1. Masao Ohba became the WBA flyweight World Champion on October 22,1970, defeating the reigning champion Berkrerk Chartvanchai in Tokyo and retained the championship for an impressive five title defenses.
25 Facts About Masao Ohba
1. 2.
Masao Ohba died in a car accident at 23, still holding his world title.
3.
Masao Ohba's father followed professional boxing as an avid fan which influenced Ohba's childhood aspirations and dreams.
4.
Masao Ohba trained hard, putting on the seven pounds of muscle he needed to box within the flyweight range by the time he made his debut.
5.
Masao Ohba later had trouble making the strict flyweight limit later in his career, and at nearly five feet six inches was somewhat tall for a flyweight.
6.
Masao Ohba made his professional debut on November 7,1966, at the age of 17 against Kazuyoshi Watanabe in Tokyo.
7.
Masao Ohba fought all of these matches in his hometown of Tokyo.
8.
Masao Ohba got his first world title shot on October 22,1970, at Nichidi Auditorium, Nihon University, in Tokyo, against Berkrerk Chartvanchai, who was the WBA World flyweight champion.
9.
Masao Ohba won by TKO in the 13th round before a crowd of 7000, becoming the eighth Japanese boxer to capture a world title.
10.
Masao Ohba made his first three WBA World Flyweight Championship defenses by 15-round decisions, and his 4th defense by 5th-round KO, all at Nihon University Stadium in Tokyo.
11.
Masao Ohba fought four non-title matches in between his defenses, winning all of them as well.
12.
The audience of 2000 were somewhat disappointed as Masao Ohba was unable to score a knockdown against his opponent.
13.
Masao Ohba's second defense of the World Flyweight Title was a fifteen-round Unanimous Decision on October 23,1971, against Filipino boxer Fernando Cabanela.
14.
On January 2,1973, Masao Ohba faced the Thai veteran boxer, Chartchai Chionoi, for his fourth defense.
15.
Masao Ohba was knocked down with a right hook in only forty seconds into the first round, and injured his right ankle while falling to the canvas.
16.
Masao Ohba managed to pick himself up, and his corner iced his ankle in between rounds, but Ohba limped as he exchanged punches with Chionoi.
17.
Masao Ohba marked a dramatic 12th-round KO win for his 5th WBA World Flyweight Title defense.
18.
Masao Ohba was returning to the Teiken Gym where he both trained and lived.
19.
Masao Ohba was driving his new 1973 ivory Chevrolet Corvette down an expressway in Tokyo, when he hit a heavy duty eleven ton parked truck on the shoulder of the opposite lane.
20.
Masao Ohba's Corvette had jumped the road divider when he was unable to negotiate a turn and he was unable to regain control.
21.
Masao Ohba was driving around 60, in a 36-mile per hour zone and was an inexperienced driver, having only obtained his driver's license three months before the crash.
22.
Masao Ohba was only 23 years old, and still in possession of the WBA title.
23.
Masao Ohba was dubbed "The Eternal Champion," because he was undefeated in world title bouts and died while still reigning champion.
24.
Masao Ohba had been planning on relinquishing his flyweight title to challenge for the bantamweight title before his death.
25.
Masao Ohba was part of the 2015 class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.