World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani of M.T Boxing Gym in Sagamihara, south of Tokyo, displayed a fine form in his public training at the gym on July 10 in preparation for his first defense of the title on July 20 in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old Nakatani, who wrested the title from Alexandro Santiago of Mexico with a sixth-round technical knockout for his third world title in as many different weight classes last February, will take on top-ranked Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena as part of the triple world championship bouts dubbed ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 9.’’
The left-handed Nakatani, who had about 40-day training camp in Los Angeles until he returned home earlier this month, engaged himself in a round of shadowboxing and a round of heavy bag hitting in the day’s training before a group of reporters.
In this connection, the undefeated Nakatani emphasized the importance of heavy bag hitting as he said, ‘’I took note of the importance of throwing punches with all my might by shifting my weight downward.’’
‘’It’s like throwing rather than hitting. That’s the kind of image. Anyway, I want to display a knockout victory,’’ he added.
During the training camp in Los Angeles, Nakatani said he had some 90 rounds of sparring, fewer than usual as he put more emphasis on heavy bag hitting. After returning to Japan, he said he has had 31 rounds of sparring with such up-and-coming boxers as Reo Nishioka of Kawasaki Nitta Boxing Gym and Shori Umezu of Mitani Yamato Sports Gym.
Concerning Astrolabio, who lost by a majority decision to Jason Moloney of Australia for the then vacant World Boxing Organization bantamweight title in May last year, Nakatani said, ‘’He throws one-two punches with good timing in the middle distance in addition to good left hooks. I will have to be careful about them. I want to do my kind of boxing.’’
Nakatani has 27 straight victories, 20 by KO, while the 27-year-old Astrolabio has a record of 19 wins, including 14 KOs, against four losses.
Some of the other major fights in the Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 9 will include the WBO super flyweight title fight between Kosei Tanaka of Soul Box Hatanaka Boxing Gym and 12th-ranked Jonathan Rodriguez of Mexico for Tanaka’s first defense of the title. While second-ranked WBO flyweight Riku Kano of Taisei Boxing Gym will vie for the vacant WBO flyweight title with third-ranked Anthony Olascuaga of the United States.
Besides, highly touted kick-boxer turned Tenshin Nasukawa of Teiken Boxing Gym, currently ranked seventh in the bantamweight division by the World Boxing Association, will have a 10-round nontitle bout with the WBA’s fourth-ranked bantamweight Jonathan Rodriguez of the U.S.