On Sunday, June 8, at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, WBC Bantamweight World Champion Junto Nakatani (M.T Gym, 30-0, 23 KOs) will face IBF Bantamweight World Champion Ryosuke Nishida (Mutsushima Gym, 10-0, 2 KOs) in a title unification bout. On May 21, Nakatani returned to Japan after completing a month-long training camp in Los Angeles, where he sparred a career-high 250 rounds.
Nakatani, seen as taking the next step toward a potential future showdown with four-division undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (Ohashi Gym, 30-0, 27 KOs), is now widely recognized as a pound-for-pound level fighter. His recent performances have drawn international attention, and fans and boxing insiders around the world are closely following his moves.
Coinciding with Nakatani’s return to Japan, his long-time trainer Rudy Hernandez—who has been training him since the age of 15—told the media that Nakatani would “100% win by KO” against WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (USA/Teiken Gym, 21-0, 14 KOs).
“We want the Bam fight. Junto would definitely win by KO between rounds six and eight. I’m confident. That’s my opinion—not a personal wish, but a business matter,” Hernandez stated firmly.
However, as Hernandez himself noted, this is his personal view. If Rodriguez is willing, this statement could be seen as a signal that Nakatani is open to facing him while still competing at bantamweight.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is scheduled for a title unification bout on July 19 (July 20 Japan time) at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, against WBO Super Flyweight Champion Bumeleli Cofu (South Africa, 11-0-3, 8 KOs). While Rodriguez plans to move up in weight in the future, for now, he is focused on unifying all four major titles at super flyweight.
If he defeats Cofu, there is a strong likelihood that he will next face WBA Super Flyweight Champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez (Argentina, 18-0, 9 KOs), who has earned back-to-back wins over Kazuto Ioka (Shisei Gym, 31-4-1, 16 KOs). Martinez is also eagerly anticipating this matchup.
During his recent training camp in Los Angeles, Junto Nakatani brought a nutritionist with him for the first time. He commented that “my body is getting bigger,” and if he defeats Ryosuke Nishida, it’s highly likely that he will move up to super bantamweight. At the very least, the current global bantamweight rankings suggest such a shift is expected.
Should Nakatani vacate his WBC title, the IBF belt may be contested in a vacant title fight between No. 3-ranked Jose Salas Reyes (Mexico, 16-0, 10 KOs), who had been waiting as the mandatory challenger, and No. 5-ranked former WBA champion Takuma Inoue (Ohashi Gym, 20-2, 5 KOs).
In the WBC rankings, Tenshin Nasukawa (Teiken Gym, 6-0, 2 KOs) has climbed to No. 1 and is expected to fight in a WBC title bout. Ranked No. 2 is former two-division world champion Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico, 44-4, 28 KOs).
If Nakatani does move up in weight, the most globally buzzworthy opponent would be Ramon Cardenas (USA, 25-2, 14 KOs), who earned widespread recognition in Japan after putting up a strong performance against Naoya Inoue, including scoring a knockdown, despite ultimately losing the fight.
Shortly after the Inoue fight, Sampson Lewkowicz, the promoter of Ramon Cardenas, stated, “I’ve received a message from Mr. Honda of Teiken Promotions saying they want to see Cardenas fight in Japan.” This has fueled speculation that a bout between Junto Nakatani and Cardenas could materialize.
Should Nakatani face Cardenas—who scored a knockdown in a thrilling battle against Naoya Inoue before ultimately losing—the fight would serve as an intriguing prelude to a potential Nakatani vs. Inoue matchup. It would draw great interest from fans eager to compare the two and gauge Nakatani’s readiness.
That said, Nakatani must first overcome the challenge directly in front of him—Ryosuke Nishida. Nishida is an unorthodox southpaw with excellent technique, stamina, and mental toughness. In his May 4 bout last year at Edion Arena Osaka, he challenged hard-hitting IBF Champion Emmanuel Rodriguez (Puerto Rico, 22-3-1 NC, 13 KOs), scoring a knockdown with a left to the body in the fourth round and engaging in a fierce, toe-to-toe contest. Nishida ultimately captured the title with a unanimous decision victory, in what was a remarkable performance.
It will be a southpaw-versus-southpaw duel. Although Nakatani enjoys advantages in height and reach, the tricky Nishida will likely devise a strategy to offset them. He is not the type to press forward aggressively, so his best chance will come from counterpunching—timing his shots to Nakatani’s entries and finishes.
In that tiny window of opportunity, Nishida must have the perfect setup ready. Even if Nakatani’s razor-sharp punches prove more explosive than anticipated, Nishida possesses the composure to accept that reality and execute his game plan.
If Nishida hesitates for even a split second, he won’t be able to beat Nakatani. The fact that both fighters are southpaws is also a major factor—timing and angle will be critical.
Will Nakatani climb another rung toward the Inoue fight, or will Nishida throw a wrench in his plans? All eyes will be on June 8.
The result of the June 8 fight could significantly impact the future schedule of both the bantamweight and super bantamweight divisions!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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