Takehara got a shot against WBA Middleweight Champion Jorge Castro, who had a record of 98-4-2 at the time and had made five title defenses.
Takehara went into the fight as a huge underdog, and the match took place in the tiny Korakuen Hall despite being a world title bout.
[2] The win against Castro generated huge media hype, and Takehara's title defense took place in Yokohama Arena on June 24, 1996, against William Joppy.
Winning a world middleweight title had been regarded as impossible for any Japanese boxer, since the division had featured some of the sports best champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Durán, Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns.
After years of mediocre living, Takehara achieved immense popularity in 2000 after appearing on the variety show "Gachinko Fight Club."
The show is similar to The Contender in concept, where the lives of aspiring boxers are documented as they go through hard training and life struggles.
Since then, he has appeared on numerous variety and talk shows, and has even guest-starred in a TV drama series and released a rap CD.