It has been 22 years since Katsunari Takayama first picked up boxing gloves. But the burning passion is still there.
The 36-year-old Takayama retired as a professional boxer in 2017 to focus on competing at the Tokyo Olympics, an ambition that went unrealized after he lost in a Tokai regional qualifier last summer.
Last month he returned to the professional ring, saying he still had work left to do.