Kazuto Ioka was cleared of any wrongdoing following a doping investigation surrounding the biggest win of his career. Although the ruling hasn’t exactly left him in a celebratory mood.
The Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC) confirmed to local media that Kazuto Loka was no longer subject to punishment over allegations of producing a positive drug test.
Ioka said, “I’ve been longing for this day. I have nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to boxing. I cannot forgive them just like that. To be honest I’m not sure if I can keep fighting with peace of mind.”
“This thing blew up and for a month and a half changed my life completely. I thought that this would be the end of my career.”
The nation’s only ever male boxer to win four divisional titles continued the run following a knockout of Kosei Tanaka. However, test results provided in January revealed the boxer tested positive for cannabis.
Yuhei Nagata, the JBC’s chairman of the board said, “I can’t deny the handling of the samples was sloppy. It’s a fact that Ioka’s reputation was tarnished by his name being leaked to the media. I want to meet him in person and apologize.”
Kazuto Ioka of Japan celebrates after defeating Aston Palicte of the Philippines during their WBO Super Flyweight Title Bout at Makuhari Messe on June 19, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)
The next step for Kazuto Ioka
News of Ioka’s next fight has yet to be confirmed. There have been ongoing talks of his returning to the United States. His U.S. debut was well celebrated in a 10-round points win over McWilliams Arroyo.
Plans for another U.S. invasion were placed on hold pending the latest investigation. Even after being cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to PEDs, there are still hard conversations to be had regarding next steps in his storied career.
