Junto Nakatani Defends Title with 3rd-Round KO of David Cuellar

Junto Nakatani didn't need a lot of time to exhibit his boxing superiority against challenger David Cuellar on Monday night, February 24.

The unbeaten WBC bantamweight champion was aggressive from the opening bell, throwing his full arsenal of punches at his Mexican opponent. Rounds 1 and 2 ― both won by the Japanese fighter known as "Big Bang" ― delivered an omen of what was to come.

At Tokyo's Ariake Arena, Nakatani increased the frequency and ferocity of his punches in the third round. And Cuellar, 23, who was making his first appearance in a world title bout, didn't have an answer for Nakatani's brutal combinations. 

Knocked down twice in Round 3, the Mexican challenger known as "El General," absorbed the power of the 27-year-old Nakatani's top-level skills. When it happened the second time, Cuellar didn't have time to recover. He didn't return to his feet in time to continue boxing. 

Referee Michael Griffin made it official: a KO at the 3:04 mark of the third round.

Junto Nakatani Remains Unbeaten as a Pro

Nakatani, who was making his third title defense, improved to 30-0 with 23 KOs.

Cuellar, the WBC's sixth-ranked bantamweight, slipped to 28-1 (18 KOs).

For Nakatani, rapid two- and three-punch combinations increased as the third round progressed. And it spelled trouble for Cuellar.

With under 30 seconds left in Round 3, Cuellar dropped after Nakatani hammered him with a powerful right, followed by a straight left that landed flush on the challenger's chin. Cuellar was back on his feet with 15 seconds remaining on the clock for the round.

What followed was Nakatani's flurry of punches hitting its target. He detonated a tremendous left hook, signaling the beginning of the end for Cuellar. Nakatani followed with several more on-target blows, including a spectacular left hook to deliver the knockout. 

Asked about the end of the bout, Nakatani said he couldn't recall the exact sequence of events. But he issued a question for boxing fans at the arena and those watching the live broadcast around the world. 

"I don't remember, but did you get to see my big bang?" said the Kanagawa Prefecture native.

Although Nakatani held a 3-cm reach advantage over Cuellar, the Mexican is 174 cm tall, which gave him a 1-cm advantage over the Japanese champion.

Nakatani acknowledged this physical factor in his post-fight remarks.

"David's the tallest fighter I've ever fought against, so that was a concern," Nakatani said in the ring. "But I'm so happy I got the stoppage."

Future Plans for Junto Nakatani

IBF bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (10-0, two KOs) appeared in the ring after the fight, standing next to Nakatani. Both men said they'd like to square off in a title unification bout.

Nakatani, who previously held world titles at flyweight and super flyweight, spelled out his intentions to face the IBF titlist. He said, "This time, Nishida, let's fight."

Fans cheered from the stands as Nakatani revealed his plan.

"I'll try to become a unified world champion and then look for new heights," Nakatani was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

Tsutsumi Remains WBA Bantamweight Champ

On the undercard, WBA bantamweight champion Seiya Tsutsumi retained his title after a 12-round draw with Daigo Higa (21-3-2, 19 KOs). 

All three ringside judges scored the fight 114-114.

Tsutsumi (12-0-3, eight KOs) was making his first title defense on Monday night. He won the WBA title in October 2024 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Takuma Inoue.

Both fighters recorded a knockdown in the action-packed ninth round of an entertaining fight.

When it was over, the two fighters embraced. Moments later, Tsutsumi said in his interview seen live on Amazon Prime Video that Higa was "very, very strong."

Assessing his own performance, Tsutsumi said, "[From] time to time, I see my weaknesses within me so that I couldn't be very aggressive during the round."

He added, "But I believe I want to be even stronger for the upcoming fight. So I think I have got to get over these weaknesses in my mind."

In other words, Tsutsumi issued a challenge to himself after fighting Higa.

RELATED:

• David Cuellar Takes on Huge Challenge Against Junto Nakatani
• Junto Nakatani Puts on Monday Masterclass in Latest Title Defense
• [ODDS and EVENS] Japanese Boxing is Achieving Big Success on a Global Scale

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.