Takao Sakurai was a well schooled, fast southpaw Boxer who won Gold at the 1964 Olympics, competing in the Bantamweight division. He is known for his close, somewhat controversial majority decision loss to Lionel Rose (in which he knocked Rose down early) and his gutsy but disastrous attempt at the legendary Ruben Olivares. He is very fluid and fast to watch. Great lead right hook. Check him out! Amateur footage: HQ clip vs Rose: Against Rose (poor quality): Against Olivares:
His fight with Rose was excellent. Sakurai gave Rose Hell, but ultimately I had Rose pulling it out. Olivares was incredible.
A real champion in most other eras type, I tend to think. A fine fighter and probably a nightmare for all stylist and boxer types. If he'd been about from the nineties onwards when the decline of bantam downwards began I reckon he'd have been highly regarded and a prominent titlist below bantam capable of a long run with at least one of the belts if he was determined to hang about long enough and stay in shape. Alas, he had to face Olivares and Rose in the pre internet era and is largely unknown in the West.
Both highly, yeah mate. As a comparison, I dunno. Maybe like beating Sahaprom, Hasegawa, Rafa Marquez etc. I think he looks a better fighter than the latter two tbh. Not by a huge gap, mind, probably just a small but distinguishable one. Nor would I expect it to be a popular opinion.
