Junto Nakatani will attempt to join an exclusive club of Japanese fighters who have become four-weight world champions. Standing in his way will be the second man to achieve that feat, Naoya Inoue.
Kazuto Ioka became the first man to have his name etched into Japanese folklore in 2019 when he claimed the WBO super flyweight world title with a 10th-round stoppage against Aston Palicte. Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) joined the club with a knockout over Stephan Fulton in July 2023. Kosei Tanaka joined the club with a unanimous decision against Christian Bacasegua for the WBO super flyweight title just over two years ago.
Today’s official press conference in Tokyo confirmed boxing’s worst-kept secret, as it was officially announced that the biggest fight in Japan’s history will take place at the Tokyo Dome on May 2.
Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) looked below his best when defeating Sebastian Hernandez last December in his debut at 122 pounds. The mountain he has to climb to have his name written into the history books is one of the steepest in the sport.
“My body has grown and I feel like I’m getting more adjusted, so from here I want to discuss tactics and the game plan with my team,” said Nakatani at today’s launch press conference in Tokyo. “I want to hone things and get fully ready.”
Nakatani has rattled through the weight classes during his career, first securing world honors with an eighth-round knockout against Giemel Magramo for the vacant WBO flyweight title in November 2020. Andrew Moloney fell to a devastating 12th-round knockout as Nakatani claimed the WBO super flyweight title in May 2023. Nakatani became a three-weight champion with a sixth-round TKO against Alexandro Santiago ten months later.
Inoue’s stoppage run has subsided in his last two outings, but he has looked impressive and dominant with wide unanimous-decision victories against Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso last year.
Nakatani added: “He’s the best fighter, so I need to be at my best when I fight him.”