ODDS and EVENS | Junto Nakatani Vying for Another Championship Belt

It's been three-plus months since Junto Nakatani won for the 30th time in 30 professional boxing fights.

Nakatani, the WBC bantamweight champion, returns to the ring on Sunday, June 8 against compatriot Ryosuke Nishida, the IBF title holder, at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum. 

Last time out, Nakatani pulverized 23-year-old title challenger David Cuellar, winning via a third-round knockout on February 24 at Ariake Arena, a nearby venue. It was his 23rd stoppage victory.

This time, Nakatani will face an older challenger, one who has had significantly fewer fights. Nishida, 28, is 10-0 with two KOs in his pro career.

Rudy Hernandez, Nakatani's longtime trainer, believes his prize fighter is at the height of his powers.

"Junto is now 27 and has full-fledged manpower," Hernandez said in an interview with The Ring magazine in May 2025. "He understands, he's accurate, he knows where to hit, and how. [And] he has good reflexes and instincts."

Longtime Trainer Says Junto Nakatani is Prepared

In another interview, Hernandez said Nakatani cannot overlook Nishida, but he emphasized that his pupil has trained earnestly for the bout.

"Nishida is the IBF world champion and he is the champion for a reason," Hernandez told the Sports Graphic Number website. "As I said earlier, we want Junto to be the best boxer in the world. To be the best, he has to beat the best in the same weight class. Junto is training hard and is ready for whatever style of fight Nisida challenges him to."

Added Hernandez, "Nishida doesn't look like such a great boxer at first glance, but he is actually a fighter who does everything right in the ring."

What other impressions does Hernandez have of Nishida's boxing skills?

"He doesn't make too many mistakes when he attacks, and he doesn't take that many punches," the trainer said, according to the Sports Graphic Number website. "[Nishida is] not flashy, he doesn't look like he has a lot of horsepower, but he's a fighter who knows how to fight effectively. So there is some concern in my mind. 

"I think Nishida is an excellent boxer and a champion who is stronger than he looks."

A Desire to Challenge Junto Nakatani

People recognize that Nishida's overall body of work as a pro boxer doesn't match Nakatani's. Obviously, the latter's 20 additional fights are much more than an afterthought. 

Nakatani's global rise to stardom has included title conquests at flyweight (in 2020), super flyweight (in 2022) and bantamweight (in 2024).

In addition, Nakatani is ranked No 7 on The Ring's pound-for–pound rankings list, which was updated on May 7. Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, who has made an oral agreement to fight Nakatani in 2026, is the highest-ranked Japanese boxer at No 2.

For Nishida, facing a fighter of Nakatani's caliber represents the fulfillment of a goal.

"I wanted to fight Nakatani," the Nara Prefecture native told a news conference on April 18, The Chunichi Shimbun reported. "[And] I wanted to challenge him even if I had to give up my belt." 

An Aggressive Plan for Junto Nakatani

Blessed with powerful, quick fists, Nakatani has overpowered opponents again and again.

During a practice session at MT Boxing Gym in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture on May 31, the Mie Prefecture native vowed to make an impression on Nishida while living up to his nickname, "Big Bang."

"I'm just going to unleash [the Big Bang]," Nakatani said, according to Nikkan Sports. "If he can absorb it, I'll let him absorb it." 

That said, Nakatani is super confident that he will emerge victorious on Sunday and add the IBF title belt to his collection.

"I will definitely become the unified champion," Nakatani told reporters in March. 

When the bell clangs to start the first round, Nakatani says he will only be focused on winning ― not permitting himself to have anxiety.

"Every man has worries of his own," were words spoken by Nakatani in the World Boxing Council's fight preview. "But if I carry my worry into the ring, that's no good. It would result in bad!"

Four-Division Champ Tanaka Retires

In another big boxing story this week in Japan, Kosei Tanaka, one of the nation's top fighters of the past decade, has hung up his gloves. The four-division champion announced his retirement on Wednesday, June 4 at a news conference in Nagoya.

Acknowledging he's had vision problems (detached retinas in both eyes) and faces the risk of blindness if he continues fighting, Tanaka made the right decision to end his career. 

Tanaka, 29, retires with a career record of 20-2 (11 KOs). Kazuto Ioka, Inoue and Tanaka are the only Japanese boxers to win world titles in four weight classes. 

A native of Gifu Prefecture, Tanaka captured world titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and super flyweight. Along the way he became the fastest four-division world champ in boxing history, achieving the feat in his 21st fight. (The previous record was held by Oscar De La Hoya, who accomplished it in 24 bouts.)

In his final career fight in October 2024 in Tokyo, Tanaka lost a split decision and his WBO super flyweight title to South Africa's Phumelela Cafu.

"Both eyes were in bad condition before the fight, and immediately after I decided to have surgery on both eyes," Tanaka said this week, according to Boxing Scene. 

"Although my vision has recovered, my vision in my right eye is still significantly distorted and I can't focus with both eyes." 

Looking back on his career, Tanaka exits the stage as a pro fighter with a sense of pride.

"There were goals I couldn't achieve, but I have no regrets over what I have done," Tanaka was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "I love boxing, so I'd like to stay involved."

RELATED:

• Junto Nakatani Defends Title with 3rd-Round KO of David Cuellar
• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Boxing Stars Inoue and Nakatani Agree to Fight in 2026
• 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.