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11/11/2004 Archived Entry: "Ex-Olympic medalist Morioka passes away"
Ex-Olympic medalist Morioka passes away
By Joe Koizumi
Ex-Olympic bronze medalist Eiji Morioka, 58, passed away of a cancer of the esophagus in Kawanishi City, Japan, on Tuesday. Morioka, a Kinki University graduate, whose amateur mark was 114-10, 64 stoppages, won the bronze medal in the bantamweight class of the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968. His ill-fated professional career spanned just two years, having compiled a less satisfactory record of 6-4, 3 KOs. After he hung up gloves for good because of detached retina in 1971, he later opened Morioka Boxing Club to become a manager. Morioka was once elected president of West Japan Professional Boxing Association, union of club owners, holding the post for three years from 1998.
Japan has produced only three Olympic medalists so far despite its professional prosperity. The first was Kiyoshi Tanabe, the bronze medalist in Rome, 1960, who unfortunately retired undefeated due to eye ailment though he was ready for a determined world title shot in Argentina against Horacio Accavallo (whom he had defeated by a sixth round TKO in a non-title bout in 1967, which eventually resulted in his last fight). The overall mark of Tanabe, the world top contender, was 21-0-1, 4 KOs.
The second was Takao Sakurai, the bantam gold medalist in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. The Japanese amateur fraternity was strongly against Sakurai's entry to the paid ranks since they didn't wish Sakurai to tarnish the Olympic glory. Sakurai, a stylish southpaw, scored 22 wins straight from his pro debut and had a world title shot against Lionel Rose, Australia, losing a hairline 15-round decision despite dropping the champ with a southpaw left in the second session in Tokyo, 1968. Sakurai captured the Orient bantam throne by defeating Korean Wonsuk Lee in October 1969, and kept it twice to his credit. His overall ledger was 30-2, 4 KOs, as he lost only to Rose and Ruben Olivares (by KO 6, despite flooring Mr. Knockout midway in the contest in 1969). Sakurai is now the owner of his One-Two Sports boxing gym.
Morioka was the last Olympic medalist Japan produced. In the Olympic Games in Mexico City, Morioka, then a university student, defeated Dominador S. Calumarde of the Philippines, Aldo Cosentino of Franace and Michael Dowling of Ireland, but lost to the eventual gold medalist Valery Sokolov of USSR on points in the semi-final. The aggressive left hooker and crowd-pleaser made a successful pro debut by finishing Baron Kumazawa in two rounds in Osaka in April 1969. His career seemed derailed in his fourth bout, when Morioka suffered an upset KO defeat by unheralded Filipino Ely Axinto in August that year. Morioka had an unsuccessful shot at the Japanese national bantam throne against Shintaro Uchiyama, losing a 10-round decision in July 1970. His last showing was a defeat on points by future national champ Shigeyoshi Ohki in September that year. The detached retina ceased his pro career. Morioka, as a professional manager and promoter, has been loved by great many people in Osaka. We sincerely express our condolence to the ex-Olympic bronze medalist. May his soul rest in peace.
