Japan’s Kosei Tanaka celebrates his victory against Mexico’s Christian Bacasegua during their WBO Super-fly Weight championship boxing bout in Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February 24, 2024. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Four-division world champion Kosei Tanaka has called time on his professional career at the age of 29 due to repeated eye injuries, the Japanese fighter said.

Tanaka is the fastest boxer to earn belts at four different weights, winning the WBO strawweight, light-flyweight, flyweight and super-flyweight titles in 21 bouts, surpassing American Oscar De La Hoya’s record of 24 fights.

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Having made his professional debut at 18, Tanaka retires with a record of 20-2. His last fight was in October when he lost to South Africa’s Phumelele Cafu.

He said he underwent surgery on both eyes after the bout.

“I’m retiring as a professional boxer. 11 years of professional life … The reason is all about my repeated eye injuries…,” Tanaka posted on social media on Wednesday.

“Due to the effects of hernia operations on my neck and many, many operations on my eyes alone in the four years from 2021, my eyes have become brittle and I can no longer spar, let alone compete.

“I decided to retire because there was no way for me to get into the ring.”