Today, on the excellent card in Tokyo, Japan, former two-weight champ Junto Nakatani became a three-weight ruler courtesy of a flawless winning performance against defending WBC bantamweight champ Alexandro Santiago.
Nakatani, who dropped Santiago twice to get the TKO win, scored the first knockdown with a straight left hand, the second and final knockdown with a right hook. Santiago’s corner had seen enough and the fight was stopped at 1:12 of the sixth round.
Nakatani, who won every round of today’s ultimately very one-sided fight, is now a hugely impressive 27-0(20). Mexican warrior Santiago, who had won the title by defeating the great Nonito Donaire by decision and was making his first defence today, falls to 28-4-5(14).
Nakatani inflicted a cut on the defending champ in the third round and it was all bad news for the previously unstopped Santiago after that. What had for some the look of the possible fight of the night going in, instead turned out to be a masterclass, this in favour of challenger Nakatani.
Nakatani, already a two-weight champion, this at flyweight and junior-bantamweight, wiped out a tough fighter and he did it in style. Nakatani said in victory how he looks forward to people seeing him fight at bantamweight from here on in. More superb displays of ring craft such as the one he impressed us all with so much today, and Nakatani will have plenty of people tuning in to see him do his stuff.
Nakatani may well make an appearance on a few pound-for-pound lists after today’s excellent win and performance.
Boxing really is buzzing in Japan right now, and it’s not just down to Naoya Inoue. Speaking of “The Monster,” what a shame he and Nakatani will never get to share a ring. What a fight that one might have been.