By Oscar Pick

JUNTO Nakatani is one of boxing’s most under-appreciated gems. Whenever he enters the ring, an electric performance is always guaranteed. Yet, when it comes to discussing the sport’s mainstream attractions, his name rarely gets mentioned.

The 26-year-old is a three-weight world champion, ranked 10th on the Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound list and remains undefeated after delivering 27 one-sided beatdowns. 

Rather than labouring to a straight-forward victory on points, though, Nakatani prefers to entertain his fans by, at times, taking unnecessary risks.

Even when he comes up against top-level opposition, the WBC bantamweight champion will often lead with audacious hooks and uppercuts from far out of range, demonstrating that he is always in control and can, therefore, test the boundaries as and when it suits him. 

He has, after all, revealed no signs of vulnerability, breezing past every acid test with seemingly no fear of running into danger.

Before moving up to 118 lbs, Nakatani sealed his legacy at super-flyweight after pulverising former world title challenger Andrew Moloney with a beautifully timed overhand left, awarding him The Ring’s coveted knockout of the year prize in 2023. 

Then, in his last outing against Alexandro Santiago earlier this year, the Japanese sensation ended proceedings, once again, with his sniper of a left hand, stopping the former Mexican champion in the sixth round.

Japan’s Junto Nakatani (L) fights against Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago during their WBC Bantam Weight championship boxing bout in 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 the first defence of his belt against Vincent Astrolabio, headlining a triple header of world title fights in Japan. 

Astrolabio’s most notable win came against a faded Guillermo Rigondeaux back in 2022, when he outpointed the once fearsome operator with an exuberant but limited display.

There were, in fact, large spells of the contest when the Filipino struggled to negate the movement of Rigondeaux who, despite being 16 years his opponent’s senior, had no trouble when it came to utilising his educated footwork to find exits out of the pocket.

Nevertheless, Astrolabio used this performance – followed by a more comprehensive stoppage over Nikolai Potapov – as a springboard to earn himself a world title shot against Jason Moloney last year. 

But, while he was competitive throughout the fight, the 27-year-old swiftly ran out of ideas during the middle rounds, allowing Moloney to take over and secure a majority decision down the stretch.

As bleak as this may sound, it is difficult, based on his recent performances, to see Astrolabio holding a significant advantage over Nakatani. 

With power arguably being his greatest attribute, he is likely to be, nonetheless, thoroughly outgunned by his vastly more skilled opponent, who is not only heavier-handed but also sets up his shots with excellent range control.

For Nakatani, then, another scintillating knockout is firmly on the cards, and while it would be unwise to overlook Astrolabio completely, there is certainly a temptation for him to consider potential unifications with the remaining bantamweight champions in the land of the rising sun.

Elsewhere on this weekend’s card, four-weight world champion Kosei Tanaka will make the first defence of his WBO super-flyweight strap against Jonathan Rodriguez. 

Since his eighth-round stoppage defeat to Kazuto Ioka back in 2020, Tanaka has reignited his decorated career with five impressive wins on the bounce.

The 29-year-old picked up his latest trinket at 115 lbs following a dominant unanimous decision victory over Christian Bacasegua earlier this year, showcasing an arsenal of sharp counterpunches coupled with a selection of elusive manoeuvres.

His opponent, meanwhile, will be fighting outside of Mexico for only the second time in his career. 

Rodriguez tested himself against former long-reigning IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas in Connecticut in 2021. After showing tremendous grit and determination to go the distance, he ultimately suffered his second defeat as a professional.

A similar story is likely to unfold when he faces Tanaka, another seasoned champion who, like Nakatani, will no doubt be looking to unify his division in the near future. 

But with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Fernando Daniel Martinez – two aggressive, explosive and, of course, formidable competitors – occupying the remaining belts, a move up to bantamweight, where he can become a five-division world champion, could be a more sensible option.