Takeru Segawa To Enter ONE Hall Of Fame After Stunning Retirement Win Over Rodtang At ONE SAMURAI 1
Takeru Segawa walked into Ariake Arena on April 29 as a 4-to-1 underdog in the final fight of his career. He walked out as an ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion, a retirement legend, and now, a future Hall of Famer.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has confirmed that Takeru will be inducted into the ONE Hall of Fame later this year, joining fellow legends Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, and Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang. A 10-gong salute retirement ceremony will also be held at ONE SAMURAI 4 in October to honour the career of Japan’s greatest kickboxer.
The Hall of Fame announcement arrives days after Takeru delivered the most remarkable performance of his legendary career, stopping Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the fifth round of their rematch at ONE SAMURAI 1 in Tokyo. Rodtang had knocked him out in 80 seconds at ONE 172 last March. The rematch told a different story entirely. Takeru dropped the Thai twice in the second round, survived a brutal war in the fourth, and finished the fight on his feet with a final combination that sent Rodtang to the canvas for good.
Chatri did not hold back in assessing what the world had witnessed.
“The world will forever remember this extraordinary moment in history. His spirit. His power. His tears,” Chatri said. “Takeru was a 4 to 1 underdog and somehow pulled off a miracle to top off a legendary career. In my opinion, the world witnessed the best version ever of Takeru that night. Without a doubt, Takeru goes down as one of the greatest world champion kickboxers in the history of the sport. What a fairytale!”
Takeru retires with a 46-5 professional record, three K-1 World Title reigns across different weight classes, and an ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title claimed on the night he said goodbye. Chatri framed the scope of that achievement in full.
“Takeru now retires as arguably the greatest Japanese kickboxer in history, first conquering Japan with titles in K-1 and then conquering the world with the most important world title of his career on the world’s biggest stage of martial arts in ONE,” he said.
The Hall of Fame induction places Takeru alongside the most decorated names in ONE Championship history. The 10-gong ceremony at ONE SAMURAI 4 in October will give Japanese fans one final moment to honour a career that defined an era.
READ MORE: Elbrus Osmanov Eyes Next Move After Earning ONE Championship Main Roster Contract
Recent posts
