He defended the title 8 times before returning it to Japanese Boxing Commission.
Kudo won by 15 round split-decision, becoming the second Japanese boxer to capture the world light middleweight crown since Koichi Wajima.
[1] Kudo defended his title three times including against Korean contender Ho Joo,[2] before losing to undefeated challenger Ayub Kalule by unanimous decision for his only professional loss.
Kudo was possibly one of the least technically skilled champions in boxing history.
He compensated for his lack of skill by displaying an enormous amount of stamina and strength, and retired without suffering a single knockdown.