Editing Jiro Watanabe (section)

==Biography==
With a background in Shotokan Karate, he started his professional [[boxing]] career with a three-round [[knockout]] over Keiza Miyazaki. The fight was in [[Okayama]], Watanabe's birthplace.  Two first-round knockout wins followed, one over Yukihiro Kawahira, and another over Noburu Iishi. There was an immediate rematch with Iishi, and, although the second time around Iishi gave him a tougher test, nevertheless, Watanabe still came out a winner, by a knockout in six.

Three more knockouts followed, two in the first round, including one over [[Kōji Kobayashi (boxer)|Koji Kobayashi]], future WBC world Flyweight champion and brother of former world champion [[Royal Kobayashi]]. Then, Watanabe was taken the distance for the first time, against Jin-Hyun Chun in [[Nagoya]], Watanabe winning a six-round decision.

After two more decision wins, Watanabe flew to South Korea, where he challenged the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] world Jr. Bantamweight champion [[Chul-Ho Kim]], losing in his first world title bid by a 15-round decision. Watanabe then returned to Japan and won his remaining four bouts for 1981 there, three by knockout.
One of the fighters he beat was Tito Abella, who by then had been ranked as the number one Jr. Bantamweight challenger in the world. Abella was knocked out in four rounds.

In April 1982, the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] Jr. Bantamweight champion of the world, [[Rafael Pedroza]] of [[Panama]], the cousin of [[Eusebio Pedroza]], travelled to [[Osaka]] to defend his belt against Watanabe on 8 April. Watanabe won a unanimous 15-round decision and became world champion. Watanabe's remaining fights of 1982 were title defenses against former world champions, [[Gustavo Ballas]] of [[Argentina]], knocked out in nine rounds, and [[Shoji Oguma]] (former two time world Flyweight champion), beaten by a knockout in 12.

1983 was another busy year for the champion: He beat Luis Ibañez by a knockout in eight, Roberto Ramirez of [[Mexico]] by a decision in 15, and Soon-Chun Kwon by a technical decision in 11. Watanabe had built a considerable points lead over Kwon, but in round ten, their heads collided, causing a gap in Watanabe's head. He bled profusely, and the fight doctor ordered the fight to be stopped in round eleven, but since it was ruled that the cut was the product of a headbutt, the fight then went to the scorecards, and Watanabe was declared the winner.

In 1984, Watanabe disposed of another Venezuelan challenger, Celso Chavez, by knocking him out in 15 rounds. Then, he and WBC world champion [[Payao Poontarat]] met in an attempt to unify the world's Jr. Bantamweight title, and Watanabe finally earned the WBC's belt, winning by a 12-round decision. Although Watanabe didn't become undisputed as he was stripped of the WBA title for refusing to defend his title against his number 1 contender, [[Khaosai Galaxy]]. Watanabe also became the first lineal champion in the division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/jrbant.htm|title=Jiro Watanabe – Lineal Junior Bantamweight Champion|publisher=The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia}}</ref>  There was an immediate rematch, and Watanabe again imposed his will, with an 11-round knockout over the former world champ.

In 1985, he retained the title with a 12-round decision over Julio Soto Solano. Wins over Katsuo Katsuma (KO 7) and Suk-Hwan Yun (KO 5) followed, but in 1986, he defended against the late [[Gilberto Roman]] in what would turn out to be his last fight. He lost to Roman by a 12-round decision and announced his retirement from professional boxing. Unlike so many others, he was able to stay away from the temptation of coming back and trying to regain his old popularity.

Watanabe's successor for the WBA title would be Galaxy.  Galaxy would win the vacant title against Eusebio Espinal and also go on to become a Jr. Bantamweight and reel off 19 straight title defenses before retiring.

In 1999, Watanabe was spotted at a [[Seoul]] activity honoring [[Asia]]'s greatest boxing champions, alongside [[Fighting Harada]], [[Jung-Koo Chang]], [[Yoko Gushiken]], [[Sot Chitalada]], and former rivals Chul-Ho Kim and Poontarat, among others.

In August 1995, he was arrested for [[blackmail]]. He ran an import business in [[Osaka]], and threatened the debtors by saying that he would beat them to death. Police suspended judgment on the matter, so he was released.

In October 1999, he was arrested for giving a gun to a friend who was prosecuted for [[murder]]. In July 2000, he was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment.

After being released in 2004, he was arrested for blackmail along with [[Kenji Haga]], ex-actor, and a [[yakuza]] of [[Yamaguchigumi]], on 30 June 2007. He has denied the suspicion, but Japan Boxing Commission banished him on 27 July 2007.