with his rumble last year against Figueroa," TheSweetScience.com's Michael Woods said in 2014. He is the former Japanese and OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) lightweight champion. Early life and amateur career Arakawa was born in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan, and move to Fussa soon after. Fussa is the city well known by U.S. Air Force Base and Ryū Murakami's novel Almost Transparent Blue. He enjoyed basketball with fellow kids while living there from the age of two to thirteen, then relocated to Minamiizu, Shizuoka. He became involved in middle-distance running and tennis during junior high school, and served as the captain and pitcher for the high school's baseball team. It was also during high school that he watched the Félix Trinidad fights on WOWOW and was inclined into boxing. He later told that his most favorite fight as of May 2013 was Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas in December 2000. After five years' stay in Minamiizu, he went back to Fussa and lived there until he moved to Hachioji in March 2012. He started boxing at the age of nineteen at Hirotaka Nakaya's Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym in Hachioji. His amateur record was only 4–1 (3 KOs) that won him a minor title in the light welterweight class. Professional career On February 10, 2004, Arakawa made a start to his professional career with a first round knockout at the Korakuen Hall. He defeated Yoshitaka Katō to be crowned the East Japan Rookie King in November 2005, and won the All-Japan Rookie King Tournament in December of that year. He rematched Katō in September 2006 where he suffered his first loss in a close decision. Issei Nakaya of Hachioji Nakaya Promotions had promoted Arakawa until the end of 2014. after having visited boxing venues around the world over years. Regional title fights In September 2008, Arakawa faced Filipino Randy Suico for the OPBF lightweight title, but the fight ended in a majority draw. Japanese title Arakawa won the Japanese lightweight title via a majority decision from Akihiro Kondō in April 2010, after being knocked down for the first time in his career in round one. In his second defense in January 2011, he stopped