Junto Nakatani’s thrilling world title protection towards Vincent Astrolabio, reside sky sports activities, on Saturday morning. We ask the important thing questions forward of the struggle and bantamweight contender Charlie Edwards provides his skilled opinion.
Who’s Atsushi Nakatani?
Junto Nakatani from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is the WBC bantamweight world champion.
He’s already a three-weight world champion and has an ideal file of 27-0. He received 20 of these distance races. He is nonetheless solely 26, however devastating knockouts have turn into one of many hallmarks of his work.
He received the WBO flyweight title for the primary time in 2020, defeating Kimmel Magramo in eight rounds.
Final 12 months, he defeated Andrew Moloney to win the WBO tremendous flyweight title, successful with a shocking punch end that turned top-of-the-line knockouts of 2023.
He suffered a troublesome loss to Alessandro Santiago in February, knocking him out in six rounds to win the WBC title.
Charlie Edwards is a rising bantamweight contender who has all the time had a powerful skilled curiosity in Nakatani as a possible future opponent. He mentioned sky sports activities“I consider he’s one of the best within the bantamweight division proper now.
“Nakatani is a good boxer. His resume speaks for itself. He is received championships in a number of weight lessons. He is an actual handful to most boxers.”
And, he added, “Everybody loves artist.”
Who’s Nakatani preventing?
Vincent Astrolabio from the Philippines would be the first to problem for his WBC bantamweight belt.
Astrabio is a former world title challenger who fought Andrew’s brother Jason Moloney for the WBO bantamweight title final 12 months, solely to lose by majority determination.
His notable wins embody defeating Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2022. Stopped as soon as, early in his profession in 2018.
Edwards mentioned: “Within the boxing world, issues all the time come up and it would take a couple of rounds for Nakatani to kind out his points. I’ve watched him. He beat Rigondeaux, so he can clearly struggle and field at a excessive stage. However I do know it felt like he obtained Rigondeaux on the proper time.
“I consider that when Nakatani finds his rhythm and vary, Astrolabio will make errors. Nakatani could be very exact and he’ll set traps and I believe he’ll get him into the entice and possibly get him out of there.
“He is very powerful and really motivated … however I believe he’ll make errors and he’ll pay the worth.”
When can I watch them?
The world title struggle between Nakatani and Astrolabio occurred on the Kokugikan Enviornment, a historic sumo area in Tokyo.
The present begins at 10am UK time on Saturday (July 20) and will be watched reside at 10am sky sports activities motion.
The invoice additionally consists of two extra world title fights, Hiroshige Tanaka vs. Jonathan Rodriguez for the WBO tremendous flyweight title and Canolicu vs. Antonio Olascuaga for the WBO flyweight crown.
The principle occasion is just not anticipated to happen till 12pm on Saturday.
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Two-weight world champion Junto Nakatani, who will defend his WBC title this Saturday on Sky Sports activities, was suggested to not blink throughout the struggle.
How highly effective is Nakatani?
There at the moment are 4 competing champions, all from Japan, and Nakatani could also be one of the best amongst them. He owns the 118-pound WBC gold belt, Yoshiki Takei owns the WBO, Ryosuke Nishida owns the IBF, and Takuma Inoue owns the WBA.
He has been touted because the inheritor obvious to the gifted Naoya Inoue, and positively holds one of many titles that “The Monster” as soon as held.
“He is massive, he has lengthy arms, he is lengthy and he is a lefty,” Edwards mentioned. “He appears to know how you can gauge his distance and put collectively pictures in crucial moments when anyone’s overreaching, and he is Have the facility to dive into gaps and knock somebody out.
“He’s positively No. 1 within the division proper now,” he continued. “I’ve observed a few of his preventing habits, when individuals come out they usually assume they’ll stand with him a bit of bit extra, then they’re going to curl up and attempt to push him down – and also you see them after they get caught Their mentality adjustments they usually out of the blue start to doubt themselves.
“This proves that he has the power to knock out opponents.
“I do consider he’s a ‘monster’ on this division.”
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Watch ringside tape as Naoya Inoue delivers an explosive choke on Stephen Fulton to turn into a four-division world champion. Credit score: Prime
What makes him so harmful?
His brutal knockouts towards Santiago and Moloney specifically highlighted his credentials as one of the best bantamweight prospect on the earth right now.
Though his performances at light-weight have earned him a repute as one of many sport’s premier knockout artists.
“He makes individuals observe his punches, which makes the impression and energy double what they left with,” Edwards mentioned.
“Boxers like Nakatani and Inoue, their abilities are superb,” he defined. “You’ll be able to see of their coaching what they do again and again.
“In terms of preventing, it is by no means how a lot muscle you’ve got, generally it is the way you plant your ft, the way you rotate your hips. It is just like the fundamentals of boxing. They study and examine and preserve refining issues, and that is Causes that carry power.
“You will be probably the most muscular man within the room, but when your footwork is all over and you are not turning your hips, take your time and precision and decide your shot on the proper second and hit the hole as a substitute of attempting to hurry it. Knock somebody out they usually by no means come.
“It actually comes all the way down to approach, timing and precision. That is why I believe he is an actual downside.”
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Naoya Inoue has damaging energy in his arms. As soon as harm by him, there isn’t any turning again!
Can he struggle Inoue?
The comparability between Nakatani and Inoue is comprehensible. They each moved up via a number of weight lessons and received world titles at completely different weights. Nakatani at the moment holds one of many previous titles of “Monster” and is only one stage under him.
Not solely that, Nakatani is likely to be simpler within the tremendous light-weight division, the place Inoue is now the undisputed world champion.
He additionally has room and vary to develop. Edwards hopes he does.
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Naoya Inoue comes again from knockdown for first time to win wild four-knockout struggle towards Luis Nery
“I consider he’ll additionally be capable to elevate weights as a result of he has the size and he appears to hold energy in each weight class he strikes as much as. So in all probability due to his peak, his wingspan and his clumsiness, he’ll be capable to Going via extra weight divisions,” Edwards mentioned.
“When he will get larger and has extra muscle mass, he punches more durable with the burden on prime and doesn’t battle.
“If you drop some weight and get tighter, the very first thing you lose is power and energy.
“Sooner or later in his profession, he’ll face a struggle with Inoue. Think about the 2 of them preventing. A giant struggle.”
Watch Junto Nakatani vs. Vincent Astrolabio reside sky sports activities motion Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m.
