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The WBC Bantamweight Champion Junto Nakatani has set his sights on a fight with Naoya Inoue.
Nakatani is tearing up the bantamweight divison. He won the WBC belt by knocking out Alexandro Santiago. Since then, he has made two successful defenses against Vincent Astrolabio and Tasana Salapat. That took his record to 29-0. 22 of his victories are by knockout, showing he can hold his own in the weight class. Inoue has already conquered the bantamweight divison. He became undisputed before moving up to super bantamweight. Inoue achieved the same feat in that weight class. He is coming off a victory against TJ Doheny, where he stopped the latter in the seventh round.
Nakatani On Inoue
That extended his undefeated record to 28-0, with 25 KO wins. He was meant to face Sam Goodman on December 24. But the latter suffered a cut in sparring, meaning the fight has been rescheduled for January 24. Inoue has plans on boxing in the US next year, meaning a Nakatani fight may not be at the top of his list. He is likely to target an American name to broaden his appeal. However, a Nakatani fight is a massive bout in Japan. Nakatani was relishing the chance to make that fight.
“A fight with Inoue? I’m not setting any specific timelines—next year, maybe later. I really don’t know. But it’s something I’m looking forward to. It will be a huge fight not just in Japan, but around the world. He [Inoue]’s rated as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters, and along with that I have a lot of respect for him. And I’m influenced by him, I want to improve my rankings in the pound-for-pound as well,” Nakatani said
Will It Happen?
Inoue has said he is open to fighting. But the two-weight undisputed champion has put a condition. He wants Nakatani to beat his brother, Takuma Inoue. Takuma is 20-2, with only five wins by knockout. He lost his last fight against Seiya Tsutsumi via a unanimous decision. Takuma is far less successful, having not won a single world title. If Nakatani desires to face Naoya, he should breeze past Takuma. That fight would also give Naoya a chance to give his brother pointers on approaching the fight and test out any potential game plans if they ever faced off. Inoue and his team can see the fight happening later down the line.
“I wish to go forward with my next fight in December. I’ve had definitely no damage [in the Doheny fight]. Before he [Nakatani] moves up to fight me, he will have to fight my brother Takuma. That’s not easy because Takuma will be a very tough opponent and a thick wall for Nakatani,” Inoue stated
“I thought (Nakatani) looked terrific [against Tasana Salapat] . He is maturing impressively. If he and (Naoya) Inoue happens, it makes a lot of sense. I could see it happening in 2025,” Todd DuBoef (Top Rank President) stated
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