Oscar Pick
Junto Nakatani is one of boxing's most underrated talents. Whenever he steps into the ring, a stunning performance is guaranteed, yet his name rarely comes up when discussing the sport's mainstream appeal.
The 26-year-old is a three-division world champion and is ranked 10th.Number He is listed on Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound list and remains unbeaten after 27 one-sided defeats.
However, rather than simply aiming for victory on points, Nakatani prefers to entertain the fans by taking sometimes unnecessary risks.
Even when facing top-level opposition, the WBC bantamweight champion has always been in control, often striking first with audacious hooks or uppercuts from great distance, proving he is capable of testing limits when it suits him.
After all, he had passed all the severe tests with ease without showing any signs of weakness and without any fear of encountering any danger.
Before moving up to 118 pounds, Nakatani crushed former world title challenger Andrew Moloney with a well-timed overhand left, sealing his legacy at super flyweight and earning The Ring's coveted Knockout of the Year award in 2023.
And in his last bout against Alexandro Santiago earlier this year, the Japanese sensation ended the bout again with a sniper left hand, stopping the former Mexican champion in the sixth round.
Japan's Junto Nakatani (left) fights against Mexico's Alexandro Santiago during the WBC bantamweight boxing championship bout at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February 24, 2024. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP) (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)
This Saturday (July 20), Nakatani will make his first defense of the belt against Vincent Astrolavio in the main event of a three-fight world title series in Japan.
Astrolabio's most notable win was against a fading Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2022, when he outpointed the once-frightening Rigondeaux in points with a frenetic but limited performance.
Indeed, at many points throughout the bout, the Filipino fighter struggled to stop Rigondeaux, who, despite being 16 years older than his opponent, had no trouble using his sophisticated footwork to get out of the pocket.
Still, Astrolabio used that performance, and a more convincing knockout win over Nikolai Potapov, to earn a world title shot against Jason Moloney last year.
But despite being competitive throughout the bout, the 27-year-old Moloney quickly ran out of ideas in the middle rounds, allowing him to take control and secure a majority decision victory in the closing stages.
That may sound pessimistic, but looking at his recent performance, it's hard to see Astrolabio having a significant advantage over Nakatani.
While power is arguably his greatest asset, he will still likely be completely outplayed by a much more skilled opponent who not only hits with more force, but also has better distance control when it comes to his shots.
Another stunning knockout is certainly in the cards for Nakatani, and while it would be unwise to write off Astrolabio entirely, there is certainly the temptation to consider the possibility of a unification bout with the remaining bantamweight champion in the Land of the Rising Sun.
This weekend's action will see four-division world champion Kohei Tanaka make his first defense of his WBO super flyweight title against Jonathan Rodriguez.
Since losing in the eighth round to Kazuto Ioka in 2020, Tanaka has reignited his illustrious career with an impressive five-fight winning streak.
The 29-year-old showed off a sharp counter-punching arsenal and a host of slick movesets in his latest fight at 115 pounds following a dominant unanimous decision win over Christian Bacacegua earlier this year.
Meanwhile, his opponent will be fighting outside of Mexico for only the second time in his career.
Rodriguez put himself to the test in 2021 when he faced long-time IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas in Connecticut, and although he showed incredible grit and determination to fight to the end, he ultimately suffered his second loss as a professional.
A similar scenario is expected when she faces veteran champion Tanaka, who, like Nakaya, is likely to aim to unify her weight class in the near future.
But with the remaining belts held by two aggressive, explosive and, of course, tough fighters in Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Fernando Daniel Martinez, a move up to bantamweight, where he could become a five-division world champion, may be the smarter option.
