Junto Nakatani Shows Grit In Victory

A Tough Introduction at 122 Pounds

Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) found himself in deep waters against a determined Hernandez, who exceeded expectations and emerged with enhanced stock despite the loss. What was billed as a showcase instead became a demanding test one that required composure, adjustment, and resolve from the Japanese southpaw.

“It was a great match,” Nakatani said post-fight on DAZN. “Hernandez was a very tough and great fighter. It was a great learning experience for me.

“I was prepared for the match to develop this way and was boxing accordingly. This opponent put up a great fight and it was an opportunity for me to grow.”

Early Promise, Mid-Fight Resistance

Nakatani started sharply, landing straight left hands from the opening bell and snapping in a memorable right uppercut during the first minute. Hernandez initially stalked behind a high guard, cautious and restrained.

That changed in Round 3.

The Mexican contender closed distance aggressively, dug to the body, and forced exchanges at mid-range. It was a competitive round that signaled Hernandez’s intent and his ability to trouble the favorite. Nakatani answered late with a clean left at the bell, but the tone of the fight had shifted.

As in his previous bout against Ryosuke Nishida, Nakatani at times became overly adventurous. Wide uppercuts and ambitious attacks created openings, which Hernandez exploited with compact body work and constant pressure.

A Battle of Attrition Emerges

In the closing minute of Round 6, Nakatani attempted to turn the tide. Planting his feet at center ring, he unleashed sustained offense to head and body. Hernandez absorbed the assault and fired back until the bell, cementing the bout as a grueling war rather than a showcase.

Between rounds, Nakatani’s corner urged movement and discipline advice he finally heeded. Using angles and timing, he began to intercept Hernandez’s advances, mixing in his own body shots and slowing the challenger’s momentum with smarter positioning.

Still, Hernandez refused to fade.

Round 8 again devolved into a firefight, with Hernandez’s volume opening countering opportunities for Nakatani, whose sharper, heavier shots began to tell as the Mexican’s accuracy dipped.

Championship Rounds Test the Favorite

By the ninth, the fight had become all-out war. Nakatani accepted that victory would require trading in the trenches, and he leaned into the challenge. Space was fleeting, exchanges constant.

Entering the championship rounds, visible swelling had developed around Nakatani’s right eye evidence of Hernandez’s relentless work rate. In the 11th, Hernandez produced one of his strongest rounds, overwhelming the pound-for-pound star with sheer volume and briefly seizing momentum in multiple exchanges.

Nakatani steadied himself late, doing enough to secure the final round and the decision, though the margin was far tighter than many anticipated.

All Roads Lead to Inoue

With the victory, Nakatani clears the final hurdle toward a massive all-Japanese superfight with Naoya Inoue, who earlier defended his Ring and undisputed junior featherweight titles against Alan Picasso in the main event.

The bout is widely projected for May 3 at the Tokyo Dome a fight that would stand as the biggest in Japanese boxing history.

Saturday’s performance may not have been explosive, but it was revealing. Nakatani proved he can win when brilliance isn’t enough a trait that may matter just as much when he steps in with “The Monster.”