Coming into the year, there had been a lot of conjecture over an all-Japanese showdown between undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, and current WBC bantamweight titlist, Junto Nakatani. But in recent weeks, representatives of Inoue have stated their 2025 itinerary does not include Nakatani.
In the meantime, Nakatani spent much of January at (the new) LA Boxing Club preparing for his February 24 date versus the undefeated David Cuellar (28-0, 18 KOs).
"It disappoints me," admitted Rudy Hernandez, the trainer of Nakatani, of the recent news, "but we're going to move forward, regardless. The promoter said that Junto is not in their plans for 2025. I thought that we might be fighting at the end of the year. It's still very early, we don't know if something will change."
With that said, the focus will remain at the task at hand -- which is their upcoming assignment at the Ariake Arena in Japan, which will be streamed on ESPN+.
Hernandez, an old-school taskmaster told SNAC.com, "We're working today to be ready for tomorrow. If that fight comes, then it comes. It's not going to stop and we're not going to stop. We'll both be in our lanes."
Steve Kim Photos
Right now, Nakatani's lane is 118. While he's considered the game's best bantam (rated number one by Ring Magazine) it may help his cause if he could unify a belt or two. What's interesting is that the other three champions are also Japanese, but are anonymous to anyone outside 'the Land of the Rising Sun'.
Nakatani (29-02, 22 KOs) has nearly as many bouts under his belt as Yoshiki Takei (10-0), Ryosuke Nishida (10-0) and Seiya Tsutsumi (12-0-2) do as a trio. There doesn't seem to be any real impetus to make any unification bouts at the moment.
Hernandez says that in terms of Nakatani's stint as a bantamweight, that he has, "maybe one or two more fights and then we'll move up. But if that opportunity comes up to fight for that belt at 122, then we'll move up."
Top Rank
As you see the lanky 5'8 frame on Nakatani, it's not out of the question that one day he'll campaign as a featherweight. At age 27, he is now a full grown man, and entering the thick of his physical prime as an athlete.
But first things first, there is business to take care of against Cuellar.
"I think he's a very difficult fighter, I believe that it's a 50-50 fight. At the end of the day it's going to be who wants it the most," stated Hernandez on the morning of January 22, as he was putting through Nakatani through some bag work after eight rounds of sparring
A few years ago, Hernandez told whoever would listen that Nakatani was the best and most talented boxer he had ever trained. Which raised a few eyebrows given that he guided his brother, the late Genaro 'Chicanito' Hernandez.
Rudy Hernandez
"I've been very fortunate to have a fighter in Junto that's never comfortable. He always comes to work. He's in the gym with the idea of being better. He never comes in here like a world champion, 'Oh, I don't need to get better,''' says an admiring Hernandez, who says that Nakatani in his own mind is not on time unless he's at least 15 minutes early for his training sessions.
To this day, Nakatani is an attentive student, one that actually seems to enjoy the labor put in the gym. Like most Japanese boxers he's extremely respectful and polite. Currently, he does not have the spotlight enjoyed by Inoue, but he's now at the point where Top Rank is now scheduling media days for him. Nakatani is a fighter that is both technically sound, and packs a punch from his southpaw stance. Nakatani can box effectively from the outside, and throw short compact shots from in-close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgY2VRL_Q-c
You now see Nakatani listed regularly among various pound-for-pound lists. Yeah, yeah, I know, that and $2.95 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but it's still a distinction that matters to many fighters and their handlers.
Naoki Fukuda
But Hernandez says, "I really don't put any thought into that because at the end of the day, we're still working. I believe that it wont be until he retires that we can talk about all the great things that he's done. But for the time being, we're still in the mix."
One short term goal that Hernandez does have is for Nakatani to once again perform in the States. Something he has done twice in the past versus Andrew Moloney and Angel Acosta. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this next fight he does fight in the United States. But again, I think fighters are more respected in Japan, than here."
As for that possibility, Bob Arum, the head of Top Rank (which co-promotes Nakatani) said, "it depends on how he comes out (February 24), whether he'll be ready to fight in May in the States. But it's just a possibility."
QUICK HITTERS
- On Friday night at the MSG Theater, Keyshawn Davis captured his first world title (WBO lightweight) by stopping Denys Berinchyk in four rounds. Quite frankly, this was a fight he was expected to win handily, which he did. Davis is a talented, young boxer who has a colorful personality and is becoming an attraction.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
The question is, at just 13-0 (9 KOs) and just 25 years old, will he now become a twice-a-year fighter from here on out? This has become the cookie-cutter approach in recent years. It says here that if Top Rank wants to really make Davis into a crossover star, they need to find a way to get him out there at least two, if not three, more times the rest of the year.
- Arnold Barboza came up with a huge victory on the road as he defeated Jack Catterall in Manchester, England. Barboza is now the WBO interim junior welterweight titlist. The question is, will Teofimo Lopez actually defend that belt against Barboza? For some reason when they were both with Top Rank, Lopez found it beneath him to face Barboza.
Well, he is now his WBO mandatory.
Arnold Barboza
- At the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday night, Oscar Duarte dispatched late replacement, Miguel Madueno in seven rounds. Duarte is a solid TV fighter, one who will always give you a good fight, and battle (if not win) against the elite at 140. He reminds me a lot of Antonio 'Tono' Diaz.
