MASAO OHBA

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KSTAT124
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
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MASAO OHBA

Post by KSTAT124 »

In the "Fighters from other countries" section, I started a thread entitled "Fighters from the Orient in the Halls of Fame." There are only four in the IBHOF- Pancho Villa, Flash Elorde, Fighting Harada, and Khaosai Galaxy- and only five in the WBHOF- the aforementioned quartet and Ceferino Garcia.

Those lists are way too short.

A fighter who hopefully will be added to those lists is the late Masao Ohba.

Ohba was born in Tokyo on Octobe 21, 1949. He turned professional on November 17, 1961 at the age of 17, scoring a 48-second knockout against Kazuyoshi Watanabe. Watanabe, who was also making his pro debut, decided against making boxing his career after that crushing defeat.

After compiling a record of 16-1-1, marred only by a 4-round decision loss to Masakaza Tani on June 16, 1967 and a 4-round draw with Snappy Asano, October 13, 1967, Ohba was matched in his first 10-rounder with future WBA champion Susumu Hanagata. The more experienced Hanagata won on points. Ohba would never again experience defeat in the ring.

After two decision wins against lesser opponents, Ohba stepped up and fought reigning Japanese flyweight champion Speedy Hayase in a non-title bout. Ohba improved to 19-2-1 with a convincing points win over the Hiroshima-born national champ.

Three more wins, including decisions over former Japanese champion Yoshiaki Matsumoto and reigning OPBF champion Tsuyoshi Nakamura, in a non-title bout, led Ohba to a Decembr 14, 1969 non-title showdown with then WBA champion Bernabe Villacampo of the Philippines. Villacampo had taken the title from Hiroyuki Ebihara two months earlier in Osaka and was confident he would add a win in Tokyo over the up-and-coming Ohba. It didn't happen. Ohba won a unanimous decision, not losing a round on one card and only 2 on the others.

While Ohba waited for a return with Villacampo with the title on the line, he stayed active with a decision over Rudy Billones of the Philippines. In the meanwhile, Villacampo beat tough Mexican veteran Raton Mojica in a non-title bout but lost the championship to Thailand's undefeated Berkrerk Chartvanchai. Ohba knocked out overmatched Mexican journeyman Baby Corona in his next bout while new champion Chartvanchai dropped a decision to future WBC flyweight champion Erbito Salavarria of the Philippines in a non-title contest. Both Ohba and Salavarria would challenge for titles in their next bouts. On October 22. 1970, at the Nihon University Auditorium in Tokyo, Ohba knocked out Chartvanchai in the 13th round to capture the WBA title while a month and a half later on December 7, Salavarria stopped Chartchai Chionoi in the 2nd round to end Chionoi's second reign as the WBC champion.

Ohba, in his first bout after winning the title, halted highly rated Fritz Chervet of Switzerland in a non-title bout held at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. In his first title defense, also held at the Nihon University Auditorium, Ohba won a close unanimous decision over future 3-time flyweight champion Betulio Gonzalez.

Ohba won non-title wins over Mexican flyweight champion Constancio Garcia (TKO-9) in San Antonio, Texas and a one-sided 10-round decision over San Antonio's Tony Moreno in Tokyo before finishing 1971 with his second successful title defense, a 15-round, unanimous decsion over Filipino challenger Fernando Cabanella. Cabanella had beaten Lorenzo Gutierrez in a WBA title eliminator after Gutierrez had scored a decision over WBC champ Salavarria in a non-title bout. Salavarria had beaten Henry Hayes, Susumu Hanagata (in a title defense), lost to Gutierrez, and outpointed Natalio Jimenez before putting his title on the line for the second time, against Betulio Gonzalez. On November 11, 1971, Salavarria and Gonzalez battled to a 15-round draw but Salavarria was found to have used an illegal stimulant. A month later, the WBC stripped Salavarria of the title.

On March 4, 1972, Ohba defended his title against his one-time conqueror, Hanagata. While two judges had Ohba winning handily, the referee scored the bout even. Ohba gained the satisfaction of having avenged his earlier loss but had to settle for a majority decision when it appeared a unanimous verdict was much more appropriate.

On June 3, Gonzalez annexed the vacant WBC title by knocking Socrates Batoto of the Philippines in the 4th round thus making Ohba, who had beaten Gonzalez in a title bout, the linear champion. Seventeen days later Ohba defended the WBA and linear championships with a brilliant performance, knocking out Panama's Orlando Amores in the 5th round.

Ohba beat Natalio Jimenez, also by a fifth round knockout, in a non-title bout September 26, 1972 and on January 2, 1973, successfully defended the flyweight championship against former two-time WBC and linear champion Chartchai Chionoi. Ohba knocked out Chionoi, who would later win the vacant WBA title, in the 12th round. With the win, Ohba improved to 35-2-1 with 16 victories.

Tragically, it would turn out to be Ohba's last fight. On January 24, 1973, Ohba was killed when his car collided with a truck in Tokyo. He was only 23 years old.

Masao Ohba should be in the IBHOF and the WBHOF and it is almost criminal that he has been overlooked. He was 6-0 in world title bouts and compiled a record of 5-1 against boxers who held world titles at some point in their careers and reversed that loss when he and Susumu Hanagata fought for the second time. Ohba seems to have been victimized by voters who have selected Pascual Perez and Miguel Canto as the only flyweight champions of the '50s through the '70s to be inducted.

Sadly, great, deserving champions including Ohba, Pone Kingpetch, Horacio Accavallo, Betulio Gonzalez, and Chartchai Chionoi have, so far, been excluded. If justice is to be served, those five will be enshrined in the future.

Ken 'KSTAT' Pollitt- January 21, 2007

Note:

1. Fighting Harada, who took the flyweight title from Pone Kingpetch and then lost it back to him, is in both the IBHOF and the WBHOF. A world champion at 112 and later at 118, Harada was voted in mainly because of his wins as a bantamweight over the great Eder Jofre. Harada came very close to winning the world featherweight title also.

2. as of December 2008, none of the great flyweight champions listed above have been chosen for induction into either Hall of Fame. However, Efren "Alacran" Torres, who lost two of three bouts against Chionoi, was inducted into the WBHOF in 2007 so there is hope that the future will remedy the wrongs of the past and these great fighters and others including Hiroyuki Ebihara and Yoshio Shirai, will no longer be overlooked.
Last edited by KSTAT124 on Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:35 pm, edited 4 times in total.
fsteddi
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Post by fsteddi »

Real good read Ken, and ending on a sad note so young to die and so talented, he should definitely be in the HOF. reminds me of Salvador Sanchez the great Mexican featherweight who also died in a car accident tragically at the same age of 23. Thanks again for the well written story.
KSTAT124
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
Posts: 23953
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:22 pm
Location: Valley Stream, New York

Re: MASAO OHBA

Post by KSTAT124 »

The late, great Masao Ohba was finally voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. He will be inducted posthumously in June of 2015.

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