Comparisons are odious, especially when the figure being contrasted is enormous.
However,
Junto Nakatani
firmly bears the parallels that many in Japan draw between him and the multi-time champion
Naoya Inoue
, one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
This Saturday,
the Japanese knocked out the Mexican Alexandro Santiago in the sixth episode in Tokyo
, snatched the World Boxing Council bantamweight title from him and, at only 26 years old, achieved his third crown in three different weights.
The Council belt,
one of the four of the 118 pounds that Inoue had vacated
a little over a year ago to gain a foothold in the super bantamweight division, remained in the hands of Santiago for just seven months, who had seized it by defeating the legendary Filipino Nonito Donaire in Las Vegas last July.
The brave 28-year-old from Tijuana could do little against the precision, power and physical advantage of his opponent.
Much taller and with greater reach than the Mexican
, the left-handed Nakatani stood from the beginning of the fight in the center of the ring with his right foot very forward, he kept his rival at a distance with his very long right jab and counterpunched with short combinations but effective.
During the first four rounds of the battle at the
Ryogoku Kokugikan
in the Japanese capital, this tactic was enough to dominate Santiago at will.
In the fifth episode,
the Japanese stepped on the accelerator and connected much more fluidly with
Peque
, who was already suffering from cuts on both of his eyebrows.
It was the prelude to the outcome.
Shortly after the sixth round began,
a straight left from Nakatani sent the visitor to the mat
.
Without much conviction, Santiago stood up, although it was only to receive a shower of blows that made him fall again.
Then his corner assessed that it was enough.
It was the first defeat before the limit for the Tijuana native, who was left with a record of 28 wins, 4 setbacks and 5 draws.
In this way, Nakatani, who was born in Inabe and is based in Sagamihara,
added a new victory to his perfect resume, the 27th in his professional career
(20 were on the fast track), and added a new ecumenical belt to his collection: He had already been flyweight and superflyweight champion of the World Boxing Organization and is now the owner of the Council's bantamweight title.
THE HIGHLIGHT REEL KING 🍿@BoxerJunto |
#AndNew pic.twitter.com/H5SAvqFSmA
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 24, 2024
Another title in the bantamweight category, that of the World Boxing Association, was put into play on Saturday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan and
Takuma Inoue, Naoya's younger brother
, retained it by knocking out Filipino
Jerwin Ancajas
in the ninth round , who did not win. He was able to put an end to the drought in his country, which these days does not even have a world champion.
A duel of styles was expected between the champion, a fast fighter, with a wide menu of technical resources, but without the power of his older brother (only four of his 18 victories had been by knockout);
and the candidate, a seasoned puncher with extensive experience in World Cup duels: he was super flyweight monarch of the International Boxing Federation for more than five years, retained his crown nine times and ended up giving it up in February 2022 to the
Argentine Fernando Martínez.
But Inoue not only took advantage of his best boxing, but also did not refuse exchanges at close range, the terrain that, in theory, favored the visitor.
Thus,
he was building a good advantage on the cards while Ancajas saw his physical condition decline
and bet all his chips on a saving blow.
However,
the devastating impact did not come from his fists, but from the right glove of the Japanese
, who in the ninth episode connected two daggers to Ancajas's liver.
The
Pretty Boy
listened on his knees to the complete account of referee Mark Nelson who sentenced the fourth defeat of his career and the first by knockout (he also has 34 wins and 2 draws).
BRUTAL BODY SHOT SEALS THE DEAL 🫢@TakumaInoue_122 x #InoueAncajas pic.twitter.com/cVcrH7pr83
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 24, 2024
Inoue retained for the first time the title he had won in April 2023 by beating the
Venezuelan Liborio Solís
and celebrated his victory over the ensogado with his brother, the undisputed champion of the super bantamweights.
His victory, added to that of Junto Nakatani, left two of the four 118-pound belts in the hands of Japanese boxers: the other two belong to the
Australian Jason Moloney
(WBO) and the
Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodríguez
(International Boxing Federation) .
In the third World Cup fight of the evening in Tokyo, another Japanese,
Kosei Tanaka defeated the
Mexican Christian Bacasegua Rangel
on points in a wide unanimous decision
and took over the WBO super flyweight championship, which had been vacant since Junto Nakatani had renounced it in December to upgrade.
Tanaka, 28 years old, dominated the fight from end to end and
delivered a very harsh and sustained punishment to Bacasegua Rangel
, for whom this was his first World Cup chance, his first fight outside of Mexico and the first agreed to 12 rounds.
The boxer born in Mexicali 26 years ago heard a count at the end of the eighth episode, but managed to remain standing until the last bell.
The three judges saw the local team win comfortably: 119-108, 117-110 and 116-111.
Kosei Tanaka defeated Mexican Christian Bacasegua Rangel and won the WBO super flyweight title.
Photo: Philip Fong / AFP.
Tanaka, who improved his record to 20 wins and 1 loss,
won his fourth title in four categories
, as he had already reigned in the minimum, light fly and fly divisions.
But not only that: he became the boxer who achieved that achievement with fewer professional fights.
With his 21 fights he surpassed the mark of the American Óscar De la Hoya, who had obtained the WBC welterweight belt in his 24th outing (he had previously been super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight champion).