Junto Nakatani takes Vincent Astrolabio in an exciting world title defense, live on Sky Sports, on Saturday morning. We asked key questions ahead of the fight and bantamweight contender Charlie Edwards gave an expert view.
Who is Junto Nakatani?
Junto Nakatani, from Kanagawa in Japan, is the WBC bantamweight world champion.
He has become a three-weight world titlist with an unblemished record of 27-0. He has won 20 of those fights over the distance. He is still only 26 years old but has already made devastating knockouts one of the hallmarks of his work.
He first won the WBO flyweight title in 2020, stopping Giemel Magramo in eight rounds.
Last year he defeated Andrew Moloney to win the WBO super flyweight title, securing the victory with a devastating punch that was one of the best knockouts of 2023.
In February, he suffered a crushing loss to Alexandro Santiago, knocking him out in six rounds to win the WBC title.
Charlie Edwards, a rising bantamweight contender, has taken a keen professional interest in Nakatani as a potential future opponent. He told me Sky Sports: “I believe he is the best in the bantamweight division right now.
“Nakatani is a great fighter. His resume speaks for itself. He has won titles in various weights. He is a real handful for most fighters.”
And, he added: “Everyone likes a loser artist.”
Who is against Nakatani?
Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines will be the first man to challenge him for the WBC bantamweight belt.
Astrolabio is a former world title challenger, who took on Jason Moloney, brother of Andrew, for the WBO bantamweight championship last year, only to lose on a majority decision.
Notable wins include defeating Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2022. Fourteen of Astrolabio’s 19 wins have come at the distance and, while he has lost four of them, he has only been stopped once and that was in 2018 in the early stages of his career.
Edwards said: “In the world of boxing there are always problems that can arise and Nakatani can take a few rounds to get someone out. I have watched him. He beat Rigondeaux so obviously he can fight and box at a high level but I think he got Rigondeaux at that time. precisely
“I’m sure if Nakatani finds his rhythm and range, Astrolabio will make mistakes. Nakatani is right and he’s setting traps and I think he’ll put him in one, maybe get him out of there.
“He’s very tough and game… But I think he’s going to make mistakes and he’s going to pay.”
When can I watch them?
The Nakatani vs. Astrolabio world title fight was held at the Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo’s historic sumo wrestling arena.
The show starts at 10am UK time on Saturday (July 20), and can be watched live at 10am on Sky Sports Action.
The bill features two other world title fights, Kosei Tanaka vs. Jonathan Rodriguez for the WBO super bantamweight championship and Riku Kano vs. Anthony Olascuaga for the WBO flyweight crown.
Ringwalks main event is not expected to take place until 12pm on Friday.
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Two-weight world champion Junto Nakatani defends his WBC title on Sky Sports this Saturday and is advised not to blink during the fight.
How good is Nakatani?
There are now four champions competing, all from Japan and Nakatani could be the best. He holds the WBC belt at 118lbs, Yoshiki Takei holds the WBO, Ryosuke Nishida the IBF and Takuma Inoue the WBA.
He has been touted as the successor to the wonderful Naoya Inoue and definitely has one of the titles that “Monster” usually has.
Edwards said: “He is tall, he has long arms, he is rangy and he is a southpaw. He seems to know how to measure the distance and place the shot at the most important time, when someone is beyond him, and he has the power. to punch into the gap and knock him clean out.
“He’s definitely No. 1 in the division right now,” he continued. “I’ve noticed a few fights when people come out and they think they can stand there with them a little bit more and they sneak up and try to walk down – when they get caught. you see them change you see the mindset change and he suddenly began to doubt.
“It proves that he has the power to lose.
“I believe he is the ‘Monster’ of the division.”
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Watch ringside footage as Naoya Inoue reverses Stephen Fulton’s explosive stoppage to become a four-division world champion. Credit: Top Rank
What makes them dangerous?
Brutal knockout victories over Santiago and Moloney in particular highlight his credentials as the best bantamweight prospect in the world today.
Although he wrestled in one of those light heavyweight performances, he gained a reputation as one of the top knockout artists in the sport.
Edwards said: “He brings people to the punch, which doubles his influence and power once he leaves.
“Fighters like Nakatani and Inoue are technically very good,” he said. “You can see in training he does drills and drills over and over again.
“When fighting, it’s never about how many muscles you have, sometimes about how you set your legs, how you roll your hips to it. It’s like the basics of boxing. They study, study and keep perfect, and that’s what brings power.
“You can be the most muscly person in the room but if your footwork is all over the place and you don’t turn your hips and take time and precision and take them shots at the right time, punching into the gap and not trying. to quickly- hurry and knock him out, then he will not come.
“It really comes down to technique, timing and precision. That’s why I think it’s a real problem.”
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Naoya Inoue has devastating power in both hands and if you get hurt, there’s no way back!
Can he fight Inoue?
The comparison between Nakatani and Inoue is understandable. Both have risen through various divisions to win world championships at different weights. Nakatani currently holds one of the old titles of “The Monster” and is only one weight class below him.
Not only that, but Nakatani may be more effective at super-bantamweight, where Inoue is currently the undisputed world champion.
He also has the range and range to climb. Edwards expects them to do so.
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Naoya Inoue bounced back from the floor for the first time, to win a wild four knockdown battle against Luis Nery
“I believe that he will move up through the weights as well because he has the height and he seems to carry the strength of every weight class that he does. to go through more weight divisions,” said Edwards.
“As he adds more size and muscle mass, he’ll be tougher than his weight and won’t struggle.
“When you lose weight and get tighter, the first thing you lose is strength and explosiveness.
“At some stage in his career, he’s going to face the Inoue fight. Imagine what those two would do. A mega-fight.”
Watch live Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio Sky Sports Action at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20
