‘All About Chasing Legacy’: Ryosuke Nishida Unwilling To Be A Stepping Stone For Junto Nakatani

“This kid’s all about chasing legacy, wanting to prove he’s the best fighter in the world,” he said. “What greater challenge and what greater way to prove that than to fight someone in Nakatani who is on many people’s pound-for-pound lists?

“Junto Nakatani is an excellent fighter and a very versatile, highly skilled fighter, can fight on the outside, fight on the inside, can set traps off both hands, and has a good sense of range. We understand why he’s considered the favourite, but as a team, we believe that Nishida possesses the skills, the grit, the ring intelligence, and the size to counteract a lot of what Nakatani does.”

After making his first title defense in December of last year against Thailand’s Anuchai Donsua, a fight that Altamura calls a “display of underrated power and underrated in-fighting skills,” Nishida was then slated to face undefeated Mexican Jose Salas later this month. A greater opportunity presented itself, however, one that allowed both men to make good on a promise made in their first faceoff.

Brought into the ring to stand toe-to-toe with a Nakatani fresh off of a three-round destruction of David Cuellar, the victorious champion, armed with a respectful tone, made a proclamation that got the attention of the audience, both live and at home – “ Nishida, let’s fight!” No need for a back and forth, social media not required. Just three simple words to get the ball rolling. The enthusiasm of the crowd on that February night inside the Ariake Arena has, at least in Altamura’s eyes, continued to grow in the months succeeding it. After all, if Nishida were to derail any penciled-in plans for Nakatani, yet another Japanese fighter would find themselves injected into the sport’s highest tier of competitors. He may even find himself being the one getting a crack at “The Monster.”

“The appetite is definitely there for this showdown in Japan, especially being two tall lefties, highly skilled, unbeaten,” Altamura said. “Even though there’s currently a one weight class gap in disparity, all the talk has been on Nakatani vs Inoue in early 2026, but in real essence, whoever wins this fight is going to be on the radar for that massive fight.

“So it’s high stakes, a lot of fan interest, and a lot of people engaged on how they’re going to match up stylistically because it is two highly skilled Japanese fighters. I think it’s one of the best all-Japanese fights this decade if you really look at the anticipation leading in and how both are placed on the global scale.”

Despite the fan interest, one of the key talking points in the lead up to the unification has centered around the significant disparity in experience that leans the way of Nakatani, who has made the walk as a professional a whopping 20 times more than Nishida. Also worth noting is the difference in levels of critical acclaim between the two. While one is a three-division champion frequently spoken of glowingly in pound-for-pound terms, the other stands as an almost unheralded champion, a fate all too common in boxing’s alphabet system.

The feeling within Team Nishida is almost devoid of such factors, though. Their belief is that their man can hang with any opponent put in front of him. The Ariake Colosseum on June 8 is just the right grounds for him to prove it.

“We understand (Nakatani has) a much higher profile and exposure internationally, but also more experience,” Altamura finished.

“I think that to see the reasoning behind taking this opportunity, you need to really comprehend the mentality that pretty much every elite Japanese fighter possesses, and even the non-elite, to be honest, in the respect that they’re always chasing the biggest challenge on the table and have an innate self-belief. They want to find out if they can actually be the best in the world, not just a version of a world champion.

“He’s been ready since early career to step up, fight a solid 10-12 rounds. He is still improving, but it’s a do-or-die kind of mentality in the sense that we know he’s an elite competitor, there’s no need right now for the handbrake to be on. While he’s fresh and in his prime, the team are prepared to take the biggest challenges.

“It’s going to be a fascinating fight on the night, and I think that if you’re looking for a high-octane, highly skilled bout between two samurai warriors, this is the one to tune into.”