Junto Nakatani (left) punches Ryosuke Nishida in the third round of their WBC-IBF bantamweight title fight on June 8, 2025, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Aggressive from the get-go, Junto Nakatani was the superior fighter and the stronger puncher in his bantamweight title unification bout against Ryosuke Nishida on Sunday night, June 8.
The totality of Nakatani's on-target punches ended Nishida's chances of winning the fight, most notably the fistic bombardment that began to close Nishida's right eye in the fourth round. And it only got worse for Nishida in the fifth and sixth rounds, with more severe swelling and no vision for him out of his battered eye at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum.
Moments later, while exercising caution, Nishida's handiers informed referee Yuji Fukuchi that he wouldn't continue fighting. As a result, Nakatani (31-0, 24 knockouts) retained his WBC bantamweight title and obtained Nishida's IBF strap. Nakatani's win enters the boxing annals as a sixth-round technical knockout.
Indeed, Nakatani lived up to his reputation as a fighter with power and precision, aptly summed up by his nickname "Big Bang."
It was Nakatani's second impressive victory of 2025. The 27-year-old, who has captured world titles in three divisions (previously at flyweight and super flyweight), overpowered David Contreras on February 24, defending his WBC title via a third-round KO at nearby Ariake Arena.
Nishida, 28, slipped to 10-1 (two KOs).
Junto Nakatani Confirms His Strategy for Title Defense
During an interview in the ring after his 24th stoppage victory, Nakatani shared insights about his planned fight tactics against Nishida.
"I was determined to be aggressive from the first round after talks with my team," Nakatani said in front of the crowd. He described it as a "successful" strategy.
Asked for his reaction to his Sunday night performance, Nakatani surprised nobody with his answer.
"I'm happy to unify the bantamweight titles," the Mie Prefecture native said. "It's a confidence booster."
Former undisputed bantamweight champ Naoya Inoue, who's now the undisputed super bantamweight titlist, was sitting ringside. Hideyuki Ohashi, who runs Ohashi Boxing Gym in Yokohama where Inoue trains, sat next to him.
Inoue and Nakatani have vowed to fight each other in 2026 in what is being billed the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.
No official plans have been announced yet, so boxing fans will wait with anticipation for details of the future blockbuster bout.
Nakatani did, however, issue a terse message to "Monster" Inoue: "I am coming so please stick around for me."
A Stellar Performance by Junto Nakatani
On this reporter's scorecard, Nakatani was ahead on points 59-54 through six rounds of the scheduled 12-round bout.
In the early going, veteran southpaw Nishida exhibited his solid all-around skills as a fighter, especially with his left hand. But he was up against a foe who effectively landed strong jabs and right upper-cut blows in the opening round.
The first round was a snapshot of Nakatani's overall brilliance. He demonstrated again and again that he had the ability to deliver punches in bunches ― two-, three- and four-punch combinations, especially in a rapid flurry.
And so the question on display throughout the fight was this: How much damage could Nishida inflict on counterattacks?
The six rounds of boxing between Nakatani and Nishida showed that the latter didn't hit Nakatani frequently enough.
Nishida had his moments, though. He was aggressive toward the end of the third round, launching a number of punches in Nakatani's direction. And Nishida came out swinging with both fists in the first 30 seconds of the fourth round. So did Nakatani, as he popped Nishida in the face on and around his eye.
When it was over, Junto Nakatani expressed joy.
"I am so happy I was able to win two belts, and defeat a great fighter like Ryosuke Nishida," Nakatani said in the ring through an interpreter. "This was a true battle between champions and how I wanted to win."
He called it a beneficial fight for him, adding that he "learned so much stuff in fighting Nishida."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
