World boxing champion Masao Ohba died in a tragic accident in Tokyo at the age of 52. He is still revered in his homeland as the “Eternal Champion”.
They call him the “Eternal Champion”.
It is a resounding nickname with which Masao Ohba is remembered, but the story behind it is sad: Ohba, who fought his way from a poor background to the top of the boxing world in the early 1970s, was taken from this life by a tragic accident 52 years ago today – as the reigning world champion and at just 23 years of age.
From poverty to the top
Ohba was born on October 21, 1949 in Tokyo. His father was a factory worker with an addiction to gambling, so Ohba had a difficult childhood. However, Ohba’s father was also his son’s inspiration in some ways: his father’s passion for boxing awakened Ohba’s desire to become a ring hero himself – and to provide a better life for himself and his family.
After school, Ohba began to realize his dream: alongside his job in a candy store, he began boxing training, and in 1965 he joined the long-established Teiken Gym.
Because Ohba was only just over 1.50 meters tall and weighed less than 50 kilograms as a teenager, his trainers initially feared that Ohba would also be too frail for a career in the lower weight classes. But Ohba’s ambition in training in the ring and with the weights proved the doubters wrong.
Flawless after the title win
Ohba made his professional debut in late 1966, and first caused a stir when he surprisingly beat reigning flyweight world champion Bernabe Villacampo on points on December 14, 1969 – although Villacampo’s title was not at stake.
Ten months later, Ohba became the WBA champion with a technical knockout against Berkrerk Chartvanchai from Thailand.
Ohba did not lose another fight after his title win: he defended his belt for over two years and also won other fights in which his title was not at stake – including against the later European champion Fritz Chervet from Switzerland and Rocky Garcia from the USA. For the duel in San Antonio, Texas, Ohba left his Japanese home base for the first and only time.
On January 2, 1973, Ohba successfully defended his title for the last time against Chartchai Chionoi from Thailand – three weeks later, fate struck.
Tragic crash with an 11-ton truck
On the morning of January 25, 1973, Ohba was on his way to the gym in his newly acquired Chevrolet Corvette.
Ohba – an inexperienced driver who had only had his license for three months – was driving too fast on an expressway, lost control of his vehicle in a curve, and crashed into an 11-ton truck parked in the opposite lane.
The young world champion, who had recently bought his parents a house, died from his injuries.
The death crash of the tragically unfinished boxing hero shocked the sports nation of Japan, and because of his tragically unfinished story, Ohba is still revered as a myth by fans in his homeland today. In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
