Sports

Junto Nakatani Delivers a Swift KO in WBC Title Defense

Making the first defense of his bantamweight world title, Junto Nakatani underlined his status as one of boxing's best in Tokyo on July 20.

Published

2 months ago

July 22, 2024

Colin Morrison

WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani punches Filipino opponent Vincent Astrolabio in the first round of their world title fight at Ryogoku Kokugikan on July 20 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)

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GLASGOW ― Fans of Junto Nakatani (now 28-0, 21 knockouts), had a good night on Saturday, July 20. They were offered the chance to witness just how good he Nakatani is as he handled top-ranked Filipino contender Vincent Astrolabio in his first defense of the WBC 118-pound (53.5-kilogram) title he won in February.

Japanese viewers, along with interested observers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland tuned in as ESPN+ and Sky Sports broadcast the fight in these three major international markets.

Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan was the venue as Mie Prefecture native Nakatani sought to repeat his February success at the iconic sumo arena.

Coming into the contest, Astrolabio (now 19-5, 14 KOs) looked like he had the potential to make this an awkward night for the champion. It would be Astrolabio's second attempt at winning a world belt ― his first fell just short when he lost a razor-thin majority decision to Jason Moloney of Australia in May 2023.

Astrolabio also owns a February 2022 victory over Cuban defensive specialist Guillermo Rigondeaux, so his ring smarts weren't in question.

Nakatani rendered all of that irrelevant, though, when he wiped Astrolabio out with a beautifully placed body shot in the final minute of the opening round.

The Filipino boxer tried to rise, he did briefly get his feet on the canvas but collapsed again as the effect of Nakatani's punch to his midsection lingered.

A Quick Analysis of Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio

Although brief, Nakatani's performance reminded everyone watching just why he is so highly thought of in boxing circles. It also fueled speculation about some potentially huge all-Japanese fights to come in the near future.

There were also some interesting elements within the fight before Nakatani detonated the straight left to the solar plexus that ended the bout.

Enjoying a four-inch reach and three-inch height advantage, southpaw Nakatani looked to utilize this edge in the opening stages. He began to work behind his jab, patiently waiting for opportunities to throw shots with his powerful left hand.

Astrolabio, boxing out of the orthodox stance, wasn't willing to accept this and looked to get inside Nakatani's reach and fight at close quarters. The Filipino showed real determination to take the fight to Nakatani. For that, he deserves some credit.

Watching the Footwork and Targets of the Jabs

As always in a southpaw versus orthodox boxing match the footwork battle is worth watching. Both boxers were trying to gain the advantage in that respect by positioning their lead foot on the outside of their opponent.

At one point this led to Astrolabio's left foot standing on Nakatani's right. Instead of stepping off, Astrolabio kept his foot in position, effectively limiting Nakatani's movement for a second while he threw a couple of head shots Nakatani's way. It was a little unconventional.

Another point to note about Astrolabio's work was that he seemed keen to attack Nakatani's body. On more than one occasion he targeted the larger man's torso as he bounced forward on the attack.

In the end, none of these subplots were given time to develop as with 38 seconds remaining in the first round Nakatani created an opportunity to land a significant blow. A double jab to Astrolabio's head drew the challenger's guard up sufficiently. And less than a second later, Nakatani's straight left to the torso landed perfectly on Astrolabio's belly button and ended the fight.

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Author: Colin Morrison

Morrison is a freelance sportswriter. Find his stories on SportsLook. Writing since 2016, his byline currently appears on FightsATW.com where he covers boxing. Morrison has previously written for NYFights.com and spitballingpod.com. His main areas of interest are boxing, soccer, golf and rugby union. Morrison is from Scotland and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) @Morrie1981.