By Oscar Pick
JUNTO Nakatani is one of boxing’s most underrated gems. Whenever he steps into the ring, he’s guaranteed to make an epic spectacle. Yet when it comes to the sport’s main attractions, his name is rarely mentioned.
The 26-year-old is a three-division world champion, ranked 10thth on Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound list and remained undefeated after landing 27 one-sided blows.
However, instead of trying to win outright on points, Nakatani prefers to entertain fans by sometimes taking unnecessary risks.
Even when facing top opponents, the WBC bantamweight champion will often lead with daring hooks and uppercuts from distance, demonstrating that he is always in control and therefore able to test the limits whenever he sees fit.
After all, he showed no signs of weakness, overcoming every difficult challenge seemingly unafraid of danger.
Before moving up to 118 pounds, Nakatani established himself at super flyweight after defeating former world title challenger Andrew Moloney with a pinpoint left punch that earned him The Ring’s coveted knockout of the year award in 2023.
Then, in his most recent outing against Alexandro Santiago earlier this year, the Japanese puncher once again finished the fight with a powerful left punch, knocking out the former Mexican champion in the sixth round.
Japan’s Junto Nakatani (left) fights Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago in a WBC Bantamweight boxing championship match 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 title defense against Vincent Astrolabio, leading a three-fight world title series in Japan.
Astrolabio’s most notable win came against Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2022, when he defeated the once-feared rider with an explosive but restrained performance.
In fact, there were long stretches in the contest where the Filipino struggled to neutralize the moves of Rigondeaux, who despite being 16 years older than his opponent, had no trouble using his skilled footwork to find an escape.
However, Astrolabio used that performance – followed by a more comprehensive win over Nikolai Potapov – as a springboard to earn himself a world title shot against Jason Moloney last year.
However, while still looking competitive throughout the fight, the 27-year-old quickly ran out of ideas in the middle rounds, allowing Moloney to take control and claim a dominant victory towards the end.
While this may sound bleak, based on his recent performance, it’s hard to see Astrolabio having a significant advantage over Nakatani.
Although power is arguably his greatest trait, he is still capable of being completely defeated by opponents of higher skill, who not only have stronger strikes but also have excellent range control.
For Nakatani, another spectacular knockout is certainly on the cards, and while it would be unwise to completely ignore Astrolabio, he will certainly consider the possibility of uniting with the remaining bantamweight champions in the land of the rising sun.
Elsewhere this week, four-division world champion Kosei Tanaka will defend his WBO super flyweight title for the first time against Jonathan Rodriguez.
Since an eighth-round stoppage loss to Kazuto Ioka in 2020, Tanaka has revived his illustrious career with five impressive wins in a row.
The 29-year-old earned his latest victory at 115 pounds following a dominant unanimous decision win over Christian Bacasegua earlier this year, showcasing a sharp array of counterpunching and an elusive array of moves.
Meanwhile, his opponent will have to fight outside Mexico for the second time in his career.
Rodriguez tested his mettle against former IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas in Connecticut in 2021. After showing tremendous resilience and determination to go all the way, he ultimately suffered his second professional defeat.
A similar story could play out when he faces Tanaka, another seasoned champion who, like Nakatani, will surely be looking to unify his weight class in the near future.
But with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Fernando Daniel Martinez – two aggressive, explosive and of course formidable opponents – holding the remaining belts, a move up to bantamweight, where he could become a five-division world champion, might be a more sensible option.
