Career
His amateur record was 115-5 (30RSC). Tanabe was scheduled to get his first world title shot in July, 1967, and expectations heightened around the talented fighter. However, it was discovered that he had suffered a detached retina in his right eye, which forced him into retirement.
He had surgery on his right eye, but lost his vision two years later.
His professional record was 21-0-1 (5KOs).